NOVEL WEB Chapter 224: Chapter 224
Rayleigh had always been the calm, collected one—the wise old man who never let his emotions show.
But now, he was sobbing uncontrollably.
"Captain… you really came back to life… thank you. Thank you so much."
"Do you have any idea how much I missed you?"
"It's been decades. When you died, do you know how long I suffered?"
"You damned idiot… I never agreed with your decision!"
"To go so far, just to overthrow the World Government and take down Im... was it worth it!?"
Tears streamed down Rayleigh's face as he clutched Roger tightly, trembling with grief and joy.
In this moment, he truly believed the man in front of him was Gol D. Roger—flesh and blood, real and alive.
And beneath Roger's mask, Red-Haired Shanks felt a deep ache in his heart.
He knew exactly what Rayleigh was talking about.
The so-called "One Piece," the final treasure of the Grand Line... was never gold or riches.
It was the key to destroying the World Government, the great secret of Im's immortality.
Roger's true plan had always been to let the Nika Fruit awaken in the right person—a new generation's chosen one—who could finally bring down the World Government.
The only one who could rival the power of Im's Life Fruit... was the Sun God, wielder of the Nika Fruit.
That's why Roger had pinned all his hopes on Luffy, the boy from East Blue.
And while Luffy had indeed eaten the Nika Fruit—almost as if by destiny—his current progress was far behind what was needed.
Sure, Luffy had grown strong, and the World Government was paying attention...
But he was still far from awakening the fruit's full power.
And now... even Shanks was starting to lose hope.
Because with Kairos Flint in the picture, the world's trajectory had drastically changed.
All the enemies Luffy was meant to fight—the trials that were supposed to shape him—had been wiped out.
Crocodile, one of his greatest early foes, was already dead by Kairos's hand.
Without that struggle, how could Luffy ever reach the heights of the original timeline?
Even Zoro hadn't gotten his cursed blade, Kitetsu.
He hadn't encountered Moria, nor had he battled Hawkeye Mihawk.
Everything was off course.
Luffy's progress, though still commendable, was far from the hero's journey Roger had envisioned.
And Shanks couldn't help but feel disappointed.
In truth, his concerns were valid.
Because Kairos Flint had changed everything.
Even Garp, the legendary naval hero, wasn't a match for him.
The World Government had quietly revoked Kairos's bounty, choosing not to provoke him—something they had never done before.
This boy, young as he was, already had power surpassing the Four Emperors.
Shanks sighed.
If he had eaten the Nika Fruit instead of Luffy, maybe it would have awakened by now.
But knowing Kairos...
If he had gotten that fruit, he probably wouldn't have used its power to save the world.
He'd be too busy building a harem of beautiful women.
That very thought made Roger—well, Shanks playing Roger—want to cry.
His daughter had fallen for that man.
And now that same shameless womanizer might one day be the one wielding the world's greatest power.
It made Shanks angry... but even more than that, it left him powerless.
Because he knew: he couldn't beat Kairos Flint.
"Honestly," he muttered, "giving the Nika Fruit to that guy? It would've been a disaster."
Rayleigh nodded bitterly. He, too, had been crushed by Kairos before.
There was nothing about Kairos that resembled a savior.
In their hearts, both Rayleigh and Shanks had already mentally disqualified Kairos from being "The One."
"But hold on, Roger," Rayleigh asked with confusion in his eyes. "You're telling me you were resurrected because of Kairos Flint?"
He couldn't hide his disbelief.
He'd seen the newspaper headlines about Roger's supposed resurrection, but he hadn't believed a word of it.
He knew Roger had no Devil Fruit power.
He'd watched him get executed.
There had been no trick, no hidden magic—Roger had died, truly and completely.
Yet here he was. Standing right in front of him.
To Rayleigh, it felt like something supernatural.
"Hahaha," Shanks laughed in Roger's voice. "I'll explain everything later."
"For now, the most important thing is saving Ace."
His gaze turned serious, eyes locking onto the distant silhouette of Marineford.
Rayleigh nodded, a gleam returning to his eyes.
"All right, one more big battle. But I'm curious if that red-haired brat is showing up too."
He chuckled, amused by the idea.
"I really didn't expect that kid who used to run around our ship... to become one of the Four Emperors."
"Honestly, he's stronger than I am now. I wouldn't be surprised if he's the one who ends up saving your son."
He patted Roger on the back, laughing heartily.
Shanks—still in Roger's form—felt his face flush slightly with pride.
Of all the praise he'd received over the years, nothing compared to the words of his old vice-captain.
That kind of recognition from a senior like Rayleigh?
It was everything.
Still, he couldn't let the act slip.
He held in his smile and replied humbly, "You're right. Even back then, I always knew that brat had potential."
Rayleigh narrowed his eyes.
"Huh? Since when did you say that?"
He gave him a suspicious look.
Shanks nervously adjusted his cloak.
If Rayleigh ever found out who he really was... he'd be humiliated.
He could already imagine the old man spitting out a mouthful of phlegm at how shameless he was being.
While the two talked and shared laughter, high above—thousands of feet in the sky—a floating island drifted slowly across the clouds.
On the grandest of the airborne isles, a luxurious swimming pool sparkled in the sunlight.
Sitting beside it, with a glass of wine in hand, was Golden Lion Shiki.
He swirled the liquid thoughtfully and took a slow sip, watching the ocean far below.
"Captain," came a strange voice.
The ship's doctor, Indigo, strutted across the deck with his trademark weird, squeaky shoes.
Every step made a ridiculous pop sound as he bounced erratically toward Shiki like a mad jester.
"We're nearly above the naval headquarters," Indigo said with a toothy grin.
"That wretched place you once knew so well... the one you loved to hate."
Shiki didn't respond immediately.
He simply closed his eyes, let the wind play with his long golden mane, and smiled—
Like a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike.