Roger looked genuinely stunned for a moment, his usual boisterous grin faltering, before a flicker of deep contemplation crossed his face as he regarded Finn seriously. "You're... quite reasonable," he conceded, a touch of surprise in his tone.
"As a pirate, you have no right to say such things," Finn retorted, rolling his eyes with an exasperated sigh.
Roger, however, was now constrained not just by Finn's physical presence, but by a sudden, heavy wave of realization that left him unable to immediately retort after being criticized.
In truth, his mind had been racing since Finn first appeared at his quiet home, shattering their fragile peace. Before this moment, a sliver of the Pirate King's legendary optimism had clung to the possibility that the Marines' presence on the island wasn't explicitly for him. There'd been a desperate, foolish hope for luck, a chance for him and Rouge to simply... disappear.
But now, facing Finn, the truth was stark and undeniable. The Marines were here for the Pirate King. Which meant that no matter whether he miraculously escaped, or even managed to defeat Finn, a deadly thought cemented itself in his mind: unless he slaughtered every single Marine and civilian on the entire island, Rouge wouldn't be safe.
And if Rouge wasn't safe, their unborn child wouldn't be safe either.
The bitter reality was that too many people on this island knew him, "Roje," as a married man, living a quiet life. The Marines, with their vast intelligence network, could effortlessly trace the connection. If he simply vanished, Rouge would instantly become a wanted fugitive, hunted relentlessly simply for having been his wife, carrying his bloodline.
And in his rapidly fading condition, how long could he possibly protect her and the child from the entire might of the World Government? His body was failing him, the clock ticking relentlessly. He didn't have much time left.
Therefore, the grim, unyielding truth settled in his heart: this very Marine, this stern, unyielding Vice Admiral Finn, was now the sole, desperate hope for Rouge and their child's future. The Pirate King, the freest man in the world, found his greatest freedom in a final act of sacrifice.
"I originally intended to bring forces to arrest you directly, but I heard at the port that you seemed to have settled here. So, I was concerned about encountering exactly this situation and came to meet you privately, you bastard," Finn said.
Hearing this, Roger felt somewhat relieved. It seemed this Marine genuinely had principles.
I didn't expect it. I really didn't expect it!
"I won't waste more time on pleasantries, Roger. It's futile. No matter what, you can't escape this island. Our Marines will chase you to the ends of the earth and bring you to justice," Finn stated with unwavering resolve, his eyes locked onto the Pirate King's.
Roger, ever the shrewd strategist, immediately discarded his original, desperate plans for evasion. His mind, sharper than any blade, had already pivoted.
He pressed his hand against the worn table, a subtle shimmer of Armament Haki swirling around his fingers, a silent display of the power he still commanded.
"You're right," he conceded, his voice low and deliberate. "I'm terminally ill and won't live long. But Finn, do you truly think a dying man, one who no longer has anything left to lose, couldn't cause trouble?"
"That's precisely why I'm sitting down to talk with you now, Pirate King," Finn responded, a measured nod confirming Roger's point.
In truth, Finn wasn't entirely certain if Roger could still display his legendary full strength, even in his current state. It was an unprovable, dangerous gamble. If pushed too far, this man, even on his deathbed, might genuinely go berserk and, in a fit of desperate power, cut Finn down in a single breath. Then, the immense credit for capturing the Pirate King, the glory of justice, would vanish into thin air. Everything would be for nothing.
"As long as you promise to protect Rouge and the child," Roger said, his voice now devoid of any playfulness, starkly serious. "I'll surrender."
Originally, he'd been planning to seek out a remote Marine base in the near future and surrender himself on his own terms. But now, with Finn's unexpected arrival and the exposed vulnerability of his family, circumstances had drastically changed. Roger, the embodiment of adaptability, had to pivot.
Finn glanced at Roger, a grudging respect forming in his mind. Sure enough, he thought, Roger isn't some brainless fool. He's already crafted a potent countermeasure in this impossibly short amount of time.
