The fierce battle that took place in Loguetown has finally drawn to a close.
This important town in the East Blue has been completely devastated by the intense fighting. The entire island has been shattered, with massive ravines carving it into an archipelago. Many sections have already sunk beneath the waves. The landmasses that remain barely stand, shaky and unstable. The surface looks as if it's been ploughed by a super tsunami, leaving behind only ruins. Only the outermost buildings have managed to survive. Given this destruction, the number of residents who could have survived is minimal.
Despite the desolation, Marines hastily deployed from surrounding bases have begun urgent search-and-rescue efforts.
Garp lifted a collapsed wall with his arm, sighing as he looked at the lifeless figure beneath it. "The destruction is too severe."
Not far away, Zephyr, who was engaged in the same work, shook his head in resignation. "For ordinary people, this is nothing less than a super natural disaster."
To the strong, the common people are simply too fragile. An attack that might leave a mere scratch on a powerhouse, if unleashed in a densely populated town, becomes an enormous catastrophe.
"And," Zephyr paused, his voice taking on a cryptic tone, "The pirates aside, the Five Elders and the Holy Knights showed no regard for this island at all. Especially that last person who appeared—"
"The most severe destruction to this island was probably caused by the aftermath of her final battle with the pirates." The mere shockwaves practically flattened every structure on the island.
"Celestial Dragons," Garp snorted, clearly annoyed, "They've always been nothing but trash!"
Hearing his old friend's words, Zephyr's lips curled slightly. Garp has always had a strong dislike for the Celestial Dragons. That's why he consistently refused promotion to Admiral; if he were an Admiral, he would have to be deployed immediately if a Celestial Dragon was harmed. If another organization representing justice were to emerge, what would Garp choose?
Thinking this, Zephyr lowered his voice and asked, "Garp, who do you think that woman really is?"
"How should I know?" Garp replied casually, "Perhaps like the Five Elders, she's a Celestial Dragon who has been alive for a very long time?"
"I think so too." Zephyr nodded in agreement. Because the woman looked incredibly young. But surely she couldn't be a monster like Roa? Powerful to an unheard-of degree at such a young age? Since the Five Elders are immortal, it wouldn't be surprising if other such individuals were hidden among the Celestial Dragons.
At this thought, Zephyr frowned deeply. The enemies are proving to be overwhelmingly powerful! On the pirate side, Roger's final words will undoubtedly cause massive chaos! An era of extreme turmoil is about to begin. And even though Roger is dead, there is still the Pirate Alliance, and there is Roa! The strength that bastard displayed this time is perhaps no less than Roger's! And Roa is more maniacal, more dangerous! On the World Government side, the Five Elders, CP0, and the Holy Knight Order are one thing, but there is most likely an even stronger force hidden away! Immortality—no wonder these people consider themselves gods! The strength we have is still too weak! To truly eradicate the evils of this world, we need much greater power! We must rally every force we can!
Suddenly, Zephyr spoke as if it were an idle thought, "Garp, do you think this is right? For a group of immortal individuals to rule this world?"
"Huh?" Garp paused suddenly, looking at his old friend with surprise. "Why ask about that all of a sudden? Hasn't it always been this way?"
"Has it always been right?" Zephyr turned, his sharp eyes fixed on Garp's. "They stand forever at the world's apex. No one can challenge their status, so the entire world worships them as gods."
"The average Celestial Dragon already considers themselves divine and views humans as mere ants. So, Garp, how do you think those immortal individuals view ordinary people?"
Garp clapped his hands, scattering dust. Within the cloud of dust, the Hero of the Marines' expression was grave, but he remained silent.
"Something just occurred to me, Garp," Zephyr continued, "Is the current world still operating according to the original order of eight hundred years ago?"
"Technology, systems, ideologies, culture—it's as if time has stood still. Is it because the people who rule this world are too nostalgic?"
An eternal ruler means he will perpetually govern the world using his already-formed worldview, outlook on life, and values. Things that contradict his ideology might be tolerated, but in the long run of his self-absorbed rule, most changes would probably be eradicated as heresy, wouldn't they?
"Could it be that there's a higher level of rulers even behind the Five Elders?" Zephyr ventured.
It was a very logical guess. If the Five Elders are immortal, why shouldn't other Celestial Dragons be? Consider this: an equally immortal Celestial Dragon, whose strength far surpasses the Five Elders—why would he willingly submit to their authority?
"Zephyr!" Garp called out sharply, "This discussion ends here." To continue would be far too dangerous.
Zephyr nodded softly. "I was just guessing. Don't worry about it."
"Hmm?" Zephyr, who had casually lifted another massive piece of broken ceiling, froze.
Lying amidst the rubble was a child. He looked about six or seven years old, his white hair covered in dust, and his body riddled with injuries. Yet, his chest was still gently rising and falling.
"He's alive! This child is still alive!!" Zephyr couldn't help but exclaim in shock. "Medics! Medics, hurry over and save him!"
Along with the destruction of Loguetown, everything that happened on the island swept across the world like a storm.
"Roger left everything at Laugh Tale! Hahahaha! Whoever gets that great treasure will get everything in the world!"
