One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

"Ace…"

Wright glanced at Ace, who was lost in silent thought. Beside him, Kuina couldn't hide her curiosity about the boy who seemed to be around her age.

This was Garp's grandson, after all. While Garp had asked Wright to "teach him a lesson," Kuina could tell that this boy was no pushover.

Luffy, on the other hand, had eaten a Devil Fruit—the very legendary treasure of the seas that Kuina once dreamed of acquiring to break through the shackles of gender. Devil Fruits were truly mysterious. Even after getting hit by her bamboo sword, Luffy didn't seem to feel a thing!

What kind of Devil Fruit might she get in the future?

Lost in her thoughts, Kuina turned to look at Luffy, who was also staring at Ace, noting how his older brother seemed different from before.

"Kuina."

"Senior Brother?"

"Take Luffy to the village for a bit. Grab some sake from Makino's tavern while you're at it."

"Understood!" Kuina, quick-witted as always, accepted the berries Wright handed over and tugged Luffy along.

"Huh? We just came up from the village…"

"Stop complaining! Take me to see Auntie Makino! We didn't visit her earlier, did we?"

"Oh! Okay!"

...

The voices of Kuina and Luffy gradually faded into the distance until they could no longer be heard.

Ace let out a long breath before finally speaking.

"Uncle Wright, whether it's pirates or the Navy, both have their dark sides, don't they?"

"Of course they do. All these years, you've mostly seen commoners and pirates. Your impression of the Navy might be… that they're incompetent?"

Wright chuckled. "But the Navy has maintained order on the seas for hundreds of years. Do you really think it's full of fools?

"They're just trapped by the system. The real issue lies at the top.

"Your father, Roger, was branded the 'most wicked man in the world'…

"But have you ever wondered why?"

"Well… Isn't that what everyone says?" Ace replied, confused.

"Roger was called the Pirate King not because he slaughtered countless nations or committed heinous crimes, but because he conquered the Grand Line and reached the final island, Laugh Tale!"

Wright's tone became solemn. "The World Government didn't even dare to reveal his full name, instead referring to him as 'Gold Roger.' The 'D' in his name was hidden deliberately!"

"Could it be… the World Government is afraid?"

Ace looked shocked. He wasn't foolish. Wright's teachings over the years had trained him to think critically. The circumstances surrounding his father's death now seemed full of suspicious holes.

Wright quickly confirmed his suspicions.

"It's a secret that must not be told…"

"Your father, Roger… surrendered himself."

"What?!"

Ace was stunned. "But the World Government announced that they captured him…"

"Captured Roger? Even your grandfather never acknowledged that lie. It was all propaganda to bolster the World Government's image. Have you ever heard of any other crew members of the Pirate King being captured?"

Wright cut him off. "Do you think it's plausible to capture Roger, with so many formidable crewmates protecting him? Not to mention, no crew members attempted to rescue him during his execution. Even if all the Vice Admirals, Admirals, and Fleet Admiral joined forces, they couldn't pull that off!"

"…"

Ace was too shocked to speak.

"Surprised? Confused? Why didn't anyone notice these inconsistencies? Why did Roger surrender?"

"People forget easily. Nobody cares about a Pirate King who's already dead."

Wright sighed, sitting beside Ace and patting him on the back.

"Four years before his public execution, Roger contracted an incurable illness. He was already terminally ill when he reached Laugh Tale."

"Incurable…" Ace murmured, utterly shaken by the revelations.

"Yes. Knowing his time was limited, Roger made arrangements after returning from Laugh Tale. Among them…"

Wright's gaze deepened. "He entrusted you to Garp."

"He placed his bloodline—the son of his sworn enemy—in the hands of Garp, the man who had fought him all his life!"

"…"

Ace clenched his lips, trembling. "Then… why did he bring me into this world?!"

"He wanted you to inherit his will and reveal the truth to the world!"

"He uncovered secrets hidden by the World Government for 800 years. He realized the people have been deceived by a colossal lie for eight centuries. He understood the sacrifices required to expose it all!"

Wright's voice grew heavier.

"If he hadn't been terminally ill, if he'd had more time, if…

"But he didn't. He was born in the wrong era, so he pinned his hopes on the next generation.

"Roger's actions shook the foundations of the World Government's 800-year rule. That's why they branded him the most wicked man alive, to keep the world in stagnant ignorance.

"But Roger… Roger was the Pirate King. He gambled everything. With his death, he stirred the stagnant waters, ensuring the World Government couldn't erase the ripples!"

Wright stared intently at the stunned Ace.

"Whether or not you choose to inherit his will is up to you.

"But know this—your bloodline is far more complicated than simply being 'evil.'"

Ace sat frozen for a long time before tears streamed down his face. His voice trembled as he whispered, "Freedom… resistance… is it about pursuing the truth?"

Garp had never spoken to Ace about Roger.

From the moment he was old enough to understand, Ace had believed what the world said—that his father was the embodiment of evil, a monster crafted by the World Government's narrative.

Had Shanks known Ace was just a short distance away in Mount Corvo when he visited Foosha Village…

Perhaps Ace wouldn't have been consumed by hatred for his lineage.

"Ace… you are free. You don't have to hate your bloodline. Sabo and I were both born into nobility, and we despise the aristocracy, but we don't hate our origins."

"You can't choose your birth, but you can choose your future!

"Will you spend your life hating a false enemy, or will you seek the truth and find peace? Think it through carefully."

"…Uncle Wright, how do you know all this?"

Ace had calmed down, but Wright's revelations had overturned everything he thought he knew.

But Wright seemed to understand Roger's motives better than even Garp, who had lived through it all!

"Because, while my methods differ, my goals align with your father's…

"That's why I've paid close attention to the hidden details.

"Roger's actions did harm the world. His legacy sparked an era of unprecedented piracy.

"Which is why I can't agree with his methods. If we had been contemporaries, I would have made him pay the price!"

Standing up, Wright met Ace's conflicted gaze with unwavering conviction.

"But this world is broken. It has been poisoned for 800 years by a group of parasites called the Celestial Dragons. The World Government has shrouded the truth for centuries!

"People live in darkness, unaware of their ignorance, because they haven't seen light in 800 years!

"But I am different. I have basked in the light!

"I know that the darkness before dawn is the deepest, but it will recede. The dawn will come!

Raising his right hand, a golden Holy Light manifested in Wright's palm.

"As I… am the light of hope!"

—————

TL/N:

And I... am Batdog!

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