Chapter 15: Gol D. Roger

“Wow! This is exactly like me!!!”

“Really? It’s clearer than a mirror…”

“Ugh… Please stop touching me!!”

Aina and Lefe, my older sisters, followed me on the boat as bodyguards under the pretext of being adults, and I was plagued by their curiosity while demonstrating the power of the Copy-Copy Fruit.

I showed them how I could touch their appearance and transform into them.

They were amazed by my transformation and asked me various questions…

“But is this all? I’ve heard there are much stronger cursed fruits than this…”

“Yeah, I’ve heard there are fruits that can make your body untouchable unless you have Haki. Are you sure this is fine??”

“It’s fine. If I can train this ability the way I imagine, everyone will have no choice but to recognize it.”

While they were worried that the Copy-Copy Fruit’s power seemed unimpressive, I smiled and reassured them.

If I could make it work the way I envisioned, I would become someone capable of surprising everyone.

And before achieving that, I had to obtain the copied data of someone I could never get this close to otherwise… I thought of Loguetown, which was getting closer, and the man who was the beginning of this world.

Gol D. Roger.

Gol D. Roger. Or Gold Roger.

The man who opened the Pirate Era. The Pirate King. Whether he was a villain or a hero was secondary; his strength was unrivaled, the strongest in the current world who had lost his life.

Especially his use of the extraordinary Conqueror’s Haki, which could tear the sky and the seas apart, was something of a level capable of dominating everything. If I could copy that…

‘Someday, I might be able to make his Haki my own.’

If I could obtain the power of the world’s greatest warrior—someone who stood at the top of this world purely through Haki and not a Devil Fruit—it would be an incredible achievement.

With that thought, I planned to meet Roger and copy his abilities before his execution.

I would eventually train the Copy-Copy Fruit, use that data to copy his Haki into my body, and stand on top of this world myself.

***

“…Hehehe… It’s been a while, Garp.”

“Gol D. Roger…”

Garp looked at Roger with a conflicted expression. Seeing his lifelong rival, who had surrendered, was a deeply complicated feeling.

Especially when that rival had even entrusted his child to him.

“…Do you have any final words for your child?”

“…I have nothing to say to my child. To them, I am just a father they can only hate.”

“Even so, you’re still their father. Surely, you must have something you want to leave behind?”

Roger hesitated for a moment after hearing Garp’s words but eventually fell silent again.

No matter how he thought about it, the future his son would face after his actions would be terrible, and he couldn’t bear to leave words for him.

“…No, I have no words to leave for my son. Yeah…”

“What in the world could you possibly be planning, that the great Roger would say such a thing?”

“Heh, something that will shake the world…”

Garp sighed but didn’t feel any urge to stop Roger. This was the end of the Pirate King, after all.

As a rival, it was not something he could intervene in. So, he simply sighed and stood up.

He hadn’t intended to witness Roger’s final moments, but just as he was about to leave…

Roger called out to him.

“Wait, Garp.”

“…Hmm? Have you thought of something to say?”

“No. It’s not that, but my instincts are telling me something. If I hold onto you now, something interesting may happen in the future.”

“…Your instincts, huh?”

Garp knew how sharp Roger’s instincts were, so he simply decided to go along with it. He didn’t mind talking a little more on this final journey, after all.

So, Garp and Roger continued to converse while waiting for Roger’s instincts to guide them.

***

“This is Loguetown…”

“Yeah, this is where the Pirate King was captured, right?”

“Yeah. I saw a newspaper that the pirate crew picked up, and it said this was the place of his execution.”

While Lefé and Aina looked at Loguetown with curiosity, I closed my eyes, activated my Observation Haki, and began walking slowly.

The powerful auras from all around felt overwhelming.

With the Pirate King’s death, it seemed like many strong figures had gathered here.

Among them, I needed to find Gol D. Roger’s aura and sneak my way to him.

‘Can I do it..?’

No, I believe I can. With my Observation Haki reaching the domain of the Visible World!

I thought to myself and stepped into that realm, seeing everything clearly and starting to look around.

After a while, I finally detected two distinct auras deep underground…

For some reason, it seemed strange to me that only two people were down there, but I was sure one of them was Gol D. Roger.

After all, he was bound, and I could sense some kind of unknown illness from his body.