"I'm heading out to sea! That great treasure is naturally mine!"
"Hahahaha! The age of pirates is about to begin! Tremble, weaklings!"
The moment the broadcast ended, ship after ship set sail from islands across the world. The era of men taking to the seas and chasing their dreams had truly arrived.
Immediately, major newspaper agencies published their articles, all using the exact same title in a striking display of consensus: The Great Pirate Era is Dawning!
All the agencies believed that Roger's last words would completely ignite the ocean, and people driven by Haki would plunge the world into unprecedented chaos! Consequently, countless ordinary people fell into anxiety and terror.
"Wasn't the Pirate King executed? Why are the newspapers saying the age of pirates is just beginning!"
"Many people from our town have sailed out! I'm afraid the number of pirates really will surge like never before!"
"We're doomed! We thought it was the end, but it's the start of an even greater disaster!"
"Roger!! That bastard Roger! It's all his fault! What will the world turn into because of a single sentence from him!"
The sea breeze before the storm has only just begun to blow, but the world is already engulfed in an unprecedented frenzy.
No one understood the changes in the world better than Roa.
On an uninhabited, desolate island in the New World, before the world fully descended into anxiety.
Roa took a deep breath, a brilliant smile spreading across his face. "Uncle Shiki, I have to say, you chose a very appropriate time."
The black aura of the world had become thicker. Although not by much, it was indeed developing in the direction he had hoped. As the Great Pirate Era intensified, the density of the black aura permeating the world would gradually increase. In other words, as time went on, Shiki would only become less qualified to fight him. Undoubtedly, this very moment was when the difference between them was at its smallest.
"Don't expect me to hold back," Golden Lion Shiki casually drew his twin swords from his waist and sneered, "Use all your strength!"
"Hold back?" Kaido and Patrick Redfield stood at the edge of the island, watching the battle. Hearing Shiki's words, Kaido couldn't help but sneer, "Does this idiot not know his own limits? If he dares to hold back against the current Roa, I'll admit he's the stronger one!"
Patrick Redfield couldn't help but curl his lips. Having single-handedly crushed all the Five Elders in a very short time, Roa's power was likely no less than that of Roger or Whitebeard. Shiki, of course, understood this, which is why he proposed this battle. He likely knew that there would be no opportunity to defeat Roa later on. His earlier statement was purely bluster.
"Then I won't hold back, Uncle Shiki."
Black hair lengthened from Roa's skin, and his broad wings suddenly spread open. At the same time, Roa drew the two swords from his waist. In his right hand, his beloved sword, black sword. In his left, the temporary stand-in, Shodai Kitetsu.
Since he had two swords, not using Two-Sword Style against Uncle Shiki would be like eating savory tofu pudding instead of sweet—a very failed life indeed. Haki was infused into both blades. Two different kinds of aura began to float up from the two swords. What emanated from black sword was a dark red, bloody aura, while the aura from Kitetsu was green, which could be tentatively called Demonic Aura.
Though similar in appearance, the intensity of the two auras was vastly different. Therefore, coordinated by Roa's will, the two auras fused into one in the next instant. A deeper, darker crimson aura coiled around both blades.
"Black Blade!" Shiki's lips curved. "You kid! You're full of surprises!"
Roa raised the scarlet blades in his hands, their sharp tips pointing directly at Shiki. "The one standing before you now is the World's Strongest Swordsman."
"Then what are you hesitating for! World's Strongest Swordsman!"
Following Shiki's roar, the ground violently swelled. Innumerable rocks and soil condensed into massive Earth Lions, which charged directly toward Roa.
But.
"Roa's Destruction Cascade!" Roa merely flapped his wings.
As he became a black lightning bolt hurtling forward, the Earth Lions shattered into particles and dispersed into the air. He weathered them! At the same time, various elements descended from the sky and ground. The two blades were immediately engulfed in flames, raging winds, lightning, and magma.
"Gahahaha!" Shiki didn't mind. His ability was indeed difficult to use effectively against Roa, so he would let his swords do the talking!
The next instant, the four blades collided fiercely. The ground immediately erupted into a giant crater several hundred meters wide, and thick cracks spread across the island's surface. The seawater around the island instantly boiled, pushed by the immense force into successive colossal waves that surged into the distance. The sky was no different; the clouds were split by a massive, crisscrossing rift.
"Gahahaha! You brat! You didn't disappoint me!" Shiki, who was shaken back, roared with laughter. His twin swords sliced through the air like a storm. "Lion's—"
Roa also swung his twin swords. "Thousand-Cut Valley!"
The two men unleashed huge slashes, forming two clashing storm of slashes. The fierce slashes continually collided, tearing each other apart, and leaving behind chasms-like fissures in the ground. In just these two brief exchanges, the island was already teetering on the brink of collapse.
"Up to the sky!" Shiki flew upwards.
But Roa's speed was faster. He abruptly pierced the air and rushed forward.
Clang!
The two collided violently again. They engaged in a fierce aerial exchange, constantly clashing, pulling apart, and then chasing each other with renewed strikes. It was a true sense of equal footing!
