One Piece: I'm not Roger

After wandering around for a while, Aether and Robin entered a century-old restaurant for lunch. Even though the lunch rush had already passed, the place was still nearly full. It truly lived up to its reputation as one of the best restaurants in Loguetown.

The scene reminded Aether of words spoken by a young man from Roger's memories.

"Roger, just wait. I'll make my father's restaurant famous."

"That's a real shame. I wanted to recruit you onto my ship."

The man serving the dishes looked to be in his forties and appeared somewhat familiar to Aether. He was likely the current owner of the restaurant and the son of Roger's childhood friend from those memories.

While enjoying the hometown cuisine, Aether casually asked about the town's recent situation. Neither he nor Robin knew how Loguetown had changed since Smoker's promotion.

"Boss, are there many pirates passing through Loguetown these days? Can the stationed Marines still protect the townspeople?"

The question sounded like something only a pirate would ask, causing the restaurant owner to give Aether a meaningful look.

"Ever since the Marineford War, more pirates have been passing through Loguetown. After all, the reappearance of the Pirate King Roger brought even more fame to this town, and ordinary pirates don't dare stir up trouble here anymore."

"As for the commanding Marine officer, she's extraordinary. Rear Admiral Kujaku is stationed here now. She's one of the rare beauties within the Marines, and I heard she's the granddaughter of the Marine strategist Tsuru. Young man, you'd better be careful. You don't want to run into her."

"Cough, cough. Boss, do I really look that weak? Can't even beat a woman?"

"Young man, don't underestimate Rear Admiral Kujaku. I heard even the Marines say she has the potential to become an Admiral in the future."

Seeing the expression on the other man's face that practically screamed "you don't know the immensity of heaven and earth," Aether could not be bothered to continue arguing.

Watching Aether get deflated, Robin covered her mouth slightly and asked with amusement, "Does Rear Admiral Kujaku really have such impressive achievements?"

"Of course she does. The Red Bull Pirates, an up-and-coming pirate crew in the East Blue, were wiped out by her. Their captain, Red Bull Bejita, who had a bounty of 40 million Berries, was subdued in a single move. Several other pirates with bounties exceeding ten million Berries were also killed instantly."

"That is indeed impressive."

Tsuru's granddaughter, huh?

Aether could not help recalling Kujaku's appearance when she was younger. Even now, he still did not know who her husband would eventually be. As for killing a pirate worth 40 million Berries in a single strike, it seemed Tsuru's granddaughter had inherited her terrifying talent.

With such a powerhouse guarding the entrance to the Grand Line, Aether could only offer three seconds of silence for the younger generation of the East Blue.

With Smoker guarding the front and Kujaku guarding the rear, Garp had definitely played a role in placing these highly talented juniors here as gatekeepers.

When Aether and Robin finished eating and prepared to leave, the restaurant owner still loudly reminded them:

"Young people shouldn't be so combative. Don't provoke people who look troublesome."

Since the advice came from good intentions, Aether simply walked away with a dark expression while Robin muffled her laughter beside him.

The two headed directly toward the central square of Loguetown.

This was the place Aether most wanted to visit.

Roger's Execution Platform.

As the most famous attraction in Loguetown, nearly every visitor would stop by to take a look.

At two in the afternoon, there were still many people strolling through the square surrounding the Execution Platform, and numerous thriving shops had sprung up nearby.

Aether looked up at the wooden structure before him.

The Execution Platform did not appear nearly as worn down as he had imagined. It seemed the Marines had maintained it over the years, which made sense. After all, it was the symbolic location where the Pirate King Roger had died.

Unfortunately, Aether's existence had already made the legendary platform itself far less meaningful.

Just as Aether reached out and touched the Execution Platform almost instinctively, an elderly voice suddenly interrupted him.

"You... your back looks so familiar."

Aether turned around and saw a very old man leaning on a cane while struggling to adjust his reading glasses for a clearer look.

