The setting sun burned like blood, casting ripples of crimson light across the distant sea.
Roger pinched his nose and forced down the freshly brewed medicine. He sat lazily beneath a large rock, absentmindedly polishing a gleaming silver longsword with an oilcloth.
"Are you really just going to let him go, Roger...? I know how much you liked that kid, Bullet."
Rayleigh stood nearby, arms crossed and leaning against the rock, his eyes drifting toward the endless horizon with a trace of melancholy.
Roger paused mid-wipe, gaze dropping slightly.
"That kid has a path of his own to walk."
"Rayleigh, everyone has their moment to step onto the stage."
"For me, the perfect ending is at the close of this journey."
"But Bullet... his life is still just beginning."
"The climax of his story shouldn't be now."
Rayleigh silently watched the side of Roger's face, where that familiar smile lingered. After a moment, he too cracked a faint smile.
"You always manage to see things so clearly."
His tone carried a tinge of quiet admiration.
Roger burst into hearty laughter. His two tufts of black facial hair—almost like they were sprouting from his nostrils—quivered with every chuckle, as if Rayleigh's recognition was the highest praise in the world.
"Ahh, youth... it's a beautiful thing."
He raised his arms high, stretching with satisfaction as a broad grin spread across his face.
"Captain Roger, bad news!!"
Just then, several Roger Pirates crew members came running, faces pale with panic.
Buggy, his red nose even redder from stress, rushed forward waving a piece of paper, his teeth chattering as he shouted,
"Somehow... news has gotten out in the New World... they're saying we have a lead on the ancient weapon capable of destroying the world!!" Find the newest release on NoveI(F)ire.net
"Now tons of pirate crews and major powers have their eyes on us!!"
Shanks, gripping the brim of his straw hat, growled through gritted teeth,
"This is slander! A setup! It's all fake news!!"
"Fake news!!" echoed others around them, faces tense.
None of them had the faintest clue about any ancient weapon.
All they ever did was drink, feast, and throw parties every day!
They barely even did any actual pirate work like looting or pillaging!
Roger jolted upright, startled.
"How did they find out I had a lead on the ancient weapons!?"
The air froze for a second.
Every crew member stared at their captain in stunned silence, jaws hanging slack.
Wait... it's not fake?
An underground black market port.
A thunderous explosion erupted at the heart of the trade hub. Flames surged violently, swallowing the massive facility in an instant. The resulting shockwave shattered windows across several kilometers.
Pirates, civilians, merchants, nobles... everyone stood frozen in fear, staring at the lone figure rising slowly from the inferno.
Wild golden hair whipped in the air like a lion's mane. His gaze burned with a savage grin. The pressure he gave off was monstrous—divine and demonic all at once—enough to make anyone despair.
"Shiki the Golden Lion!!"
"What's he doing here?!"
The crowd went pale and broke into a frenzy, people trampling over one another in a desperate attempt to flee.
"Jihahahaha... So, tell me."
Shiki curled a finger.
From the burning wreckage, molten debris floated up and reformed into a towering wall of pitch-black stone.
At the center of that wall, a middle-aged man dressed like a merchant was pinned, his entire body encased in compressed, levitating earth—only his terrified face left exposed as he stared at the infamous pirate looming before him.
Shiki floated forward, stopping in front of the man. His wild eyes, one larger than the other, gleamed with mockery as he sneered,
"That intel... the clue to the ancient weapon—who has it?"
As he spoke, his clenched fist began to tighten.
The massive wall behind the man, shaped from rubble and debris, started compressing under some unseen force.
The man's body cracked with the sickening sound of bones snapping. Blood poured from his mouth and nose, and the unbearable pain forced a desperate scream from his throat.
"It's Roger! Gol D. Roger! That's what the intel said! Roger holds the clue to the ancient weapon!"
"Please! Let me go!!"
Shiki's pupils narrowed. Then he let out a hoarse, maniacal laugh.
"Jihahahaha!! So it's you! Roger!!"
"Well, isn't that a surprise..."
He licked his parched lips slowly.
"In that case, I guess it's time we settle our old scores... all at once."
Still laughing, Shiki rose into the air.
"Wait! I gave you what you wanted! Let me go!!"
The man screamed after him in terror, but it was already too late.
A massive shadow loomed overhead.
The earth rumbled. It roared. It rose.
A colossal lion made entirely of stone emerged, its gaping maw like a tidal wave in the sky. With a roar, it crashed down and devoured the entire town.
As the city crumbled beneath it, Shiki's crazed laughter echoed through the heavens.
"Jihahahaha! Daren, you brat... just wait!"
"When I get my hands on the ancient weapon... I'll sink Marineford into the sea and show you what a real pirate's terror looks like!"
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
On his way home, Daren suddenly sneezed, feeling a chill creep up his spine.
"Did I catch a cold?"
He rubbed his nose, puzzled for a moment.
Then he shook his head and chuckled.
"No way. An Indestructible Body can't catch a cold... right?"
"Probably just someone out there thinking about me..."
Daren laughed at himself.
He had so many enemies, he'd lost count.
Twilight faded, and night began to fall.
The moon shone high, stars sparse, the evening wind crisp and cool.
Daren adjusted his military coat and turned a corner—only to stop dead in his tracks.
Standing at the end of the street was a tall, graceful figure, her silhouette framed in moonlight.
The corner of his eye twitched.
Now he understood where that chill had come from.
"So... the Pleasure District was fun?"
Gion stood under the moon, her cold gaze fixed on Daren. Her slender, pale hand rested calmly on the hilt of the blade at her waist.
"Gion, wait—let me explain..."