Garp and Roger walked out of the prison cell one after the other.
Michael, meanwhile, wave at Shiki "Bye-bye, Golden Lion. Hope you have fun and enjoy your stay here."
Then he followed them out of the cell.
When the three of them reached the elevator again, a tall figure in a black coat emerged from around the corner.
"Vice Admiral Garp! Are you taking Roger away?"
"That's right. Thank you for your hard work, Magellan."
The man before them was none other than Magellan, who had just returned from the restroom due to the side effects of his Devil Fruit ability.
Michael couldn't help but take a few extra glances at him.
Magellan… his strength came from the Doku Doku no Mi, but so did his downfall.
His power was truly extraordinary, but the side effects were just as severe!
Excluding time for eating and sleeping, he spent nearly ten hours a day in the restroom.
That meant, at most, he only had about four hours a day for combat.
But during those four hours, his combat prowess was absolutely terrifying.
Especially in a completely enclosed space like Impel Down.
Wiping out Blackbeard entire crew was no joke.
Originally, he had also been a member of the Marines, but after eating the Doku Doku no Mi, he was transferred here. At this time, Magellan was only twenty-five years old—a genuine young prodigy.
If the Doku Doku no Mi didn't have such side effects, he might have had a shot at becoming an Admiral in the future.
At the very least, his performance would've been far better than that pathetic idiot Ryokugyu.
"All for the sake of justice!" Magellan bowed slightly to Garp. "Safe travels, sir."
"Oh, right. Shiki is in Roger old cell. Go take custody of him" Garp said, pointing toward the deeper cells.
Magellan nodded and immediately turned to head toward Shiki cell.
Aside from his ten-hour restroom breaks, he was always diligent during his working hours.
Unlike Hannyabal, he never thought about currying favor with Garp.
Most importantly… Magellan was practically invincible within Impel Down.
So, he had no need for political maneuvering.
***
After bringing Roger back to his flagship, Garp had a room specially prepared for him.
Instead of locking the Pirate King in the ship's brig, he let him stay in an ordinary room.
"If I'm not mistaken, this treatment I'm getting is… hospice care?"
Michael stood to the side, his lips twitching.
This guy really had nerves of steel.
Not that he was wrong, of course…
But based on Michael understanding of Garp over the years, the man was a true warrior who hated evil with a passion.
Yet, unlike the rigid extremist Akainu, Garp was full of humanity.
So this kind of gesture was "unexpected, yet reasonable."
"Roger, are you really prepared for this?"
"Garp, since when did you become so talkative? You weren't like this when you were chasing me across the seas."
Roger sat down on the bed and let out a contented sigh, as if he hadn't slept on a real bed in ages.
"Besides, do you think I turned myself in to you for no reason, Garp? I have my own plans, you know…"
"Turned yourself in to me? What do you mean? Is there something… you want from me?"
Garp studied the Pirate King, his longtime rival and friend.
Meanwhile, Michael studied Garp.
Indeed, even Garp didn't truly understand why Roger had turned himself in.
"It's not 'letting,' but 'asking.' If you prefer, it could be 'begging'—begging you to do me a favor."
"What... exactly is it?"
Roger was about to speak when he suddenly remembered Michael was still in the room.
Just a single glance... A terrifying surge of Conqueror's Haki swept toward Michael.
With the ability to "hear the voice of all things" and possessing Conqueror's Haki of unprecedented intensity...
It was terrifying!
Michael felt as though he had been completely laid bare, the waves of Conqueror's Haki relentlessly battering his spirit.
A suffocating sensation, like drowning in the ocean, crashed over him.
This feeling of being utterly crushed... Was truly unpleasant.
Yet, he couldn't help but marvel at this man... He truly lived up to the title of Pirate King.
"Roger, sudden attacks are really annoying, you know" Michael muttered, wiping the cold sweat from his brow as he unfurled his wings, filling the room with holy radiance.
"Don't think I won't fight you just because you're the Pirate King."
Roger eyebrows lifted slightly, as if he had misjudged Michael strength.
"See the gap between yourself and the very top now, kid? You've still got a long way to go" Garp said, patting Michael on the shoulder before turning to Roger.
"Michael can be trusted. Even if he hears something, he won't bother spreading it."
With Garp vouching for him, Roger didn't press further.
Beneath his calm expression, however, was something hard to conceal—excitement.
And deep regret.
"Garp, my child is about to be born."
"That's right, can you believe it? My child!"
"But to protect him, I have to turn myself in. I have to sacrifice myself to secure his future... So I won't be able to watch him grow up."
The cabin interior was dim, the lighting insufficient.
Half of Roger face was shrouded in shadow.
Even Roger, when speaking of parting from his child, couldn't help but show a trace of tenderness in his expression.
His throat moved as if he wanted to say more, but in the end, he let out a long sigh.
"My child... I'm entrusting him to you, Garp."
The moment those words left his mouth, Garp face twisted in shock.
Meanwhile, Michael, who had already guessed what was coming, remained completely unfazed.
As expected, Roger was about to ask for Garp to take care of him!
"What the hell are you saying!?" Garp expression shifted from shock to sternness.
"You're the Pirate King! The Marine greatest enemy! The most feared criminal in the world! And you're asking a Marine Vice Admiral... to raise your child!?"
"But my child is innocent" Roger said without standing, his gaze piercing straight to the heart.
"How many times have we fought on the open sea? Can you even count?"
"Dammit, if you want, we can settle this right now! But don't dump your kid on me!"
Garp was the one reacting more strongly to this.
But what Roger said next left him utterly speechless.
"You are my greatest enemy. I understand you better than you understand yourself. And the same goes for you—you know me better than I know myself."
"So, to me..."
"The Marine Hero is far more trustworthy than the Pirate King!"
Michael opened his mouth...
Because he knew Garp so well, Roger was certain Garp would agree?
"..."
Garp instinctively averted his gaze, not responding immediately.
"So, Garp."
"Having you protect him is the best ending I could imagine."
"I entrust my child to you, my sworn enemy."
With those words, the Pirate King Gol D. Roger smiled... A radiant smile of complete serenity.