Chapter 27: The Roar of the Era — The King's Bloodline Revealed
The 5-minute timer didn't just end; it shattered. The screen, which had been a static crimson, suddenly pulsed with a golden light that fought against the bloody text of the System. The world was currently a powder keg, and the "Roger" reveal was the lit match.
The Holy Land: Mary Geoise
In the Room of Authority, the air was so heavy with Haki that the floor tiles were beginning to crack. Saint Saturn wasn't just annoyed; he was terrified of the logistical nightmare.
> [Saint Warcurry]: "It changes nothing. If the world knows he is Roger's son, his execution must be even more cinematic. We will show them that even the Pirate King's blood can be spilled by Justice."
>
The Sabaody Sidebar: The Dark King's Heavy Heart
On Sabaody, the Straw Hats were in various states of shock. Rayleigh stood frozen, his eyes fixed on the screen where the resemblance between Roger's grin and Ace's defiant face was undeniable.
> [Monkey D. Luffy]: (Picking his nose, looking at the screen with total annoyance) "Rayleigh, why is the screen making such a big deal? I know Ace was Roger's kid like, years ago. Is that why everyone is screaming? It's just blood. Ace is Ace."
> [Nami]: "LUFFY! You can't just 'forget' to tell us your brother is the son of the PIRATE KING! The world is literally falling apart right now!"
> [Silvers Rayleigh]: (Letting out a breath he's held for twenty years) "Luffy... you truly are something else. To you, it's just 'blood,' but to the rest of us... it's a miracle. Roger... you lucky old bastard. You left a piece of yourself behind."
> [Zoro]: "The Dark King is shaking. Interesting. Hey, Cook... if the Captain's brother is a legend's son, we better start acting like a legend's crew."
>
The Global Chat: The Legends Awaken
The "Roger Pirates" tag in the chat suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree. Names that hadn't been heard in decades began to flicker into existence.
> [Rocks D. Xebec]: (Singing in a glass-shattering High-C Opera voice) "♪ OHHHH~ NEWGATE~ YOU SNEAKY OLD FOOOOOL~ YOU HID THAT BASTARD'S BRAT RIGHT UNDER THEIR NOOOOOOSES~! ♪"
> [Edward Newgate]: "Quiet, you singing corpse! Ace is my son, regardless of whose blood he carries! ALL SHIPS! WE AREN'T GOING TO IMPEL DOWN! WE ARE HEADING STRAIGHT FOR MARINEFORD! We'll meet the Navy head-on and tear their fortress to the ground!"
> [Scopper Gaban]: (In Elbaf) "The Captain's son is alive?! Why am I just hearing this now?! Rayleigh! Get off your old ass and get to the Red Line! I'm grabbin' my axes!"
> [Crocus]: "I thought my heart was failing, but it was just the news. Laboon is howling, Roger. The whale remembers your scent... and he sees it in that boy."
> [Shanks]: "Beckman! Intercept Kaido if he moves to backstab Whitebeard. Then, we sail for the summit. I promised to bet on the New Era, and the New Era just got a lot more interesting."
>
The Silent Revolutionary: Baltigo
Far away on the white-soil island of Baltigo, a blonde young man with a scar over his eye was staring at the screen. His head began to throb. Images of a shared cup of sake, a treehouse, and a boy with freckles began to flash in his mind, breaking through the amnesia like a tidal wave.
> [Sabo]: (Clutching his head, tears streaming down his face) "Ace... Luffy... I remember. I REMEMBER! DRAGON! I need a ship! I don't care about the mission! My brother is about to die!"
> [Monkey D. Dragon]: "What happen, Sabo?
>[Sabo]: "I remember my memory"
> [Monkey D. Dragon]: The world is already moving. If the Revolutionary Army moves now, we don't just save a boy... we topple the world."
>
The "Flashy" Escape in Impel Down
In the dim light of Level 1, Buggy was vibrating. His red nose was glowing so bright it was acting like a strobe light in his cell.
> [Buggy the Clown]: (Thinking) "The Captain's son?! If I rescue the 'Prince of the Pirates,' the Roger Pirates will owe me forever! I'll be the most respected man on the sea! HONK!"
> (With his 'Flashy Upgrade', Buggy's hand detached and zipped 50 meters down the hall—double his usual range. It plucked the keys off the Chief Guard's belt before the man even finished snoring.)
> [Buggy]: "I've got the keys! HONK! Ace! Uncle Buggy is coming! And I'm bringing every prisoner on this floor with me! WE'RE MAKING A PARADE OUT OF THIS ESCAPE!
But before let's use remaining One Coin"
>
The System Returns
The static cleared. The image of Marineford faded into the background, replaced by two massive silhouettes standing back-to-back. One held three swords, his eye glowing with a demonic green flame. The other stood in a formal suit, his leg engulfed in a white-hot flame that looked like the surface of a star.
[SYSTEM: BREAK OVER.]
[PROCEEDING TO RANK 46: THE WINGS OF THE FUTURE PIRATE KING.]
[Dual Rank: Roronoa Zoro & Vinsmoke Sanji (Peak Potential).]
> [Sanji]: "Wait... tied with the moss-head?! SYSTEM, I DEMAND A RECOUNT! I'M CLEARLY THE STYLISH ONE!"
> [Zoro]: "Hmph. At least you're finally acknowledged as a 'wing,' curly-cook. Try not to trip over my shadow while I'm cutting through the Admirals."