After bidding farewell to Brook and Crocus, Fang Yi and his crew passed through Reverse Mountain and entered the East Blue.
"So this is the East Blue? It does feel calm~" Tiffany remarked. Compared to the Grand Line, the sea here was far more tranquil—no sudden, violent shifts in weather like before.
That said, on their way here, they had a rare encounter: just as they were coming down Reverse Mountain, they ran into a pirate ship preparing to enter the Grand Line.
Unfortunately for them, before Fang Yi could even get a clear look at their flag, Barrett had already reduced their ship to splinters, sending them to the bottom of the sea.
For that, Fang Yi could only offer a silent three-second moment of mourning in his heart.
Such meetings were rare, but not impossible—several happened every year. Even if Barrett hadn't acted, Fang Yi was already planning to.
He had confidence in the Dragon Wolf, but there was no reason to risk a direct collision. If something went wrong, it'd be a huge loss.
"Let's go. We head straight for Loguetown. Keep things low-key for now—I guess that plenty of Marine Headquarters elites have come with the captain. If we get noticed, it'll be bad."
As soon as they entered East Blue, Fang Yi ordered everyone to keep a low profile.
Meanwhile, at Marineford, Marine Headquarters was dealing with an extremely brazen visitor.
"Move, move, move—an intruder's been spotted in the main square! Take him down immediately!"
"Who saw the intruder? Who's bold—or stupid—enough to storm Marine Headquarters?"
The alarm blared across Marineford, chaos breaking out everywhere. The one responsible? The great pirate—Golden Lion Shiki.
"Shiki, what are you doing here?" Sengoku, in his role as Admiral, had already stepped into the square to block him.
"Ah~ I'm here to see Roger. Heard you caught him? With this bunch of weaklings? Don't make me laugh, Sengoku—he's a man I acknowledge!"
Shiki, cigar in his mouth, sat atop a pile of defeated Marines, looking down at Sengoku with contempt.
"Shiki! Roger is already the Pirate King. He bested you and got away," Sengoku replied calmly.
"Pirate King? So what? We may never have gotten along, but we lived through the same era. If you're going to kill him, I'll be the one to do it!" Shiki snarled, rising to his feet.
"The execution will be in one week, at his birthplace—Loguetown, in the East Blue," Sengoku said, loosening his tie as he readied for battle.
"The weakest sea? Ending Roger there? That's the final insult to him!" Shiki roared in outrage.
"The weakest sea? Maybe. But it's also a symbol of peace—and where Roger began. Isn't that fitting, Shiki?"
The voice came from Garp, who had silently walked up to stand beside Sengoku. He casually removed the "Justice" cloak from his shoulders as he faced the Golden Lion.
BOOM… BOOM… BOOM…
Faced with two of the Marines' strongest, Shiki knew words were pointless—only by defeating them could he speak with authority.
The battle raged until half of Marineford lay in ruins. In the end, the great pirate Golden Lion Shiki was defeated and sent to Impel Down.
A few days later, just before Roger was to be transferred from prison to the East Blue, Garp visited him.
"You finally came… Garp."
Sitting in his cell, Roger looked up and smiled faintly, as if he'd known all along that Garp would visit.
"Shiki broke into Marineford and is now in Impel Down," Garp said, setting down the oil lamp he carried. "Because he refused to believe we caught you."
"Wahahaha… that guy… I thought he was done for!" Roger laughed loudly.
Garp couldn't help smirking at the thought of the ridiculous ship's rudder embedded in Shiki's head—an accident from the Battle of Edd War. Doctors had warned that the rudder had fused with his skull; removing it would kill him.
"Hey… Garp," Roger said after laughing, lowering his head against the wall. "Can you believe it? My child will be born soon."
He slowly raised his head, giving his trademark grin. "But sadly, I probably won't be in this world by then."
Garp stared at him in surprise before sighing. "Why tell me this, Roger? That woman—the mother—anyone connected to you will be executed."
Though he couldn't understand why Roger had turned himself in, as an old rival, Garp felt much the same as Shiki—regret—but his duty as a Marine was unshakable.
In the dim cell, the oil lamp cast a faint light. Roger gazed at it for a while before saying, "That's exactly why I'm telling you."
"Huh?" Garp frowned, an uneasy feeling creeping over him.
"The government will trace my movements from this past year. They'll find her and kill her," Roger said, walking toward Garp. "But… the child in her belly is innocent."
Garp stayed silent.
"Garp," Roger said as he stepped right up to the iron bars, smiling warmly at his old adversary. "We've fought countless times. You're like a comrade to me—someone I trust."
Garp's head tilted slightly, struggle flickering in his eyes. He glanced at the lamp—its flame suddenly went out.
Seeing that, Roger smiled faintly. He knew the matter was settled, and he told Garp where to find Rouge, his wife, and the mother of his unborn child.
"I'm counting on you, Garp. Protect him for me!" Roger laughed heartily, as if a great weight had been lifted.
The lamp's light returned.
"Don't go deciding things on your own!" Garp barked. "I'm a Marine!"
Roger's smile faded briefly before returning with unshakable confidence. "No, Garp—you will help me. My child is in your hands."
Garp took a step back. He didn't know why Roger trusted him so much… but he knew that if their roles were reversed, he could trust Roger too.
Even so, helping him went against Marine "justice," and that gnawed at him.
After Garp left, Roger thought back to his last meeting with Rayleigh and Fang Yi in Sabaody before he surrendered. When they learned he had a son, both had been visibly shocked. It was Fang Yi who had suggested asking Garp for help, knowing Marines would target Rouge.
Rayleigh's first instinct had been to rush to protect her himself, but Fang Yi pointed out that Rayleigh's notoriety made that too dangerous. If he were spotted, even he might not be able to get her out safely.
But Garp—whose own brand of justice forbade him from harming innocent women and children—had both the power and the Marine status to shield her.
After careful discussion, all three had agreed to leave the matter to him.
Days later, Sengoku and Garp led the escort transporting Roger to Loguetown—ten Marine Headquarters warships and three Vice Admirals among them. Every East Blue Marine branch sent all available forces to assist, keeping only enough men to hold their posts.
Facing such a massive Marine presence, Fang Yi had no choice but to strike the pirate flag and disguise the Dragon Wolf as an ordinary merchant vessel. The crew stayed aboard until after the execution to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Still, every night, Fang Yi would sneak ashore, hoping to "check in" with any future big names he might spot. Unfortunately, until the day before the execution, he saw no one worth noting—likely because anyone important was disguised, just as he was.
The morning of the execution was drizzly. Fang Yi and his companions donned simple disguises and headed to the square in Loguetown, now prepared for the event.
Though it wasn't time yet, the place was already packed.
"Captain, we're not here to break him out, are we?" Tiffany asked, eyeing the multiple rings of Marines surrounding them.
Relax. I'm not dragging you to your death, Fang Yi said with a shake of his head.