Year 1497 of the Sea Circle Calendar.

The setting sun stretched the shadow of the Oro Jackson across the sea. The breeze was gentle, but the atmosphere on deck was heavy.

Crocus removed his stethoscope and silently shook his head.

Ritter stood at the cabin door, his fists clenched so tightly they'd turned pale. Crimson mist seeped uncontrollably from his fingertips, only to be forcibly suppressed and drawn back into his body.

"…Still no good?" His voice was hoarse, barely recognizable.

Since God Valley, Ritter had been channeling his own life force into Roger. He'd even invited Crocus aboard early to help regulate everyone's health. Back in 1494, Roger had shown no signs of illness at all.

Ritter thought he had changed history. But in 1497, Roger was officially diagnosed with symptoms even more aggressive than before.

Damn this pirate world. Ritter couldn't accept it.

Crocus sighed. "We've done everything we could. This illness is… unlike anything else. Your life force can only delay it, not cure it."

Inside the cabin, Roger leaned against the bedframe. His face was pale, but his smile was still radiant. He waved Ritter over.

"What's with the long face? Come have a drink with me! You used to be cocky as hell, remember?"

Ritter stormed over and snatched the bottle out of Roger's hand. "Drink my ass! You should be lying down! Maybe you could live two years longer if you behaved."

Roger burst into laughter, which quickly turned into a violent coughing fit. Blood stained his hand. Silently, Rayleigh handed him a cup of warm water, but Roger waved it away and took a swig straight from a bottle of rum.

"Kuhahaha! It's just a little illness!" he said, wiping the blood from his lips. His eyes scanned the cabin Rayleigh, Jaba, Barrett, Shanks, Buggy, Oden…

Finally, his gaze settled on Ritter.

"I've already lived more than enough. And our dream our dream is just around the corner. How can we stop now?"

Ritter turned away, throat tightening.

Over the years, he had tried everything infusing Roger with blood mist, scouring the world for rare medicinal herbs.

But Roger's illness was like a curse from fate. No matter what he did, he couldn't stop it.

For the first time, Ritter felt truly powerless like he had given everything and still couldn't change a thing. It was suffocating.

"Hey, Ritter," Roger suddenly said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Remember the first time we met? You were in rags and asked me if I thought I'd become the Pirate King."

Ritter snorted. "You were the cocky one. I said one thing and you believed all of it. Weren't you the one shouting about becoming Pirate King?"

Roger laughed even louder, only to cough again. After a moment, his voice lowered.

"But I really heard it… At the end of the world, there's an 'answer' waiting for us. We can become what we said we would the Pirate Kings."

The room fell silent.

Barrett, arms crossed and leaning against the wall, suddenly spoke.

"So what? You're giving up now?"

Unlike the original timeline, Barrett hadn't left the crew after learning of Roger's illness. His goal now was to surpass Ritter. As long as Ritter kept getting stronger, Barrett had no reason to disembark.

His tone remained defiant, but his clenched fists betrayed his true emotions. He simply couldn't understand why Ritter would follow a sickly captain like Roger.

Roger shook his head, a sharp glint in his eye.

"No. I'm going to complete our final voyage to the last island."

Rayleigh's head snapped up. "Your body—"

"It's enough," Roger interrupted him. "Crocus said I still have some time left. That's all we need!"

Ritter locked eyes with him. "Are you out of your damn mind? If we go to the last island now, the World Government will be on us like rabid dogs! If you just lay low and rest, maybe—"

But seeing the resolve in Roger's eyes, Ritter found he couldn't finish the sentence.

This man… This man was the one who ignited the Great Pirate Era. He hadn't stopped in the original timeline, and he wouldn't stop now.

Roger grinned.

"Isn't that better? Let those bastards see how the Pirate King takes his final bow!"

He pushed himself to his feet, staggered, and Ritter instinctively reached out to steady him. But Roger grabbed his wrist instead.

"Ritter," Roger said quietly, with a force that left no room for argument. "I need you to walk the rest of this path with me."

Ritter's pupils contracted.

He suddenly understood what Roger intended.

"You…"

Roger didn't let him finish. Instead, he turned and shoved open the cabin door.

The sea breeze swept in, scattering the heavy silence. Standing in the glow of the setting sun, the shadow of his straw hat obscured his expression. But his laughter rang out, strong and proud.

"Let's go, boys! Let the world remember our name!"

On deck, Shanks and Buggy raised their arms, eyes red. Brook's violin echoed across the ship with the tune of Binks' Sake. Barrett scoffed, but he was the first to take the helm.

Ritter remained rooted in place, watching that retreating figure.

After a long moment, he wiped a hand across his face.

"Damn it… Always dragging me into your mess."

But as he stepped out of the cabin, a long-lost smile curved across his lips.

From that moment on, the Roger Pirates truly went mad.

On deck, Roger gripped the rail with one hand, holding a crimson Poneglyph rubbing in the other. His coat whipped in the wind. He was paler than he'd been three months ago, but the fire in his eyes only burned brighter.

"Just two more pieces!" His voice was hoarse, but brimming with energy. "Rayleigh! Hard to port! Head for Totto Land!"

Rayleigh bit down on his cigar and spun the wheel hard, but his words were sharp as ever.

"You are insane. Big Mom released news of the second piece on purpose. She's waiting for us. We don't even know if it's legit!"

(Author's note: I'm taking a few liberties with the timeline for the sake of story. It's a One Piece fanfic, after all following canon too closely would just get boring.)

Roger laughed, though it turned into a cough mid-way.

"Kuhahaha! Then we'll find out the truth when we get there!"

Below deck, Ritter slammed a map down on the table, crimson mist pouring uncontrollably from his body.

"After Totto Land, it's Zou… Can we speed this up? Damn it, why couldn't Oda write the details more clearly?"

Beside him, a pot of medicine simmered. It was a new formula he and Crocus had developed to ease Roger's symptoms.

Ritter picked up a bottle and stormed out.

"Drink this." He shoved it toward Roger's mouth.

Roger blinked. "Whoa, so aggressive—"

"Save it!" Ritter bared his shark-like teeth. "You planning to die halfway there?!"

The wind suddenly quieted.

Roger looked at his companion of more than twenty years, and slowly, the smile faded from his face. He took the bottle and drank it in one go. Then, he pulled Ritter into a tight one-armed hug.

"Don't worry," he whispered by Ritter's ear. "I'll make sure you all see that answer."

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