After comforting Hancock, Luo Chen led everyone back to the Zhenhai Star Hub.
Previously, the Dark God had launched a surprise attack on the Zhenhai Star Hub. Fortunately, Roger and the other Jinghai Army Admirals had reacted in time, providing a rescue that successfully entangled the deity. Otherwise, Robin, Hancock, and the others on the Zhenhai Star Hub might have been in grave danger.
Luo Chen also brought Shirahoshi to the Zhenhai Star Hub, letting Nami and the others help explain the situation to her. Meanwhile, Luo Chen stood by the shore, watching the struggling steel dragon in the sky.
Uranus, which had previously been suppressed to the bottom of the sea by a meteorite, had been bound and brought back by Luo Chen before his return to the Zhenhai Star Hub.
"There seems to be someone inside the dragon's belly, right?"
Luo Chen reached out with a beckoning gesture. The steel dragon's mouth swung wide, and an unconscious figure slowly floated out. It was a short, elderly man wearing a white lab coat. His most peculiar feature was his head: a red apple-styled antenna was plugged into the top of his skull.
"Vegapunk?"
Luo Chen recognized the man. Vegapunk was the world's greatest scientist, the one who developed the Pacifistas, replicated Kaido's Devil Fruit, and pioneered countless advanced technologies. Previously, Dragon had sought out Vegapunk in hopes of having him join the Jinghai Army, but the scientist had vanished. Luo Chen had suspected then that he might have been abducted by Imu.
Of the Three Great Ancient Weapons, all except for Sea King Poseidon required a massive amount of energy to activate. The only scientist in the world capable of developing an infinite energy source was Vegapunk.
"Another rare talent."
"Next, we can integrate the world's resources to vigorously develop technology and improve the people's livelihoods."
"The footsteps of the Jinghai Army will soon cover the New World."
Luo Chen departed with Vegapunk. With the deaths of Imu and the Dark God, the old powers—the World Government and the Celestial Dragons—had completely perished. From now on, the Jinghai Army would establish a new world order. As for himself, once he finished the matters at hand, he intended to travel the world while continuing his cultivation. He had promised Robin a vacation and Nami that she could draw a sea map of the entire world. These things could finally be put on the agenda.
---
Three days later, an announcement was issued in the name of the Jinghai Army.
Morgans utilized the channels of the World Economy News Paper to spread the news of the Dark God and Imu's execution across the seas. From the Four Seas to the first half of the Grand Line and the New World, people on every island and in every nation looked at the newspapers in their hands, cheering and celebrating with joy.
In the East Blue, at Cocoyasi Village, Nojiko and the residents returned to their homes after the Jinghai Army took control of the region. Two years ago, they had been forced to flee their hometown. Two years later, they could finally return to their ancestral land and rebuild their dwellings beside the forest where five hundred of their fellow villagers were buried.
Standing by the edge of the lush, green woods, Nojiko smiled through red-rimmed eyes. "I don't think anyone expected Luo Chen to achieve such a great undertaking, did they?"
"He has now become a hero whose name is passed from person to person across the world."
"Pirates and corrupt Marines have completely vanished."
"We are living very happily now."
She slowly sat on the ground and used a flint to ignite the newspaper in her hand, hoping to pass this good news to her departed friends and family. Black ash drifted through the air. Beside the five hundred and thirty-seven trees, the flower seeds Nojiko had planted two years ago were in full bloom. Butterflies flitted among the flowers and trees.
The black embers flew with the wind toward the distant sky.
"I really wish you could see today's world too..."
The woman's murmur traveled far across the sea with the wind.
---
Half a year later, in the West Blue, at the ruins of Ohara.
An unremarkable medium-sized ship was moored at the shore of Ohara. Many years had passed, but the ground of Ohara, devastated by artillery fire, remained scorched and lifeless. The buildings had long since collapsed into ruins, buried beneath the soil.
Robin walked across the island, her lips pressed together in silence. Luo Chen accompanied her, and everywhere they passed, the power of Yin-Yang Release permeated the air. The scorched earth regained its vitality, sprouting flowers, grass, and trees. The ruins and debris seemed to experience a reversal of time, restoring themselves into their original structures. The dried-up lake refilled with water, and fish leaped from the shimmering surface under the sunlight.
Robin watched all of this in a daze. It wasn't just because of Luo Chen's power, but because the reappearing Ohara was exactly the same as it had been twenty years ago. To be precise, it was identical to the Ohara in her memories. Every flower, every blade of grass, the lake, and the trees were the same—completely identical to the Ohara that had been destroyed by the Buster Call when she was eight years old.
Robin's eyes reddened, and tears began to well up uncontrollably. She stopped and looked at Luo Chen, her lips trembling as she whispered, "How did you know what Ohara looked like?"
Luo Chen gave a gentle smile. "I saw it in your memories."
Before landing on Ohara, he had asked Robin to reminisce about the island's past appearance. He then used the [Mental Resonance] trait of his Observation Haki to read those memories, thereby using the power of Yin-Yang Release to recreate Ohara.
Robin took a half-step forward and gently embraced Luo Chen, burying her face in his chest as she sobbed. True to her reserved and refined personality, her weeping was low and suppressed.
Luo Chen patted her shoulder and looked around, sighing inwardly. Even now, it was impossible to revive the people of Ohara. Without the ability to collect intact physical remains, even Impure World Reincarnation was out of the reach. Even if he obtained the Rinne Rebirth Technique in the future, they could not be brought back.
"The New World should be unified soon. The remaining wealth should allow me to collect the twenty trillion cumulative top-up reward."
"Ordinary Ninjutsu is of little use to me. Can I get a technique that can truly resurrect the dead?"
Luo Chen hoped in his heart that the Rinne Rebirth Technique would appear. He did not lack offensive Ninjutsu, but there were many people who needed to be resurrected. He had already prepared for the Impure World Reincarnation of the five hundred-plus villagers who died in Cocoyasi Village, but without the Rinne Rebirth Technique, Luo Chen did not want them to return as puppets.
There was also Genzo. Back then, to testify for him, Genzo had taken poison and ended his own life on the execution platform in Loguetown. He had hoped to use his life to expose the lies of the Marines. After his death, Luo Chen had buried Genzo at sea, but later, the intelligence merchant clone he left in Loguetown had recovered Genzo's body on its own. Perhaps even then, the clone had sensed that the Impure World Reincarnation technique might be obtained in the future. Over the years, Genzo's body had been well-preserved, simply waiting for a resurrection Ninjutsu to appear.
After touring Ohara, Luo Chen and Robin walked toward the ship on the shore. Nami, Kalifa, Hancock, Hiyori, and the others had followed them, though due to the sensitive nature of Ohara, the women had not followed them onto the island.
Before leaving Ohara, Robin looked back at the island that had regained its vitality and smiled brightly. "I want to rebuild Ohara. I want Ohara to become a sanctuary for archeologists once again."
To this, Luo Chen naturally agreed. The two boarded the ship to head toward other travel destinations. As for the reconstruction of Ohara, Robin only needed to give the order, and the Jinghai Army would naturally have people see it through.
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