At the sa ti, Aether and Monkey D. Garp clashed once again, their battle falling into a tense stalemate. The collision of their Conqueror's Haki distorted the air between them, forming a violent sphere that warped everything nearby.
"Roger..."
"Garp..."
Both n shouted, releasing the weight of their emotions. They already knew that Portgas D. Ace had been freed, and that knowledge pulled their thoughts in different directions.
Aether had no intention of dragging the fight any further. They were evenly matched, and continuing would only drain the remaining strength left behind by Roger.
Garp, on the other hand, was distracted.
If Ace had not been rescued, he could have forced himself to stand firm in his belief in justice. But now, with Ace free, his resolve wavered. mories surfaced without restraint.
Ace calling him Grandpa, that stubborn boy who still had his monts.
Then Monkey D. Luffy ca to mind, his carefree grin unchanged.
Two of his own stood against him on this battlefield. It was not sothing he could easily ignore.
Aether noticed the hesitation imdiately.
His figure blurred, leaving behind an afterimage as he closed the distance in an instant. By the ti Garp regained focus, the blade had already swung toward his chest.
A dark red slash struck cleanly.
Garp was sent flying, crashing through buildings before disappearing into the depths of Marineford.
Monts later, a loud rumble echoed as debris settled.
Soon, Garp reappeared.
His black shirt was torn apart, but the wound on his chest was shallow. His presence remained overwhelming, unchanged despite the hit.
The two were about to clash again when the entire battlefield shook violently.
Both n paused.
A massive fissure tore through Marineford, splitting the ground between them. The abyss swallowed stone, steel, and bodies alike, stretching wide enough to halt any direct advance.
Whitebeard's strike had reshaped the battlefield.
Aether and Garp stood on opposite sides, neither making a move. The crack between them was not just an obstacle, it was an opportunity. Whoever moved first risked being countered and thrown into the abyss.
Silence lingered.
Then Garp spoke.
"Roger, were the things you said that night true?"
Aether did not need clarification. He understood exactly what Garp ant.
If trust had been used as a tool, if friendship had been nothing more than manipulation, then no bond could survive that truth.
"Garp. What I said that night was true. The Pirate King was executed on the platform. This body only regained movent recently."
Garp remained quiet.
The explanation was strange, but he chose to accept it. He trusted Roger's character more than he doubted the situation.
After all, the world held stranger truths. The Gorosei were rumored to have lived for centuries. And Kozuki Toki, the wife of Kozuki Oden, possessed the power of ti itself.
Such things had already shattered the limits of what was considered possible.
Just as Garp turned to leave, Aether spoke again, his tone sharp.
"Garp, why did you take Ace as your grandson? Do you think your seniority gives you the right, or do you simply enjoy taking advantage of it?"
Garp stopped.
He turned back, digging his finger into his ear with a careless expression.
"I do not think as much as you, Roger. It is simple, it is about age. I thought soone like you would die alone."
He paused, his voice growing colder.
"Who would have thought that before my son even started a family, you would trick Portgas D. Rouge into bearing your child. You do not deserve what she gave you."
Aether said nothing.
Garp turned and walked away.
That mory from twenty two years ago resurfaced clearly in his mind. Rouge, a woman of incredible will, had carried Ace for twenty months to protect him from the Marines. Only after ensuring his safety did she pass away, smiling as she held her child.
She had been extraordinary.
Aether exhaled quietly.
The lingering emotions from Roger stirred slightly, but he dismissed them. Whatever happened back then had nothing to do with him.
Blaming Roger felt far more reasonable.
He shook his head and moved forward, his thoughts settling as he advanced toward Whitebeard's direction. That attack had left him with an uneasy feeling.
Along the way, he t Silvers Rayleigh.
The massive split in the island had interrupted more than one battle. Even Aokiji had stopped fighting.
Together, they reached the edge of the fissure.
A group of Whitebeard Pirates had already gathered there. More were arriving from all directions. At the front stood several wounded commanders.
Marco, Ace, Diamond Jozu, Vista, and Whitey Bay.
Except for Ace, they had followed Whitebeard for decades.
Across the fissure stood Whitebeard.
Murakumogiri rested in his hand as he faced the Marines alone. His back was turned to his crew, his towering figure standing like an unbreakable wall.
Aether's eyes narrowed.
Through Observation Haki, he sensed it clearly. Though Whitebeard stood tall and no blood flowed beneath him, his life force had weakened to a dangerous level.
"Pops, we ca to take you back!"
"Wait for us, Pops!"
Cries echoed across the battlefield.
Whitebeard did not turn.
"My sons, I am a remnant of the old era. There is no ship in the new era that can carry ."
The words hit hard.
Tears spread among the pirates as they understood his intention.
Behind the Marine lines, Sengoku watched with a heavy expression.
"Whitebeard, even after suffering such injuries, you still possess this level of strength."
Whitebeard's gaze wavered slightly, but he held his ground.
"I am not finished yet, Sengoku. I will be your opponent."
The Marines surged forward.
Bullets, blades, and cannon fire rained toward him, but every attack was deflected by the sweeping force of his weapon. Each swing of Murakumogiri sent Marines flying.
Aether watched silently, his hand resting on his weapon.
If they moved now, there was still a chance to bring Whitebeard back. The balance of power had not completely shifted.
He glanced at Rayleigh.
Rayleigh, breathing heavier than usual, still smiled faintly.
"You decide."
Both of them understood.
Whitebeard had already made his choice.
Interfering now might only ruin what he intended to do.
Before Aether could act, Ace stepped forward, unable to endure it any longer. Flas gathered around him as he prepared to cross the fissure.
Whitebeard's voice roared across the battlefield, rough and strained.
"Roger... why did you surrender twenty two years ago? Why did you not spend your final monts with Ace's mother and live as a family?"
Everything stopped.
Marines and pirates alike froze.
Even Rayleigh turned sharply toward Aether, shock clear in his eyes.
Aether moved instantly.
He stepped forward and slamd Ace to the ground, pinning him in place. The young pirate struggled, his face pressed against the concrete, unable to move.
Inside Aether's mind, Whitebeard's question echoed repeatedly.
Why did Roger choose that path instead of staying with his family?
Aether stood there, silent.
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