"Protection is impossible, Roger. You've found the wrong person. Even if I genuinely agreed, could you really be at ease?" Finn said without hesitation.
Roger fell silent momentarily and didn't answer.
Finn sighed, then looked at Rouge, this great mother, and said with some emotion, "I can only promise you that I won't touch them."
After a brief pause, Finn continued, "I'll inform Vice Admiral Garp about the situation here later. In two days, you'll be escorted to the warship. I'll then report the situation to headquarters."
Roger looked stunned, regarding Finn with surprise. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me. It's just a transaction," Finn shook his head.
Roger understood perfectly. Once Garp knew he was here, he'd come as quickly as possible.
Finn would report this news to Marine Headquarters two days later, meaning Garp would arrive here at least two days earlier than Headquarters forces.
As for why Finn wouldn't simply capture him and return directly?
Are you joking? For something this significant, the Marines couldn't trust Finn alone to return with only one warship.
What if something happened? What if they were celebrating and Finn got ambushed? Wouldn't that be catastrophic?
Therefore, Roger also understood that once imprisoned by Finn, he'd have to remain here and wait for Marine Headquarters to collect him.
This two-day time difference might allow him to meet with Garp alone.
The only person he trusted in the Marines was that bastard Garp. If he could see Garp... Rouge and the child could be saved.
After saying this, Finn took two more bites of food before standing and waving his hand. "I've said what needed saying. Goodbye."
Roger didn't speak, but Rouge stood and led Finn toward the door.
Finn opened the door and walked out. Only then did Rouge touch her belly and say, "Thank you, Marine."
Finn glanced at the sun in the sky, then without turning his head, said, "I ate your meal, so it's only right I help you, a widow and orphan."
Directly labeling Roger's wife as a widow. That really stung.
But Rouge wasn't angry. Instead, she asked, "If you leave now, aren't you afraid Roger will escape?"
"Hahahaha!" Finn laughed loudly, then said, "If that guy runs away, it proves he's nothing special and unworthy of being Pirate King. From now on, I won't bother chasing him."
"I won't run," Roger's voice came from inside the house.
Finn didn't respond and strode away.
On the warship, Finn summoned Doberman and said, "Order all Marine personnel not to land on the island. Rest on the warships."
Doberman looked at Finn with some surprise, then nodded. "Yes, Vice Admiral."
After a brief pause, he asked curiously, "Vice Admiral Finn, is Roger... on the island?"
"Yes," Finn nodded.
Doberman was startled. "Shouldn't we act immediately? Arrest him? If we remain here, won't we alert him? What if he escapes..."
"No, just follow orders," Finn waved his hand, unwilling to explain further.
Though Doberman was very confused, out of respect for Finn, he nodded. "Yes, Vice Admiral."
After a while, Stussy approached and asked, "What are we waiting for?"
"Stussy, as an ally, the first matter requiring your cooperation will be your responsibility," Finn said with a smile.
Stussy looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"Roger will be brought to justice soon, so you needn't worry. You'll receive full credit. But Roger has been in the South Blue for two full years. Afterward, the World Government will undoubtedly conduct a thorough investigation to determine what Roger's been doing these past two years. Whether it's CP or our Marines, someone will definitely be assigned to this operation. I believe Vice Admiral Garp will handle it for the Marines. As for you at CP, if nothing unexpected happens, you'll be in charge, correct?"
Stussy frowned slightly, uncertain what Finn was planning.
But she still nodded. "That's right."
If she participated in capturing Roger and made contributions, then the CP agency would have no reason not to assign subsequent matters to her, allowing her to see things through.
"If it really is you, I hope you can cooperate with Vice Admiral Garp on this matter," Finn said.
"There's no problem with that. You don't need to specifically remind me, right?" Stussy asked with some confusion.
