"What!?"
As Garp's voice echoed through the loudspeakers flanking the big screen, a shockwave rippled through the world. Whether they were civilians or dignitaries, pirates or navy officers, everyone wore the same expression of disbelief.
Their mouths gaped wide, and their eyes were fixed on the screen, unable to fathom what they were witnessing. A naval hero, Garp, was going to resurrect the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger!?
The sheer strangeness of this development baffled everyone. Even the common folk, who had been led to believe that the navy was the embodiment of justice and the government was righteous, were dumbfounded. The veterans from Garp's era were equally at a loss—what exactly was Garp aiming for?
Yet, as shocking as Garp's declaration was, Leo, the dimensional merchant, responded without hesitation:
"No problem."
With that, the Phoenix King's feather, which was floating in mid-air, suddenly burst into a brilliant holy light, illuminating Garp's face, worn from years of experience.
Then, with a snap of Leo's fingers, a powerful soul was drawn from the underworld. It rose like a phoenix, soaring toward the Phoenix King's feather.
In an instant, a familiar figure materialized before Garp's eyes.
Leo had thoughtfully dressed Roger in the clothes he had worn prior to his execution—given that women and children were watching, he took care not to cause any distress by making the scene too raw.
After a moment, the resurrected Roger slowly opened his eyes, still confused.
"...Strange, wasn't I executed?"
He reached up and touched his neck, bewildered, as though his mind was still caught in that fateful moment before his beheading.
But the second Roger's voice echoed across the screen, the entire sea erupted into chaos!
——
In the Sabaody Archipelago, inside the "Rip-Off Bar," Rayleigh, watching the Pokémon League Conference on a small portable screen alongside Shakky, jumped up, his eyes brimming with tears. His face, though joyful, was a complex mix of astonishment and delight.
As the former first mate of the Roger Pirates, Rayleigh instantly recognized Roger. That voice, that mannerism—there was no mistaking it.
"That's really Roger," Rayleigh whispered, "the real Roger, no doubt about it."
Shakky, though also shocked, took a long drag from her cigarette. Exhaling a plume of smoke, she said calmly:
"So... dimensional merchants really can bring back the dead."
She paused, shaking her head slightly. "Still, who would have thought that Garp would choose to resurrect Roger of all people? This world is becoming more confusing by the day."
Rayleigh chuckled, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "That Garp... who would've imagined he'd pull such a stunt. This is going to be chaotic…"
He took a swig from a nearby bottle, draining it in a few gulps. Then, with a bang, he slammed the empty bottle onto the bar.
"Shakky," he said, turning toward her with a grin.
"What is it?"
"Pack me some rations. I'm headed for the East Blue."
Shakky smiled warmly. "No problem."
——
Meanwhile, aboard the Red Force in the New World, the entire Red-Haired Pirates crew had gathered on the deck.
Normally a rowdy bunch, they were unusually quiet. It was as if someone had pressed a mute button.
Shanks, one of the Yonko, stood staring at the screen in shock, his mouth wide open, as if he could swallow a basketball. In his hand, he clutched a bottle of liquor, but he didn't seem to notice that the wine was spilling out, soaking the deck.
"Roger... Captain Roger is back," Shanks finally muttered, still in disbelief.
Even though he had heard rumors that dimensional merchants could revive the dead, seeing his old captain, dead for so many years, brought back to life... he struggled to comprehend it.
What puzzled him even more was why Garp—the very man who had once chased them across the seas—was the one to resurrect Roger.
——
In the Holy Land of Mariejois on the Red Line, the familiar room of the Five Elders was filled with tension.
Their expressions were grim as they watched the resurrected Roger on the big screen.
"Get me Sengoku—now!" barked Saint Nusjuro, his anger palpable as he slammed his sword onto the floor.
A den-den mushi was quickly connected, and before the Five Elders could speak, Sengoku's voice came through, filled with diplomacy.
His tone was sincere, respectful, but unmistakable: "This was Garp's personal decision. It does not reflect the Navy's stance."
The room fell silent.
One of the Elders finally slammed his fist onto the table and cursed, "Damn it! I knew Garp was unreliable, but this… this is too much!"
"Should we have removed him from the Navy sooner?" Saint Nusjuro growled.
Saint Ju Peter, sighed deeply. "And what then? Let him become a pirate? Or worse, join the Revolutionary Army?"
"The reason we kept him in the Navy was to control him, remember?"
"Enough," Saint Warcury sighed. "What's done is done."
His gaze returned to the screen, where Garp was looking fondly at Roger.
"I thought he had settled down in his old age. But it seems he's only grown bolder."
The Five Elders couldn't help but seethe. Garp had been a headache when he was young, always causing trouble. Now, in his twilight years, just when they thought he had quieted down, he caused yet another massive problem.
"The news of this has already spread across the entire world. We need to act fast..."
Sighs filled the room.
Ever since the dimensional merchants had appeared, the Five Elders had not known a moment's peace. And if things continued like this, they feared they might die of exhaustion before the next generation was ready to take their place.
——
At that moment, the whole world's attention was fixed on Celestial Island.
In the players' lounge, Ace, preparing for the final match, stared at the screen, his pupils dilating as he recognized the figure on stage.
"..."
His lips moved, but no words came out.
At that moment, he understood why Garp had lost to him in the semifinals.
Garp had planned to resurrect Roger all along, and had let him win.
Seeing his biological father standing there, Ace was at a loss for how to feel, or what to do.
In the audience, Buggy was similarly frozen in disbelief, his jaw hanging open as he stared at the resurrected Roger.
