The setting sun bled across the western sea, streaking the waters in molten crimson and gold. The world felt quiet for a moment—caught between light and shadow.
Roger pinched his nose and forced down the last of the medicine with a grimace, slumping back against a jagged outcrop. His silver katana lay across his knees, gleaming faintly as he wiped it down with a soft oilcloth.
"Are you really going to let him go like that?" Rayleigh asked quietly. He stood nearby with his arms crossed, leaning against the stone, his eyes drifting to the distant horizon. "You care about that kid. Bullet meant something to you."
Roger paused mid-polish. His gaze fell to the blade's reflection—dimmed slightly by the fading light.
"That kid's got his own path to walk."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Rayleigh... everyone has their moment. Mine ends when this journey does. But Bullet's? His is just beginning."
Rayleigh studied him for a beat, then gave a small chuckle. "You always see the long game, don't you?"
Roger let out a booming laugh, his absurd mustache bouncing with every breath, as if the compliment had made his day.
"Ahh... to be young again!"
He stretched his arms wide and leaned back, basking in the last rays of light.
"Captain Roger! We've got trouble!"
The rest of the Roger Pirates came running, panic etched into their faces.
Buggy, flushed and wild-eyed, shoved a crumpled piece of paper forward, his red nose practically twitching in distress. "W-We just got word from the New World... people are saying we have a clue to an Ancient Weapon! And now everyone's hunting us down!"
Shanks stormed up beside him, straw hat tilted, fists clenched. "This is a smear job! Someone's framing us!"
"Fake news!" the crew shouted in unison, unease coursing through the ranks.
They had no clue about any Ancient Weapon. All they'd been doing lately was drinking, laughing, and living out their golden days. Not a single proper raid among them in weeks.
Then—
"What?!"
Roger shot up, startled. "How did they find out I knew about the Ancient Weapon?!"
A full second of silence passed.
Then—
"EHHHHHHHH?!"
The Roger Pirates gaped at their captain, dumbfounded.
So... it wasn't fake news?!
Their expressions twisted into shared horror.
---
New World — Black Market Port City
BOOM!!!
A monstrous explosion split the sky, reducing the central intelligence hub to a storm of fire and ash. The blast sent shockwaves through the streets, shattering windows and flipping carts.
Smoke curled upward, cloaking the ruined skyline in flame-lit dusk.
From within the blaze, a single figure emerged—slowly, deliberately.
Golden hair tumbled down like a lion's mane. A cruel smile curled across his lips.
Golden Lion Shiki.
"G-Golden Lion..."
"H-He's really here...!"
The crowd froze in dread. Then, chaos. Pirates and civilians alike turned and fled, trampling over one another in raw terror.
Shiki ignored them.
He hovered calmly above the carnage, eyes narrowing as his floating powers raised a wall of debris into a looming monolith.
In its core, a merchant writhed—trapped in a cocoon of compressed earth, only his bloodied face exposed.
"Now then," Shiki murmured. "Let's talk."
His hand clenched slightly. The wall of stone constricted.
Bones cracked. Blood spilled.
The man shrieked in agony. "I-I told you! It's Roger! Gol D. Roger!! He's the one with the Ancient Weapon clue! Please, just let me go!!"
"Roger...?" Shiki's expression darkened for an instant—then twisted into a grin.
"Jihahaha... So it's you."
His voice dropped to a low, dangerous rumble.
"Well then, Roger. Let's settle the score we never finished."
He laughed as he soared into the sky, rising above the ruins like a god of vengeance.
"Let me go! I gave you what you wanted!" the merchant howled in desperation.
But Shiki didn't glance back.
A shadow grew beneath the man—massive, all-consuming.
The ground roared, then surged upward, shaped into a monstrous lion of solid stone. Its maw opened, jaws stretching wide enough to swallow a city.
It devoured the man—and the town—with terrifying finality.
Shiki's cackling echoed above the sea of ruin.
"Jihahaha! Darren, you little bastard... just wait!"
"Once I get my hands on the Ancient Weapon... I'll sink Marineford to the bottom of the sea and show the world what true piracy looks like!"
---
Marine Headquarters — Marineford
"Achoo!"
Darren sneezed.
Rubbing his nose, he glanced around in mild confusion. "Weird. Am I catching a cold?"
He laughed to himself. "No way. With an Indestructible Body, even a virus wouldn't dare try."
"Must be some bastard cursing me behind my back."
The sun had dipped below the horizon, and the sky was filling with stars. A light breeze swept through the quiet streets of Marineford as Darren adjusted his coat, heading toward home.
But when he turned the final corner, he stopped in his tracks.
At the end of the dimly lit path stood a figure—tall, poised, bathed in moonlight.
Gion.
Arms crossed. Eyes cold. One hand resting on her sword.
Darren's brow twitched.
Ah. That chill.
"So... the Pleasure District was fun, huh?"
Her voice was calm. Too calm.
"Gion... wait, hear me out—"
To be continued...