Because It Pleased Me

Brook raised a third finger.

"Third, and the point I find most interesting... Ace was Monkey D. Luffy's older brother, his sworn brother. So, take a guess—"

"Given what you know of Roger, when he knew his time was running out yet still had bloodline left in this world, who would he entrust his biological son to?"

Shanks' expression had already turned exceedingly grim.

Garp!

The Marine who had pursued them relentlessly, yet could throw an arm around their shoulders at the bar and laugh heartily with them.

Entrusting the child to Garp, his apparent "mortal enemy," truly would have been the least suspicious choice.

That really was something Roger might have done.

And with Garp's strength and status, he was more than capable of protecting that child.

Perhaps Captain Roger had even harbored a faint hope deep down.

He had hoped his child, influenced by the Marines, could walk a path entirely different from that of a pirate—a more "righteous" path...

At that thought, Shanks' breathing grew heavy, and fine cold sweat even seeped from his temples.

Taken individually, these fragments of information might all have been explained away as coincidences.

But when Brook connected them in this way, all pointing toward the same shocking conclusion—

Their combined persuasiveness became so overwhelming that it was nearly impossible to refute.

Brook casually delivered the final blow.

"There's still time. If you truly can't believe it... you can go ask Garp yourself."

Shanks silently closed his eyes.

A suffocating silence descended upon the deck.

Only the gentle sound of waves lapping against the hull remained.

A full three minutes passed, perhaps longer, before Shanks slowly opened his eyes.

They were deep eyes, filled with pain, struggle, guilt, and a certain resolve.

"The path... was Ace's own choice."

The words seemed to