One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 505: Roger's Laughter!

Chen Ye stood behind Roger, his hands behind his back.

Roger!

Time is up.

He raised his right hand, pointing directly at the portal of time and space.

Set off as soon as possible.

Although the spacetime flow rates are different on both sides.

But it's best to do it as soon as possible!

Roger stood still. He didn't move.

Chen Ye's gaze suddenly turned icy, like a sharp blade piercing straight ahead. His voice froze.

"I'll remind you one last time. Remember when that power in your chest is triggered."

His tone was completely flat, like reciting an ironclad rule.

"We must never make mistakes at any point in the original timeline."

understand?

Chen Ye paused.

"A second too early and the World Government will discover the anomaly. A second too late and you'll truly die, your soul torn to shreds no matter where you are. You must play the role of the Pirate King, ready to die, until the very last moment. Use your life to ignite the spark of the Great Age of Piracy. Then, deceive everyone."

Roger didn't say anything. He raised his right hand.

Press on the left chest.

It was Chenye who gave him the power to fake his death.

Roger nodded emphatically, his eyes shining.

"Don't worry. I've got it covered."

He lowered his right hand. He stopped before the portal. He didn't step inside immediately. He turned around. Facing the crowd.

The composure and domineering presence of the Pirate King returned to him. He was no longer the disheveled father kneeling in the ruins.

Standing here at this moment is the king who conquered the Grand Line.

Roger looked at Chen Ye. This mysterious young man. The one who pulled him out of the mire of despair. The one who personally pushed him into a larger game of chess.

Roger stopped smiling, straightened up, and bowed respectfully to Chen Ye.

This is the highest respect the Pirate King can give to his benefactor. He's not just thanking him for the second life, but also for the chance to make up for what he regretted.

The gaze shifts to Ryu and Zephyr. Leaders of the Revolutionary Army. Former Admirals.

Roger looked at them, his eyes calm. He knew these two were gathering strength to overthrow the World Government. They were a storm of a new era, doing what he himself had failed to do.

He nodded to the two of them.

"Thank you for your hard work on the road ahead."

The dragon stepped out of the shadows, nodding steadily. Zephyr snorted coldly and remained silent.

Roger walked toward Shanks.

Shanks' eyes reddened. He forcefully suppressed his tears. He didn't want to show weakness in front of the old captain.

Roger stopped. He looked at the apprentice who used to run around on the ship. Now, this brat had grown into one of the Four Emperors. The straw hat on his head had inherited his will.

A flicker of satisfaction crossed Roger's eyes. There was no long-winded explanation. Nor were there any instructions on how to protect the sea. Some things didn't need to be said.

He raised his large hand.

Snapped.

He slapped Shanks hard on the shoulder.

Shanks' body trembled violently. Roger stared into his eyes and left with a very simple sentence.

Take care of yourself.

Those five words struck his heart like a hammer blow. Shanks' Adam's apple bobbed. He swallowed hard, swallowing the bitter taste. He nodded emphatically.

"I will, Captain. Take care too."

The farewells weren't over yet. The white-bearded man stood in the center of the platform, his body like an iron tower.

He carried the Murakumogiri in one hand. His gaze was fixed on Roger. They had been entangled for half their lives. They were mortal enemies, yet also the people who understood each other best.

Whitebeard looked at Roger's current appearance.

Roger, you bastard!

"Don't waste your life anymore. You haven't paid your debts. If you dare to die again, I'll never forgive you."

It was a warning. It was also a farewell. The white-bearded man spoke the most hurtful words in the most abrupt way.

He wanted Roger back alive. He absolutely wouldn't allow that bastard to abandon everything again.

Roger paused, looking at the white-bearded man's cold face, then glancing at Murakumo Kiri.

More than twenty years of grudges. Ace's blood debt. All of it was shattered in that one angry shout.

A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, which then transformed into ecstatic joy. Roger tilted his head back.

Hahahahaha

A burst of laughter erupted. The laughter pierced the night sky and shattered the cold wind.

He laughed so hard he almost fell over, nearly losing his balance. Tears welled up in his eyes.

"Newgate, you old geezer, you're still as domineering as ever!"

Roger pointed at the white beard and laughed.

"Don't worry, I'm the Pirate King, my life is tough."

Rocks crossed his arms and rolled his eyes in disgust.

"It's disgusting to see two old geezers, half-buried in the ground, here commiserating with each other."

