"Shocking!!! The Pirate King Who Ruled the New World, Defeated by the Celestial Dragons!!!"
"Collapse!!! The Pirates' Decline Shows No Sign of Stopping!!!"
"Who Is the Final Answer of the Era?? Rocks Defeated!!!"
Wrapped head to toe in bandages, a mummy-like figure lay flat on a recliner aboard the Oro Jackson.
Because in this world, Orin didn't have the power to command seagulls, he still had to pay for the papers.
When he finally got the newspaper and saw the headlines, Orin froze.
Roger cursed out loud!!!
"Something like taking down Rocks… all the credit went to the World Government, those bastards!!"
Like a child, Roger crumpled the newspaper into a ball.
Orin didn't really care. After all, he'd played with news countless times before.
At this moment, he lifted the lid of a treasure chest and looked at the red-haired infant inside. Orin grabbed the baby's tiny legs and gave them a little flick.
"Shanks' little Shanks…"
Rayleigh and the others held barrels of liquor, laughing as they watched him tease the child. Only Gaban was observant enough to notice that Orin's body was becoming more and more transparent.
"Hey, hey, hey!!! You okay, Orin!!!"
Orin raised his arm and looked at his body, turning translucent. He gave a bitter, helpless smile.
"Time was short… but I really gained a lot…"
Then he turned to Roger and the others, filled with a deep reluctance. His eyes sank slightly as if he wanted to say something.
But before he could speak, Roger, after a brief silence, flashed a wide, carefree grin:
"You're heading back, aren't you?"
He clapped Orin on his bandaged shoulder, making him grit his teeth in pain, and burst out into hearty laughter.
"Hahahahaha… brat!!!"
"Look after the new era for me!!! Eat well, keep traveling the seas, and take care of yourself…"
"Hahahahaha!!! No need to say so much!!! Pirates are children of the sea—our farewells are in the drink!!!"
Orin fell silent.
He had thought about whether to tell Captain Roger about his future illness, about how he would still realize his dream and succeed.
But in the end, with Roger's words—"all farewells are in the drink"—he swallowed it back.
Yes…
For pirates, the freest men of the sea, nothing could be more boring than knowing the ending of a voyage ahead of time!!!
"Then… to the freest man of the sea!!!"
"Ooohhh!!!"
...
"Keek-san!!!"
"You've got mail!!!"
On Duramos Island, storm clouds loomed as thunder rumbled. A burly man stood at his doorway, feeling strangely uneasy.
Suddenly, he heard someone call his name—a townsman.
"My mail???"
Keek was puzzled, but when he heard that the sender had signed as Dotor, his heart leapt with excitement.
Without caring about the pouring rain, the strong man sprinted through it at breakneck speed, almost flying, until he reached the post station.
He impatiently took the envelope. Inside was a letter and several photos.
"Goodbye, old man—or rather, it looks like we'll be meeting again soon."
"I kept my promise to you. That guy Rocks—I took him down all by myself. No one interfered, you know~"
(Attached: Photos of the aftermath of Rocks' defeat)
"I'm going back. From now on, take care of yourself. If you run into someone you can't beat, just run. Make a list for me, and I'll avenge you later…"
"…I've said quite a lot already. That's probably enough."
"One last thing—though it feels a little embarrassing to say… to have a grandpa like you~"
"I've always been really happy!!!"
—To the strongest Monster, the great pirate Keek
Drip…
Drip…
Keek rubbed the letter in his palm.
In the photos, he saw Captain Rocks collapsed on the ground, and Orin's battered yet smiling face.
Keek covered his forehead with his hand, but tears streamed uncontrollably down his cheeks. Droplets fell onto the paper, soaking it.
Snot and tears flowed without end. His pupils trembled, his lips quivered but wouldn't close.
"Meeting you… made me happy too…"
"Orin…"
After a long while, Keek left the post station. He carefully tucked the letter into his chest and walked home through the rain.
He hurried, but at the gate of his yard, Keek noticed a basket set in the corner. From it came the sound of wailing cries.
Keek slowed his steps, his heart trembling.
"Could it be…"
...
At the start of the Sea Circle Calendar, year 1508—
A bandage-wrapped figure suddenly appeared in the sky above an enormous island.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa… did it have to be this sudden…"
Without warning, one second Orin was drinking, the next he was back in his original timeline—
And, for some reason, falling freely through the air.
The bandages of his "return time" vanished without a trace. Blood gushed from his wounds, and Orin gritted his teeth in agony.
The injuries were too severe. Some flesh had already been torn away, and many nerves and tissues could not simply be reconnected with teleportation or Observation Haki.
With the same body that had barely survived battling four of the world's strongest fighters at once, Orin forced himself to vanish from mid-air.
He reappeared on the roof of a massive castle.
Standing atop this colossal structure, Orin's figure looked small in comparison.
"This is where giants live? Even a door here is several hundred meters tall…"
The place looked familiar. Extending his Observation Haki in a sweep, he immediately confirmed.
"So I fell into Elbaf?"
"What year is it now…"
He sat on the castle's peak, dazed for a moment, then prepared to find somewhere to rest where people were around.
And indeed,
Elbaf had people.
Not only giants he knew—Gaban was here too. Perfect chance to fulfill the promise they made before splitting from the Roger Pirates: to drink with Gaban.
But before he could leave, two giant figures approached.
Wasn't that Loki?
And sensing with his Haki the fierce battle inside the castle, Orin roughly figured out the timeline.
But he had no interest in meddling in other people's family affairs. His figure flickered and vanished.
At the same time—
Gaban was soaking in a hot spring with Shanks, chatting casually.
Suddenly, Gaban froze mid-sentence, his face flashing with surprise and joy.
"This aura is…"
Shanks, lost in his soak, hadn't realized he'd been "ambushed" by Observation Haki. He only jumped in shock when another person appeared in the spring.
"Gaban-san, Shanks."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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