One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 491: Roger's Resolve!

After a brief silence, Roger slowly took a breath, as if finally swallowing the last bit of his pride. He placed his hands flat on the rough ground and used them to prop himself up little by little.

Then he slowly stood up!

He didn't look at the white beard; his eyes passed over the tall figure and landed directly on Ace behind him.

Roger opened his chapped lips and uttered the harshest words.

Ace!

"You can do whatever you want with me."

These eight words were spoken extremely slowly.

It was crystal clear and spread throughout the entire central square.

This was no longer just admitting fault; it was personally handing punishment to the other party. He crushed his own life, along with the last shred of dignity he had left as the Pirate King, and laid it all out before everyone's eyes.

As soon as these words were spoken, the Red-Haired Pirates made a move.

Beckman, who had been smoking a cigar, suddenly stopped, his eyes darkening as he stared at Roger, who was kneeling on the ground.

He knew the Pirate King's temperament all too well. Once Roger opened his mouth, he rarely left himself any way out. In the shadows, Dragon, who had been watching with his arms crossed, slightly raised his eyes. The slight fluctuation on the Revolutionary Army leader's face was enough to speak volumes. Roger's words were definitely not just empty platitudes.

Roger left himself no room for maneuver.

Even if you pull out a knife and stab me to death right now, I won't fight back.

He spoke without pausing for a moment; it wasn't out of spite or on a whim!

The debts and guilt he felt had already sentenced him to death in his heart. He simply chose this moment to acknowledge them publicly. There was no fear or hesitation in his eyes, only a sense of relief.

On the ruins not far away, Lockes, who had been tilting his head with a mocking smirk on his lips, was about to add a few more unpleasant words.

But after saying that, he opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. In the end, he just narrowed his eyes and stared coldly at Roger. He was certainly happy to see Roger humiliated. But to offer one's life in public and be at the mercy of others—such ruthlessness even made him tone down his disdain.

Beside the main table, Shanks' wooden cup was still suspended in mid-air.

He remained in that position for a long time without moving. No one knew the captain's temper better than him, and because of that, no one knew better than him that the old captain had truly cut off his last escape route this time.

In the shadows behind the white-bearded man, Ace tensed up abruptly. The moment he heard "I won't fight back even if you stab me to death," his pupils constricted sharply, and his breathing became erratic. His chest felt like it was being pressed hard against something, causing a suffocating pain.

He always thought he hated this man enough, and he thought that when that day came, he could kill him without hesitation.

But when the man actually knelt before him, offering his life and neck, he realized he couldn't even take a single step. His already tangled emotions were ripped apart by this blow. Anger, resentment, bitterness, and bewilderment all surged up at once.

Sabo stood beside Ace the whole time. In the firelight, he could see at a glance that Ace's face looked terrible.

Below that was the hand hanging limply at its side, trembling uncontrollably. Sabo's eyes instantly turned cold, and he immediately took half a step forward, using his body to block Roger's gaze from Ace. He stood there like a wall, trying to shield Ace from this excessive pressure.

But Roger didn't stop. He remained kneeling on the ground, his posture so humble it was almost invisible, his voice filled with sincerity.

"I'm not here to beg you to soften your heart."

"You can hate me, resent me, beat me, even kill me. None of that is excessive. It's what I owe you."

He doesn't ask for forgiveness, he just wants a chance to settle scores.

The white-bearded man's brows were furrowed deeply. This was the first time tonight that he had expressed his dissatisfaction with Roger's actions.

To outsiders, Roger seemed to be thoroughly apologizing; but in Whitebeard's eyes, it wasn't an apology at all, but rather an attempt to coerce him.

In reality, the choice was being put back on Ace's shoulders.

If Ace really killed him, he would bear the name of patricide. If Ace didn't kill him, where would the hatred of more than twenty years go? Roger's kneeling was like putting an even heavier stone back on Ace's shoulders. Whitebeard's gaze immediately sharpened.

Just as the white-bearded man was about to reprimand him, an impatient voice suddenly rang out.

"Hello!"

Luffy finally couldn't hold back any longer and took a big step forward, his straw hat swaying violently with the movement. He raised his hand and pointed directly at Roger, who was kneeling on the ground.

"Stop pushing Ace!"

The voice was direct and urgent, without any attempt at concealment. That shout was like a heavy hammer, shattering the lifeless air in the square.

The shout came so suddenly that many people were taken aback. Marco turned his head, and Beckman also looked over. Though the words were crude, Luffy had instantly pierced the unspoken understanding between everyone.

Roger's method of apologizing was far too heavy. It was as heavy as pressing an entire mountain back onto Ace's back. Luffy didn't understand those complex causes and effects, but intuitively, he could see at a glance how much his brother was suffering.

Sabo reacted quickly, turning around and covering Luffy's mouth, forcefully dragging him backward.

"Waaaaah!"

Luffy is still struggling desperately.

"Don't interfere! This is Ace's own business!"

Sabo dragged Luffy back to his original position, but even after saying those words, he couldn't suppress the anger surging within him. The veins on the back of his hand, gripping the hose, bulged. He understood the logic—this was a matter between Ace and Roger—but seeing Ace pushed to this point, he still couldn't control his rage.

Luffy's mouth was still covered, but he was still struggling, his eyes fixed on Ace in front of him.

Those eyes, which usually held a silly smile, were now filled with worry.

At the top of the tower, Chen Ye remained seated, silent and motionless, like a completely detached observer, watching every scene unfold from above.

Now that things have come to this, he wanted to see if this man could still come up with those high-sounding words to justify himself.

In the center of the square, the wind howled incessantly. Having said this, Roger had completely cut off any escape route, leaving himself no way out. Dignity, reputation, life—he had personally torn them all down, laying them at Ace's feet, to be trampled upon.

The gazes in the arena subtly shifted. Those that had been fixed on Roger gradually moved away. Marco looked over, Shanks looked over, even Dragon looked up in the same direction. Finally, everyone's eyes converged behind Whitebeard, landing on the person who should truly speak.

The oppressive atmosphere in the air suddenly intensified several times over. This silent waiting was more suffocating than any roar.

Ace remained standing behind Whitebeard, motionless. His shoulders and back were taut, like a bow stretched to its limit, ready to snap at the slightest pressure.

For over twenty years, he had harbored hatred for Roger. All the suffering his mother had endured to give birth to him surged up at this moment, burning like a dull fire inch by inch in his heart. The horrific act of kneeling in apology before him was like someone pouring a ladle of strong liquor into a bonfire. Hatred, resentment, bitterness, anger, and confusion all clashed together within him, threatening to burn through his very being.

He clenched his teeth, his body trembling. Ace stared at the man kneeling on the ground, his eyes gradually reddening. At this moment, he was pushed to the brink of exploding.