He hurled harsh insults, but didn't interrupt. He simply watched coldly as the man walked towards his death.

The laughter subsided. Roger composed himself. Time was running out.

He turned around.

Once again, we face the portal of time and space.

He raised his right foot and stepped into the portal of time and space.

It's all time to end it all. He needs to go back to the past. To complete his mission.

Just as his toes were about to touch the ground, Roger abruptly stopped.

A faint fluctuation entered his senses. It was an aura detected by his awakened ability.

If he didn't have the ability to hear all things, he wouldn't have noticed at all.

His breath was muffled, barely concealing its rapid pace.

Roger's heart pounded. He turned around.

His gaze passed over Chen Ye and the white-bearded Shanks, fixing directly on the distant steel building complex.

That's an abandoned area.

At first glance, there was nothing but empty space. Only steel ruins. Roger's gaze, however, was fixed on those ruins.

Everyone noticed something was wrong. They looked in the direction of the gaze, but saw nothing.

But Roger saw it. He saw the figure hidden in the shadows.

The person hid behind a metal pipe, half their body submerged in darkness. They were desperately holding their breath, trying to suppress their breathing.

This couldn't be hidden from Roger. It was Ace.

The son who swore he would never call him father.

He came after all. I hid in the darkest corner and secretly watched them leave.

She didn't want anyone to find out. She didn't want to admit that she still cared about this man. But then he came.

They couldn't overcome Rouge's death, yet they couldn't erase the unbreakable bond deep within their blood.

Roger stared at the figure behind the pipe. He looked at the eyes shining in the darkness. His eyes reddened.

The weight on my heart shattered with a crash.

Ace didn't forgive him. Ace still hated him. None of that matters anymore.

The child still came. In the biting cold of this late night, we saw him off on his final journey.

That's enough. That's enough.

The tension in my shoulders completely dissipated. Relaxation spread from my chest.

The suffocating feeling of being strangled by guilt dissipated completely.

He didn't say anything. He knew Ace's personality all too well.

Extremely proud. Extremely awkward.

If you were to call out Ace's name or even wave at this moment, Ace would immediately turn around. The fragile connection that had just been established would be severed on the spot.

Roger didn't want to ruin this unspoken understanding. He did nothing. He neither waved nor approached.

He stood before the portal of time and space, taking one last, profound look into the darkness.

then.

Roger looked up.

He burst into laughter at the empty shadows.

Hahahahahahahaha

The laughter was even more unrestrained and exuberant than before, like a thunderclap. The distant steel pipes vibrated and hummed.

There was no bitterness in the laughter. No guilt towards Rouge. No hatred towards fate. Only complete acceptance remained.

Roger laughed wildly. His chest heaved violently. Tears streamed down his cheeks.

He mocked the cruelty of fate, yet was also grateful that fate had ultimately given him this chance.

He knew that a vast distance still separated him from Ace. The distance was the death of Rouge. At least for this moment, they said goodbye in silence.

Laughter was the answer. He accepted this awkward farewell. He would carry this strength with him to face death.

The laughter startled everyone. The white-bearded man frowned and followed the gaze, but still found nothing.

Shanks looked puzzled. He couldn't understand why Roger was suddenly laughing like that.

Rocks looked at him like he was crazy.

"What's that old geezer doing, laughing at a pile of junk?"

He mocked him mercilessly. Roger ignored all gazes and offered no explanation.

She stopped laughing. She raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes. She turned away with a relieved smile.

His red cloak billowed in a sharp arc. Without further hesitation, he strode forward, his right foot landing heavily in the portal.

boom.

A surge of dark golden light erupted, like a ferocious beast opening its jaws, instantly engulfing Roger's silhouette.

The sea breeze of the old era abruptly ceased. The portal of time and space closed. Golden lightning collapsed inward.

hum.

A faint tremor. The crack closed completely. Only emptiness remained.

The platform fell silent again. Only the hum of machinery and the night breeze could be heard.

Roger disappeared. He returned to his own time to face death.

The crowd lingered for a long time, exchanging glances, their eyes filled with barely concealed confusion.

Shanks stared at the spot where Roger had disappeared, then looked towards the distant steel buildings. The white-bearded man's fingers tightened around his sword.

The same question lingered in everyone's mind: What did Roger see in the darkness at the very end?

What could make him laugh so heartily and cleanly, as if he had no regrets whatsoever?