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[TIOP] Chapter : 85
🕑 Added 2025-03-31 19:29:24 +0000 UTCThe next day, early in the morning, with the sun yet to rise, Jack woke up unable to suppress his excitement; he went out and tried to calm down, sitting on top of the highest point in Marineford, the Fleet Admiral's office.
After about an hour of meditation and becoming one with nature, calming his mind down. He tried unleashing a haki and sage chakra-infused punch into the air, thinking nothing would happen as the force would go up toward the sky. What he did not take into account was the recoil of the punch.
Because of the recoil, he directly fell into Sengoku's office.
His laughter rang through the morning air. “Hahahahahaha!” His exhilaration was palpable—until reality struck back.
A cold voice sounded from behind him.
“Boy, would you care to explain why you’re disturbing people’s sleep at this ungodly hour? If you don’t have a good reason, not even Garp can save you.”
Jack stiffened. At some point, Sengoku had appeared behind him, arms crossed and an unimpressed scowl on his face.
As a Fleet Admiral, Sengoku primarily operated out of Mariejoa. While he did maintain an office in Marineford, he only visited when necessary.
Both master and apprentice were notorious for their distaste toward Mariejoa. Garp, at least, understood the necessity of maintaining appearances. Jack, on the other hand, was as stubborn as an ox, outright refusing to set foot in Mariejoa. In fact, Sengoku worried about what might happen if he did go, given that Jack had once stated—without hesitation—that if he ever saw the Celestial Dragons, he couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t slap them into oblivion.
Thinking fast, Jack put on his most sincere expression. “Ah, Fleet Admiral! You see, I’ve discovered that training my chakra here in the morning allows me to better attune myself to nature. It even helps speed up my recovery!” He spoke with conviction, lying without missing a beat.
Sengoku stared at him in silence. The longer it dragged on, the more Jack began to sweat. Finally, the fleet admiral sighed.
“Sengoku-san, I realize my mistake. Next time, I’ll be sure to keep it down. Can I leave now?” His tone was cautious and hopeful.
Sengoku, however, ignored his plea entirely. Instead, he fixed Jack with a sharp gaze and asked, “How much of your strength has recovered?”
Jack's expression stiffened, and just as he was about to insist that he hadn’t recovered at all, he heard Sengoku chuckle and say, "Think carefully before you answer!"
With a resigned sigh, Jack replied, "As expected of you, Fleet Admiral. Fine, I’ve fully recovered."
Sengoku nodded knowingly. "So it’s just as I thought—you only used Rayleigh as a cover to feign injury, didn’t you?"
Now that Sengoku had seen through him, Jack didn’t bother to deny it. "Since you’ve already figured it out, there’s no point in hiding it. It’s true. Ace is my brother, and I couldn’t just stand by and watch him be executed. But as a Marine, I can’t act recklessly either. The best I can do is turn a blind eye. Whether Whitebeard rescues Ace or the Navy prevails, I won’t interfere."
Sengoku’s expression was one of quiet understanding. He pondered for a moment before speaking. "To be honest, there was no real need to execute Ace publicly. But tell me, do you truly understand who he is? I’m talking about his lineage."
Jack raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. "Lineage? Isn’t he just the sensei's grandson? I met him years ago in the East Blue, and it was because of him that sensei brought me into the Navy."
Sengoku shook his head. "No, his full name is Portgas D. Ace. That’s not the same surname as Garp."
Jack shrugged dismissively. "So what? Maybe he took his mother’s surname. Didn’t Luffy inherit sensei’s name? It wouldn’t be unusual if my brother took his mother’s instead. Now that I think about it, I’ve never heard anything about sensei’s daughter-in-law. Could it be this Portgas?"
Sengoku fell silent for a moment before finally speaking. "Ace did take his mother’s surname… but his father isn’t Monkey D. Dragon."
"Huh? Does Sensei have another son? Don’t tell me he’s some big shot too?" Jack thought to himself that today had drained all his acting skills.
Sengoku fixed his gaze on him and enunciated each word clearly. "His father’s name is Gol D. Roger."
"What?" Jack exclaimed in shock. "That’s impossible! Roger didn’t have any children—or at least, that’s what everyone believed. Even if he did, the timeline doesn’t add up! Unless Ace’s birth records were faked, how could Roger have fathered a child after his execution?"
Sengoku let out a sigh. "It’s not surprising that you don’t know. There’s a secret method that can extend a woman’s pregnancy. That’s how Ace and his mother managed to evade the Navy’s search. Of course, Garp had a hand in helping them as well. But make no mistake—this is the truth. Ace’s mother, Portgas D. Rouge, sacrificed her life to protect him; Ace is the son of Gol D. Roger."
Jack was momentarily speechless, as if he were only just processing this revelation for the first time. "This..."
After a pause, he carefully asked, "Sengoku-san, could there be some misunderstanding?"
Sengoku shook his head. "Garp has told me everything. And Ace himself knows the truth about his lineage."
