Chapter 98: Ortoren Suddenly Becomes a Dad!

After nearly three months of wandering the South Blue, Ortoren and Gion finally wrapped up the situation with Garp.

At the end of Sea Circle Calendar 1497, a major incident broke out in the South Blue.

Rear Admirals Benn Ortoren and Gion, together with Vice Admiral “Hero” Garp, raided Spandler Island, a lawless haven, and supposedly uncovered a secret meeting between the Pirate King Gol D. Roger and the leader of the Freedom Fighters.

A fierce battle followed. Much of Spandler Island was reduced to rubble, Roger was captured on the spot, and Dragon, leader of the Freedom Fighters, escaped without a trace.

The incident quickly made headlines across the world.

...

Meanwhile, in a hidden Freedom Fighter base somewhere in the South Blue, Dragon stared at the newspaper in his hands, his expression full of doubt.

“Iva, if I’m not mistaken, I haven’t left this place for nearly half a year, right?” Dragon asked, turning to Ivankov.

Ivankov nodded seriously. “That’s right. Ever since we chose this as our new base, you’ve been overseeing construction. We haven’t stepped outside.”

“Then can you explain this to me?” Dragon asked, baffled. “According to this paper, I secretly met with Roger on Spandler Island, then fought a fierce battle against my father and that bastard Ortoren... What the hell is going on?”

“I... don’t know either,” Ivankov admitted, equally confused. “Don’t you still have that bastard Benn’s Den Den Mushi? And Garp’s too? Why not just call the two of them and ask directly?”

Dragon glanced at the Den Den Mushi on the table, hesitated, then shook his head. “Forget it. I’m sure they have their reasons. Maybe they needed me as cover for something inconvenient to reveal... If that’s the case, then I’ll let it slide this time.”

In the end, under pressure from his own father, Dragon chose to shoulder the blame.

But in truth, he understood perfectly well. Something must have happened that Garp didn’t want the World Government to know. Using him as a scapegoat was inevitable—especially since it involved the officially declared capture of “Pirate King Roger.” That alone meant things were far more complicated than they seemed.

And if it was something that went against the World Government’s wishes, then Dragon was more than willing to help.

...

Meanwhile, aboard the dog-headed warship sailing back to Marineford, Ortoren was in the middle of a heated argument with Garp.

“What the hell was that? How could you slander me like this!?” Ortoren roared, his face red with fury.

“Slander? You’re the one who started this whole mess! Then you dumped it on me while you ran off to play. Now that I’ve tied everything up neatly, it’s only fair you make a little sacrifice. Or were you planning to grab the credit for free?” Garp shot back, completely self-righteous.

Up until now, everything had gone according to plan. On Spandler Island, Ortoren, Garp, and Roger had even staged a mock battle, letting Roger appear before the people of the South Blue and cementing the fact of his “capture.”

That alone should have kept the World Government satisfied, with no reason to dig deeper.

But what Ortoren hadn’t expected—was for Garp to sell out his reputation!

According to Garp’s revised story, Roger’s wife, Portgas D. Rouge, wasn’t Roger’s wife at all, but instead a woman Ortoren had supposedly fallen for at first sight in the South Blue. The tale went that the two shared an indescribable encounter, and Rouge became pregnant as a result.

Yes—Roger was written out of the script entirely. Ortoren had been shoved into the role of protagonist!

If he had actually done such a thing, Ortoren could have lived with it.

But the truth was—he hadn’t.

And now he was suddenly being forced into fatherhood?

What kind of sick joke was this!?

"I'm only twenty years old, and you're setting me up like this? How the hell am I supposed to find a partner in the future?" Ortoren shouted angrily.

He turned to Gion. "Gion, quit standing there laughing! Say something! Tell me if this is even reasonable!"

Gion covered her mouth, shoulders shaking, barely able to breathe through her laughter. Between gasps she managed, "I think... I think... Garp-chan... this arrangement is... absolutely flawless..."

