Chapter 363: Solving the Pirate Problem at the Root
New World · Marine Warship
The sea breeze whipped across the deck as the waves churned beneath the hull.
The five members of the Vinsmoke family and Charlotte Pudding stood in a neat row at the stern. They were as quiet and obedient as students sent to stand in a corner, not a single one of them daring to make a sound.
Cold sweat slid down Judge's forehead. His face was ghostly pale, his heart consumed by a crushing, agonizing regret. "If I had known that man was powerful enough to do that... why the hell did I ever try to suck up to a Yonko?!!"
"As long as Sanji follows Roy in the Marines and makes Vice Admiral... the Germa could have walked across the North Blue with their heads held high!"
Reiju gazed at the solitary, proud silhouette standing at the bow. Her eyes were filled with a mix of awe and complexity. "Taking on two at once, forcing back two Emperors while remaining completely unscathed... is this the peak of the Marines' power?"
The arrogance that Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji usually wore like armor had completely evaporated. They held their breath, terrified that even a loud exhale might draw the wrong kind of attention.
At the bow, Roy stood with his hands behind his back, his black hair fluttering in the wind. Enel was picking his ear with a look of pure boredom and irritation.
"Why didn't you just slaughter those two old farts? We just grabbed a broken rock and left... it looked like you were barely breaking a sweat!"
Roy let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. "You've spent too much time around Sakazuki. Your head is filled with nothing but killing."
Enel rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "Like you weren't the one who sent me to train with him in the first place..."
"Pirates are an endless tide," Roy said calmly. "Even if you kill Kaido and Big Mom, new pirates will eventually take the stage. They will continue to burn, kill, and plunder, crowning themselves kings and emperors."
Law analyzed the situation coolly. "So, the reason you had us seize the Poneglyph... is to dismantle the 'dream' of the pirates from its very foundation?"
Law turned his gaze toward the center of the deck, where a massive stone stood tall. It was the blood-red Road Poneglyph, its surface etched with ancient script that radiated an aura of primordial weight.
The others on the deck froze as the weight of Law's words sank in.
Usopp blurted out instinctively, "D-Dismantle their dreams?!"
Sanji paused, his cigarette swaying between his fingers. "The root of the dream?"
Ace looked pensive, his expression growing solemn. "The coordinates to Laugh Tale... Most pirates set sail under the illusion of 'freedom' only to end up as raiders. But fundamentally, ninety percent of them are drawn to the sea because of what the Pirate King said about the treasure at Laugh Tale..."
Roy stood silhouetted against the sea, his voice as clear as the breeze but as cold as ice.
"A single sentence from Gol D. Roger plunged the world into decades of madness. The so-called One Piece, the so-called Final Island—at its core, it's nothing more than a grand, elaborate trap."
"Countless fools rush to the sea to burn and pillage, all because they believe wealth and fame await them at the end of the line."
He raised a hand, pointing toward the massive red stone.
"What happens when the world discovers... that the coordinates to the 'Final Island' have been held by the Marines from the very beginning?"
"What happens when they discover that the throne of the Pirate King—doesn't even exist?"
"What happens when they realize Roger was nothing more than a master liar?"
"Will the millions of idiots rushing to the sea still have a reason to remain pirates?"
The realization hit the group like a thunderbolt!
Ace's breath hitched. "Big Brother Roy... you're saying... you're going to use this as the foundation to crush the entire Great Pirate Era?"
Roy turned around, his voice a cold decree. "Tomorrow, we will announce it to the world... and we will personally grind the most hollow 'dream' on this sea into dust!"
The warship cut through the waves, accelerating into the distance. Under the blood-red glow of the setting sun, the Road Poneglyph stood on the deck like a tombstone marking the end of an era.
Roy's whisper drifted away on the wind, etched into the hearts of everyone present: "You don't stop pirates by killing them all... You stop them by taking away their reason to set sail in the first place. Let them wither away on their own!"
Marine Headquarters · Marineford
The blue sea churned as the first light of dawn broke.
A silhouette resembling a warship tearing through the void streaked across the water. The waves were split to the side as if the ocean itself was making way for its arrival! The massive red Poneglyph stood firmly on the deck, a trophy of war meant to suppress the seas.
The harbor was already teeming with people! The news had traveled faster than the ship—
"Vice Admiral Roy has returned!!!"
