Chapter 11

Uchiha Xunjing said with certainty, "Vice Admiral Garp of the Marines had covered for her behind the scenes. Rouge held on by herself and kept the child in her womb for a full two years before giving birth, only then avoiding the eyes of the World Government."

"But after giving birth, she died."

That woman had been truly ruthless, and truly great.

Shakuyaku and Uchiha Chisato both felt terrible after hearing this, their faces filled with admiration.

"So that's how it was..."

The two wore complicated expressions.

"Garp? You said Garp covered for her?" Rayleigh suddenly exploded. "Roger would rather trust that Marine Garp than trust me?"

"That bastard really was capable of doing something so stupid! Hmph!"

Shakuyaku shook her head and interjected, "That really was the safest option. Garp has never broken a promise he made."

"If it had been left to you, the World Government would have watched even more closely."

"Don't forget, everyone in the Roger Pirates was being watched like hawks back then."

The World Government was not stupid.

Naturally, Roger was not stupid either.

"That's true..."

Rayleigh nodded while holding back his frustration. "In that case, we owe that old bastard Garp a huge favor."

"Where has Garp hidden that child now? Don't tell me he's at Marine Headquarters?"

If that were true, it would be quite a spectacle.

Just imagining Roger's son being raised into a Marine by Garp made Rayleigh's chest feel stifled.

It was not quite anger.

Nor could it be called happiness.

It was simply that the world was too absurd, like a cat serving as a mouse's bridesmaid.

"No."

Uchiha Xunjing waved a hand. "Garp sent him to his hometown, Windmill Village in the East Blue, and left him with a mountain bandit named Dadan."

"Oh, and Garp directly acknowledged Ace—Roger's son—as his grandson."

"Tsk, tsk. I think he did it on purpose. He wanted Roger to be a generation beneath him, so Roger would have to call him Dad."

"He was probably getting revenge on Roger for dumping this mess on him. Heh heh!"

Rayleigh: "..."

Shakuyaku: "..."

There were too many things to criticize. For a moment, neither of them knew where to begin.

Rayleigh's mouth twitched, and he could not help complaining, "Making the Pirate King acknowledge him as his grandson? That old Garp really could do something that shameless."

Shakuyaku grinned and added, "If Roger could climb out of his grave, he would probably have to call Garp Dad. Wouldn't he fight Garp to the death?"

Those two old rivals had truly dug a massive pit for each other.

She could actually guess how devastated Garp must have been when Roger threw that hot potato at him.

The key was Garp's personality, along with his relationship with Roger—enemies and friends alike. He really had no choice but to jump into that pit.

Garp had probably wanted to kill someone back then.

Rayleigh threw back his head and laughed. "He deserved it! Who told him to do all those inhuman things first? There's nothing wrong with Garp getting revenge on him like that!"

Then he sighed. "Gol D. Ace? That's exactly the kind of name Roger would come up with."

As he spoke, Rayleigh's face filled with nostalgia.

Roger's saber back then had been called Ace.

Uchiha Xunjing shook his head and corrected him directly. "No. Ace's full name is Portgas D. Ace, not Gol D. Ace."

"It wasn't just to avoid suspicion and keep the World Government from noticing him."

"More importantly, Ace had always hated his father and had no desire whatsoever to acknowledge Roger as his father."

"So when you go looking for him, you'd better understand this first."

"In his eyes, all the suffering he endured, his mother's death, and the damned sins of blood he carried were all because of that irresponsible bastard of a father."

Rayleigh frowned, took a large gulp of wine, and sighed. "Ah, I understand. That child carried too much."

"That old Garp isn't a qualified elder either. I'm afraid he won't be able to guide Ace properly."

"I think that child will most likely end up becoming a pirate anyway."

"That kid is quite smart."

It was obvious from his attitude toward things.

And Rayleigh had no doubt that Garp wanted to steer Ace toward the Marines.

But Garp had his own concerns as well.

Otherwise, he would not have thrown Ace to a mountain bandit to raise.

If he had truly wanted to train him properly, he should have kept him at Marine Headquarters and taught him personally.

Of course, Garp's decision to save Ace also made it clear that Garp himself did not agree with the Marines' justice—or rather, did not agree with the World Government.

If Ace had truly remained at Marine Headquarters and become a Marine, he might not have ended well in the future.

Rayleigh knew this perfectly well. Do not mistake that old bastard for a fool; as his old rival, Rayleigh knew exactly how shrewd Garp was.

Xunjing added, "Also, I accept the conditions you mentioned earlier. Give me some time, and I'll write down everything I know about Three-Color Haki, as well as my experience with the Six Powers and Life Return."

"But there's something I need to make clear first—Conqueror's Haki is not something just anyone can awaken. Even with training notes, it would be difficult to achieve much through them alone."

"If you truly awaken it in the future and want to study it more deeply, you can come find me anytime. I'll teach you everything I know."

"The same goes for Armament Haki and Observation Haki."

"You can explore the Six Powers on your own. In the end, it is something that stimulates the human body's potential, while also laying the foundation for awakening Armament Haki and Observation Haki."

"But Life Return is different. It originated from the Six Powers, yet it is far more difficult than the Six Powers. Even I spent quite a while struggling with it before barely getting started. You need to understand that and not force it."

There was no use forcing something like Life Return.

After hearing that, Xunjing nodded seriously. "I understand, Uncle Rayleigh. Thank you."

Rayleigh laughed heartily. "Why be so polite? I should be the one thanking you. You saved those girls from the Kuja Pirates and brought such important news."

Shakuyaku also spoke up. "The news about Roger's son alone is enough to exchange for everything you requested."

She continued, "In my view, those things are nowhere near enough to repay you for saving Hancock and the others. Why don't you ask for something else? Otherwise, I won't be able to rest easy."

She knew perfectly well how significant the news about Ace was to her husband. Those training experiences were nothing to Rayleigh. If he liked someone, he would take the initiative to teach them without hesitation.

But Xunjing waved a hand. "There's really no need. We don't lack anything for now. This is already enough."

"One shouldn't be too greedy."

"However, we might need to inquire about some information in the future. When that happens, could we trouble you, Aunt Shakuyaku?"

Shakuyaku smiled. "All right, then it's settled. If you need any intelligence, come find me. My information channels are fairly reliable."

Still, she knew Xunjing would most likely have no use for her intelligence.

Judging from the matter with Ace, the information network in Xunjing's hands was even more formidable than hers. He had probably only said that out of courtesy, so she would not keep insisting.

At noon, Shakuyaku treated Xunjing and the others to a meal. Then she brought the captain over to find them, looking slightly embarrassed. "Several crew members are badly injured, and we also need to prepare supplies. I'm afraid we won't be able to depart for another five days. Would that be all right with you?"

"No problem."

Uchiha Xunjing did not refuse. His and his mother's recovery rates were both quite good right now, so staying a few more days would not be an issue.

Besides, the Sea Kings meat Rayleigh and the others provided was of extremely high quality. Its effects after eating it were much stronger than ordinary food, allowing the mother and daughter to recover even faster. Only a fool would be in a hurry to leave under those circumstances.

"Uncle Rayleigh, I'd like to stock up on more Sea Kings meat to eat slowly later. Buying it directly from the market is too expensive. Could I trouble you?" Xunjing asked, sounding a little embarrassed.