"Just as I thought." Patrick Redfield couldn't help but nod. "The two's strength is very close. Roa's physical power is stronger, but Shiki's Haki is slightly superior. Overall, there's little difference." Roa had indeed reached this level.
However.
"Why are their moves exactly the same? How can they achieve victory this way?" The swordsmanship Roa was using was virtually identical to Shiki's! With both hardware (physical strength/Haki) being equal and the techniques being the same, there was no way to break the opponent's moves.
"Hmph, that brat Roa is just playing around with Golden Lion!" Kaido snorted.
He wasn't the only one to realize this.
"Roa! Why aren't you summoning your Disaster!" Shiki brought his sword down. Why not use the massive-scale elemental bombardment he used against the Five Elders?
Roa met the strike with his sword. "Uncle Shiki, you haven't used your ability either!"
I haven't used my ability because it's completely ineffective against you, so I might as well conserve my stamina! Shiki gritted his teeth.
He's looking down on me! The pitch-black lightning on his twin swords surged again. Rage made his sword strikes even more ferocious.
The smile on Roa's lips only grew brighter. Undoubtedly, Uncle Shiki's Haki was somewhat weaker than Roger's, but his Devil Fruit advantage allowed him to fight Roger on even terms. But regretfully, the power of the Float-Float Fruit was difficult to use effectively against him. And relying solely on swordsmanship and Haki, Uncle Shiki couldn't even force him to truly fight all-out.
Boom!
After another violent collision, the two were shaken backward again.
"You brat!" Shiki was exceedingly frustrated. Even without summoning his elemental disaster, this annoying brat's power was already on par with his own!
Suddenly, Shiki looked at Roa, who was shooting toward him, and felt a strange sense of déjà vu. Nine years ago, this brat was someone he could easily suppress just by controlling a sword with his Float-Float Fruit ability. Has he evolved to this degree? Has he already surpassed me?
"Roa!!" A strange anger surged within him. Shiki swung his sword to meet the attack again.
It couldn't be this fast! How could it be this fast!
Shiki's swordsmanship became even more frantic. But Roa kept pace without any pressure. Whatever Shiki's sword did, Roa's sword did the same. The two finally began to leave wounds on each other's bodies. Shiki was nearly insane. Roa, aside from not using the elemental disaster, was also pushing his swordsmanship and Haki to the limit.
Every cut left a deep wound. Precisely because of this, duels between swordsmen rarely last long.
But.
Shiki suddenly noticed something. The wounds on Roa's body were healing!
How is that possible! His eyes widened instantly, and Shiki's face was filled with shock.
"What is going on?! Roa! There shouldn't be anyone here contributing power to you!" This was a desolate island, hundreds of nautical miles away from any sign of life! Roa's stamina and injuries were supposed to require absorbing the suffering of humans to recover!
"Well," Roa smiled, "Who knows? Perhaps... the world has changed because of me?"
The world has changed because of him? Shiki's face instantly stiffened. Was he serious? Could it be that everything Roa has done all along has been to make this kind of change happen in the world? How could that be! How could he have that kind of ability?! Is the world... adapting to Roa's existence?
"Do you want to continue?" Roa's lips curved, his tone full of lightness and triumph. "Uncle Shiki, I don't think there's any need to keep fighting. The winner is already decided, isn't it?"
"Don't get cocky, you brat!" Shiki had never been clearer that if this were true, as the world continued to change, it would become even more impossible for him to defeat Roa! No! The question was, who could defeat Roa? So, it had to be now!
"If you've truly surpassed me, then prove it!" Shiki roared, charging at Roa again.
Roa sighed, feeling a touch of helplessness. Although he was confident in his victory. Just like his fight against Roger, winning could only be achieved by wearing Shiki down with his superior recovery ability. Being cut by a sword really hurts.
But since his teacher had made up his mind, then—
"In that case, let's do this! Teacher Shiki," Roa smiled as he met the charge. "This long-overdue graduation exam!"
Go all out!
Disaster, activate!
Thunder exploded, winds howled, flames surged, and magma erupted!
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An Important Announcement: Time to Write Our Own Novel!
Hello everyone!
Thank you all so much for your support; it truly helps me keep going!
I have some exciting news: after translating many fanfics, I've decided it's time to start writing my own Novels! I plan to begin with a new fanfic—I'm currently thinking of either the Avatar: The Last Airbender or Douluo Dalu universe, featuring a Neutral protagonist.That is exactly what I meant by Neutral Protagonist (This refers to the character's Alignment. A Neutral Protagonist is not strictly bound by concepts of absolute good or evil, nor are they necessarily tied to Law or Chaos. Their actions are generally motivated by their own survival, personal goals, or a desire for balance, operating in a morally gray area.)
Once I've written a few fanfics and gained more experience, I can then move on to developing my own original novel soon after.
If you want a direct hand in shaping the main character's destiny and giving input, be sure to join the poll!
I've launched a poll on my P@t reon page!
HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE:
1. Head over to our P@t reon page and become a member. (Don't worry, even those with a free membership can join the poll and share their input!)
2. Select any option you desire in the poll
3. Leave a comment on the poll post or send me a DM if you have any specific thoughts or ideas!
p@treon HongMengZi