Inside the bar in Grove 13 of Sabaody Archipelago, Roy and Rayleigh were drinking happily.
"You're much more optimistic than before," Rayleigh remarked.
"I've come to understand a few things over the years, so it doesn't really matter anymore," Roy replied with a smile.
"Really doesn't matter anymore?" Rayleigh asked, chuckling.
"Yeah, it doesn't. It doesn't matter who becomes the Pirate King. I just want to protect my family. I share the same dream as Newgate—family is more important than anything. Now I have a wife, a child, and so many brothers," Roy said with a smile.
"You've definitely changed. You're nothing like the man I saw over twenty years ago. Back then, you were terrifying, cold, and calculating. Now, there's hope in your eyes. Hope for the future."
"That's a huge change. It's good you've come to terms with things. The future is the future's problem."
"I'm not as old as you just yet," Roy joked.
"You're the one who claimed you were older than me and Gabban combined!" Rayleigh laughed.
"I was just messing with you. How could I be that old? I just wanted to scare you two a little. Never thought you'd actually fall for it. Even Roger came to talk to me afterward," Roy said, amused.
"Roger came to you? What did he say?" Rayleigh asked.
"He was frustrated. Said he was born too early. If he had lived twenty more years, he definitely wouldn't have surrendered," Roy said with a laugh.
"Yeah… His time was running out. That's why he surrendered—to spark the Great Pirate Era." Rayleigh nodded.
Roger did it for the sake of the world.
The future world would sink into the sea, and discovering the problem early would mean solving it early.
What people saw now was just the beginning—those who didn't understand cursed Roger's name, but the signs were already there.
Even in Water 7, the sea levels were rising. The concept of "island ships" in the story wasn't just a random idea—it was foreshadowing.
And it wasn't just Water 7.
The whole world was drowning.
"It's fine. The new generation is here. You'll meet him soon," Roy said with a smile.
"You mean… the 'king' has been born?" Rayleigh's eyes sharpened.
He had been to Laugh Tale with Roger and knew what "the King" meant. They arrived too early, so Roger wouldn't live to see it—but Rayleigh still wanted to witness who that King would be.
"You'll definitely meet him. In a few months, he'll come here. And when he does, you'll recognize him instantly in the crowd." Roy said.
"Is it Ace?" Rayleigh suddenly asked.
"You already knew?" Roy smiled.
"How could I not? 'Portgas', that's Rouge's surname. I at least knew about Rouge's existence, so of course I figured the child was Roger's. But the timeline doesn't quite match," Rayleigh said.
"What's there not to match? Rouge was an incredible mother. She kept the baby in her belly for two whole years," Roy explained.
Rayleigh froze. Shakky and Whitey Bay—both mothers themselves—stared in disbelief.
"Two years? In her belly? How's that possible?" Whitey Bay gasped.
"She gave everything to protect him. By the time Ace was born, she was sadly gone." Roy said solemnly.
"That's… unbelievable. To endure that for so long…" Whitey Bay could only marvel.
"Wait—Roger's kid? Who?!" Whitey Bay asked.
"Ace. The same guy who fought you two years ago." Roy laughed.
"WHAT?! You mean Fire Fist Ace, the 2nd Division Commander, is Roger's son?! How… Why would Pops…?" Whitey Bay was completely shocked.
"Hahaha! Crazy, right? Newgate didn't want to be Pirate King, but he chose to protect Roger's son instead." Roy said.
"Whitebeard… sheltering Roger's child? That's surreal," Shakky murmured.
"Did Pops know his identity?" Whitey Bay asked.
"Yeah. Ace looks just like Roger. Newgate definitely knew. And the marines should have investigated him, which is why he took him in," Roy nodded.
"Then I owe Whitebeard my thanks," Rayleigh said solemnly.
"No need to thank him. He's one of us now, a member of the Whitebeard Pirates," Roy smiled.
"I still haven't met the kid."
"You will."
The two kept drinking—both were heavy drinkers who couldn't get drunk. Eventually, Rayleigh went to coat the icebreaker while Roy took Whitey Bay to explore Sabaody.
They'd been here before, but this time, the atmosphere felt different.
"Dear, that ship over there…" While walking with Whitey Bay, they spotted a strange-looking ship by the shore.
"He's here in Sabaody too?" Roy was surprised and walked toward the ship.
"Hey, who are you people?"
A group of fishmen blocked their path.
"Is Jinbe around?" Roy asked.
"You know Captain Jinbe?" The fishmen eased up a little after hearing Jinbe's name.
"I'm Whitey Bay. Tell him I'm here." Whitey Bay said.
"Whitey Bay?! Wait—the Ice Witch Whitey Bay?!" the fishman exclaimed.
"That's me," Whitey Bay nodded.
"Captain Whitey Bay, please, come onboard. Our captain has gone to Marineford. But Vice-Captain Aladine is here," the fishman respectfully led the two onto the ship.
Roy saw Aladine, floating mid-air with a bubble ring.
He was a goateed beard brotula merman.
Alladine floated around in a bubble, a common method for mermen to move on land without transforming.
"Captain Whitey Bay, it really is you!" Aladine greeted her happily.
"Didn't expect to see you guys here. Why did Jinbe go to Marineford?" Whitey Bay asked.
"It's a bit embarrassing… some of our former crew left and went to the East Blue. We recently heard they were defeated and captured by the Marines. Boss Jinbe went to find out what happened," Aladine explained.
"East Blue, fishmen… must be Arlong and his crew," Roy recalled. They had heard of Arlong in East Blue but hadn't met him.
"Yes," Aladine said, glancing at Roy. He looked familiar, but couldn't quite place him.
"And you are…?"
"He's my husband, Roy," Whitey Bay introduced.
"Ah! Nice to meet you, Mr. Roy," Aladine said, shaking his hand.
"Likewise, Aladine."
Roy hadn't seen Whitebeard in ten years, so he missed the celebratory sake ceremony between Jinbe and the Whitebeard Pirates.
Who would have thought that Jinbe, the Knight of the Sea and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, was technically one of Whitebeard's men?
And one who'd shared drinks with them, no less.
Aladine insisted on treating them to a meal.
And just as they sat down, Jinbe returned.
...
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