"Perhaps Vice Admiral Garp will do something unexpected. Even if you discover it, I hope you can pretend not to notice," Finn said again.
Stussy was silent briefly, then said, "You want to save Roger's wife?"
Since Finn was planning to bring her in to share profits, he definitely couldn't keep this secret.
Doberman and the others didn't know, but Stussy had disembarked with Finn, so naturally she knew that Roger, aliased as 'Roje,' had a wife on this island...
"Is it not possible?" Finn turned to look at Stussy.
No mention was made of the child.
Stussy looked into Finn's eyes and finally smiled. "I thought you, Vice Admiral, were a ruthless person. I never expected you to have such kindness. As an ally, being able to witness your compassion is reassuring... Since you've spoken, it's just a small matter. Stussy won't make it difficult."
It genuinely was a small matter. Stussy didn't take Roger's wife seriously at all. As long as Roger could be brought to justice, everything was fine. His wife could do whatever. She'd simply pretend not to see.
"Haha, thank you very much," Finn said with a smile.
This time, doing this served multiple purposes.
On one hand, turning Roger's surrender into his own accomplishment and claiming it.
On the other hand, it could also be considered making plans and arrangements for the future.
Ace, Roger's son, should be a very important chess piece. Though Finn hadn't yet figured out how to use him.
He wasn't qualified to be a chess master yet, but that didn't prevent early planning.
Not to mention future moves, this incident alone was sufficient to do a favor for Marine Hero Garp.
A significant favor.
And if Garp genuinely raised Roger's child as his own grandson in the future, then this debt would grow stronger and stronger!
That was extremely valuable.
Even though Finn always found Garp, the stubborn Marine, somewhat disagreeable, he had to admit Garp was tremendously influential within the Marines.
A Marine Hero and one of the top members who could effectively influence Marine leadership decisions.
Making such a prominent figure owe him a favor was tremendously valuable.
In the future, Finn intended to compete for power within the Marines, so naturally he'd find ways to win over Marine bigwigs.
Even Garp was no exception!
Thinking this, Finn said nothing more to Stussy. He turned and walked into the cabin, extracting his Den Den Mushi.
After a while, the call connected.
"Vice Admiral Garp?" Finn asked softly.
"Hahahaha, Finn? It's rare you'd contact me on your own initiative. What's the matter?" Garp asked casually.
"Is anyone around?" Finn asked in a slightly more serious tone.
There was no reply from Garp, but sounds of a door opening and closing could be heard. Then he asked, "What's going on?"
This time, his tone had grown serious.
"South Blue, Baterilla Island. Roger is here. I have him under control, but things are somewhat complicated and unexpected. Roger wants to see you..." Finn said softly.
Hearing this, Garp was completely dumbfounded. What the hell? Weren't you handling the Sorbet Kingdom situation? How did you suddenly capture Roger?
"The Roger you're talking about is that Roger, right?" Garp asked with some disbelief.
"What do you think? Is there another Roger worthy of our attention?" Finn replied helplessly.
Garp was now certain, and said in a serious tone, "Have you reported this to headquarters?"
"Not yet. I wanted to inform you first, Vice Admiral Garp. I'll report to headquarters later," Finn said with a smile.
"Hahaha, good kid! It was worth me looking after you," Garp first praised.
Finn was very confused. Besides ruining my reputation, have you ever done anything beneficial? 'Looking after me!'
"Finn, I owe you a favor. Please keep the news secret for two days. Can you do that?" Garp said again.
Finn smiled, knowing Garp would be restless. He paused momentarily and said, "Two days at most."
"Well, thank you very much. Two days is sufficient. I'll come immediately. As long as I can arrive two days before headquarters, it'll be fine," Garp responded quickly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing takes time, coffee, and a lot of love.If you'd like to support my work, join me at [email protected]/GoldenGaruda
You'll get early access to over 50 chapters, selection on new series, and the satisfaction of knowing your support directly fuels more stories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~