Who would've thought that after saving only half the 2.5 billion Berries he'd planned to use to resurrect his captain, someone else would beat him to it?
...
...
Roger looked around, bewildered.
He realized he was standing in a massive arena, surrounded by countless spectators. The grandness of the scene exceeded even that of his execution.
But when his eyes landed on Garp, Roger froze.
"Ga... Garp... what's going on?! Why are you so old?" Roger asked in shock.
"..."
"Idiot!" Garp snorted, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
In this world, aside from his two rebellious grandsons, Roger was perhaps the only person Garp would dare call an idiot.
At that moment, looking at the strange expressions of the people around him, even Roger—slow to notice—sensed something was off.
First of all, he was sure this wasn't an execution ground.
Secondly… Garp suddenly appearing several decades older intrigued him.
However, Roger's soul was still in a state of confusion after being resurrected, so he didn't know what to say.
Meanwhile, Garp, seeing Roger truly alive again, gave a mischievous smile and warned him, "Don't go around blabbing about being back from the dead. Better rest up, or you'll be in for quite the shock!"
After saying that, Garp turned his attention to Leo.
Having witnessed Leo's incredible abilities firsthand, Garp's attitude became noticeably more respectful. Under Roger's incredulous gaze, Garp bowed slightly and said politely, "Thank you, Sir Leo!"
"You're welcome," Leo replied with a light smile.
"This is the reward you've earned."
As Leo spoke, a powerful wave of life essence burst forth, filling the air with a refreshing energy.
Then, Leo asked, "So, Mr. Garp, how do you plan to use these 150 years of life essence?"
Garp hesitated. He hadn't expected life essence to be part of the reward and had never considered how to use it.
After a moment, something came to Garp's mind. Glancing at Roger, he respectfully asked Leo,
"Sir Leo, how much life essence would it take to cure this guy's illness?"
"Hmm…" Leo pondered, then looked Roger over before smiling.
"Five years of life essence will do."
"So little?!" Garp exclaimed, surprised by Leo's response.
Roger's illness had baffled even the world's most renowned doctors. Garp murmured to himself, "I didn't realize the power of life essence was this strong…"
Without hesitation, he made a request to Leo, "Sir Leo, please use five years of life essence to cure Roger's illness."
"As for the remaining life essence..." Garp pulled out two Poké Balls from behind.
One contained a powerful Machoke, while the other held a Gyarados, which seldom had the chance to battle since Machoke usually outshined it.
Both Pokémon appeared in the ring. Although Gyarados was less capable than Machoke, Garp treated them equally.
"Please, Sir Leo, divide the remaining life essence among my two Pokémon and myself—50 percent for each Pokémon and 45 percent for me," Garp continued.
"As you wish." Leo smiled again, and with a wave of his hand, the enormous ball of life essence split into four parts.
The smallest portion immediately flowed into Roger's body.
Though still confused, Roger was soon overwhelmed by an intense feeling of vitality, as if years of impurities were being purged from his body.
"What is this...!?" Roger gasped, astonished.
But no one had time to pay attention to his shock. A large portion of the life essence entered Garp and his two Pokémon, leaving them all visibly revitalized.
Moments later, after Garp and his Pokémon had absorbed the life essence, Leo smiled again and signaled the trio of Team Rocket.
James instantly understood, grabbing the microphone and energetically announcing, "Okay! Let's give another round of applause for Mr. Garp and Miss Nami, who have taken Third and Fourth place in this Pokémon League Conference!"
"Our awards ceremony will take a brief pause. Sir Leo, please return to your seat. Contestants and Pokémon, take a short break..."
"And now, let's welcome the remaining two finalists as they battle for the championship!!!"
...
Guided by James, Nami and Garp recalled their Pokémon and left the stage in an orderly manner.
Roger, clueless about what was happening, had no choice but to follow Garp, looking around with curiosity.
Nami, walking beside them, kept glancing at Roger, her curiosity piqued.
So this is the legendary Pirate King? He seems friendly—not nearly as terrifying as the stories make him out to be, she thought.
Although Roger had been a pirate and thus considered a villain, his infamy had been greatly exaggerated due to the Navy and World Government's propaganda.
With the news of "Pirate King Roger's resurrection" about to spread, it was certain that the world would once again fall into chaos.
But for now, the man responsible for this resurrection, Navy hero Garp, was smiling contentedly.
In truth...
The reason Garp brought Roger back was quite simple—he wanted his grandson Ace to meet his father in person.
Like Luffy, Ace had never known his parents and thus had no emotional connection to them. But Ace was different from Luffy in one key way—Luffy's father was still alive somewhere in the world.
Although Dragon's position kept him distant, he could still protect Luffy from the shadows.
Ace, on the other hand, had grown up hearing only hatred for his father, the Pirate King. His childhood was harsh, marked by the constant curse of his father's name.
As he matured, Ace gradually understood Roger's actions, but accepting the existence of his parents was still impossible for him.
Had he wanted to, Ace could have resurrected his parents using his saved points multiple times over.
However...
A life without parents was an incomplete one.
In Garp's eyes, now that the opportunity was available, he wanted to help Ace experience a more meaningful life.
Maybe Ace would resist. Maybe he wouldn't appreciate it. But Garp, having witnessed everything firsthand, knew...
Both Roger and Ace's mother, Rouge, loved their son deeply. Ace deserved to feel that love for himself.
Everything Garp was doing was simply an act of love from a grandfather for his grandson.
Caught up in thoughts of the reunion between Ace and his father, Garp hadn't even considered the chaos that would erupt once the world learned that the Pirate King, Roger, had returned!