Without hesitation, I began heading in that direction, leaving the two sisters behind.

“Make sure to get out if it becomes too dangerous.”

“Our youngest has great skill, but this is no ordinary place. You mustn’t push yourself.”

“Understood! I’ll finish what I need to do and come back right away!”

With those words, I moved toward the underground prison.

***

“Who is that??”

“Hmm… I don’t know who they are, but my instincts are telling me that this girl is the one I’ve been waiting for.”

Garp muttered in confusion as he sensed the presence of a girl entering the underground prison.

He had been allowed to enter smoothly after talking to the guards, and Boa Hancock was able to get in as well. If it weren’t for Garp, the place would have been heavily guarded.

This encounter was the result of Roger’s instincts. Roger smiled as he sensed the future of the approaching girl.

He wasn’t sure what it meant, but he knew that when the two of them met, something significant would happen in the future.

‘…This is interesting… I almost want to watch it to the end…!!!’

Roger didn’t know who the girl was, but he realized that the future would soon change dramatically because of her, and he couldn’t help but smile with excitement.

Yes, this is what the future should be like! No one knows, and that’s what makes people filled with hope and excitement!

He thought to himself as he waited for the mysterious girl to approach.

***

Clomp—
Clomp—

The footsteps echoed through the underground prison corridors. A hooded figure finally appeared before them. It was me.

“…The Navy Hero, Garp?”

“Ha ha! So you know me!! Then can you tell me who you are?”

“…Sorry, but I don’t feel like being recognized by a Navy Hero.”

“…Hahaha! Now that’s a good answer!”

Roger chuckled as I approached him with a bright look in my eyes.

Since these two were incredibly powerful figures who I couldn’t even think of fighting, it seemed better to act boldly rather than try to prepare for anything.

With that in mind, I reached my hand out toward Roger, who was imprisoned.

“Gol D. Roger, Pirate King.”

“Yes, what business do you have, girl?”

“I wish to take your legacy.”

“…Hooh…? What?”

Roger instinctively realized the meaning behind my words.

Though he didn’t know what Devil Fruit ability I had, he understood that I was about to take his innate qualities—his Haki, his Conqueror’s Haki—by touching him.

That overwhelming instinct and the Conqueror’s Haki, which had made Roger the Pirate King, were his greatest strengths.

If that power could be transferred to me…

Roger smiled as he realized this would be an interesting turn of events.

He knew that someday his successor, along with Joy Boy’s heir, would dominate these seas, but sadly, he would be gone before that happened.

However, if he could leave his legacy in this girl’s hands, maybe his heir and Joy Boy’s heir would clash in the future.

Of course, Joy Boy’s heir would also be mentally his successor, but if Roger could leave his legacy, perhaps they could clash on a deeper level.

He wouldn’t be around to see it, but just imagining it was enough to excite him.

Roger grinned and extended his hand to me.

“Ha ha ha! I don’t know what you’ll do, but if you can take my legacy, then take it! Challenge the peak of this world!!!”

“I will. I will take it.”

I gripped Roger’s shoulder and used the Copy-Copy Fruit’s power to absorb his information. For now, I could only mimic his outward appearance, but his abilities were now stored inside me.

I looked at Garp, sitting next to me.

‘If only I could copy Garp’s abilities as well…’

Garp was a master of Armament Haki. Even Roger, with his Conqueror’s Haki, couldn’t fully unleash his power due to his illness. But Garp was able to stand his ground with just his Armament Haki, which was on another level.

Thinking about it, I reached out to Garp as well.

“If possible, may I also copy the Navy Hero’s abilities?”

“Huh?? You’re quite bold, aren’t you?”

“Hahaha! Please, Garp! One last request!!”

Thanks to Roger’s support, Garp hesitated but finally took my hand, and I was able to acquire his information as well.

Now, if I train the power of the Devil Fruit, I could develop it further…

With that thought, I bid them farewell and left the place.

***

“Ha ha ha! This is great!! I love how you don’t seem curious about anything even after meeting the great Pirate King!! You’ll do anything for power, but aside from that, you’ll do it on your own!!”

“I wonder if this will be a decision I regret later.”

I left the scene without witnessing Roger’s execution. After all, I didn’t particularly want to watch someone’s head be cut off.