One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 506: A Deadly Hidden Danger

The night wind swept by like a knife. The lingering echoes of time and spacetime fluctuations still reverberated in the air.

Roger's right foot was still hanging in mid-air.

It's just one step away from that portal to another time and space. The air inside smells of the salty sea from a bygone era.

He didn't step on it.

The faintest sound was suppressed by the Observation Haki.

Someone was holding their breath in the darkness.

Roger didn't turn around. His shoulder twitched almost imperceptibly.

They're too familiar with each other. There's this stubborn, unyielding defensiveness about it.

Roger suddenly tilted his head back. He laughed wildly at the dark figure in the distance.

"Ha ha ha ha"

Laughter tore through the night wind and smashed through the cold metal wall.

There wasn't a trace of bitterness in his laughter. He wasn't afraid of death.

I didn't blame fate. I let it all go.

That kid finally came to see me off. That's enough.

Roger strode into the portal. A dark golden light swallowed the red figure whole.

The spacetime rift closed rapidly. Golden lightning flashed a few times at the edge.

They've completely disappeared.

The air was filled with only the salty, fishy smell. This proved that the Pirate King had just stopped here.

The platform is deserted.

Hundreds of top experts were all rendered speechless, staring intently at the empty space where Roger had left.

Rocks couldn't hold back any longer. He crossed his arms over his chest.

His brows were furrowed into a tight knot. His face was filled with undisguised sarcasm.

"What was that bastard thinking before he left?"

Rocks grumbled and cursed. His voice was like scraping bones on the empty platform.

"He's laughing so happily even when he's about to die. He's a hopeless madman. Does he think it's glorious to go back and die?"

No one ignored him.

Shanks gripped Griffin's sword hilt tightly. His knuckles were pale.

He stared at the distant steel ruins. The old captain wouldn't laugh for no reason.

Back in the day, aboard the USS Oro Jackson, the old captain would always smile like this before doing something crazy.

But this time is different.

There was no regret in the laughter. Only the relief of unloading a heavy burden.

The old captain must have seen something over there. Something that put his mind at ease.

Chen Ye stood at the very edge of the platform. He tilted his head slightly.

His dark golden eyes were unfathomable. He ignored Locke's nonsense.

His divine sense spread out directly. The invisible perception rippled outwards like water.

It penetrated the thick metal walls. It swept past the mechanical pipes.

Delve into the deepest shadows.

Behind a thick cooling pipe, Chen Ye caught up with an acquaintance.

Ace.

Ace huddled in the darkest corner, his back pressed tightly against the cold metal tube.

He suppressed his breathing to the extreme, afraid of being discovered.

Chen Ye heard it clearly. Ace's breathing was extremely heavy.

With a faint, trembling sound, a drowning person is desperately trying to catch their breath.

Ace clenched his fists tightly. His knuckles were white.

My fingernails dug into the flesh of my palm. Blood trickled down between my fingers.

It dripped onto the cold floor. He didn't even flinch.

His eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep. He stared intently at the platform.

His eyes were bloodshot.

More than twenty years of hatred. Countless grievances.

It's completely blocked in my throat.

His mind was filled with the punch he had thrown. Roger, his face covered in blood, neither dodged nor flinched.

And the way that man knelt down.

He could never forget Rouge. A remote fishing village in the South China Sea.

A woman who gritted her teeth and endured it for twenty months.

Ace's heart was being squeezed tightly. He was in so much pain he couldn't breathe.

He hated Roger. He hated him to the core.

But he watched helplessly as Roger stepped into the portal of time and space, ready to die.

A sudden panic welled up inside him. He was afraid that the man might really be dead.

He died in a time and space he could never reach.

Chen Ye withdrew his divine sense.

This father and son are practically cut from the same cloth. They're both awkward to the core.

The same arrogance.

Ace's words were scathing, but he clearly distanced himself from the situation.

But the person still came. They hid in the shadows to see them off.

Roger clearly heard it. He didn't turn around.

They didn't expose him. They settled the matter with a burst of laughter.

Chen Ye didn't intend to expose him. He respected Ace's pride.

It takes time for a scab to form. Some debts are best left unresolved.

Chen Ye turned around, his gaze sweeping across the entire room.

"Let's call it a day."

The sound wasn't loud, but it buzzed in everyone's ears.

The white-bearded man held the Murakumo-giri upside down with one hand. He didn't leave immediately.

He tilted his head and took a deep look at the dark figure in the distance. Even the strongest man in the world heard it.

The white-bearded man said nothing. The frost in his eyes melted away.

He strode forward. His heavy boots thumped against the metal floor.

His broad back blocked the night wind. He was the first to step off the stage.

His dim-witted son has already taken the hardest step.

Shanks exhaled a breath of stale air, suppressing his multitude of speculations.

