Why Roger Chose Garp Instead of Rayleigh

Public execution

Roger said his last words to Rayleigh, "I will not die," and then ran to surrender to the Navy.

Unexpectedly, in Impel Down, he entrusted his wife and unborn child, Ace, to Garp's care. While imprisoned, Shiki the Golden Lion learned that Roger had been captured by the Marines. He single-handedly stormed Marineford, determined to see Roger. From Sengoku and Garp, who came to stop him, he learned that Roger had become the Pirate King and had surrendered himself, to be executed in Loguetown in the East Blue. Enraged by this, Shiki fought Sengoku and Garp. He was ultimately defeated and imprisoned in Impel Down.

Twenty-four years ago, he was publicly executed in Loguetown, East Blue, his birthplace (at the age of 53). His last words before execution sent people flocking to the sea. "Want my treasure? You can have it all. Go find it! I've left all my treasure there." This sparked a fierce competition among pirates to establish dominance over "One Piece," thus ushering in the "Great Pirate Era."

Sword

Ace

Series: Supreme Grade Blades)

Combat moves

Divine Departure

The sword is swung at high speed, Flying Slash a Haki, soaring slash that bypasses the opponent's weapon and strikes directly at their body.

It's now one of Red-Hair's signature moves.

Gol D. Roger, the first One Piece, is the greatest legend in the entire pirate world. He completed an adventure circumnavigating the entire Grand Line, leading his pirate crew to the Laugh Tale, Laugh Tale, becoming the only legendary pirate to hold the title of One Piece King. However, because he obtained the truth of the Void Century on Laugh Tale, he posed a great threat to the rule of the Celestial Dragons, thus becoming a thorn in the side of the World Government, and consequently putting the lives of his wife and children in danger.

Although Roger surrendered to the Navy due to a terminal illness, the World Government did not give up searching for his wife and children. Surprisingly, while in Vice Admiral, Roger entrusted his wife and children to his arch-rival, the Navy hero Vice Admiral Garp, rather than his former comrade and ally Dark King Rayleigh. Why was this? In terms of strength, Rayleigh is definitely no less than Garp, yet Roger still made this decision. I personally believe there are several reasons:

1. Judging from subsequent plot developments, the World Government had no intention of letting Roger's family go.

The Death of Portgas D. Rouge

After Roger was executed, his actions on Baterilla Island, where Rouge was, which showed signs of fatherly behavior, attracted great attention from the World Government and caused great panic among the Celestial Dragons. As a result, they made an outrageous decision to execute all pregnant women and children on Baterilla Island who were suspected of being Roger's bloodline.

In order to continue Roger's bloodline, Rouge used various methods to delay Ace's birth, keeping him in her womb for a full 20 months before he was born, thus saving Ace from certain death. However, Rouge died of exhaustion after giving birth to Ace.

The Death of Ace

In truth, given Ace's crimes, he shouldn't have been sentenced to death by the World Government. He should have been imprisoned in Impel Down Impel Down, similar to Doflamingo, Crocodile, Jinbe. However, because the World Government learned of his identity as the son of the One Piece, he met his inevitable end. From Sengoku's words, we know that even if a war were to break out with Whitebeard, one of the Four Emperors, his determination to execute Ace would not change, and he would spare no expense.

This shows that no matter how Ace concealed his identity, the crimes committed by Roger's bloodline will never be forgotten by the World Government.

Second, Roger underestimated the World Government's emphasis on the Void Century; entrusting it to Garp was a risky move.

Roger's surrender was a desperate act. He learned the truth about the Void Century at Laugh Tale and gained a new mission and task, but due to his terminal illness, he could only pass it on as his last will and testament. Why did Roger choose to surrender instead of staying by Rouge's side? Because he knew the World Government would not let him off easily, and rather than waiting to die, he chose to fight back, hence his surrender.

Furthermore, I personally believe that Roger must have made some preparations before surrendering, especially regarding Rouge, who was already pregnant, and made more appropriate arrangements. However, he did not expect the World Government's intelligence network to be so powerful, and underestimated the importance the World Government attached to the Void Century. When Roger was imprisoned, he realized this problem, but he had no chance or way to turn things around. Even entrusting Rouge to his former comrade Rayleigh was impossible. Therefore, he took a risk and gambled the fate of Rouge and her child on his nemesis Garp. Fortunately, Garp did not disappoint him.

Third, years of fighting had given Roger an extremely good understanding of Garp, which is why he had the idea of entrusting him with the task.

If we're talking about the most unconventional member of the Navy, Garp is definitely a top contender. He boasts illustrious military achievements, yet repeatedly refuses promotions, content to remain a Vice Admiral, simply because he despises the shameless Celestial Dragons. He possesses immense strength, yet frequently disobeys orders and acts against commands, all because he adheres to his own sense of justice. As a Marine, Garp is not a hypocrite waving the banner of justice, and this genuine nature earned him Roger's recognition and trust.

While it was mentioned earlier that Roger's decision to entrust Rouge and her son to Garp was a reluctant and risky one, this gamble was based on Roger's understanding of Garp's character. Furthermore, entrusting them to Garp had several advantages:

① Garp is a man of his word; his promises are as good as his bond, and he would never go back on his word.

Garp has been a Marine for many years. With his abilities and understanding of the Navy, he could find a way and a place to protect Rouge and her child if he wanted to.

Garp holds a prominent position in the Navy, and might be of assistance should an unexpected situation arise.

Therefore, on the eve of his execution, Roger told Garp about the whereabouts of Rouge son, entrusting them to his longtime enemy.

Fourth, entrusting Rouge and her child to Rayleigh would go against Roger's original intention.

After becoming the One Piece Roger made a crucial decision: to secretly disband his pirate crew, and all its members disappeared without a trace. Why did Roger do this?

① Roger knew his days were numbered and that he could no longer fulfill the mission he had taken after becoming the One Piece;

② Roger wanted to pass on his D. flame;

③ Roger knew what knowing the truth about the Void Century meant for the World Government; if the pirate crew still existed, all his crewmates would surely die.

Personally, I think Roger's biggest fear was implicating his crewmates, which was also the key reason he disbanded the pirate crew. If he had entrusted Rouge and Rouge child to Rayleigh, their future would have been difficult, and they would likely have been forced to live Rayleigh fugitives forever. Therefore, he couldn't have chosen to implicate Rayleigh.

Whether Roger chose Rayleigh or Garp, Roger ultimate wish was for Rouge and her child to live peacefully. However, comparing the two, a trustworthy Marine was more likely to bring about this possibility than a fugitive pirate. Moreover, Roger did not want Rouge and her child's existence to cause trouble or force Rayleigh to flee. Therefore, Garp became the best choice.