After shaking off the tail following them, Weiss led Karina out of a narrow alley. Those fools had no eye for targets—picking Weiss for their robbery only ensured their own doom.
The two of them headed toward the execution platform in the center of Loguetown—the very place where the Pirate King's life had ended.
From where Weiss stood, the platform was clearly visible. It had become somewhat of a landmark in Loguetown, drawing a steady stream of visitors every day.
Perhaps only the locals sneered at it. After all, staring at the same platform day after day, even those with deep backgrounds would grow bored.
Some had even witnessed Roger's execution firsthand.
This wasn't like the future era when Smoker became a Marine captain and pirates had to sneak supplies in secret. So even if some pirates came here to pay their respects, no one bothered to chase them away.
"The will passed down through generations, the tide of the era, people's dreams—none of these can be stopped..." Weiss murmured.
No one knew what Roger had discovered on that final island, but it made him choose to end his life with a grand spectacle—like a magnificent feast.
Was it to ignite the tide of a new era?
Maybe it was exactly as Weiss understood: a group of traitors had seized power and ruled the world. But what could that matter? If the secret ever leaked, it would only invite the ambitions of would-be usurpers.
...
...
If you can do it, then so can I!
The world will be swept by waves more violent than even the Great Pirate Era—waves strong enough to destroy those self-proclaimed gods.
Perhaps that was Roger's true purpose.
"What are you looking at, Weiss?" Karina asked, puzzled by how Weiss could be so absorbed just staring at an execution platform. To her, it looked like nothing special.
"Nothing much. I was wondering why the Marines haven't torn down this platform. Is it to boast about their achievement? Or to warn the world's pirates that even the Pirate King can be executed?"
"Does it make a difference?" Karina shrugged. "It's all the same anyway."
"To boast about their victory is understandable. They executed the Pirate King—the king of pirates. That's a glory unique to the Marines, something to inspire more to join their ranks."
"But if it's meant as a warning, it's ineffective. It almost becomes a badge of honor for pirates. Think about it—being executed in front of the world as the King, making everyone go crazy because of you. How do you think that feels?"
"Probably a kind of..." Karina trailed off, unsure how to put it.
"Exactly. I don't know either—after all, we're not Roger. We can't read his mind. But for many pirates, that platform is a symbol of honor."
"Look around. More and more people are riding the tide of this era. See the fire in their eyes as they gaze at that execution platform? Nothing can hide their zeal."
"That platform is like a lighthouse guiding pirates toward their purpose at sea!"
"Do you think it should be destroyed?" someone suddenly stood beside Weiss, casually asking.
"Destroying it or not makes no difference. Only pirates from the East Blue can see it, and East Blue is known as the weakest sea. Even if they see it, it doesn't matter much," Weiss replied without looking away. He had known the person was there for some time and chose to ignore them as long as they didn't interrupt.
"Why say so much? I thought you wanted to become a pirate," the person said nervously, staring into Weiss's eyes as if searching for something.
"A pirate? Who would want to be such a scoundrel? No, I'm Marine material!"
The newcomer was none other than Captain Endless of Loguetown. He had been patrolling the town and immediately recognized Weiss as someone the Marines were watching closely.
Seeing Weiss staring at the execution platform, he wanted to see the young great swordsman praised by Garp with his own eyes.
Endless nodded once and resumed his patrol without much interaction. For now, as long as Weiss didn't turn pirate, there was nothing to discuss.
"Let's go. We've seen enough of this. Let's head back to the ship and rest. We'll set sail again once Kadun returns."
"By the way, don't you need to buy some new clothes? You've been wearing the same outfit for days," Weiss teased. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Karina change once.
"You only just noticed? Do you know how I've been surviving all these days?" Karina snapped, suddenly furious.
The Chris was a huge ship—big enough for four people to each have their own room and still have space left over. But there was only one bathtub on board, and it was occupied by three big men.
Even alone, Karina didn't dare go in—especially since Weiss was around, looking quite handsome. What if...?
"Oh, that does sound like a problem. Fine, I'll buy you some clothes. Girls should change outfits more often—it suits them better."
But then again, the original story's heroes rarely changed clothes.
Putting aside Weiss and Karina's bickering, on the outskirts of Loguetown, Buggy had successfully landed. Cloaked in a black cape, he was completely hidden.
Buggy was a pirate with a 15 million Berry bounty—the top tier in the East Blue. If caught rashly landing in Loguetown, the entire Marine force might be deployed. He was a big fish.
Because there were so many pirates, Kabaji stayed behind to guard the ship, while Buggy and his crew scattered and rushed into Loguetown, searching for Weiss.
Buggy stuck to the empty alleys, well familiar with Loguetown's layout. There was no chance he'd get lost.
At some point, Buggy found himself in a side alley next to the execution platform. He stared at the towering platform, lost in thought.
In the original story, Buggy had tracked Luffy to Loguetown after the latter stole his treasure. He caught Luffy on that execution platform.
Just as Buggy was about to execute Luffy, lightning struck from the sky, destroying the platform and saving Luffy.
Why execute Luffy there? Probably because of that hat. As a member of Roger's crew and a close friend of Shanks, no one could mistake that iconic red hat.
Maybe recognizing it made Buggy want to test if Shanks's chosen one had Roger's spirit.
(Buggy: Are you overthinking this? Nah, I just wanted to kill him and take back my treasure. Don't drag me into the deep stuff!)
As Buggy brooded, a voice called from behind: "Captain, we've found the kid who stole our treasure—he's over there buying clothes."
Buggy cracked a mischievous grin, revealing a cruel smile before disappearing into the shadows.
---
Currently at chapter 400 on Ko-Fi
https:// ko-fi.com/sami27