'It seems this sickly little guy is not as simple as I thought! I shouldn't judge a book by its cover,' Shakky thought, her gaze lingering on Sora.
'Uchiha? I've never heard of it before! Very mysterious!'
Shakky's thoughts swirled as she observed the boy.
"Boy, are you sure this news is true?"
Rayleigh had calmed down, but his expression remained serious as he looked at Sora. "This is not a joke!"
"Of course!"
Uchiha Sora nodded confidently. "Back then, after your Roger Pirates disbanded, Roger traveled to South Blue."
"He met and fell in love with a woman named Portgas D. Rouge on Baterilla Island. After spending a year together, Rouge became pregnant with Roger's child."
"After that, Roger turned himself in and ignited the Great Pirate Era."
"The World Government, however, suspected that Roger had left a child in South Blue. They launched a large-scale hunt, sending countless operatives and killing many pregnant women in the process."
"I think you should remember this incident well, Aunt Shakky?"
"Yeah!"
Shakky nodded firmly. "I remember it very clearly! Since it involved Roger, my husband paid close attention."
"But in the end, this matter seemed unresolved. Only countless innocent pregnant women and even children lost their lives."
"So, Portgas D. Rouge successfully escaped the World Government's search? It's hard to imagine how she managed that."
"Yes!"
Sora's tone was resolute. "With the secret assistance of Marine Vice Admiral Garp and Rouge's incredible endurance to delay giving birth for two years, she managed to avoid the World Government's detection."
"But because of this, Rouge passed away immediately after giving birth to the child."
Both Shakky and Uchiha Mikasa looked deeply moved, their expressions complex.
"That woman was truly extraordinary—a ruthless and resolute person, and above all, a great mother."
"To endure such pain for so long..." Uchiha Mikasa murmured, admiration flickering in her eyes.
"I didn't expect it to be like this!" Shakky's voice was tinged with emotion.
"Garp? You said Garp protected Rouge?" Rayleigh's tone turned incredulous, then slightly indignant. "That damn Roger! He actually trusted Garp, a Marine, over me?"
"That's so like him—always unpredictable! Humph!"
Shakky shook her head with a wry smile. "This was probably the best course of action."
"Garp's word is trustworthy. On the other hand, if the child had been left with you, the World Government would've noticed right away."
"Don't forget that during that period, everyone in the Roger Pirates was under intense surveillance. The World Government wasn't stupid."
"And Roger clearly wasn't either."
"That's true."
Rayleigh sighed in reluctant agreement. "It seems we owe that old guy Garp a huge favor!"
"So, where is this kid that Garp protected now? Don't tell me he's at Marine Headquarters?"
Rayleigh chuckled bitterly at the thought.
The idea of Roger's son being trained by Garp to become a Marine filled him with mixed emotions.
Anger and dissatisfaction? Not quite.
Happiness? Not really.
He simply felt that the twists of fate were utterly unpredictable.
"No!"
Uchiha Sora shook his head. "Garp sent him to his hometown, Foosha Village in East Blue, and left him in the care of a kind bandit named Dadan!"
"Oh, and Garp even recognized Ace, Roger's son, as his grandson!"
"Tsk tsk! I can't help but feel that Garp did this on purpose—to be a generation older than Roger and make Roger call him Dad!"
"It's probably his way of getting revenge on Roger for throwing him into such a mess, haha!"
Rayleigh: "…"
Shakky: "…"
There were too many things to complain about, and for a moment, neither of them knew where to start.
"A kind bandit? Recognizing Roger's son as his grandson?"
"That sounds like something only Garp, that idiot, could do!" Rayleigh said, his eye twitching as he tried to process it.
"Fufufu!" Shakky laughed along. "If Roger were still alive, wouldn't he have to call Garp 'Dad'? I bet he'd fight Garp to the death over that!"
It was a classic case of old rivals setting traps for each other.
She could almost understand Garp's frustration at the predicament Roger had left him in.
Given Garp's personality and his complex relationship with Roger as both enemies and friends, he probably had no choice but to accept it.
Garp must have been tempted to punch someone at the time.
"Hahaha!"
Rayleigh couldn't help laughing. "He deserves it! Roger was always causing trouble. Garp getting revenge on him is only fair!"
"Gol D. Ace? That sounds like a name Roger would come up with!"
Rayleigh's tone softened, full of nostalgia and emotion. Roger's sword had also been named Ace.
"No!"
Sora shook his head. "Ace's full name is Portgas D. Ace, not Gol D. Ace!"
"This wasn't just to avoid suspicion and keep the World Government off his trail."
"It's also because Ace has always hated Roger and refuses to acknowledge him as his father."
"So, when you meet him, you'd better keep that in mind!"
"In his view, all his suffering, his mother's death, and the cursed bloodline he bears are all because of his irresponsible father!"
Rayleigh frowned, took a sip of his drink, and sighed. "Oh, I see. This child is carrying too much."
"And Garp, that idiot, is no qualified elder. I'm afraid he hasn't guided Ace properly at all."
"I suspect this child is destined to become a pirate."
Rayleigh paused, his expression thoughtful. "Ace seems sharp. You can tell from his ideals and choices."
Rayleigh also understood that while Garp likely wanted to steer Ace toward becoming a Marine, his decision to leave Ace with bandits showed his own uncertainties.
If Garp had been fully confident, he would have taken Ace to Marine Headquarters to raise him personally.
Garp's actions showed that even he doubted the justice of the Marines and the World Government.
If Ace had stayed at Marine Headquarters, his future might have been even more perilous.
As a former enemy, Rayleigh knew well that Garp, while seemingly carefree, was actually extremely shrewd.
Rayleigh nodded and said, "I agree to your terms. Give me some time, and I'll write down my experiences with Haki, Marine Six Styles, and Life Return for you."
"However, I must warn you that Conqueror's Haki isn't something everyone can awaken. It's difficult to master through written experience alone."
"If you do awaken Conqueror's Haki someday and wish to refine it further, come find me again. I'll teach you personally."
"The same goes for Armament Haki and Observation Haki."
"As for the Six Styles, you can learn those on your own. They're primarily techniques to stimulate the human body's potential and pave the way for awakening Armament and Observation Haki."
"Life Return, however, is a different story. While derived from the Six Styles, it goes far beyond them. It's extremely difficult to master. Even I took a long time to get it right."
"You must understand this and train within your limits. Life Return cannot be forced."