Jack exhaled heavily. "So that’s why you insist on executing Ace publicly."
Sengoku nodded. "Yes. But beyond that, we also need to deal with Whitebeard. He’s growing old, and the New World needs the Navy to step in."
Jack fell silent for a moment before replying, "The New World does need the Navy… but not like this. I’d rather reclaim it island by island than go through with this plan."
Sengoku’s expression darkened. "But the moment we make our move in the New World, all the pirates will unite against us. We simply don’t have the strength to take on every pirate crew at once. Even facing just two of the Four Emperors together would be more than we could handle."
"What about the Celestial Dragons? Don’t they claim that this world belongs to them? Shouldn’t it be their responsibility to help the Navy take control of the New World?" Jack asked.
Sengoku let out a wry smile. "Boy, the world isn’t as simple as you think. Some matters are far more complicated. Once you become an admiral, you’ll gradually come to understand them."
Jack exhaled sharply. "I see... but even so, I will always stand by the justice I believe in! The Celestial Dragons are worse than ordinary pirates, yet we—the so-called Navy of Justice—not only turn a blind eye but even aid them in oppressing civilians. I refuse to be part of that! To me, everyone is equal—no one is inherently more noble than another."
Sengoku sighed. "Alright, that’s not what I came here to discuss today. Just to be clear—are you certain you won’t get involved in this matter?" He asked, tilting his head.
Jack let out a slow breath. "I won’t leave Marineford, but I also won’t interfere with Whitebeard’s attempt to rescue Ace. No matter who his father was, Ace is still my brother. That said, I won’t allow Whitebeard to harm the Navy either."
Faced with Jack’s blunt honesty, Sengoku found himself momentarily at a loss for words.
His initial intention was to keep Jack from getting involved. Though it would be unfortunate to lose such a powerful fighter, his presence on the battlefield could become a liability if anything unexpected happened.
But now, Jack had made his stance crystal clear—he wouldn’t interfere with Whitebeard’s attempt to rescue Ace. However, if the Navy truly faced defeat at Whitebeard’s hands, he wouldn’t stand idly by.
Yet, from Sengoku’s perspective, Ace’s rescue would be the greatest failure of all.
"I don’t believe Whitebeard stands a chance of winning, nor do I think Ace will be saved," Sengoku stated calmly.
Jack merely shrugged. "That’s fine. Out of sight, out of mind. But if Ace is truly executed, how do you plan to deal with a rampaging Whitebeard?"
Sengoku responded with a silent smile.
At that moment, a name suddenly flashed through Jack’s mind—"Blackbeard, Marshal D. Teach."
"Sengoku-san, Blackbeard isn’t someone who can be trusted. Perhaps you shouldn’t be so complacent about him," Jack sighed. He was one of the few who truly understood how terrifying Blackbeard was. After the Battle of Marineford, the man would go on to seize Whitebeard’s Tremor-Tremor Fruit, becoming the first person to wield two Devil Fruits.
Sengoku raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. "Oh? So you’ve taken notice of Blackbeard as well?" He hadn’t expected Jack to pinpoint him so quickly.
However, Blackbeard wasn’t the contingency plan Sengoku had in mind. His real backup was himself and Garp.
Whitebeard might be known as the world’s strongest man, but if he and Garp joined forces, they wouldn’t necessarily secure a victory—but they could at least withstand his assault. Especially now, with reports indicating that Whitebeard’s health was in decline.
"This was an easy guess. The Navy’s lineup is already formidable. While there are still some secret forces, they aren’t suited for this particular battle. That means the only reinforcements the Navy can call upon are the Seven Warlords of the Sea," Jack shrugged before continuing. "And since Blackbeard only recently joined, he has no choice but to side with the Navy. After all, he was the one who captured Ace, and..."
"...with his mindset, he’s the one who most desires the downfall of the Whitebeard Pirates, isn’t he?" Sengoku interjected with a knowing smile.
Jack nodded without hesitation. "Exactly. I’m not sure if the other Warlords will bother showing up, but Blackbeard definitely will. And if I’m there, my first target will be him."
Sengoku sighed in resignation. "Then it’s best you stay at headquarters and focus on your recovery."
Jack blinked innocently. "But I’m already fully healed!"
Sengoku smirked. "Oh? In that case, I’ll have Garp teach you how to train your Armament Haki with emission. Something tells me you’ll need some extra ‘recuperation time’ after that."
Jack’s smile turned awkward as he instinctively took a step back. "Isn’t that a bit excessive, Sengoku-san?"
Sengoku narrowed his eyes. "What’s wrong? Would you rather spar with me instead?"
Before long, Garp arrived at the office, having received Sengoku’s message. As he led Jack away, he chuckled. "So, what exactly did you do to tick off Sengoku so badly that he decided to send you to me for 'training'?"
As Sengoku went back to his work, a thought suddenly struck him 'Why did I not sense Jack on top of my roof for an hour?'