He glanced one last time at the sky, then turned and led the Red-Haired Pirates to follow.

Lox pursed his lips, looking utterly disappointed.

"An utterly boring farewell"

Rocks kicked away the shards of metal, which crashed against the wall with a clang.

"I'm going to drink."

He walked away grumbling.

Dragon and Zephyr walked side by side toward the elevator. They lowered their voices.

They began to assess the World Government's military strength and prepared for the impending deadly battle.

Aokiji, hands in his pockets, followed slowly behind.

White breath was coming out of his mouth.

The platform was quickly emptied. Hundreds of people were evacuated completely.

The mechanical guard retreated into the shadows.

Only the night wind remained on the platform. Chen Ye.

There is one person who hasn't moved.

Vegapunk.

He confirmed that everyone had left. Vegapunk tensed up.

The comical smile vanished completely. His face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

He strode up to Chen Ye, his leather shoes clicking loudly.

He pushed up his reflective glasses.

"Tatsuba-sama"

Vegapunk spoke in a low voice.

"There's some critical data. It must be reported immediately."

Chen Ye turned her head to look at him.

"explain"

Chen Ye's voice was icy cold.

Vegapunk reached into his white lab coat. He fumbled around for a while.

I pulled out a neatly folded test report. The paper was all crumpled.

He handed over the paper with both hands. His speech was so fast it was almost spitting hot.

The voice sounded weak and unsteady.

"When treating external injuries using the highest-level medical bay"

Vegapunk swallowed hard.

"The instrument performed the deepest cell scan. Something went wrong."

Chen Ye took it. He didn't open it.

"Deep within Roger's body lies a lesion."

Vegapunk gritted his teeth.

"It's hidden extremely well. Ordinary equipment simply can't detect it."

Chen Ye unfolded the list. It was filled with densely packed red text.

Cellular activity plummeted. Organ workload was already off the charts.

Vegapunk pointed to several lines of red text.

"This isn't an old injury from a fight."

"This is a terminal illness that will inevitably lead to death."

Terminal illness

A cold glint appeared in Chen Ye's eyes.

"right"

Vegapunk nodded emphatically.

"Science can't explain it. It's destroying his life at the genetic level."

The night wind rustled the papers.

"Incurable"

Vegaponke stared intently at Chen Ye.

"Go back to his era. A full-blown explosion was bound to happen sooner or later."

Chen Ye's eyes froze completely.

"And that's not all."

Vegapunk's forehead was covered in cold sweat.

"This disease attacks the immune system relentlessly and destroys pain receptors."

"My internal organs feel like they're being roasted on fire. I cough up blood every day."

"Even breathing feels like swallowing razor blades."

Chen Ye closed the form. The paper folded with a crisp sound.

"This will be fatal."

Vegapunk pierced the core.

"It will ruin the fake death plan."

Chen Ye remained silent, staring at the night sky.

A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes.

The plan to fake death is key to overthrowing Im. Drag the monster off its throne.

We must gather all our top-tier forces. Roger is the sharpest weapon in this game.

He must be on the execution platform. The moment a long sword pierces his heart.

Activate the feigned death trump card by inflicting a fatal physical injury.

But now, the terminal illness has become a death sentence.

"What if the onset of the disease comes earlier?"

Vegapunk's voice trembled.

"He won't even make it to Loguetown. He'll die halfway there."

Even if he survived thanks to his monstrous willpower...

Vegapunk continued to deliver the finishing blow.

"If the organs are completely rotten before the execution..."

"The 'fake death' card might not be activated."

"The soul and body were completely pulverized."

A murderous glint flashed in Chen Ye's eyes. The game of chess must not go off track.

Roger died prematurely from illness. All his trump cards were useless.

The Pirate King is truly dead. He lost an arm in the final battle to overthrow the World Government.

The whole game is lost.

"Can you suppress it?"

Chen Ye asked in a cold voice.

"Extremely difficult"

Vegapunk shook his head.

"It can only be treated with medication; it can't cure the root cause."

"He went back to his original timeline. Without our equipment, things would have deteriorated even faster."

"He can only rely on himself to tough it out."

Chen Ye gripped the order form tightly. A flash of dark gold light appeared.

The paper instantly burned to ashes and was scattered by the wind.

"Who else knows the truth about this?"

"Just me"

Vegapunk lowered his head.

"Chopper only dealt with the external injuries. He didn't touch the deeper data."

"very good"

Chen Ye's voice was cold.

"Delete all terminal data. Don't mention it to anyone."

Vegapunk accepted the order.

Chen Ye turned to look at the empty space where the portal to time and space had disappeared.

Roger has already taken this time bomb back with him.

Not only do they have to evade the World Government, but they also have to race against death within their bodies.

This game of chess, spanning across time and space, is becoming increasingly dangerous.

Chen Ye's lips curled into a cold smile.

Is it a terminal illness?