Chapter 533: The Return of the Pirate King

“You’re the Pirate King Roger. Didn’t you die already?”

Snail’s voice trembled in disbelief as he slowly backed away. He’d already seen just how terrifying a Pirate King at his peak could be in battle. There was no way he wanted to end up like the others, cut down by Roger’s blade.

All around was nothing but empty ground now. The Holy Knights’ arrogance had kept the Navy away, leaving no one nearby.

That meant he’d lost any chance of escaping.

“Didn’t you two enjoy your fight just now?”

“Picking on someone weaker doesn’t prove anything.”

“Let’s switch it up. From now on, I’ll be your opponent instead.”

Roger didn’t spell it out, but Snail easily realized who ‘he’ meant—Ace, of course. After all, Roger was Ace’s father.

“No, please! Spare me, I beg you!”

“I was only following the Five Elders’ orders. I’m just an executor. This has nothing to do with me, honest!”

Snail hurried to shift the blame.

This new generation of Holy Knights hadn’t received the same intense brainwashing. Their training was rushed.

They didn’t have that blind loyalty to the World Government—especially not after seeing comrades slaughtered and heads rolling. Who wouldn’t surrender in the face of that?

No way did he want to end up dead.

“Too late for that. Get ready.”

“Divine Departure!”

All these years, Roger had never once slacked on sharpening his strength.

Now, he was easily a match for the Sea King Rocks from decades past.

“No, please—no!”

Bang!

“Aah!”

With a brutal scream, Snail lost his head—Roger had sliced him to pieces with Ace.

“Yo, sasshiburida na!”

“Gurararara! Of all people, I can’t believe it’s you I find waiting here.”

Whitebeard sent Sengoku flying with a single swing, then dropped down from the sky to Roger’s side. The two bumped fists.

They really were the closest of friends, having met on the battlefield amidst fire and chaos.

If Rouge hadn’t given birth to Ace in the Four Seas, Roger might have entrusted Ace to Whitebeard’s care.

“Roger, you clearly died at the executioner’s blade back then. I even checked your body myself. There’s no mistake—it was really you. You must’ve eaten a Devil Fruit.”

Even now, Sengoku struggled to accept that Roger was standing alive before him.

Because if word got out that Roger was still alive, peace would never return to the seas.

Right now, their conversation stayed within a small circle. As long as Roger claimed to be a fake, Sengoku could rest easy that the secret wouldn’t get out.

That was his way of conceding ground. But before they could say more, Ace suddenly shouted from not far away.

“You’re not my father!”

“My father, Roger, died long ago. You’re just a cheap impersonator.”

“I only have one father, and that’s Whitebeard Newgate. You’re not worthy of the title.”

His outburst left both sides in stunned silence, question marks popping over everyone’s heads.

What’s going on? Did I hear that right?

Wasn’t Roger’s name just mentioned?

Wasn’t he the last Pirate King? How could he be alive?

No—impossible. Must’ve misheard.

Yeah, that’s it. Roger is dead.

But if Roger really was dead, why did Fleet Admiral Sengoku stop talking to Whitebeard?

And why did Whitebeard quietly move over to speak to that man?

All these twists sent a chill through the Navy’s ranks.

Could it really be Roger standing right there?

A moment later, Roger himself answered their doubts.

“Ace, I am your father, Gol D. Roger. There’s no doubt about it.”

“All these years, I’ve stayed out of sight, watching over you from the shadows.”

“But just now, you must have recognized me for who I am.”

“Yes, I disguised myself as an old man to deceive you. It was only to protect you from the dangers I face.”

His words carried a double meaning—one part for Ace, explaining his absence.

But for Sengoku, Garp and the others, it made them all pause, wondering why Roger had suddenly joined the battle. Could it be linked to that thunderous drumbeat just now?

Was there some deeper connection?

That thought had barely formed before all eyes turned to Luffy.

Luffy now had snow-white hair, bouncing across the ice, walls and even Udyr himself—making everything he touched behave like rubber.

And only then did they realize Luffy was effortlessly toying with Admiral Udyr. The tables had turned completely.

Just moments ago, Udyr nearly killed Luffy in a few moves. Now, roles had reversed: Udyr was the one getting thrashed with no way to fight back.

Back when Shanks stole the fruit, he knew the final form of the Gum-Gum Fruit—after all, he, too, had Celestial Dragon blood.

But he’d been gambling, wondering if this fruit truly had a will of its own, able to escape from even unrelated hands.

He never imagined the theft would go off so smoothly: no surprises, and even the person involved defected from the World Government. The government had no clue who stole the fruit.

What happened in Windmill Village proved the Gum-Gum Fruit was waiting for its destined user.

For eight hundred years, the World Government hunted for the so-called God Fruit, only for a child to eat it.

Shanks immediately realized—this era’s Joy Boy, the coming upheaval, the new age—all were arriving, and he decided to lend a hand.

“No! You’re not my father! Where were you when my mother died? Where were you when the Navy hunted me?”

“You never did anything a father should. You’re not worthy.”

Ace’s emotions were running wild.

Roger understood—no matter what he said, Ace’s anger and hatred wouldn’t vanish.

Wanting to stop another tragedy, Roger quickly pulled out a photo.

“Your mother is alive. She was rescued long ago. It’s just…”

Roger paused, thinking for a moment, then went on. “It was too risky to see you. Your mother and I decided it was best to stay away—for now.”

“Don’t worry. When this battle’s over, you’ll finally see her.”

Ace’s eyes flew wide as he strained to make out his mother’s face in the photo.

The photo was clearly new. On the left stood Roger from the battlefield. On the right, a beautiful woman.

And as he kept staring, tears ran down Ace’s cheeks. The mother in the picture looked just like the one from his childhood memories.

“Mom?!”

“You’re not lying to me, are you?”

In a flash of flame, Ace rushed to Roger, gingerly taking the photo and carefully rubbing a thumb over his mother’s image.

“It’s clear as day—the picture’s real.”

And Roger was telling the truth. Back then, after Rouge gave birth, he secretly rescued her, and after she recovered, she spent the years quietly watching over Ace from the shadows.

She was their own flesh and blood—how could they not ache for him?