OP: The Flame Pillar Of Justice

"Seriously~ Rengoku-kun, you're such a hassle, you know~"

The Admiral sent to retrieve Ace was none other than Kizaru—Borsalino.

"Justice!"

"Yeah yeah~ I got the salute… Anyway, you've wrapped up quite the big case, huh~"

Borsalino said this while glancing at the unconscious Ace.

"But wouldn't it have made more sense to call an Admiral as soon as you confirmed his location~? I could've just captured him myself."

"There are only three Marine Admirals! None of your schedules were confirmed at the time. Considering the uncertainty of Portgas D. Ace's movements and the credibility of the intelligence, I judged it best to initiate the capture myself upon confirming his location."

"Yes, yes~ Very well done~"

If they dispatched Admirals solely based on intelligence, it was entirely possible for the target to flee before they even arrived.

That's why, aside from the scouting parties, it was ideal for the first responder to make the capture if possible.

Rengoku boarded the Admiral's warship alongside Borsalino and returned to Marineford.

...

Upon arriving at Marineford, Borsalino immediately took Ace to Impel Down.

Rengoku, on the other hand, was summoned straight to the Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office.

Knock knock.

"Come in."

"Justice!"

"Good, you're here, Vice Admiral Rengoku."

Inside the Fleet Admiral's office were Sengoku and Garp.

Normally, Garp would be casually munching on snacks with a smile on his face, but today, his demeanor was uncharacteristically solemn.

"Come, sit here."

"Yes, sir!"

Sengoku had him sit beside him—on the opposite end of the room from Garp.

"First of all, capturing Portgas D. Ace, Fire Fist, was an excellent job. I should really give you a reward or something, haha."

"As a Marine, capturing pirates is my duty. Even so, I am grateful for your praise, Fleet Admiral!"

Sengoku looked at Rengoku with satisfaction—after all, this solidified his position as a future Admiral—then turned to his long-time comrade.

"Garp… I know how you feel, but we must separate the personal from the professional."

At that, Garp finally opened his mouth.

Gone was the usual loud and cheerful demeanor. His voice was low and grim.

"…We should've done whatever it took to get them into the Navy…"

His trembling voice was filled with deep regret.

"You know exactly what kind of blood runs through his veins! Leaving someone like him free would only lead to greater danger down the line!"

"I know! I know!!"

As the two veterans of the Marines clashed with their heavy emotions, Rengoku remained respectfully silent.

"Still... with this, Whitebeard will surely make a move soon. Perhaps... a great war that will shake the world is fast approaching."

Sengoku sipped his tea from the desk and shifted the topic.

"But this too was within our expectations. Either way, we need to reinforce the Marines' training regimen… Vice Admiral Rengoku."

"Yes, Fleet Admiral!"

"This matter must be placed under strict embargo and handled as a top-secret operation. Neither the Marines nor Whitebeard would want this incident made public…"

"Understood!"

"Hmm… Right, good work on this. You may go."

"Justice!"

...

"Rengoku, come with me for a moment."

Just as Rengoku stepped out of the Fleet Admiral's office, Garp called out to him.

"Understood!"

He followed Garp into a secluded room within Marineford—judging by the bookshelves, it had likely been used as a library.

Once inside, Garp cleared aside some clutter and sat down.

Rengoku followed and quietly took a seat across from him.

...

Silence.

Neither the adoptive grandfather nor his grandson said a word.

The only sound came from the sparrows chirping beyond the window.

...

"...Alright. First of all… as a Marine, I want to commend you."

Garp was the first to speak.

"Thank you," Rengoku replied calmly.

"...Haaah... You know the relationship between me and Ace, don't you?"

Garp let out a deep sigh and asked quietly.

Rengoku nodded.

"Portgas D. Ace was entrusted to you by your long-time friend and rival—the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. In that sense, he's like your grandson, just like me."

"Yeah… He's the son of the Pirate King. And only a handful of people in the Navy even know that."

Garp stared out the window, his tone heavy.

"Every time your operation reports came in, I pestered Sengoku to let me see them. Back in the day, I used to read them casually… but now, you wear the same Vice Admiral's rank as me."

As if reminiscing, Garp continued with a tinge of emotion in his voice.

"You were always fairly lenient toward pirates of the Peace Main. Whether the Whitebeard Pirates count as Peace Main or Morganeer no longer matters—he's already one of the Four Emperors. Still… I want to know why you decided to target Ace so suddenly."

Even with all the anger, a bond still remained—

between Rengoku and Ace.

Between Garp and Ace.

"…When the Great Pirate Era began, it ushered in the golden age of pirates."

Rengoku began calmly.

"In the blink of an eye, tens—no, hundreds of thousands of pirate crews emerged across the world, throwing the seas into chaos. And among them, those who can truly be called 'Peace Main' pirates are few. If there are a million pirates out there, the Peace Mains might number... a mere hundred."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"The remaining 999,900 are all Morganeer—pirates who, under the noble pretense of seeking the 'One Piece,' pillaged villages, assaulted civilians, and took countless lives. In truth, it was Gol D. Roger who gave those with evil in their hearts the 'justification' to become pirates."

"Even if Gol D. Roger himself never harmed a soul and lived as a romantic adventurer of the Peace Main... he was still a pirate. And the final words he spoke before his death marked the official start of the Great Pirate Era—in effect, a global Buster Call on innocent civilians."

"Inexperienced pirates flooded the seas in pursuit of a dream, only to turn to robbery, violence, and murder when faced with stronger foes. And when those pirates returned from the seas, what became of them? Nine out of ten became bandits or coastal raiders, continuing their evil under a different name."

Rengoku's voice was firm—measured.

"Gol D. Roger… I think he was a coward. Do you know how many people died because of one sentence from him? The Navy's strength, once sufficient, has suffered staggering losses. So much so that, in the end, we were forced to recognize and legalize privateers through the Shichibukai system."

"And because of the delicate position of those privateers, look at what's happened to the allied nations of the World Government. Turning a blind eye to the crimes of licensed pirates—it never made sense to begin with."

"The titles—'Pirate King,' 'Four Emperors'—may sound grand, but their essence remains the same: pirates."

"The One Piece? I don't know what it is, nor do I care.

But if it really is some kind of treasure, then let treasure hunters or adventurers chase it. Instead, Gol D. Roger's words summoned the worst kind—pirates."

"Even bounty hunters are better than pirates. At least they only pursue those with bounties and could be seen as a kind of vigilante force. But pirates are different. Even if Peace Mains exist, can a handful of them really change the image created by hundreds of thousands of Morganeers?"

"That is why I chose Ace. As you said, Vice Admiral Garp, if he had joined the Navy, none of this would've happened. But he made his own choice—to become a pirate—and even joined the crew of one of the greatest pirates alive: Whitebeard."

"Now think—what happens when his true heritage is revealed?"

"Countless villains will try to manipulate or recruit the Pirate King's bloodline. Worse, Ace might become the center of a great evil himself. And if the Whitebeard Pirates grow even stronger—twice, three times their current power—What then? Will the Navy and Government resort to creating not just a Shichibukai, but a Hyakubukai?"

"I supported Fleet Admiral Sengoku's decision to stop this before more innocent lives were lost."

Having finished his unusually long speech, Rengoku gave a respectful bow.

"...Excuse me."

And without waiting for a response, he left the room.

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