People are sailing and synthesize the devil fruit of phantom beast sp

Cold sweat formed on Katakuri's forehead.

He had a strong feeling that what was about to unfold was far beyond anyone's imagination.

He quickly unfolded the newspaper so everyone could see.

The others crowded around, reading the headline—and instantly, their expressions changed drastically.

"Impossible! I watched the execution live when I was young!" Charlotte Linlin shouted, her voice full of disbelief. "I remember every second of Roger being beheaded. That scene is etched in my memory. There's no way he could have survived!"

She had watched it through a live Den Den Mushi feed. The Pirate King, Gol D. Roger—dead, decapitated, buried. There was no room for doubt.

"Wait… Kairos Flint? He fought Roger?"

Kaido stared at the article. The headline was shocking enough, but what truly stunned him was the accompanying image: a confrontation between Kairos Flint and Gol D. Roger. Their expressions were fierce, their auras clashing—it was a titanic standoff, frozen in a photo.

"It looks like… only Roger, the Pirate King, is capable of going head-to-head with Kairos Flint."

Charlotte Linlin shook her head, still in denial. "No. Something doesn't add up. Roger being alive? That's outrageous. Absolutely ridiculous."

Kaido frowned deeply. He was a man from Roger's generation—he had watched Roger rise from an unknown pirate to a legendary king. He had seen the strength firsthand.

And that strength was monstrous. Even Kaido, known as the "Strongest Creature," had once been overwhelmed by it.

Now, decades had passed.

The thought that Roger might still be alive after all this time was absurd.

Neither Kaido nor Charlotte Linlin knew what to say or how to react. Meanwhile, the head of the CP division—who had been standing silently among them—suddenly moved. A strange gleam flickered in his eyes beneath the mask.

Without a word, he turned and vanished like a shadow.

——

Naval Headquarters

Marshal's Office

BANG!

Sengoku's palm slammed onto the table so hard it rattled the entire room.

"Whoever started this rumor—get me Morgans! Arrest him immediately!" he barked, fury blazing in his eyes.

He gripped the newspaper in his hands tightly. It was almost crumpled in his grasp.

Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, had been executed. His head had fallen. His body had vanished. He was buried.

That was fact.

Undisputed history.

How the hell could he be alive now?

Aside from Sengoku, there was another figure standing in the office—Ryokugyu, the newly-appointed Admiral.

"Marshal, allow me to investigate. I'll verify whether this is truth or just a hoax," Ryokugyu said, stepping forward, eager to prove himself. This was his chance to earn recognition as a new admiral.

Just then, the door burst open.

Garp the Fist stormed in, his face red with rage.

"Goddammit! What's going on here? Why is Kairos Flint involved again? And Roger—what the hell is going on with Roger?!"

His anger filled the room. Things had spiraled completely out of control.

As Garp entered, Kizaru followed casually behind.

"Yeah, yeah… the situation's getting pretty nasty," Kizaru muttered lazily as he took a seat. "Didn't expect Roger to still be alive. What now, Marshal?"

Garp shot him a glare but didn't respond.

Sengoku rubbed his forehead, visibly frustrated. Then he turned to Garp. "You're from the East Blue. Go there immediately. Check Roger's grave."

After all, that's where Roger had been buried. It only made sense to send someone with roots in that region.

Garp frowned hard—his brows forming a deep crease.

After a long pause, he nodded. "Alright. I'll take care of it."

He stood up, ready to leave.

"Senior Garp, allow me to go with you," Ryokugyu offered quickly. It was the perfect chance to join the mission.

Seeing Ryokugyu's sincerity and status as a newcomer, Garp finally nodded.

Together, the two headed for the East Blue.

Back in the office, Kizaru leaned back and muttered, "Marshal… is it possible Roger was never dead at all? Maybe he's just been hiding in the East Blue all this time?"

Sengoku didn't reply right away.

To be honest, Roger's execution had always felt… a little too clean. A man of his caliber, executed without a fight, buried and forgotten?

The thought left a bitter taste.

"Kizaru, stop theorizing. Focus on the more pressing matter—Whitebeard's next move," Sengoku said with a grim tone.

"But… what if this is about Ace?" Kizaru pressed, his eyes serious. "Maybe Roger came out of hiding after learning his son is about to be executed. That part makes sense. But why Kairos Flint? How did they end up crossing paths?"

He stood up, realizing he'd said too much. He gave Sengoku a final glance and walked out silently.

——

Holy Land – Mariejois

Five Elders Conference Room

"Roger is ALIVE?! What kind of madness is this?!"

Zambalong V. Nasjuro slammed the newspaper onto the table, his face pale with shock.

It was as if he had seen a ghost.

"This is getting absurd! What in the world is going on?" Topman Warcury barked, gripping the paper.

Everyone in the room knew: Roger, the Pirate King, had willingly surrendered, had been executed publicly, and declared dead.

His corpse had even been examined afterward.

So how—how—could this be happening now?

"Has anyone ever heard of a Devil Fruit… that can bring someone back from the dead?" Saint Marcus Mars finally spoke up. He was the calmest among them.

At that moment, the room fell deathly silent.

There were thousands of Devil Fruits across the world—many unrecorded, many unknown. Even the Five Elders hadn't catalogued them all.

Look at Kairos Flint. The abilities he and the women around him possessed weren't found in any official Devil Fruit encyclopedias.

So could there be one that revives the dead?

It wasn't impossible.

After all, if Yomi Yomi no Mi (Revive-Revive Fruit) existed, then resurrection wasn't completely out of the question.

"Still… if Roger had such a Devil Fruit," Jegarsia Saturn interjected with a furrowed brow, "why didn't he ever use its powers during his time on the seas?"

A valid question.

If Roger had a resurrection-type Devil Fruit, he never once displayed its use. Not during his prime. Not when facing the Marines. Not even when he surrendered.

So how could all of this be true?

The room remained steeped in doubt, each man trying to unravel the mystery of a Pirate King who refused to stay dead… and the involvement of the rising force known as Kairos Flint.