Jin's brow furrowed deeply.
After carefully weighing everything in his mind, he finally nodded in agreement.
In his view, Rouge had always been just an ordinary person, uninvolved in the turmoil Roger had created on the vast ocean.
Therefore, taking her away wouldn't burden him too much.
Besides, the secret Roger promised to reveal was too tempting, enough to make him set aside many concerns.
However, when his gaze fell on Rouge, he saw the confusion and resolution in her eyes.
Clearly, despite facing unknown dangers, Rouge had no intention of leaving Roger.
This seemingly simple decision contained surging emotions and complex human feelings.
Jin knew that completing this task wasn't something he could decide alone.
He quietly turned and gestured to Roger.
This difficult task needed to be done by Roger.
Roger must have had a deep reason for making this request, and only he could persuade Rouge to leave.
Only he could make her understand that all of this was to protect her.
Roger received Jin's gaze.
He knew how firm Rouge's resolve was.
He faced Rouge, his eyes filled with unspoken pain and determination.
Roger's gaze slowly fell on Rouge, his eyes gentle and deep.
If this didn't work, he would have to knock Rouge unconscious and have Jin take her away.
"You know,"
he said softly, "I have the ability to hear the voice of all things."
He paused, then continued, "I can hear that a small life is being born in your womb."
These words were like a feather floating in the gentle breeze, soft and astonishing.
Roger slowed his pace, "I hope you can live well."
"Even for our future."
In contact with that gentle gaze, he silently apologized to Rouge in his heart.
He knew these words were a deception; in his current physical condition, such a thing was impossible.
But Roger faced a difficult choice.
To ensure the safety of the person he loved, he had to offer this last resort—a benevolent lie.
Rouge's reaction was what he feared most, but for a man under immense pressure, it was the last and most tender lie.
Rouge's eyes were filled with shock and disbelief, her hand unconsciously covering her lips, her other hand gently, almost tentatively, stroking her flat abdomen.
Her feet, as if sleepwalking, guided her back to the room, her heart filled with an indescribable turmoil.
The solitude of the room provided the quiet she desperately needed at this moment to help her thoughts sort out clear clues from the chaos.
Roger watched Rouge's back until her figure disappeared behind the door.
Only then did he slowly withdraw his gaze, exhale a long breath, and turn to face Jin.
"Then, it's time for me to fulfill my promise."
Roger looked directly into Jin's eyes and said, word by word, "I will tell you what I know."
After this heavy premise, he added, his voice tinged with heaviness:
"But some information may have a negative impact on you, given your identity as a Marine."
Jin silently nodded, accepting this weighty premonition.
He knew that what Roger was about to reveal was not only about the secrets of this world but also possibly a turning point in his own destiny.
In the thick of the night, Roger's voice came slowly,
"We all know that there is a Void Century in this world."
"During the Void Century, there existed a great kingdom."
This sentence was like a key, slowly opening the dusty gate of history.
His gaze seemed to pierce through the boundaries of time and space, watching the past glory fade away.
Jin nodded; he knew what Roger was talking about.
Roger continued, "The Poneglyphs that exist in this world now,"
"are all about that great kingdom and the history of that Void Century."
"The ancestors of the current Kozuki Family were responsible for carving these Poneglyphs."
This sentence seemed to tightly connect the fate of a clan with that lost era, converging into a magnificent picture at this moment.
Jin was deeply shocked by Roger's sudden words.
Those guys from the Kozuki Family were able to carve stones that even the World Government couldn't destroy?
"By connecting all the Poneglyphs that exist in this world, we can obtain the true Poneglyph."
"We brought all those texts to the final island."
"The Poneglyphs also have different functions, and the most important of them are the red Poneglyphs."
Roger's words painted those texts with color, making them appear more important and mysterious.
After hearing this information, Jin merely nodded, his expression as calm as water; this information was not unfamiliar to him.
Roger observed Jin's reaction and felt somewhat surprised.
A Marine shouldn't have access to these secrets that are strictly controlled by the World Government.
But Jin seemed unfazed by this information.
There was no surprise or question in Jin's expression, only a calmness that he couldn't understand.
Roger's eyes scanned Jin's face, as if searching for some confirming sign.
"It seems you already know about what I'm saying."
He smiled slightly, with a hint of curiosity,
"Then I'll continue; the previous information was just an appetizer."
His gaze suddenly sharpened, as if he could see through Jin's heart and pierce through the fog of history:
"Do you know when the world's first pirate appeared?"
This question seemed to touch Jin, awakening his desire for the unknown.
A glint flashed in Jin's eyes, and his spirits lifted; he tentatively answered, his voice unable to hide his excitement:
"Could it be during the Void Century?"
Roger nodded slightly upon seeing Jin's reaction, acknowledging Jin's intuition.
"That's right, the first pirate was Joy Boy from the Great Kingdom."
After hearing this answer, Jin's heart seemed to be ignited by a flame, and the light in his eyes became even hotter.
"So that's the origin of pirates..."
"In that case, the World Government has contributed greatly to the world developing into its current state."
Roger looked at Jin in surprise, 'It seems you don't have a good impression of the World Government either, then...'
"Why are you still in the Marines?"
Jin looked at the night outside the window,
'Although it's already so dark, there's still moonlight falling on the earth.'
Roger was stunned, then laughed heartily.
"That's right!"
"Unfortunately... there are too few people like you in this world."
"However, this world will eventually sink into the sea."
"Only by reaching the Red Line that separates the seas will there be a glimmer of hope."
"......"
...
...
