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[Marshall D. Teach]: "Counting down the twenty King-level titles? Sounds like a blast, zehahahaha~!"
[Marco]: "Teach?! You've got some nerve showing your face here, traitor!"
[Marshall D. Teach]: "Well, if it isn't our ever-loyal First Division Commander. What's wrong, Marco? You planning to chase me like Ace did and end up the same way?"
[Jozu]: "You bastard! Don't get cocky! The Whitebeard Pirates will never forgive you!"
[Marshall D. Teach]: "Zehahaha~ Talk big all you want. Maybe save your energy for rescuing Ace before his public execution, eh?"
The chat fell silent.
Then—
[Monkey D. Luffy]: "WHAT?! Ace is gonna be executed?! What happened?!"
[Portgas D. Ace]: "It's fine, Luffy. Don't worry about me. This is… my own journey."
[Gol D. Roger]: "Portgas D. Ace… wait a damn minute Portgas?! That's… that's my wife's name!"
In the stillness of the afterlife, Gol D. Roger froze.
Portgas D. Ace.
He had never heard that name before yet the moment he saw it, his heart began to hammer in his chest.
Portgas.
That was Rouge's family name.
And Ace—
Ace was the name of his saber.
The same name he had decided long ago he would give to his son if Rouge bore a boy.
If it were a girl, she would be Ann.
If a boy… Ace.
So the moment he saw that name together with Portgas D. Ace, he didn't need proof.
He knew.
"So… I really have a son."
"My bloodline… it still lives on this sea."
"Hahahahaha! That's… that's amazing!"
Though his body was frozen by the System, Roger couldn't help but laugh inside, pure joy flooding his heart. But the laughter soon faded.
"Wait… did they say execution? The Marines captured him?"
Joy turned to dread in an instant.
And then another message appeared on the chat.
[Portgas D. Ace]: "You've got the wrong guy. I'm not your son. My father… is Whitebeard."
[Gol D. Roger]: "...WHAT?!"
Roger's world imploded.
His son… calling Whitebeard "Father"?
"What the hell…?"
"Did Rouge hide his identity to protect him? That must be it! But then why would he… call that old man 'Dad'?!"
"Wait—am I… being cucked in the afterlife?!"
The thought hit him like a cannonball, and he nearly lost his composure.
[Gol D. Roger]: "Rouge! Rouge, I know you're out there! Tell me I'm not crazy!"
[Portgas D. Rouge]: "Roger… you're not wrong. Ace is our son."
[Gol D. Roger]: "Ha! I knew it! Ace, come on, just say it once call me 'Dad'!"
[Portgas D. Ace]: "I already said I'm not your son. My only father is Whitebeard."
[Gol D. Roger]: "...WHAT?!"
[Gol D. Roger]: "Newgate! You'd better explain right now!"
[Edward Newgate]: "Gurararara~ Roger, that's a long story. Let's just say… You should reflect on yourself, old friend."
[Gol D. Roger]: "(╬ಠ益ಠ)!!!"
[Gol D. Roger]: "Karp! I left my son in your care, didn't I?! How the hell did you let him end up calling Whitebeard 'Daddy'?!"
[Monkey D. Garp]: "Hahahaha! Roger, that's also a long story. Maybe you should reflect a little too. (picks nose)"
[Gol D. Roger]: "ヽ(`Д´)ノ︵┻━┻"
If he could move, Roger would've flipped a table.
His blood pressure spiked hard enough to kill him again.
---
He forced himself to calm down. No matter what, he thought, I need to see what's happened since my death.
Meanwhile, the chat erupted with speculation.
[Big Mom]: "Mama-mama-ma~ Twenty King-level titles? I'd better be on that list!"
[Kaido]: "Wororororo~ I already know mine: the King of Beasts!"
[Rocks D. Xebec]: "Hah! Pathetic! I'll take the title of King of the World!"
[Morgans]: "Surely you mean King of cucks no way the News King gets left out!"
[Garp]: "Heh! Wonder if I can snag the title of Marine King while we're at it."
[Sengoku]: "Excuse me, Garp? Who's the Fleet Admiral again?!"
[Garp]: "Relax, old man. Maybe 'Sheep King' fits you better—baa~!"
[Sengoku]: "…"
The entire chat burst into laughter.
[Luffy]: "A King-level title, huh? Guess I'll be on there too! I'm gonna be the Pirate King, after all!"
[Gol D. Roger]: "Monkey D.… Karp, that kid's your grandson? He says he's gonna take my title! Hahaha, how's that feel?!"
[Garp]: "At least he acknowledges me as family. Unlike some people whose son doesn't!"
[Gol D. Roger]: "…"
Roger clenched his teeth.
[Gol D. Roger]: "Enough chatter. If this video's about Kings, then I should be at the top! There's only one Pirate King, after all!"
As soon as he finished typing, the massive black screen above began to glow.
White text appeared line by line:
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[Compilation of the Twenty King-Level Titles of the Grand Line Commencing Playback]
[First Entry: The Repressed King — Gol D. Roger.]
[Gol D. Roger]: "...WHAT?!"
Even in death, even frozen in time, the Pirate King had never felt such a mix of pride, confusion… and secondhand embarrassment.
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Thank you so much for your support and for reading!