G-5 Branch, Main Office Building, Strategic Intelligence Office
In the early morning, before the mist had dispersed, Ain walked into the intelligence room, feeling the sea breeze.
She gently placed a thick file folder in her hand on the alloy desk in front of Rogge.
"This is the complete interactive analysis report of the Straw Hat Pirates' East Blue line."
Her tone was calm, but her eyes were colder than before.
Rogge put down the training plan he was working on, took the document and opened the first page.
Ian reported briefly: "We retrieved the Straw Hat's port trajectory over the past three days. It docked seven times, landed six times, engaged in combat five times, and received three requests for 'civilian support.'"
"Four of the encounters involved pirate groups disguised as business travelers. After their identities were confirmed, they were all traced back to..."
She paused for a moment, her eyes darkening slightly:
"…under the Red Hair Pirates."
Rogge's brows moved slightly: "Continue."
Ian flipped to the next page and pointed at several composite images:
"In three of these towns, someone described to the Straw Hat Pirates how free the Pirates were, and acted out scenes of Marines oppressing civilians."
"But after reviewing military intelligence at East Blue's port, we confirmed that those 'soldiers' were arrested and convicted within five minutes of the incident. They were all fakes."
"More importantly—"
Ian pulled out a piece of cryptic handwritten intelligence: "Off the coast of the Goa Kingdom, a ship under the Red Hair banner disguised as a fishing boat had a brief encounter with the Straw Hat Pirates."
Rogge paused with the paper in his hand.
His eyes fell on the name on the photo.
—Laki Lu.
"…Red hair."
He murmured softly, with a rare hint of doubt in his eyes.
"What exactly do you want him to inherit?"
He looked at the young smiling face, the straw hat slightly lifted in the wind, outlining a kind of premeditated "inheritance outline".
Suddenly, the "untraceable" mysteries in the past life's unofficial history emerged in my mind:
"It is said that after Roger arrived at the final island, he smiled and said that he had arrived too early."
"It is said that the island needs a specific person... the successor to Nika's will."
"It is said that... Red Hair once personally brought the fruit and 'ate' it in front of Luffy."
Rogge closed the file and took a deep breath.
"...What's early?"
"Is there a sign on the door of that island saying: 'Geniuses who have not eaten the Nika Fruit are prohibited from entering'?"
"Oh, no—eating it won't help. Only when Joy Boy eats it and awakens can the plot be triggered?"
"You guys who are dealing with mysterious legacy, really..."
He raised his hand and brushed away the chaotic thoughts in his mind, as if clearing out those chaotic speculations from his mind one by one.
After a few moments of silence, he pressed the intercom button.
"Leite, Enel, suspend the western reconnaissance mission and remain at the base on standby."
"Binz, Shiryu, keep an eye on Impel down for special training."
"Ion."
Ian responded, "Yes."
Rogge stood up, his eyes sharp as a knife, and his cloak fluttered up.
"Move the ship for me."
"I'm going to Rogge myself."
In the distance outside the window, the morning light slanted down, and the entire fortress seemed to be sunk into a solemn and iron-like silence.
Ion stood behind him and asked softly, "Are you going to capture the Straw Hat Pirates yourself?"
"No."
Rogge looked at the sky in the distance and said in a low voice:
"I want to confirm who is trying to make him the 'new generation of Roger'."
His eyes were like the surging deep sea.
"Perhaps, I should put an end to this fateful drama in advance."
Marineford Naval Headquarters Marshal's Office
"…Where is Rogge going?"
Sengoku frowned, his eyes slowly moving away from the information on the conversation bug.
The adjutant's report had not yet been completed, but doubts had already arisen in his mind.
"Rogge Town? They've been peaceful for over a year, why are they suddenly starting to move..."
"Why would he go there? There aren't any pirates there anymore...it's not a strategic location."
Sengoku was muttering to himself when the office door was slammed open.
A familiar figure in slippers took a big bite of a senbei, chewing it with a crunching sound.
"Sengoku, what are you doing with that sour face again?"
"Garp?"
Sengoku frowned at him, "This is the Marshal's office, you…"
Garp waved his hand nonchalantly. "There are so many more and more rules these days. It's so annoying."