Seeing that even Gion didn’t object, Garp puffed up his chest, emboldened. "Exactly! Only with you can this matter be settled perfectly. I promised Roger I’d look after his final affairs, but I’m not some shameless man like him. The age gap between me and Rouge is too wide—but you, brat, you’re just right. So take responsibility. Once we’re back at headquarters, I’ll recommend you for Vice Admiral. How about it?"

"Your recommendation? I’ve already cleared it with Admiral Sengoku. With my merits, I’m becoming a Vice Admiral regardless!" Ortoren gritted his teeth.

Do I need your recommendation, old man?

"Ahem..." Garp coughed lightly before adding, "What I mean is, if you agree, I’ll work with Sengoku to push your promotion through. But if you refuse, I can cause a little trouble, and Sengoku would still have to show me some respect, wouldn’t he?”

Ortoren finally saw Garp’s true colors and glared at him. "You’re utterly despicable!!!"

Garp shamelessly retorted, "Didn’t I learn from you, you bastard? I’ve already pulled one dirty trick—doing another won’t kill me!"

Before Ortoren could argue back, Garp patted his shoulder with mock kindness. "Just treat it as helping me once, alright? I’ve never asked you for a favor. And it’s not such a terrible thing. Times are open now. After a couple of years, when the heat dies down, you can divorce Rouge and be single again. How about this—if you can’t find a partner by then, I’ll introduce you to someone. Guaranteed satisfaction!"

Ortoren was the type who resisted pressure but softened at genuine pleading. If Garp had stayed hard and domineering, he might have risked his Vice Admiral promotion just to argue it out.

But seeing that earnest look in Garp’s eyes, his resolve wavered. The old man had never asked him for anything, and truthfully, Ortoren had received plenty of help since joining the Marines.

And... when he thought about it, this really wasn’t crossing any absolute line. Nothing impossible to accept.

Damn it, if Roger himself didn’t care, why should I?

Finding a flimsy excuse to convince himself, Ortoren finally sighed. "Fine... I’ll give you this one."

"Bwahahaha! Then everything’s settled!" Garp laughed in triumph when Ortoren finally agreed.

...

Meanwhile, in the Holy Land, Mary Geoise.

At the top floor of Pangaea Castle, inside the Five Elders’ office, Fleet Admiral Kong and Admiral Sengoku stood before them.

On the sofa opposite sat the Five Elders—the highest authority of the World Government—engaged in discussion with the two Marines.

"That Ohara matter last time—wasn’t it also handled by that boy Benn? And now he’s captured Roger in the South Blue alongside Garp, stopping him from allying with the Freedom Fighters... This boy is remarkably capable," said Saint Saturn, Warrior God of Science and Defense, sounding very pleased as he read the report.

"I hear he carries Charlotte Linlin’s blood?" asked Saint Warcury, Warrior God of Justice.

Sengoku nodded. "That’s correct. Rear Admiral Benn Ortoren is Linlin’s fifth son. However, they were separated early, and the two have barely seen each other. He..."

Before Sengoku could continue, Warcury waved him off. "No need to explain further. I’ve no intention of making things difficult for the boy. Regardless of whose blood flows in his veins, his willingness to serve the World Government is all that matters. It simply reminded me of old matters. If not for certain accidents, Charlotte Linlin herself should have been our trump card. To think, after decades, things have circled back to this result... truly amusing."

After a brief pause, Warcury went on, "As for Ohara, we’ve reached a decision. Given their importance in the cultural sphere, and the fact they’ve shown remorse and a willingness to repent, their death sentence can be commuted... But commuted does not mean pardoned."

He turned his gaze back to Sengoku. "How goes the establishment of your Science Division?"

"Construction has already begun on Punk Hazard. Within two years, we expect to complete the base’s facilities and begin full-scale research development," Sengoku reported.

"Good. Many ancient texts describe technologies far beyond what we possess today. But because of historical constraints, we’ve been unable to interpret them. Since Ohara has this capability, let them put it to use as atonement. From here on, all Ohara scholars capable of reading the ancient language will be conscripted into your Marine Science Division. They are not permitted to leave Punk Hazard without special permission. They will collaborate with Dr. Vegapunk in scientific and cultural research."

With Warcury’s decree as the World Government’s Warrior God of Justice, the matter was as good as sealed.