"Such a foolish way to die, Roger!"
"A death like this! How does it deserve the title of 'Pirate King'?!"
A man with slicked-back hair and a gold earring in his left ear shouted angrily.
The cigar clenched between his teeth had already been bitten into a deep dent.
"Since Roger's dead, then the only choice left is to defeat Whitebeard."
"What a bunch of idiots. No real strength, only treasure that'll just invite endless pursuit."
"Only strength! Strength strong enough to crush everyone on this sea! Then I'll become the Pirate King!"
...
Young Shanks and Buggy hid in the corner, crying their hearts out. Their most beloved captain had ended his journey just like that.
A white-haired brat stared in horror at the crowd around him.
He couldn't understand why people were celebrating? Why were they shouting that they wanted to become Pirate King?
The Pirate King had just been executed! What were they thinking?!
...
...
"So this is how the Great Pirate Era begins?"
Captain Rosen let out a sigh. Only by being here in the middle of it could he truly feel it
That sudden, earth-shaking shift.
The wheels of an unstoppable era rolling forward.
The sheer smallness and helplessness of the individual.
"Our strength is still too weak… Our forces are far too fragile."
Surrounded by the crazed, roaring crowd, Captain Rosen felt the insufficiency of his own power more deeply than ever. All he could think of was to sign Whitebeard, Linlin, Kaido, all those monsters to his side.
Otherwise, there was absolutely no sense of security!
Moria, still reeling from Roger's final words, was left speechless when he heard Captain Rosen's muttering.
So this is the world of the strong? Terrifying! I've got to grow stronger fast!
And of course, he had to start gathering people. If you paid close attention, you could spot plenty of good seedlings even here.
But in Captain Rosen's eyes
Buggy? A suspected variant of Conqueror's Haki, became an Emperor just lying down. Can't hold him down, can't.
Smoker? Rosen's the villain here, can't go corrupting such a justice-driven kid. Definitely not because the kid's too weak, no no.
Dragon? Rosen was looking forward to the Revolutionary Army's rise; it would draw the World Government's attention, buying him time to grow.
Doflamingo? Let him become the underground emperor first, then snatch the fruit when it's ripe.
That leaves only…
It's decided, it's you!
"Achoo!"
Crocodile, just preparing to go challenge Whitebeard, sneezed.
"Oh? Have you sensed the danger, Whitebeard? How sharp of you!"
Crocodile spoke with full arrogance, exactly the same as Moria earlier.
No wonder both of them had been handed the same script. The arrogance of youth was identical.
...
Captain Rosen, in no rush, kept probing the crowd with his Haki.
Suddenly
"Hm?!"
[Ding!]
[Ding! 'Black Arm' Zephyr has been detected — Lootable Entry Available!]
[Ding! Would you like to plunder the entry?]
A powerful aura brushed against his Observation Haki, and the system's prompt followed immediately.
"I knew it. In a gathering like this, there had to be someone holding the line."
"Admiral 'Black Arm' Zephyr, huh? I wonder, just how strong were you in your younger days?"
"Plunder Entry!"
[Entry Plunder Successful!]
[Acquired part of 'Black Arm' Zephyr's abilities!]
"Armanent Haki reserves — greatly increased!"
"Top-tier teaching ability — obtained."
"Naval Six Styles — mastered."
As the system's announcements rolled in one after another, Rosen couldn't help but laugh.
This was like a fish back in water a total windfall!
And among them, the top-tier teaching ability was the one that thrilled him most.
His crew members all had enormous potential. With his advice and guidance, he was sure they'd grow stronger than they ever would in the original timeline.
But now, with the addition of this top-tier teaching talent, they would soar to yet another level.
After all, Captain Rosen at this point was already a monster in his own right though still with little sense of security.
Feeling the changes within himself, Rosen turned his gaze toward Zephyr's hidden location.
"This must feel bitter, huh? Everyone's shouting about becoming pirates. If you don't kill an Admiral, what will you think?"
Rosen thought to himself if it were Sakazuki here in the future…
He'd probably unleash a barrage of Hell Hounds without hesitation, slaughtering anyone who dared proclaim themselves Pirate King.
Pirate or Marine, someone that ruthless always had to exist.
Otherwise, if everyone just got along peacefully, no one would be convinced.
Reverence requires fear within it.
...
The crowd finally dispersed.
Shipyards in Loguetown were packed to the brim.
Orders were already booked solid for the next five years.
Those lucky enough to snatch up ships immediately gathered crews and set sail.
Even if they knew nothing about the sea
Had they even taken the time to prepare a ship, they would've already run headfirst into the sea's peak terror before leaving port.
Max-level bosses camping the newbie village.
And no, young man, it's not funny.
...
The Grand Line.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Bang!
"Damn it!!!"
Fleet Admiral Kong slammed his fist on the desk, roaring in fury.
From his position, he could already foresee it the era was about to spiral out of control.
The number of pirates would skyrocket, reaching levels never before seen.
The world would be drowned in endless fear and war.
Pirates parasites who produced nothing.
Gathering in hordes, their greed knew no bounds.
Once they tasted the thrill of something for nothing, pillage and slaughter would become their norm.
The surge of pirates meant more towns, more islands, more kingdoms would be threatened.
And not every kingdom had an army of hundreds of thousands like Alabasta.
Most towns, even smaller nations, depended entirely on the Marines' protection.
Yet the Marines, bound by the World Government's budget, had seen no expansion for years. Sometimes seven or eight islands had to share a single base.
That meant vast swathes of the seas lay utterly defenseless.
And in this Great Pirate Era, those towns would live through hell.
Raid after raid.
The hypocrites robbing wealth.
The wicked butchering villages.
Rage. Helplessness. Panic.
This was Kong's state of mind.
What did it matter if his own strength was overwhelming? On this endless sea, there were far too many people he wished to protect.
But in the face of this runaway era, those he could truly protect were pitifully few.
Standing at his office window, looking down at the people on the island
A group of carefree children were running into Marineford's plaza, laughing as they played.
Kong couldn't help but imagine: children like these, forced to live each day in fear on the seas, always under the blade.
He shut his eyes in anguish.
Justice.
How could it ever truly cover the sea?
--------------
T/N:
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