He casually threw the rice cracker bag onto the sofa and was about to continue joking when his eyes suddenly glanced at the intelligence file on the table:
"G-5 Branch Chief Rogge mobilizes ships, heading to East Blue Rogge Town" "Straw Hat Luffy Pirates"
At that moment, the senbei in Garp's hand snapped into two pieces.
His expression also changed suddenly.
"Where is he going?"
"…Rogge Town."
Sengoku saw his expression suddenly change and immediately became alert: "What's wrong with you? Do you know what that place is..."
Before he could finish his words, Garp turned abruptly and rushed out the door without looking back.
"Bang!!"
The door slammed shut.
Sengoku was stunned.
"Today is... one or two people, are they all crazy?"
East Blue, Rogge Town, Port Terminal
The Merry had just docked.
"We're here! This is the place where the Pirate King was born and died, right?"
Luffy excitedly jumped onto the shore and pointed towards the town, "I want to see the execution platform!!!"
"a**hole, resupply first!"
Nami tugged at his ear, but eventually let go and sighed, "Never mind, I'm going to the Cartography Bureau to check out the Grand Line charts. Don't get into trouble."
"Zoro!" she called over her shoulder.
"I'm going to the weapons store. That broken sword I had is now chipped." Zoro walked deeper into the street.
"I'll go find some spices and ingredients."
Sanji adjusted his cuffs, "By the way...see if there are any pretty ladies."
"Hey, I... I'm going to go to the market. Maybe I can get some information about the 'powerful one'..."
Usopp said as he pulled out a handful of fireworks and hid them in his backpack, "But don't forget, I'm a man with 80 million men under my command!"
Everyone dispersed.
However, no one realized that—
This small town, which East Blue considers to be "a completely cleared place without Pirates", has a different reaction to the word "Pirates" than the rest of the world.
[Rogge Town, Main Street, several minutes later]
"I am the legendary Lord Usopp! My Pirates are spread across eight thousand miles of the sea, and everyone is terrified of me!!"
He stood in the stall and shouted, surrounded by a circle of people, but their expressions were strange.
"...Are you Pirates?"
"ah?"
An old lady's pupils shrank.
"Did he just say...Pirates?"
"Alarm Bug!! Sound it!!!"
All I heard was the sirens of "Woo--!!" that rang out throughout the streets!
Usopp was confused: "Huh? No way, calling the police already?!!"
He started running, and a group of patrolling marines behind him shouted menacingly: "Don't move!!"
"Is this steak made with steamed beef rump muscle? You're processing it completely wrong!"
Sanji was arguing with the restaurant's chef when an officer sitting in the corner drinking quietly stood up. "You just said you were...the Pirates chef?"
"I didn't say that." Sanji turned his head and raised his eyebrows.
The officer drew his sword and said, "Then please return to headquarters and explain yourself."
"Huh?" Sanji's eyes turned cold, and he kicked the man and the table away. "Damn, East Blue's reaction is a bit too exaggerated!!"
"Catch him!!"
Sanji immediately broke through the window and fled: "Alas, I really shouldn't have expected there to be humans with a sense of taste in this place!"
She had just sneaked into the map library and was about to steal the Grand Line's nautical charts when she ran into a team of fully armed marines.
The leader was none other than Smoker, wearing a G-5 uniform, with a cold face and smoke wrapped around his arms.
Nami recognized him immediately: "...Aren't you Marine? Why are you here?"
"G-5 Temporary Branch, Rogge Town Garrison Branch Chief - Smoker."
"You are suspected of trespassing into a confidential location and your identity is unknown."
Nami decisively turned and ran away: "Luffy!! You culprit!!"
In the distant clouds, a black shadow cut through the sky like a shuttle in the sky.
The battleships have not yet appeared, but the sense of oppression has already arrived.
Rogge stood at the front of the deck, his cloak fluttering like a banner.
He looked down at the peaceful yet turbulent town with a cold gaze:
"The red-haired man wants to put on a show... then I will come and break the situation."
"Be it Joyboy or Nika—"
"If he dares to raise the Pirates flag, I will nail him to this 'scaffold' right here."