The Pirate King Arrives

"Blu, blu!"

The sound of a Den Den Mushi suddenly rang out. Jon reached into his coat and pulled out a transponder snail that bore a resemblance to Oven's head.

"This is…?" Borsalino curiously leaned in.

"I found it on that Charlotte family member just now," Jon explained before pressing the receive button. As soon as the call connected, an urgent voice came through.

"Oven! How are you? Did you shake off the Marines? Are you alright?"

"Why aren't you answering, Oven? What happened?"

Jon silently listened to the frantic questioning before finally speaking in a calm, deliberate tone:

"The person you're looking for will never speak to you again. Charlotte Katakuri of the Big Mom Pirates."

On the other end, the breathing grew heavy and tense. There was a long pause—at least ten seconds—before the voice spoke again, now filled with icy rage.

"Who are you? What happened to my brother?"

"Your brother is dead, of course," Jon replied indifferently. "As for who I am, you've got a short memory. It's only been three years, and you've already forgotten me?"

Katakuri's breathing grew even heavier. After a long silence, he finally asked in a chilling tone:

"You're Lyons Jon? You're still alive?"

"Finally, you remember me," Jon said with a smirk. "If I were dead, who would be left to seek revenge on you? Your brother was only the first—I've set my sights on the Big Mom Pirates now."

"I will kill you," Katakuri growled.

"I'm looking forward to seeing you again," Jon replied coolly. "Though, I wonder… who will be the one to die this time?"

With that, Jon hung up and crushed Oven's transponder snail in his hand. He knew Katakuri was deeply attached to his siblings—after learning that Jon had killed Oven, there was no doubt he would seek revenge.

That was exactly what Jon wanted.

At sea, aboard a speeding pirate ship, Charlotte Katakuri momentarily lost control of his emotions. His Conqueror's Haki erupted, shaking the entire ship.

"Lyons Jon… I will kill you."

Unlike twenty years later, when the Charlotte family had dozens of children who had all reached adulthood, at this time, there were only a few siblings close in age to Katakuri. The eldest four brothers had grown up together and shared a deep bond.

Now, the fourth-born, Charlotte Oven, was dead. Katakuri's grief and fury were immeasurable.

Jon didn't know how enraged Katakuri was at that moment, and even if he did, he wouldn't care.

Initially, he had deliberately left survivors on the pirate ship so they could report the attack to Big Mom's crew. But with Katakuri's unexpected phone call, that effort was no longer necessary.

In fact, Jon preferred this outcome. A direct conversation with Katakuri was far more effective than relying on third parties to relay a message.

—

After wandering the New World for a few more days, Borsalino received orders from Marine Headquarters. It was time for them to return.

The warship changed course and set sail from the New World, making its way back to the first half of the Grand Line.

They traveled at a steady pace, taking several days to reach Marine Headquarters.

"Ahh, after drifting around for so long, we're finally back," Borsalino stretched lazily and turned to Jon and Peberton. "We should take the day off and go out tonight. Jon, Peberton, wanna come?"

Peberton chuckled. "Jon won't be interested. I'll go with you, though. You paying?"

"Paying your ass!" Borsalino shot back.

Peberton wasn't bothered by the response—he simply grinned and walked alongside Borsalino, ready to head out.

Just as Jon, Borsalino, and Peberton were about to leave, a loud alarm suddenly blared from Marineford's port.

The noise was deafening.

"What's going on?!"

As the Marines' central base, Marineford was heavily guarded at all times, with soldiers constantly monitoring the sea. For such an alarm to sound, something major must have happened.

"Let's check it out," Jon said, and the three of them rushed toward the commotion.

When they arrived at the docks, a large crowd of Marines had already gathered.

Since Borsalino, Jon, and Peberton were all well-known within Headquarters, they were able to push through the crowd with ease.

"What's happening?" Borsalino asked a nearby Marine.

"Sir, an unknown vessel has entered the restricted zone," the Marine replied, immediately recognizing Borsalino's rank and responding with respect.

"Someone's bold enough to do that?"

Borsalino looked out toward the sea. In the distance, he saw a dark figure, but he couldn't make out the details.

"Jon, can you see who it is?"

Jon also gazed at the approaching figure. His eyes couldn't discern the details, so he activated his Observation Haki.

The moment he sensed the individual's presence, his expression changed drastically.

"It's him!"

Just a second ago, Jon had been calm and composed. But in an instant, his heart pounded wildly, and his face showed sheer shock.

"Who is it? Do you know them?" Peberton asked.

Jon locked his gaze onto the approaching ship and replied, enunciating each word clearly:

"The Pirate King—Gol D. Roger."

"What?!"

The surrounding Marines, who had also been straining to see the figure in the distance, were utterly stunned by Jon's declaration.

Borsalino's eyes widened. "Jon… you're joking, right?"

The Pirate King had come to Marine Headquarters?! The mere thought was absurd! Impossible!

Jon's expression remained serious. "Do you think I'd joke about this? I remember Roger's presence very clearly. It's definitely him. No wonder the watchtower Marines sounded the alarm immediately—they must have recognized him too."

The Marineford watchtower was exceptionally high, equipped with advanced telescopes that allowed soldiers to see far into the distance. If they had confirmed Roger's identity, it made sense why they had raised the alarm.

"This… this is a massive event," Borsalino muttered, his usual carefree demeanor vanishing as his face grew solemn.

Peberton swallowed hard. "We have to report this to Fleet Admiral Kong immediately!"

Jon shook his head. "No need. The Fleet Admiral already knows."

Borsalino scratched his head in confusion. "But why would Roger show up here? Is he planning to attack Headquarters? That's way too blatant, even for him."

"He's alone," Jon observed. "That means he's not here for a fight. There's only one possibility—he's here to surrender."

Silence fell over the Marines.

Peberton's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "Jon, are you insane? The Pirate King surrendering to the Marines?! Where the hell did you get that idea?"

Jon remained composed. "Then tell me—if he's alone, why else would he come?"

"I…" Peberton struggled to find an answer. No matter how ridiculous Jon's theory sounded, there was no better explanation.

Borsalino, usually the most laid-back of them all, fell silent. He carefully considered Jon's words.

The others dismissed it as impossible, but…

Given the circumstances, was it really that far-fetched?

Even so, if Jon was right, then this was the most unbelievable event in the history of the Marines.

Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King—coming to Marineford to turn himself in?

Absurd.

Yet, there he was, getting closer and closer.

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