Inside the cramped cell,
An old man and a young man sat across from each other, a small oil lamp flickering between them.
The dim light danced across the walls. For the first ti in days, Roger showed a genuine smile.
"I only brought four bottles. Once they’re gone, that’s it."
Orin took four bottles of rum from his bag, uncorking them one by one. He hadn’t intended to drink himself, but considering that Captain Roger was about to depart this world, he figured he could make an exception.
"Co on, Captain Roger. I’m not a big fan of this stuff, but I’ll drink with you this once!"
Orin declared boldly.
He felt this was a mont of true masculine romance.
However...
To his surprise, Roger looked at him with disdain upon hearing that.
"What’s this? If you don’t like it, just give it all to . You didn’t bring enough anyway."
This old guy—should Orin call him childish or just a plain alcoholic?
Getting stingy now, seriously?
A throbbing vein appeared on Orin’s forehead as his face darkened.
But thankfully, after so coaxing and pestering, he managed to get Roger to give up one bottle.
Then, Orin took out a few wrapped-up bone-in at sticks from his bag.
The execution was only a few days away. Even if it wasn’t a luxurious feast, this could still count as a final al.
Roger seed very satisfied.
Looking at the at and drink before him, he was clearly happy, though the shackles on his wrists hindered his movents.
"Need help getting those off?"
"Oh? You can do that!?" Roger grinned.
Weak from illness and long-term starvation, he barely had any strength left—he couldn’t even muster up Haki properly.
Watching this, Orin felt a pang in his chest.
With a touch of his Ryuo, the sturdy shackles crumbled instantly into dust.
Two n who had once shaken the Grand Line now sat here, laughing, eating at, and drinking rum.
The sight stirred sothing in Orin, and mories of the free and joyful life aboard the Oro Jackson ca flooding back.
"Orin, how is everyone doing these days?" Roger asked, holding at in one hand and a bottle in the other. His cheeks were flushed with drunken cheer.
"Rayleigh-san already got everyone ho safely. No Marines chasing them, no bounties on their heads. From what I’ve heard, they’re all doing well."
"That so?" Roger smiled with satisfaction and took a huge swig of rum. It was worth making that deal with the World Governnt—ensuring his crew wouldn’t be hunted down.
"But... my bounty had been revoked, until I got into a fight at Marine Headquarters. Now I’m worth over two billion Belly again." Orin added, seeing Roger laugh so gleefully.
"Pfft—cough cough cough!"
Roger couldn’t hold it in—he spewed rum all over the place.
Just as he was about to scold Orin for stirring up trouble again, he noticed the wasted rum and cried out,
"My rum!!!"
With his mouth wide open, Roger mourned the lost drink, thoroughly upset—until Orin handed over his own remaining bottle, which finally brought Roger so joy.
"...Right. Shanks and Buggy said they’d co to watch the execution in two days. I’ll be with them then."
"Shanks and Buggy, huh?"
Upon hearing those two nas, a nostalgic look appeared on Roger’s face. He turned to Orin and said,
"They’re the hope of the new era, Orin. Please take good care of them for ."
"Huh? I’m part of the new era too, aren’t I? Why are you dumping this on ?"
Orin was baffled. That was a bit biased, wasn’t it?
"New era? You’ve already seen the One Piece. We went there too early—we’ve lost our qualifications." Roger said as if it were obvious.
"Wait a sec..."
Orin sensed sothing wrong in that statent. His mind blanked out for a mont.
He was still a young guy!
He’d boarded the ship for the camaraderie and the thrill, happily joining the journey to Laugh Tale... and now it had upgraded his generation?
Damn!
I’ve beco a remnant of the old era!
Orin stood there dumbfounded for quite a while before snapping out of it.
And this ant... he had no chance of being one of the 12 ’main’ characters in the future.
(T/N: Google: Oda: "One of These 12 People Will Find THE ONE PIECE!")
Not that he really cared...
But being randomly rebranded as an "old guy" felt strange.
He hadn’t even had the chance to truly make his mark on the seas—how had he suddenly beco soone who was supposed to retire?
Oh well...
He never planned on becoming the Pirate King anyway. That wasn’t his goal, so he didn’t really mind.
With that thought, Orin felt much better. He could still live freely and wander as he pleased.
That night, the two talked about many things—
Their views on the World Governnt, nostalgia for their seafaring days, and their thoughts on the future of the world.
After they’d eaten and drunk their fill, it was finally ti for Orin to go.
But before he left,
Orin seed to rember sothing. He turned and looked back at the man who had shaken the world for a generation.
"Hey, Captain... I rember you had a wife and kid, right?"
"Oh? How do you know that?" Roger was taken aback.
"You forgot? My Observation Haki."
"Hahahahaha, right! I almost forgot. What an incredible ability."
"So... need to look after them? You know full well, the World Governnt and Marines will never let them go."
Orin spoke calmly, his eyes fixed intently on Roger.
"That... don’t worry, Orin. I’ve already entrusted them to—"
...
"To Garp, right?"
Orin turned around, staring seriously at the still optimistic man with the large beard.
He had to admit—Roger was a good captain. A bold and ambitious great pirate.
But without question, he was a failed husband and a failed father.
Orin didn’t have the right to judge whether Roger’s decisions were right or wrong. But as a forr intern crewmber who’d been treated with kindness—as half a disciple—he couldn’t help but speak his mind, even if he had no right to interfere.
"You left it to a single Vice Admiral? What identity does he have to take on the World Governnt and Marines alone?
Or do you think your so-called mutual respect will make Garp betray the Marines?"
"Right now, she’s just a pregnant woman who can’t even defend herself."
"..."
Roger was silent, speechless. His face had lost its usual endless smile.
For the first ti, Orin saw this side of Roger.
His own expression was unreadable as he continued,
"After all the care you’ve shown these years, I’ll take care of the mother and child and settle them in a safe place. Of course, I won’t interfere too much in their lives. As for what path that child chooses in the future... let him decide for himself."
With that, Orin looked at Roger, who remained unmoved and silent.
Then, without another word, he used the Warp-Warp Fruit to teleport out of the cell and walked away.
Just as he was about to disappear from Roger’s view, his Observation Haki picked up a soft whisper—
"Thank you, Orin."
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