The moment Aether recognized the old man's appearance, his expression shifted slightly.

"Uncle Bont, you're still alive? I thought you'd been dead for years."

The old man froze.

It had been a very long time since anyone had called him Uncle Bont.

The familiar figure and that special way of addressing him caused the old man named Bont to step closer and examine Aether carefully.

A few seconds later, his eyes widened in shock.

"Roger! You brat, you actually dared to come back?"

The shout of "Roger" instantly drew attention from everyone nearby. Surrounding pedestrians immediately began whispering and pointing toward the two of them.

Aether wanted to tell him not to shout so loudly, but before he could speak, the old man had already grabbed his hand and started complaining.

"You brat, you're the reason I couldn't find a wife. How are you going to compensate me?"

A bachelor who remained single entirely due to his own abilities actually wanted to blame him.

Aether immediately retorted:

"What do you mean it's my fault you couldn't find a wife? You still couldn't get married when you were forty. Wasn't it obvious you'd stay single afterward too?"

The old man before him was Roger's final relative remaining in Loguetown.

His uncle, Bont.

His grandfather had been the brother of Roger's great-grandfather, making him Gol Bont.

Unfortunately, this old bachelor never left behind any descendants.

When Bont was younger, he had ventured into the Grand Line. Unfortunately, after suffering defeat, he fled back to Loguetown in despair. Deeply discouraged, he never left the East Blue again.

He was similar to people like Moria, except Bont had long since accepted reality and no longer held any obsession toward the Grand Line.

Back then, Roger often listened to his uncle boast about his so-called glorious adventures. Although most of it was exaggerated, it still influenced Roger's decision to go out to sea to some extent.

Hearing Aether expose his embarrassing history in public nearly made Bont faint from anger, but fortunately, Aether patted his back a few times to help steady his breathing.

Once his complexion recovered slightly, Bont immediately fired back.

"Huff... huff... what do you mean I'd stay a bachelor anyway? After you left, I earned quite a lot of money. If it weren't for you becoming a legendary pirate and later the Pirate King, making every woman afraid to marry into the Gol family, I wouldn't still be single at ninety-six."

That actually sounded fairly reasonable.

Perhaps Roger truly did bear some responsibility for his uncle remaining unmarried.

After all, what ordinary woman would dare marry into the Gol family after Roger became the Pirate King? Who knew when the Marines might decide to settle old accounts?

The Marines might ignore a washed-up seventy-year-old failure of an uncle, but a younger pirate carrying the surname Gol carried an entirely different meaning.

Seeing Aether momentarily speechless, Bont proudly raised his head like a victorious rooster before asking meaningfully:

"Roger, did you come back because you have something important to do? Surely you didn't return just to visit this old man. What's there to miss about an old man like me? Honestly, I never expected to see you again before I died. Truly terrible luck."

"..."

Aether did not have the heart to tell him that he had completely forgotten about his existence.

After all, he genuinely never expected Bont to live to ninety-six years old. In the pirate world, that was already an exceptionally advanced age.

Naturally, Aether would never say something so cruel aloud.

Instead, he revealed the purpose of his visit.

Although the old man before him could barely walk steadily anymore, he still carried a broom in his hand, seemingly intending to clean the Execution Platform.

That sight moved Aether slightly.

Perhaps this was Bont's own way of commemorating the younger member of his family, because even Aether himself did not know where Roger's grave actually was.

Who knew what the Marines had done with Roger's body after the execution? Buried it? Cremated it? Sent it into the sea?

Aether spoke seriously.

"Uncle Bont, I came back this time intending to destroy this Execution Platform."

"..."

Hearing that the Execution Platform he had cleaned for more than twenty years was about to be destroyed, Bont fell silent briefly before letting out a sigh.

"That's probably for the best. Since you've come back to life, this Execution Platform isn't necessary anymore. Even if you get executed again someday, they can just build another one."

"..."

Aether's face instantly darkened.

Was "getting executed again" really something a human being should say?