Clack… clack… clack…
Heavy footsteps echoed up the execution platform's stone staircase. For an instant, the uproar of the crowd died away, as though the world itself held its breath.
Every gaze was drawn, as if magnetized, to the figure slowly ascending.
Shackles of seastone bound his wrists and ankles, chains dragging against the steps with a harsh clatter. Yet the sound could not drown out the overwhelming aura radiating from his frame.
The crimson cloak on his shoulders snapped in the sea breeze. His wild mustache stretched proudly from his nose to his chin, even his nose hair carrying a streak of defiance. His golden eyes gleamed with such brilliance it seemed the very stars were trapped within them.
Even fettered, every step he took carried the weight of a king. His back was straight, unbowed, and that sheer presence made even the marines behind the iron cordon tighten their grips on their rifles.
In the crowd, Shanks pressed down on his straw hat with trembling fingers. Tears welled and ran down his cheeks, mixing with grit and salt. Beside him, Buggy broke down completely, bawling with snot and tears, rubbing his face raw as he tried in vain to wipe them away.
Not far off, four young men who would one day shake the seas stood frozen:
Mihawk's fingers tightened on the hilt of Yoru, eyes narrowing behind his lenses.
Doflamingo's smirk faltered, hidden eyes sharpening with rare solemnity.
Crocodile pulled his coat high to mask his expression, but the sneer on his lips faded.
Moria grinned, but there was something complicated in his gaze.
The future Warlords of the Sea had forgotten to breathe, eyes fixed on the towering figure whose presence alone seemed to uphold the heavens.
Shiro stood at the front, his stare locked on Roger. His chest rose and fell, but he did not blink.
Then a rough voice bellowed from behind, rattling eardrums:
"Oi, outta the way up front!"
A burly pirate shoved through the crowd, muscles bulging under a torn leather jacket. A crude jolly roger was tattooed across his arm. His eyes blazed red as he pointed at the platform. Spittle flew with his shout:
"Roger! Where's the treasure? Where's the One Piece?! You found it, didn't you?!"
The words crashed over the square like thunder, and suddenly silence fell.
Every soul present—pirate, marine, commoner—snapped their gaze back to Roger.
Then came that laugh.
"Gurararara! Wahahahahaha!"
The Pirate King's signature, thunderous laughter shook the very air. Tilting his head, his eyes glittered with mischief.
"Fame? Power? Riches?"
He spread his shackled arms wide, a grin splitting his face.
"If you want it, go and take it! I left everything… everything this world has to offer… at the end of the sea!"
A beat of silence.
Then an explosion of noise—cheers, roars, screams. The plaza erupted like a storm, pirates howling and waving blades, eyes burning with hunger and dreams. In that instant, the world shifted.
The Great Pirate Era had begun.
But before the thunder could fade, the two executioners beside Roger drew their bayonets and lunged—steel flashing for his chest!
"Outta my way!"
The shout cracked like lightning. A figure appeared between Roger and the blades. No one even saw him move.
BOOM! BOOM!
Twin shockwaves blasted forth. The executioners screamed as they were flung thirty meters, smashing against a stone wall. Bones crunched audibly. Blood seeped through cracks in the masonry. They never rose again.
Roger blinked, brows lifting in surprise. "Shiro, you—"
"Captain Roger, let me set you free!"
Shiro's palm slammed against the seastone cuffs. Scarlet Haki flared, crackling like fire. With a sharp crack crack crack, the shackles shattered into pieces, scattering across the platform.
"Jabal Shiro!"
From atop the long building, Sengoku surged to his feet, Justice cloak billowing. His voice boomed across the square:
"You dare disrupt an execution?! If you take Roger, the Navy will hunt every last remnant of your crew to extinction!"
Even as he roared, Sengoku leapt down, Geppo propelling him through the air. His palm glowed golden, blazing with destructive force.
Marines raised their rifles in unison, shouts ringing as the cordon closed in.
Shiro's face darkened.
A storm of Conqueror's Haki exploded outward.
Crimson-black lightning tore across the plaza. The nearest marines rolled their eyes back and collapsed. Others screamed, clutching their heads as rifles clattered to the stones. Even weaker pirates in the outskirts went pale and buckled.
Shiro turned his gaze on Sengoku, his voice like ice:
"If you lay a hand on Roger's crew, I will level every Navy base in the world—including Marineford itself."
His next words were a death sentence spoken calm as truth:
"My powers can reach anywhere. Do you really want to find out what it feels like when your headquarters is erased in an instant?"
"Y-You insolent—!" Sengoku's body shook with fury, fists trembling.
If anyone else had spoken, he'd have struck them down without hesitation. But Shiro's ability—the Paw-Paw Fruit—made the threat real. He could appear anywhere, anytime. And his strength already rivaled the Admirals' candidates.
"You'll find out soon enough," Shiro said coldly.
Sengoku's words caught in his throat.
The square boiled over—cheers, curses, chaos. Pirates screamed of treasure, of freedom, of setting sail at once. The fire had already spread across the seas.
In the shadows, Monkey D. Dragon's lips curved.
"Interesting… this Shiro will make a fine ally."
Shanks and Buggy, tears still streaking their faces, embraced with relief.
"Captain's free!"
"Shiro-nii's the best! Always dependable!"
Mihawk's hawk-eyes locked on Shiro's blade, a glimmer of excitement burning within.
"So… he's a swordsman too. And his weapon… another Black Blade."
Doflamingo cackled, grin twisting wide.
"Fufufufu… the game begins. A new age has dawned!"
Moria giggled madly.
"Kishishishi! The Pirate King lives, but the age has already begun!"
Crocodile only turned away, cigar smoke trailing as he slipped into the crowd.
Shiro ignored them all. He pressed a glowing palm to his own chest—and Roger's.
Whoosh.
In the blink of an eye, both vanished from the execution platform.
The Pirate King was gone.
The Great Pirate Era had begun.
T/N: If you would like to read up to 20 chapters ahead for all my works, check out my P@treon: patreon.com/GhidorahWriter
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