Ace could no longer hear Garp's heartbeat through the noise.
He thought this exchange was happening only aboard the Moby Dick — how could he know it was being streamed live across the world?
The irony hung heavy: they were watching the broadcast, unaware they themselves were the broadcast.
When the third question appeared, every gaze on the Whitebeard Pirates turned to Ace. No one else could possibly know the answer.
Time was ticking. One minute.
Whether he spoke or not, the mysterious figure would reveal the truth in the end. And besides, a correct answer meant a reward — whatever that might be.
Ace drew in a quiet breath.
"Answer: Mr Garp."
Whitebeard raised an eyebrow, surprised. He had known Ace was Roger's son — but Garp?
"The old Garp you mean…" Marco trailed off, incredulous. "You don't mean the Marine Hero Garp, right?"
If that was true, it bordered on absurd.
The man who captured Roger… had raised Roger's son.
The contradiction rippled through the crew. Many had known both Garp and Roger. They'd fought, laughed, and crossed paths during the old era. The weight of that irony hit like thunder.
"Heh." Ace nodded.
The ship fell into stunned silence — until a few pirates began to snort, then chuckle, the laughter rising like waves.
"Garp, of all people! The Navy's own hero raising the Pirate King's son!"
"This world really doesn't run out of surprises, huh?"
Their laughter was half disbelief, half awe.
But in the Naval Headquarters square, there was no laughter.
"GARP!" Sengoku's roar echoed across the plaza.
His eyes burned with fury — not just at Ace's words, but at the years of betrayal they implied. His brother-in-arms, the one he'd trusted most, had been hiding Roger's son right under his nose.
You are really my good brother…
Garp scratched the back of his head, grimacing. His thoughts tangled like ropes in a storm.
Ace had blurted it out — though even if he hadn't, the mysterious man would've done it anyway. Still, it hurt to be outed by your own grandson.
He sighed. "Uh… Sengoku, listen, I can explain…"
All around them, the Marines were whispering, shaken to the core. Their idol, the unshakable hero Garp, had sheltered the son of the Pirate King. It was unthinkable — a crack in the very image of justice.
Sengoku could see the confusion spreading like wildfire. Civilians would lose faith, Marines would lose morale. If this scandal grew unchecked, it could fracture everything they'd built.
He turned to Garp, voice low and tight. "I'll give you one chance to explain. My office. Later."
Both men stood in silence, each carrying their own storm.
Sengoku's mind flickered back — to the time he'd discovered that pirate in East Blue, Monkey D. Luffy, who'd defeated a Marine colonel. He'd thought it coincidence.
Then he'd seen Garp's grin.
Your grandson, huh?
Now Ace, the son of Roger.
And Luffy, the grandson of Garp.
And Dragon — Garp's son.
It was as if fate itself mocked the Navy through one bloodline.
Sengoku rubbed his temples, muttering bitterly,
"How did one family produce so many devils…?"
*"In every era," someone once said, "there's a family the world calls cursed — but perhaps they're just the ones brave enough to live freely."