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"Treasure? If you want it, you can have it! Find it! I left everything this world has to offer there!"
The people who'd gathered in Loguetown to see Captain Roger's end were going wild. Even though Golden Lion Shiki had attacked to stop the captain's execution, no one was running.
"Roger... honestly, you..."
"Papa Rayleigh..."
Papa Rayleigh was crying.
"This will change the world. Many will start dreaming of the sea."
"The government and Marines spread the idea that pirates are absolute evil, but people will realize that's the price of living for dreams and freedom. The era will change."
Papa Rayleigh, who'd been covering his eyes, raised his face while crying.
"Roger... really... never boring till the end..."
Not just Papa Rayleigh—all the former Roger Pirates who'd gathered in Loguetown were crying. Including me, of course.
I'd only been with them for three years, but we were still crewmates, so it was incredibly sad.
In the midst of the endless fervor, we kept crying.
"Max?!"
My girlfriend Bellemere came running. She saw me at my worst.
"Someone call a medic, a doctor!"
A kid who'd been mesmerized by Pirate King Gol D. Roger's final moments was about to be crushed by a rock that Golden Lion Shiki threw with his powers. I shielded him and got crushed instead.
My crushed lower half had no feeling. This time was definitely the end.
"Bellemere... get me... a cigarette..."
"What are you talking about at a time like this?"
"Please..."
Bellemere took a cigarette from my chest pocket and put it in my mouth. I rubbed together the fingers of my right hand wearing special gloves that I could still move a little, creating sparks.
I used my ability to manipulate those sparks and light the cigarette—the familiar motion I was used to.
"Ahh..."
I'd originally started smoking because I hated being treated like a kid by Vice Admiral Garp—no, old man Garp—but now it had become one of my trademarks.
"A smoke after finishing a job is the best."
Even at a time like this, Bellemere was giving me a lap pillow. Ah, not bad.
When reincarnation into the ONE PIECE world was decided, I'd thought about being unbeatable! Harems! But now I was devoted to Bellemere, who I'd genuinely fallen for.
"Thank you, Bellemere."
"What are you saying, Max..."
Water hit my face. Bellemere was crying for me. Ah, not bad.
I inhaled the smoke and exhaled. My consciousness was fading. What should I say?
My previous life's knowledge remained intact as a perk, but every phrase that came to mind felt trite. I'd thought they were so cool before.
I'd say it my way, in my own words, not copying anyone.
"Ah... not bad."
I felt death as strength and warmth drained from my body, but I wasn't scared at all. It was because of the warmth of Bellemere's hand touching my face.
Ah, not bad.
Bellemere... thank you.
I picked up the cigarette Max had dropped and took a puff. The smoke irritated my lungs and made me cough.
"Why did you smoke these things like they tasted good?"
His last words stuck in my head.
"'Not bad'... Of course it wasn't bad. I became your girlfriend."
My boyfriend. My first boyfriend. My beloved.
"Max!"
Being a Marine, this wasn't the first time a comrade had died.
Even so, I cried without caring who saw, because I was sad that my boyfriend was gone.
After Captain Roger's execution ended and things calmed down, the former Roger Pirates each went their separate ways.
Papa Rayleigh and the other veterans decided to retire from piracy since they wouldn't serve under anyone but Captain Roger. What should I do?
While I was struggling with the decision, Shanks, who'd grown a bit taller this past year, spoke to me.
"It's been a while, Akari."
"Yeah, it has, Shanks."
Seeing Shanks with swollen eyes, I was relieved that he'd been crying too.
"What are you going to do now, Akari?"
"I wonder what I should do?"
Having achieved our journey around the world, my desire to see and enjoy this world was mostly satisfied. What should I really do?
"Honestly, I hadn't thought about anything."
"I see..."
Shanks looked down a bit, then looked at me with determination.
"Then why don't you come with me?"
"Huh?"
"I'm going to form my own crew! And become a great pirate like Captain Roger!"
Shanks's face as he said this and laughed looked innocently radiant, just like Captain Roger's.
"Akari! Won't you become a pirate again?"
I remembered three years ago when Shanks first recruited me—those words that guided me when I was depressed.
"Yeah, that sounds good."
"Really? Thank you!"
I'd answered his invitation naturally, but I wasn't surprised. More than that, I thought Shanks's happy smile was wonderful. Yeah, he was getting handsome.
"Still, 'come with me'—was that maybe a confession?"
"Huh? Well, no..."
"Haha, you're turning bright red. Still such a child."
It had been a year since I'd teased him like this. Yeah, this was how we should be.
"Don't tease me! I'll be fifteen next year—an adult!"
"Next year means you're still a child."
As I teased him, Shanks scratched at his red hair in frustration. After taking a deep breath, Shanks looked at me seriously. What?
"Akari, I love you. Will you be my girlfriend?"
"Huh?"
At those words I froze, then my face heated up as I understood the meaning.
"Uh, well, um..."
I tried to answer but couldn't form words. Calm down!
"I think it was love at first sight. When I saved you and you thanked me with that smile, I never forgot it. I've been in love with you since then."
While I couldn't answer, Shanks's confession continued.
"But I never realized it. I was a kid. But during this past year, I never forgot about you. I love you, Akari!"
My heartbeat quickened—embarrassed but happy. How did I feel about Shanks? Yeah, I'd known the answer all along.
I'd kept deflecting because Shanks was still a child, but I should be honest with myself now.
"Yeah, I love you too, Shanks."
"R-really!"
"Honestly, confessing at that timing—what would you have done if I'd rejected you?"
"I hadn't thought about it."
"That's how airheaded you are, Shanks."
"Haha, sorry."
Our conversation continued, hiding our embarrassment. Well, this was like us too.
"So what do we do now, Captain?"
"Right, first we gather crew members! Let's go, Akari!"
"Hey, wait!"
Geez! If we just became lovers, at least hold my hand!
"About gathering crew—do you have anyone in mind?"
"Yeah, there's a guy I had my eye on during my apprentice days!"
He'd said he wanted to see the world with his own eyes. Had he been thinking about this since then?
"Here, Akari."
Shanks held out his hand. Geez, getting all smooth!
We started running into the new era—the era Captain Roger had created.