"May I hold him?"
Garp spoke softly, as though afraid of disturbing the child.
But before Rouge could answer,
Garp's right arm darkened with Armament Haki, and he vanished from the spot.
Clang!
When he reappeared, his fist was pressed against a long blade.
"Rayleigh."
Garp stared gravely at the figure before him.
"Sorry, but the captain's child can't fall into the hands of the World Government or the Marines."
Rayleigh glanced at Rouge and the child in her arms. His gaze sharpened.
If the matter had already been settled, he would not have acted this way.
But right now, he had a duty to help his captain's child make the choice—and to protect him. Keeping him out of the Marines' and the World Government's hands was the bare minimum.
Especially now that the Marines and the World Government knew he was Roger's son.
Who knew what they might use the child for in the future?
"And he can't go with you retired old-timers, either. There's no future with you. What, is he supposed to become a Pirate?"
Garp held nothing back.
The child was innocent now, but if he fell into Rayleigh's hands, the World Government would see that as reason enough to kill him.
Rayleigh and the other former Roger Pirates couldn't protect him.
"You've retired. Why couldn't you stay out of this? Why come back now? You'll bring disaster down on him, Rayleigh!"
Garp spoke through gritted teeth.
Neither man could convince the other.
Both held firm, and a battle seemed inevitable.
They had even forgotten Rouge, who stood nearby in fear. The child in her arms seemed to sense something, and his face twisted.
Rouge immediately ran back into the house with him and shut the door tight.
The standoff continued for a moment before Garp