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The will passed down through generations, the tides of changing eras, and the dreams of mankind. These are things no one can ever truly stop.
As long as people continue searching for the answer to freedom, nothing will ever come to an end.
Freedom.That is the dream everyone chases.
When does a person truly die?
When they are forgotten.
Thunder roared.
Above Loguetown, lightning split the sky as a violent storm crashed down without warning.
The rain came suddenly and ferociously, scattering the crowds in an instant. People turned and fled in every direction, streets emptying in the blink of an eye.
Yet what truly sent their hearts racing, what drove them to madness, was the final sentence spoken by Gol D. Roger before his death.
"Everything is there, on that island."
"ONE PIECE!!"
"I can't hold back my ambition anymore. As long as I reach that island, the whole world will be mine!"
In the eyes of those frenzied dreamers, an indelible seed was planted, one that would wait patiently for the day it bloomed.
Countless ships set sail from the coast. On every street in the town, figures hurried along with purpose.
The island that had gathered so many people for Roger's execution was now emptying at a visible pace.
Thunder boomed again.
Lightning tore through the clouds as rain poured down in sheets.
Kyle strode forward, with Kuzan, Borsalino, Sakazuki, Bullet, and the others close behind him.
They moved quickly, leaving the execution platform behind.
From the corner of his eye, Kyle caught sight of a faint spray of blood falling from the highest point of the scaffold, mixing with the rain on the ground before vanishing without a trace.
The man known as the Pirate King, free-spirited his entire life, cheerful and broad-minded, a legend who had reached the pinnacle of the world, now hung there with his head lowered. He looked as if he were merely asleep in the storm, utterly motionless.
Another crash of thunder lit up the sky, briefly illuminating everything behind him.
A fierce gust of wind swept past, tugging at the red coat draped over his body. Still, he did not move. Only the faint curve at the corner of his mouth could be seen, like the echo of a smile.
Suddenly, Kyle stopped.
Ahead of him, a bolt of lightning flashed, revealing a figure standing atop the roof of a building directly across from them.
A green cloak and hood whipped violently in the wind, the face hidden deep in shadow.
"The era hasn't ended,""It's only just begun.""You and I are nothing more than grains of sand in the new age. What kind of waves do you really think we can stir up?"
The low voice echoed in their ears.
Kyle pressed his lips together. When he looked again, the figure had already vanished with the wind, as if it had never been there at all.
"This island really is full of scary people and weird ones too," Borsalino said with a sigh.
"Tell me about it," Kyle replied with a grin.
The curtain of rain blurred everything ahead. He could see countless figures running through the downpour, all heading toward the harbor.
They kept moving. After passing through five or six narrow alleys, Rosinante suddenly slowed to a stop.
Noticing it, Kyle first glanced down at the water pooled on the ground, flowing like small rivers toward the shore. Then he followed Rosinante's gaze.
"Rosinante," he called softly.
"Yes, sir!" Rosinante snapped back to attention at once.
"Watch your own path. Mind your footing," Kyle said."Don't focus too much on other people."
Rosinante froze for a moment, then understood. "Yes, sir!"
He took a deep breath and looked once more in that direction. The familiar figure was already gone, slipping into another alley.
Clearly, their paths did not align.
Kyle stepped forward again. He knew exactly why Rosinante had spaced out.
Because at the head of the group that had passed them moments earlier was Donquixote Doflamingo.
Rosinante's older brother.
Half an hour later, they reached the designated rendezvous point.
Unlike pirates and other factions, the Marines withdrew with strict discipline, even under these circumstances, leaving in organized waves.
Amid the storm, Kyle and the others quickly received their first order.
"Deploy immediately. Capture all pirates currently within Loguetown!"
The command came fast. Most of the Marines barely had time to react. After a short rest, they were back in raincoats, weapons in hand, moving out once more.
But the heavy rain severely limited visibility, which was bad news for the operation.
"Catarina Devon!"
"Byrnndi World!"
"Don Chinjao!"
"Silver Axe (Kyo)!"
"Are you kidding me? There are this many pirates in Loguetown right now?!"
Voices poured out of the Den Den Mushi in Kyle's hand.
Every name carried weight in this era. None were as famous as Roger, but to ordinary people, they were terrifying all the same.
"Kuzan. Borsalino. Sakazuki," Kyle said."Split up."
The three nodded in unison and disappeared into the rain.
The hunt began.
Kyle's domain expanded outward. Every report coming through the Den Den Mushi, every pirate's coordinates, movements, and location were perfectly clear to him.
Even so, he was clearly in no rush. He took his time, barely lifting a finger.
Loguetown was chaos incarnate beneath the storm.
Fights erupted everywhere. Blood flowed everywhere.
Time slipped by. Before long, evening approached, and the rain had finally stopped.
Loguetown grew much quieter. The streets were spotless, as if the sudden storm had washed away all the blood and stench of violence.
Sunlight spilled down from the clearing sky. In the distance, a rainbow arched across the horizon.
"So, Buggy," a voice said softly."What are you going to do from here on out?"
Two figures stood side by side on the beach, watching the sunset and the rainbow beyond it.
"I… I don't know yet," Buggy replied, his red nose standing out as he spoke in confusion.
"Then join my crew," Shanks said with a smile, turning to look at the companion who had shared life and death with him for so long."I'm going to keep being a pirate."
"You're going to inherit Captain Roger's will?" Buggy asked."Go to Laugh Tale, find the great treasure, and become the Pirate King, Shanks?"
Shanks shook his head.
"Didn't you say once that you'd go to Laugh Tale yourself someday?" Buggy asked, stunned.
"I changed my mind," Shanks replied."At least for now, I don't plan on going. But I will keep sailing as a pirate."
"Let's be pirates together, Buggy."
Buggy's emotions exploded.
"I really misjudged you!" he shouted."Aren't you supposed to be the king of the next era?"
"Captain Roger was counting on you to take his place!"
"You actually gave up on becoming Pirate King!"
"I'm not joining your crew!"
"And I will never forgive you for losing my treasure map!"
Buggy yelled at the top of his lungs, tears streaming down his face.
He spun around and started to walk away.
"The next time we meet, we'll be enemies!"
Shanks froze when he heard that.
Then, in the very next second, his pupils shrank sharply.
A bolt of lightning crashed down directly in front of Buggy, scorching the ground black.
"You're right," a voice said calmly."You really should be enemies."
From within the lightning, a hand shot out and stopped just inches from Buggy's forehead, fingers spread wide.
Buggy's eyes went wide with terror.
"Shanks!!!"
"Thirty million volts," the voice said.
"Discharge."
"..."
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