"You bastard, what nonsense are you talking about?" Garp snorted, beginning to wonder whether Roger had hit his head during one of his voyages. Otherwise, why was he always saying things Garp could not understand?
Roger shrugged. "Forget it if you don't understand. Speaking of which, how does the Navy plan to deal with me?"
After hesitating for a moment, Garp said, "The decision was made in a meeting. Public execution, at Loguetown."
Contrary to Garp's expectations, Roger did not react too strongly. Instead, he chuckled. "Loguetown, huh? You really know how to pick a place. But never mind, it suits your interests too, doesn't it? For most pirates, dying in their hometown is a luxury."
"You bastard, have you really resigned yourself to fate?" Garp asked in a tone of frustration.
Roger laughed. "There has never been such a thing as resigning oneself to fate in a pirate's dictionary. But Garp, there's something I want to ask you to help me with."
Garp said nothing, and Roger continued, "I've roamed the seas all my life and done many things I considered satisfying, but I never had many friends, let alone close ones. I have a wife, Portgas D. Rouge. She's carrying my child. Now that I'm about to be executed, I hope you can look after the two of them for me."
"What?" Garp stared at Roger in shock, then lowered his voice. "Do you know what you're saying, you idiot? You're entrusting your family to a Marine?"
"You're different, Garp." A smile curled Roger's lips. "I know. I can hear the voices in people's hearts. And even without that ability, I'd still choose to believe in you. This isn't a request from Pirate King Roger, but the final trust of a friend. Garp, I hope you'll protect them."