It's relatively simple to find the cause when you already know the result. But without the result, it's an incredibly complex task to find the cause.
Diarmuid knew from the start that Roger had a terminal illness and didn't have much time left, and that the Roger Pirates would disband. So he sifted through a mountain of intelligence on the Roger Pirates, looking for relevant clues, which led him to the conclusions he presented today. On the surface, it all seemed perfectly reasonable.
But without a cheater like him, the Marines would likely have never noticed these trivial, seemingly useless details. It would have been impossible for them to deduce that Roger had a physical ailment.
And it was precisely this "impossibility" that made Diarmuid's intelligence analysis look so impressive. At least, that's how it appeared. The top Marine officials had no idea he was using a cheat. If his predictions came true, it would prove his analytical power even more.
"So you're saying that Roger is likely suffering from a terminal illness, and that's why he was in such a hurry to find Laugh Tale? Now that he's achieved his goal and can't continue sailing because of his illness, and since he has already reached the pinnacle of piracy and gotten everything he wanted, the Roger Pirates… are very likely to disband?" Sengoku said after a moment of thought.
"That's my current assessment," Diarmuid said, nodding.
"That's a truly… bold idea," Borsalino said softly, his tone no longer strange.
Diarmuid looked at him. "Chief Tsuru told me that when doing intelligence analysis, you should make bold assumptions but be careful with your proof."
Tsuru smiled. "That's right. That's exactly what it should be."
The guesses Diarmuid presented seemed far-fetched, but the clues he provided made them seem plausible. In fact, the more they thought about it, the more likely they seemed. Sengoku and the others began to take the theory very seriously.
"If the Roger Pirates really do disband, how do we respond?" Borsalino suddenly asked.
"It doesn't matter if they disband or retire. Their sins can never be erased. No matter what choice they make, we Marines will still carry out justice. We will find every one of those filthy scumbags and execute them!" Sakazuki said without hesitation.
Just then, Fleet Admiral Kong spoke. "The World Government, the Gorosei's order is to bring Roger to justice, no matter what. He knows too much."
When he said this, Kong's expression was a little perplexed. He felt that the Gorosei were hiding important secrets from him, but due to his position, he couldn't ask.
In truth, the Gorosei were panicking. Others didn't know what Laugh Tale was or what was written on the Poneglyphs, but they had a good idea. Now, Roger might know the truth that was hidden in history. While pirates like Roger might not be bored out of their minds enough to reveal everything, they couldn't afford to take that risk.
So the Gorosei had given Kong a direct order: find a way to capture and kill Roger as quickly as possible. That's right. Normally, a captured pirate would be imprisoned in Impel Down. But the Gorosei had no patience for that with Roger. They just wanted him dead.
As the Deputy Chief of the Intelligence Division, Diarmuid had already done an excellent job by providing these assessments and theories. As for how the Marines would respond, he only needed to offer a little advice. He didn't need to worry about it anymore.
The meeting room was soon filled with a heated discussion about these matters.
....
Meanwhile, in the New World, on Sakura Island, the Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates had unexpectedly crossed paths again. Newgate was sitting under a cherry blossom tree with Roger, drinking sake together.
"Where's Oden? You found the final island. You should give me back my second division commander, right?" Newgate asked while drinking.
Roger laughed and took a drink. "After we left Laugh Tale, Oden was the first to leave and return to Wano. He said he had some things to deal with there and would meet with you once he finished."
"Is that so?" Newgate mumbled softly, not doubting him. He knew that Oden was the son of Wano's shogun, so it was reasonable for him to have something to deal with back home.
Not dwelling on it, Newgate took a few more sips and said, "I haven't seen you in a while, and you've become this 'Pirate King'…"
"Hahahaha, are you jealous?" Roger roared with laughter.
"Don't get too full of yourself. The road ahead is still long, Roger," Newgate said, glancing at him.
As soon as he said this, Roger was silent for a moment before breaking into a brilliant smile. "Your road might still be long, but mine… is over."
Hearing this, Newgate grumbled unhappily. "Are you picking a fight with me? Don't you believe I'll sink you to the bottom of the sea?"
"No. I'm just stating a fact. My time is almost up," Roger said casually. He didn't look like a man who was about to die.
Newgate was startled. He then remembered when Roger had asked him for Oden and had mentioned something similar.
"Your sickness?" Newgate asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I probably won't last much longer. My journey is over. Thankfully, I fulfilled my dream and sailed all the way around the Grand Line. Even if I die, I have no regrets, Hahahaha!" Roger laughed loudly.
"Tch, still showing off," Newgate said, clicking his tongue. Though he didn't show it, for some reason, hearing that Roger wouldn't live much longer made him feel a sense of loneliness and regret.
"So what are you going to do now?" Newgate asked again.
"I came here today to say goodbye. After this party is over, the Roger Pirates will disband. We've all fulfilled our dreams. After that, if fate gives me more time, I want to go and enjoy my life. Unlike a lonely man like you, there's the greatest woman in the world waiting for me. I promised her that once I fulfilled my dream, I would definitely go back to her," Roger said with a smile. His eyes held a rare tenderness.
"Disband… huh? The seas will feel strange without you scumbags around," Newgate said, a little nostalgic. He didn't dwell on the issue anymore.
After chatting for a bit, Roger said, "By the way, do you want me to tell you the secret of Laugh Tale?"
"No need. I don't care about things like that. Just as you were searching for your dream, so was I. And I've already found the treasure I wanted most," Newgate refused without hesitation.
Laugh Tale? He had no interest in it at all. All he ever wanted in his life was a family. Thinking of this, he looked at his crewmates in the distance, who were drinking with the Roger Pirates, and a smile appeared on his face. His crescent-shaped mustache trembled.
Looking back at Roger, Newgate took out a newspaper. "I was wondering about this. What's your name? The paper says 'Gold Roger.' But if I remember correctly, your name is Gol D. Roger?"
When Roger first set sail, the World Government didn't pay any mind to his name. But after he found Laugh Tale, they forced a name change on him. They erased the "D." and called him "Gold Roger" on all bounty posters and in the newspapers.
"D. My name is not Gold. I've only ever had one name, and that's Gol D. Roger. The only reason the World Government did that is that they want to erase the existence of the D., the Will of D…," Roger said, pursing his lips.
"The Will of D.?" Newgate mumbled, then chuckled. "Speaking of which, I have a kid on my ship with D. in his name, too. Marshall D. Teach. What's so special about that D.? What's this 'Will'?"
"The Enemy of God… The World Government has always feared this will. I left the whole truth at Laugh Tale, as well as my will, the Will of D. If you can live a long life, help me look for it. The person I'm waiting for is…" Roger laughed loudly.
"You've been talking all this time and you've said nothing! I hate guys like you who try to be so mysterious!" Newgate cursed unhappily.
Roger ignored him. He raised his cup with a smile, offering a toast. Newgate looked at Roger and finally raised his cup, clinking it against his. Neither of them said a word. They just finished their sake in one gulp.
Afterward, Roger stood up. He looked at the cherry blossom tree and waved at Newgate. "Wasting the last moments of my life on a scumbag like you is not worth it. Let's part ways here."
"Even when you're dying, you're still a scumbag?" Newgate said with a laugh.
"Farewell, Newgate." Roger looked at him, a brilliant smile on his face.
Newgate stared at Roger for a moment and then began to laugh. "Gurararara, farewell, Gol D. Roger."
With that, the two top pirates of this era parted ways. And as Roger had said, it was a final farewell. Newgate's journey had yet to reach its end, but Roger's life had been lived without a single regret...
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