DONG! DONG! DONG!
The roar of the crowd suddenly ebbed away like a retreating tide.
The entire square fell into a dead, suffocating silence.
With the sound of footsteps and clinking chains, Roger appeared from the other end.
Heavy shackles weighed on his body. His steps were slow and steady.
Two rows of marines flanked him, weapons tightly gripped, escorting him toward the towering execution platform at the center.
Countless eyes locked on Roger, curiosity, fear, hatred, reverence…
Yet Roger seemed oblivious, his calm gaze unwavering as he looked straight ahead.
The crowd dared not even breathe too loudly.
As Roger drew closer to Wayne and Rouge, his pace slowed. He turned slightly, his eyes meeting the hooded figure watching him.
Roger and Rouge locked eyes.
Nothing was spoken, yet everything was said.
Rouge's tears, held back with all her strength, finally burst forth. They rolled down her cheeks in silence as she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, refusing to make a sound.
At last, she raised her trembling hand and waved goodbye.
Roger saw it.
He froze for a heartbeat, then smiled.
Next, his gaze shifted to Wayne standing beside her. Roger gave a faint nod, a silent understanding passing between them.
He had never met Wayne before, but he knew this was the man who had appeared in his dreams.
"Move it! Stop stalling!" a marine barked, shoving Roger forward.
Roger withdrew his gaze. The serene smile faded from his face, replaced once again by calm composure.
Step by step, he ascended toward his death without ever looking back.
Rouge's fragile nerves finally snapped.
She trembled violently, leaning her forehead against Wayne's shoulder, sobbing quietly.
Wayne sighed, pulling a tissue from his pocket and handing it to her.
"Here, wipe it up. Don't smear your snot all over me."
Rouge cried even harder.
Having no choice, Wayne let her ruin his sleeve as he silently watched Roger climb higher.
In his heart, he murmured a command: "Start the broadcast."
Impel Down - Eternal Hell.
Through the Den Den Mushi in Shiki's hand, Roger's final walk was being projected live.
Watching that familiar back, Shiki clenched his fists.
"Roger…"
Tap… tap… tap…
Footsteps echoed up the wooden stairs of the platform, dull and clear.
Roger climbed slowly, each step steady and unhurried.
Every eye below was locked on him alone.
On Wayne's shoulder, Rouge's body trembled silently, soaking his shirt with tears.
Elsewhere in the crowd, Buggy and Shanks, still young, cried uncontrollably, lips trembling, biting down to stifle the word "Captain."
In a nearby alley, Doflamingo leaned lazily against a wall, his wicked smile wide with amusement, as if watching a long-awaited play.
Further off, Dracule Mihawk stood with arms folded, his golden eyes fixed on Roger, expression unreadable.
Among the crowd, Moria stared intensely, face twisted in excitement.
From a rooftop, a hooded man in green watched with furrowed brows, Monkey D. Dragon, silent and grim.
Crocodile exhaled a ring of smoke, the corner of his mouth curling slightly.
Roger stood tall upon the scaffold and slowly turned around, meeting the vast ocean of faces below.
Then, to everyone's surprise, he casually sat cross-legged on the wooden planks.
"Well, let's get this over with."
He looked up and grinned.
"...!!"
Shock rippled through the crowd.
Why was he smiling when death was seconds away?
Among them, a young Smoker stared wide-eyed, unable to forget that smile for the rest of his life.
"Why… was he smiling?" That question would haunt him for years.
On the platform, two executioners raised their crossed blades high above Roger's head.
The air seemed to freeze, and the world held its breath.
Only a single command was needed to end it all.
Then-
"HEY!! PIRATE KING!!"
A voice rang out from the crowd.
"Where did you hide your treasure?! You found it, didn't you? That legendary treasure, the ONE PIECE!!"
Wayne immediately looked around, searching for the idiot who shouted, but with so many people, he couldn't find them.
If he'd been a marine, he'd have thrown that guy straight into Impel Down, Level Six, since half of what followed was this guy's fault.
He couldn't help wondering, 'Did Roger plan this? Was that guy his accomplice?'
On stage, Roger threw back his head and laughed boldly.
"Gahahaha! You want my treasure? You can have it!"
"Go and find it!"
"I left everything this world has to offer in that place!"
For a brief moment, silence.
Then the square erupted in a thunderous roar, a wave of hysteria sweeping across the
crowd: excitement, greed, awe, madness.
The commanding officer bellowed in panic, "EXECUTE HIM!!"
Slash!
And thus ended the life of Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King.
Wayne exhaled slowly, a sigh heavy with mixed emotion.
Roger was truly a remarkable man, but sadly, one born in the wrong age.
Compared to him, Rocks D. Xebec, who slaughtered Celestial Dragons and challenged the world itself, was the real King of the Seas.
Wayne had always wondered: Why did Roger and Garp, who both hated the Celestial Dragons, stop Rocks from toppling them? Were they afraid he might upend the world completely?
Whatever the reason, that battle served them both well; one became the Hero of the Marines, the other the Pirate King.
Rumble…
The clear sky darkened.
Thunder rolled, lightning cracked, and rain poured down.
["Ding! Detected: Roger deceased. Acquiring Roger's Power (Current State)... Fusion in progress..."]
["Ding! Fusion Rate: 64%. May be increased through training or body reconstruction."]
[Host]: Wayne
Swordsmanship: D– → S
Martial Arts: F+ → S–
Physique: E– → A (Critical; disease suppressed; estimated lifespan: 30 days)
Observation Haki: None → S
Armament Haki: None → S-
Conqueror's Haki: None → S+
Devil Fruit: Float-Float Fruit (Awakened) Temporary
Special Abilities: None
Commission Points: 500 (300 pre-spent; remaining credit: 700)
Overall Rating: S, "You can now roam the New World freely... too bad you're dying soon. Restart fast."
Feeling the immense power coursing through him, Wayne's heart pounded.
"Okay," he whispered, eyes gleaming, "I take it back, Roger was a freakin' legend!"
Even at only 64% fusion and while dying of illness, Roger's strength was enough to skyrocket Wayne from a weakling to a powerhouse.
With power like this, and the awakened Float-Float Fruit, storming Mary Geoise would be child's play.