"To find Roger's wife and child."
Garp's face subtly changed when he heard Jon's response, but then he burst into laughter. "Jon, you brat, what nonsense are you spouting? You want to find Roger's wife and kid, so what are you following me for?"
Jon chuckled. "Vice Admiral Garp, given our relationship, let's speak frankly. You're the one who hid Roger's wife and child, right?"
"You brat."
Garp wanted to refute him, but as he looked into Jon's clear, unwavering eyes, the words caught in his throat.
"Why are you so sure I hid Roger's wife and child?"
Jon replied, "Just a hunch. You and Roger had a strange bond—somewhere between enemies and friends. If I were Roger, I'd entrust my family to you."
Jon could understand Roger's reasoning. Leaving his wife and child with Rayleigh or the others might not be a good idea—it could endanger them and Roger's old crewmates. Entrusting them to Garp, a Marine, made more sense. Garp had access to intel, would know Marine movements in advance, and if he gave his word, their safety would be all but guaranteed. It was the best possible protection.
It was a gamble.
And Roger's understanding of people was razor-sharp. What he pulled off before his death was a masterstroke that stunned the world.
"That bastard Roger set me up, and now you've seen through it too. Looks like you really got to know him during your time together. Not bad," Garp said, giving Jon a thumbs-up. He wasn't angry or defensive—he actually praised Jon for seeing through the ruse.
"Vice Admiral Garp, I know you don't want to see bloodshed here, so please, hand over Roger's wife and child. Only by doing so can we save the people on this island. That's countless lives we're talking about."
Jon came right out with his real motive.
Garp's expression turned serious. "You're asking me to hand over Roger's wife and child?"
"Yes. That's the only way to stop all this."
"Haha! Jon, you're way too naive."
Garp suddenly laughed. "You think if I hand Roger's wife and kid over, they'll really stop all this? You're too naive. Let me tell you—honestly—even if I found them and handed them over, they wouldn't spare the people on this island."
Seeing Jon's unhappy expression, Garp continued, "Surprised? I've been a Marine for decades. I've seen it all. They won't let a single suspect go. 'Better to kill the wrong person than let the right one go'—that's their strategy."
"Jon, you've got a good heart. But people like you are rare in the Marines now. And that's exactly why I'm warning you—don't expose that heart of yours unless you've got the strength to back it up. What you see as kindness might end up being your death sentence."
It was the second time Jon had heard this kind of advice. The first was from Pemberton, now from Garp. It made his heart feel even heavier.
"But how can we know what'll happen if we don't try?" Jon answered firmly.
"Stubborn kid."
Garp didn't get angry. He shrugged lazily and said, "Even if you want to try, there's no point in telling me. I don't know where Roger's wife and child are. Go find them yourself."
Jon grinned. "Vice Admiral Garp, what if I followed you around every day? Would Roger's family really stay safe then?"
"You brat, got some guts, huh? Talking to me like that!"
Garp immediately blew up. He rolled up his sleeves and growled, "Alright! You want the whereabouts of Roger's family? Beat me in a fight and I'll tell you. Or go tattle to Sengoku!"
Jon's face turned dark. This was a no-win situation. As confident as he was, he knew he couldn't beat Garp.
And as for tattling—that was never going to happen.
Garp was his elder, someone who had helped him many times and watched over him. He couldn't just stab him in the back.
"Vice Admiral Garp, this is a bit…"
"Shut up! I don't have time for your crap. Get lost! Follow me again and I'll beat the crap out of you."
Garp cut him off and barked the warning with a fierce look.
Watching Garp stomp away, Jon could only sigh and shake his head.
Garp's stance made it clear—he would never reveal the location of Portgas D. Ace and his mother. And Jon couldn't bring himself to report Garp either. So, like it or not, he was stuck.
It felt wrong to give up so easily, especially with so many lives on the line. But right now, he could only act selfishly.
And Garp wasn't wrong. Even if Rouge were handed over, it might not change a thing. Sengoku and the others were dead-set on their course of action—Jon had seen it firsthand.
As for the future—if Ace turned into a pirate and caused trouble—they'd just have to deal with that when the time came.
The Marines stayed on Baterilla Island for over a month, searching every corner and executing countless pregnant women—none spared.
Yet even after all that, they still didn't know if any of the executed women carried the Pirate King's bloodline.
A month in, Jon left Baterilla with the main force and returned briefly to the 47th branch base. After a few days' rest, he set off for Marine Headquarters.
He hadn't earned any merit in this mission. He had simply followed orders and done what was asked.
Before leaving the 47th branch, he brought about a dozen men with him—either people he'd grown up with like Haimo, or soldiers personally selected by Walson for their loyalty.
Back at HQ, Jon met with Borsalino and the logistics team, placing Haimo and the others in different divisions.
Then, Jon approached Tsuru and requested to be sent to the New World for training.
Borsalino, Akainu, and Tsuru were all close to promotion to Vice Admiral, and even Doberman had recently been fast-tracked to Rear Admiral—leaving Jon in their dust.
The pressure was on.
Jon knew the Marines were about to undergo a major reshuffle. He needed to seize this chance.
And for that, he needed achievements.
Where better than the New World? It was crawling with infamous pirates. If he could capture just a few, he'd rack up the military merit he needed.
Tsuru considered his request and approved it. She knew Jon wasn't cut out to stay in the Strategy Department forever. She even personally went to consult with Kong.
Thanks to Tsuru's clout, Kong approved Jon's deployment to the G1 Branch in the New World.
Jon was thrilled when he heard the news. He packed his things and set off for the New World—taking Pemberton with him.
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