"He fought back two Emperors at once!!!"
"The Marines blew Whole Cake Island to pieces!!!"
A roar of cheers shot into the firmament. The soldiers at Marine Headquarters were moved to tears!
"JUSTICE PREVAILS!!!"
"VICE ADMIRAL ROY—!!!"
The warship docked abruptly. The morning light reflected off the red stone, radiating a sense of solemnity and awe.
SWISH!
Roy appeared in the center of the pier via spatial warp, flanked by Ace, Enel, Law, Sanji, and Usopp, followed by the visibly shaken Vinsmoke family.
In that instant, the cheers of Marineford transformed into a deafening tsunami of sound!
The highest ranks of the Marines were all waiting.
Zephyr strode forward, slamming a fist ruthlessly into Roy's shoulder. His voice was low but thick with emotion he couldn't hide. "You brat! You're finally back!!!"
His gaze was as stern as ever, but deep within, there was a flash of suppressed relief and pride.
Garp threw his head back and laughed, his voice like a booming bell. "Bwahahaha!! You certainly know how to make an entrance! Blowing up Totto Land, thrashing two Emperors, and snatching a Poneglyph while you're at it?! You really did it this time, kid!!!"
Sengoku stood with his hands behind his back, his steady gaze meeting Roy's. The two didn't need words. A simple nod was enough to say everything.
The harbor fell silent as every soldier held their breath, their eyes burning with fervor as they looked at Roy.
Roy scanned the crowd, his voice low but carrying clearly across the entirety of Marineford. "This achievement does not belong to me alone."
"It belongs to every comrade who bleeds for the cause—to every Marine who believes in 'Justice'!"
He raised a hand, gesturing toward Ace, Enel, Law, Sanji, and Usopp. "They are the true heroes of this day!"
The cheers erupted once more: "JUSTICE PREVAILS!!!"
Roy's voice then turned sharp and heavy, like a hammer striking home. "Today, we seized the Poneglyph. And tomorrow—we shall announce the total and final end of the Great Pirate Era!"
"BOOM!!!"
The crowd exploded like a volcano! Countless soldiers wept as their shouts made the entire harbor tremble! Zephyr and Garp shared a smile, and a long-absent light returned to Sengoku's eyes.
They all understood. The man capable of overturning the world and rewriting history... had finally returned!
The Next Day · Early Morning
The newspapers of the World Economic Journal flew across the globe on the wings of news-coos. Before the ink was even dry, the sea was set ablaze!
The front-page headline featured a cinematic shot of the event: Roy suspended in the high heavens, his fists clashing with Kaido and Big Mom, wreathed in fire and thunder as Totto Land collapsed beneath his feet.
[THE RETURN OF THE SHURA—ROY FIGHTS TWO AT ONCE AND TAKES THE UPPER HAND!!!]
[MARINES DESTROY YONKO HEADQUARTERS, FORCIBLY SEIZE ROAD PONEGLYPH!!!]
The news swept the world like a hurricane.
Grand Line · Various Pirate Crews
Countless pirates turned pale, cursing at the sky. "It's over!!! The Poneglyph has been moved into Marine Headquarters?!!"
"We used to be able to set sail under the banner of 'seeking freedom'... but now?!"
"Now, raiding and pillaging isn't 'adventure' anymore—it makes us nothing but common rebels and traitors!!!"
"Dammit! How are we supposed to play the game now?!!"
Panic, fury, and despair spread like a plague, suffocating the pirate world!
A Certain Deserted Island
In a dilapidated forest, a campfire flickered. The Red-Haired Pirates sat in a silent circle, the atmosphere heavier than the night itself.
Shanks gripped the latest newspaper, his eyes locked onto the front page.
Crrrk—
The wine cup in his palm was crushed into shards. Glass pierced his skin, and blood dripped onto the sand.
In the next instant.
"BOOM!!!"
Shanks bolted upright, his Conqueror's Haki exploding like a planetary tsunami!
The world shifted. Dark clouds churned violently, and the wind howled in a frenzied rage! Sea birds took flight in terror as the trees on the island were pulverized into dust by the shockwave of his aura!
His usually calm and gentle face was now completely contorted with a savage fury. His roar detonated like a thunderclap:
"ROY—!!!"
Fury and killing intent shot into the heavens, shaking the very universe!
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