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The divine flames cloaking Ayr's figure gradually flickered out, and the overwhelming aura that had consumed the battlefield dissipated with them, for the one minute had finally ended. Gazing at the sea churning before him, Ayr slid his blade back into its scabbard as three silhouettes slowly rose from the massive crater carved into the ocean.
"Puff!!!"
Gol D. Roger surfaced first, cradling the unconscious forms of Rayleigh and Jabba. Their bodies were scorched and battered, burns so deep that bone showed beneath charred flesh. Roger, though gravely wounded and gasping for breath, had not been knocked unconscious by Ayr's devastating final blow.
"You survived, Roger," Ayr said flatly, his eyes unreadable. He had warned Roger beforehand ā that he would only last a minute against him. If Roger could remain standing once that minute ended, victory would be his. Now, time was up, and Roger was still standing. Ayr acknowledged his victory.
"Hahahaā¦ so I won?" Roger laughed hoarsely, aware of the vast difference in strength between them, even with Rayleigh and Jabba's aid. They had come dangerously close to death, yet he found peace in the outcome. This had never been a battle about power alone ā it was a duel of honor, and in that sense, Roger was content.
"To have fought you, Ayr, in the twilight of my lifeā¦ I couldn't ask for more," he said with a serene smile. Though defeated in strength, his heart surged with satisfaction from the fierce exchange.
"Not many can laugh in the face of death," Ayr murmured quietly. "In this world... perhaps only a handful."
Most people dreaded their final moment, yet Roger stood tall, bloodied and smiling, as if welcoming it. His courage and detachment from fear surprised even Ayr.
"Whatever awaits me, death is still the final destination," Roger said calmly. "Might as well enjoy the last few breaths."
Ayr watched him in silence for a long moment. Though they had fought as enemies, Roger remained a man of his era ā a titan of the sea ā and now, his story had reached its final chapter.
From the execution platform, Fleet Admiral Kong's voice thundered across Loguetown. "Roger! Your fight with Ayr is over! The execution proceeds now!"
"You've been given plenty of time, Roger. If you delay again, we'll act by force!" Zephyr barked, his tone sharp and unwavering.
Roger glanced briefly toward Kong before turning back to Ayr. "Ayr, I have a favor to ask. Make sure Rayleigh and Jabba get out of Loguetown alive."
Both men were unconscious and barely clinging to life. Though Roger's surrender agreement was supposed to guarantee their safety, he knew better than to trust Marine promises.
"I don't work for free, Roger," Ayr said with a faint smile.
Roger understood instantly. "Once they're safe, you can claim four Devil Fruits from them as payment."
"Deal." Ayr nodded once. Reviving Rayleigh and Jabba and helping them escape would be trivial for him ā four Devil Fruits for such little effort was a generous trade.
Roger looked down at his fallen friends, exhaled deeply, and turned toward the scaffold. His time had come.
"Proceed with the execution!!!" Kong roared.
At his command, two executioners sprinted forward, long blades gleaming as they took position. Roger, once again shackled with Seastone cuffs, climbed the wooden steps.
From the crowd, a voice shouted, "Hey! Pirate King! Where did you hide all the treasure? The legendary treasure! Is it real?!"
"Hm?" Ayr raised a brow. Despite all the butterfly effects he'd caused in the world, he hadn't expected this moment ā the spark that would ignite a new age ā to unfold exactly as before.
Even Roger seemed surprised, then he threw back his head and laughed. "Hahaha... You want my treasure? You can have it! Find it! I left everything I ownā¦ in that place!"
His booming voice rolled across the plaza like thunder, and the crowd erupted.
"The One Pieceā¦" someone whispered.
"The legendary treasure... how fascinating," murmured the Red Earl, Patrick Redfield, smirking beneath his crimson cloak.
"Hee hee hee... so that rumor was true after all?" Moria giggled madly.
"The seas will boil with new pirates after this," Doflamingo said, his sunglasses glinting with amusement.
"He really said itā¦ The Great Treasure. The One Pieceā¦" Dragon muttered, eyes fixed on the platform.
"EXECUTE HIM!!!" Kong shouted again, panic rising in his voice.
The executioners didn't hesitate. They raised their blades and drove them straight into Roger's chest. With his power, he could've easily hardened his body with Haki or avoided the strike entirely ā but he didn't. He embraced death with open arms and a smile.
"Puff!!!"
Blood splattered crimson against the timber. The blades pierced his heart, and in an instant, the mighty life force that had burned like a star was gone.
Just like that, Gol D. Roger ā the Pirate King ā was dead.
Silence swept through the crowd. Every gaze turned toward Ayr. Roger had been the greatest enemy of the Marines, but Ayr... Ayr was the nightmare of the entire world.
And now, with Roger gone, only he remained.
Unscathed.
Despite facing Roger, Rayleigh, and Jabba ā three living legends ā Ayr bore no visible wounds. The Marines stayed frozen, not daring to move or speak. They all knew that if they tried to capture him, the cost would be catastrophic.
And besides, the world's most dangerous man was not alone. Around the plaza, countless notorious pirates watched in tense silence. One wrong move from the Marines could trigger a bloodbath.
So no one acted.
Ayr stood motionless beside the corpse of the Pirate King, as the world quietly turned its gaze toward him ā and the dawn of a new era began.
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