The natural system started off strong, but the navy finally reached its peak!

Chapter 188 'The Last Serenity of One Piece'

South China Sea, Batelila Island.

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the tranquil island town, turning the white eaves of a small house not near the main town into gold.

Not far away, the waves gently lapped against the shore, making a soothing sound, as if comforting everything on this land.

Roger sat on the steps in front of the cabin, gazing tenderly into the house.

At this moment, Rouge was facing away from him, busy in the kitchen, humming a light tune.

The spatula in my hand flipped the ingredients, and the aroma filled the whole house.

She had light freckles on her face, and her eyes curved into crescents when she smiled.

"Roger, just a little longer, dinner will be ready soon!" Rouge turned her head and winked at him.

"Also, while we're waiting for dinner, don't you dare sneak in any more drinks!"

"Haha." Roger smiled and nodded. "Okay, I won't drink."

Yesterday, Rouge told him that she was pregnant.

At that moment, Roger's heart felt as if it had been struck hard by something, a mixture of surprise and complex emotions.

He never imagined that after a lifetime of wandering, he would have a "home" at the very end of his life.

However, this happiness is like sand slipping through your fingers; the tighter you hold on, the more it slips away.

"Cough...cough cough!" Suddenly, a violent cough erupted from deep in his throat.

Roger suddenly covered his mouth, his body trembling uncontrollably.

He felt a warm touch in his palm, and when he looked down, he saw bright red blood seeping between his fingers.

"Roger?!" Rouge, who was in the kitchen, heard the commotion and quickly put down her spatula. She rushed to his side, her eyes filled with worry. "Are you alright? Should we go check on you?"

"It's alright!" Roger quickly hid his hands behind his back, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, and forced a reassuring smile.

"My throat is a bit dry, probably because I've been sitting on the steps and enjoying the sea breeze these past few days."

"Really?" Rouge frowned and reached out to touch his forehead.

"But you don't look well, why don't you rest for a bit?"

Rouge knew Roger's identity but was unaware that Roger had a terminal illness, or rather, only the Roger Pirates knew that Roger was sick!

Of course, Gern knew this, but he relied on his ability to foresee the plot.

"I'm sorry to have worried you." Seeing Rouge's worried expression, Roger gently took her hand and shook his head.

"I want to go out for some fresh air and come back before dinner."

Rouge wanted to say something, but seeing his determined gaze, she ultimately just sighed.

"Come back early, the food won't taste good if it gets cold."

"Okay." Roger stood up, ruffled her hair, and gently kissed her forehead.

He then pushed open the door and walked out of the small house, and the smile vanished the moment the door closed.

He opened his left hand, looked down, and saw that his palm was covered in scarlet blood, which looked particularly glaring in the setting sun.

“It seems…” Roger murmured with a wry smile, “I might not live to see you born.”

The terminal illness took effect faster than he had anticipated.

Each cough was like a whisper from the Grim Reaper in his ear, reminding him that his days were numbered.

Roger looked up at the sky; the last rays of the setting sun were fading, replaced by the deep darkness of night.

“Give me another week…” he said softly, as if pleading with fate, “I will leave in a week.”

He didn't want Rouge to see him growing weaker, and he didn't want her to suffer the pain of loss.

He had already decided that a week later, he would quietly leave and head to his hometown to turn himself in.

As the "Pirate King," his life was destined to end in an extraordinary way, but he could at least choose how to face his fate.

Inside the house, Rouge's voice came: "Roger, the soup is ready!"

Roger pulled himself together, wiped the blood off his hands, and turned to walk back to the cabin.

The moment he pushed open the door, he was enveloped by warm light and the aroma of food. Rouge was holding a bowl of soup, looking at him with a smile.

“Come and try it, I’ve added some new spices,” she called out.

Roger sat down opposite her, took the soup bowl, and the steam blurred his vision.

He lowered his head and took a sip. The delicious taste spread on his tongue, but it couldn't mask the bitterness in his heart.

"Is it good?" Rouge asked expectantly.

“Yes, that’s great.” Roger nodded with a smile, his gaze lingering tenderly on her still-flat stomach.

"Our children will definitely love your craftsmanship in the future."

Rouge blushed slightly and gently touched her belly: "He will definitely become a brave person like you."

Roger didn't answer, but just looked at her quietly, deeply imprinting this moment of warmth in his heart.

He knew that such days were numbered, but he would cherish every second.

As night deepened, the sea breeze gently rustled through the windows of the cottage.

Roger lay in bed, listening to Rouge's even breathing beside him, his thoughts drifting far away.

He remembered the secret of Laugh Tale, his companions, and the fate that awaited him.

"The new era... is now in your hands," he said softly, slowly closing his eyes.

……

Several days later, on the beach of Bateriara Island

Fishermen haul in their nets and head back to port, while children chase and play on the beach, seemingly oblivious to the conflicts of the outside world.

However, on the rocks along the coastline, a figure stood quietly.

It was Roger.

