On Sabaody Archipelago, in front of Shakky's Rip-Off Bar.
Hundreds of women of all shapes and sizes gathered beneath the towering mangrove trees.
Rayleigh had returned to his old trade, deftly coating the large ship of the Kuja Pirates with resin.
Shakky, cigarette in mouth, looked at the elderly Nyon before her.
"Gloriosa, why don't you just retire here at my bar? You can't go back to the Kuja Kingdom anymore—it's been reduced to ruins by the Marines' combat weapons."
Nyon, looking dispirited, let out a sigh and slowly nodded.
Despite her advanced age, she had been captured by the Marines and thrown into the deep-sea prison, suffering immensely and nearly losing her life there.
Granny Nyon then turned to look at the two tall women behind her—one plump and one slender.
"Marigold, Sandersonia, are you truly decided?"
The plump woman nodded solemnly. "Yes, Granny. We are going to the New World, to Tottoland, to find our sister!"
The other woman also nodded. "Yes! Our sister... though we don't know why, she actually married that Caesar. But we will always be her sisters, her companions, her loyal subjects. For such a major event as our sister's wedding, our Kuja Pirates must attend!"
In their hands, each of them held the latest newspaper.
Meanwhile, at Shakky's bar, the broadcast of the Arena Competition was unexpectedly being shown on screen.
A group of former Roger Pirates members, along with many unfamiliar men, women, and children dressed in black and white striped clothing, crowded inside the bar, drinking with relish as they watched the battle on the screen.
"Alright! The ship's coating is complete!"
Rayleigh gracefully leaped down from the top of the mast, landing steadily in front of everyone.
He tossed the tools in his hand aside and chuckled, "Ah, this might be the last time I do coating work. I'm getting old, and my skills aren't what they used to be."
"Rayleigh, you're too modest! Your coating craftsmanship is undoubtedly the best in the world!"
Marguerite quickly flattered him.
Rayleigh laughed heartily, then turned serious.
"I must remind you all that Fish-Man Island, which served as a guiding landmark, is gone. Caesar has moved it to Tottoland. Now, the only entrance to the New World is through the Marines' G1 Base. So, after you enter the New World, it's best to travel underwater for a longer distance to avoid the Marines' patrol range as much as possible. By now, the news of our breakout from Impel Down must have reached the Marines."
"Yes! Thank you, Rayleigh, for saving us! We will always remember your kindness!"
"Have a safe journey!"
Rayleigh waved with a smile, watching as the people of the Kuja Kingdom boarded the large ship and began their descent beneath the sea.
Nyon's eyes welled with tears, which she had held back for a long time.
But when the Kuja Pirates' large ship disappeared beneath the ocean's surface, she could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face.
Shakuyaku looked at her with a complicated expression, gently patting her back.
"Don't be too sad, Gloriosa. Young people will always have a world of their own. Although Caesar is ruthless, we must admit that Hancock is safest by his side."
Nyon's vision blurred with tears.
How could she not be heartbroken?
She had watched everyone in the Kuja Kingdom and the entire Kuja Pirates grow up with her own eyes.
Like a mother, she worried about everything in the Kuja Kingdom every single day.
Hancock, as the queen, would occasionally throw tantrums due to her temperament.
Whenever that happened, Nyon would patiently explain the pros and cons of the situation and offer heartfelt advice to Hancock.
She had poured all her heart and soul into caring for Hancock.
...
East Blue, the Kingdom of Laborers.
On the massive bridge under construction, two figures—one black and one white, neither particularly tall—walked unhurriedly along the center of the structure.
The black-clad figure had one arm missing and wore a faint smile.
The white-clad figure had hair as wild as flames and a straw hat hanging around his neck.
"How dare you! Who are you people, to have the audacity..."
A furious foreman, before he could even get within a hundred meters, foamed at the mouth and collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Faint, rhythmic drumbeats echoed across the massive bridge, carrying to places far beyond sight.
The slaves who heard these drumbeats felt their weak, withered bodies rapidly swell with vitality.
An inexplicable surge of energy flowed into them, freeing them from illness, hunger, and pain, and restoring them to a state of renewed vigor.
One by one, the bewildered slaves broke free from their shackles, watching the two figures—one in black, one in white—as they slowly passed by.
No one knew who knelt first.
But as the first person dropped to their knees, gradually, wherever the two passed, freed slaves knelt with tears in their eyes, bowing reverently to the ground.Upon hearing this drumbeat, the overseers and soldiers turned pale, clutching their chests with mouths agape, trembling as they collapsed to the ground.
Thus, the two walked side by side without any unnecessary movements.
Wherever they passed, overseers fell and slaves were liberated.
When they reached the end of the massive bridge, they saw several familiar figures standing there, smiling as they looked over.
A brilliant smile spread across Sabo's face as he opened his arms wide.
"Congratulations, Luffy. The final suffering nation in the East Blue will be completely liberated today, and you will truly liberate yourself as well."
"Ignite the spark, beat the drum of liberation, and sing the song of salvation! The revolution begins today!"
Koala's face was filled with reverence as she held a notebook in her hands.
Suddenly, a howling gale swept across the heavens and earth.
"Leader!"
Within the gust, Dragon's tall figure emerged.
He looked at Sabo and Luffy with a pleased expression, but when his eyes fell upon Zoro beside Luffy, a flicker of surprise and sharpness passed through them.
However, Dragon soon revealed a gentle smile.
"Everyone, the East Blue has been completely liberated. We shall now head to the other three seas. Taking advantage of the world's descent into chaos, we must act swiftly. It would be best to fully liberate the four seas before the great war arrives, then unify the Grand Line! Finally, we shall shine the light of revolution upon the entire world!!"
Luffy nodded, the flames in his white hair extinguishing as it returned to its black, spiky state.
He placed the Straw Hat from his back onto his head and nodded to Zoro beside him.
Zoro also gave a slight nod, then tilted his head and, under the puzzled gazes of Sabo and Koala, whispered a few words to the empty space beside him.
After that, he made a motion as if sheathing his sword.
"It's done," Zoro's voice was deep and magnetic.
Dragon nodded, and with a wave of his hand, a roaring gale swept across the sky and earth, engulfing everyone's figures.
When the gale subsided, the massive bridge was empty, with no trace of the group left behind.
Only the desolate, mottled stone bridge remained, standing above the churning black sea.
A while later, a rift suddenly tore open in the void, and a slender arm reached out, making a grasping motion over the stone bridge.
As if catching something, the fingers closed and retracted into the rift.
The rift vanished, and the stone bridge fell into silence once more...