At this moment, he was wearing a fish hat, his hands in his pockets, and his familiar red captain's coat, gazing into the distance at the horizon.

The sea breeze gently ruffled his hair and took away the usual smile from his lips.

"So it really is here, 'One Piece'."

A deep voice came from behind him. Roger turned his head slightly and saw Gern slowly approaching, his black sword, Bahuang, hanging diagonally at his waist.

"Hey, Tianzhen brat." Roger grinned, his tone as relaxed as if he were bumping into an old friend.

"I thought Garp would be the first man to find me! Hahaha."

Gern stood beside him, also looking out at the sea: "Lieutenant General Karp is still working hard."

"Oh? Looks like Garp's getting old!" Roger raised an eyebrow, then turned to look at Gern, pursing his lips.

Thank you for this week.

"Thanks to you, this island hasn't been infiltrated by CP agents, and Rouge hasn't been discovered by them."

Upon hearing Roger's words, Gern was taken aback. "You knew I'd been here all along?"

“My Observation Haki is pretty good, Gern.”

“I only destroyed the relevant intelligence leaks. I just wanted to make sure… that neither you nor I would be disturbed,” Gern said in a deep voice.

"Is that so..." Roger grinned habitually.

"So, you disbanded your pirate crew and hid here alone..." Gern turned his head, his dark eyes staring directly at him, "was it to wait for 'that moment'?"

Roger's smile gradually faded.

The waves crashed against the rocks, splashing water that soaked their boots.

After a long silence, Roger finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse: "Gern, do you believe in 'fate'?"

"Haha, fate?" Gern scoffed. "Of course I believe in it, because my starting point was one of being favored by fate."

“Fate favors us?! Well said!” Roger laughed heartily, but there was a hint of desolation in his laughter: “Some things… are definitely beyond human control.”

He raised his hand and pointed to the distant horizon: "Look, this sea has given birth to countless legends and buried countless secrets."

And I am merely the one who 'lifted the curtain'.

“So…” Gern narrowed his eyes: “You’re really going to do that?”

Roger was somewhat surprised to hear Gern's words, as if the guy really knew what he was planning to do next.

Instead of answering directly, he asked softly, "Gern, what do you think... 'justice' is?"

Seeing that Roger didn't answer but changed the subject, Guern frowned slightly and said, "Justice... Justice is just two words written on a navy cloak."

"What if one day you discover that so-called 'justice' is nothing but a lie? What would you do?"

After a moment of silence, Guern said slowly, "Then tear it apart with your own hands and rebuild it."

“Is that so…” A hint of admiration flashed in Roger’s eyes, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly: “As expected of you.”

After saying that, he turned around, waved to Gern with his back to him, and said in a relaxed tone as if he were just saying goodbye to an old friend: "Go back, you little brat from the Navy, Skyquake."

"I'm very grateful for your help this past week, and I'm also very grateful for your assistance in Adwall, but..."

His voice lowered, carrying a certain fatalistic certainty.

"The stage ahead... does not yet belong to you."

“Roger, stop pretending.” Gern didn’t move, his gaze fixed on Roger’s retreating figure, and said calmly.

"The weariness emanating from you... can no longer be concealed."

Roger paused slightly.

Seeing Roger pause, Gern continued, "If I'm not mistaken, you... don't have much time left, do you?"

His voice was soft, yet it struck the silence between the two like a heavy hammer.

"If I hadn't shown up, you would have been planning to take a boat from here today."

"You're going back to your hometown, Loguetown in the East Sea, to turn yourself in..." Gern narrowed his eyes slightly. "Am I right, Roger?"

"Heh." Roger paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, "It seems you know more than I thought..."

He slowly turned around, staring at Gern, no longer forcing that triumphant demeanor, but instead removing his fish hat and raising his face.

At that moment, Gern's pupils suddenly contracted.

The man before him was completely different from Roger, who had attacked him at sea years ago.

At that time, Roger was powerful, confident, and his eyes burned with an inextinguishable flame.

But standing before him at this moment was a man nearing death.

But strangely, this word "death" carries an almost insane obsession, as if even death cannot stop his will.

"Heh..." Roger's voice was hoarse, "I just wanted... for people in this world who have dreams..."

He raised his head and looked at the distant horizon, his eyes reflecting the dawn breaking.

"Go and seek, go and hear, go and see... the 'truth' of this world."

“In that case,” Gern said after a moment of silence, then suddenly smiled, “I also have a dream, not too big, not too small.”

"Your Dream?"

“That’s right.” Gern withdrew his gaze, a friendly smile playing on his lips, his tone as relaxed as if chatting with an old friend.

"Anyway, it's all about turning yourself in..."

“How about…” Gern paused for a moment, then smiled and said, “Let me lead you there!”

"Bang!" A strong sea breeze suddenly swept by, and Roger's pupils contracted sharply.

The sea breeze tousled his hair, and it also shattered the last pretense between the two of them.

He stared at Gern for a long time, then suddenly chuckled softly, a laugh tinged with a sense of sudden realization and relief.