This year was quite special.
The sea, which had been calm for several years, finally stirred up again.
First, a pirate hunter named 'Mirror Man' appeared in the New World. Mirror Man specifically targeted pirates who committed evil deeds, with the most heinous pirates being his targets.
Legend has it that he's already faced many big pirates.
The second thing is that Barrett, who had been imprisoned in The Black Order for more than ten years, escaped!
That's right, he somehow escaped Pandora Island and began to wreak havoc on the sea, targeting both pirates and Marines.
Barrett is known as the inheritor of the devil, because after his escape, the World Government released information about him, and people learned that he was the host of Aatrox, a demon lord who once almost destroyed the world.
Barrett's destruction on the sea attracted the attention of the Marines, who launched a Buster Call, led by Admiral Ah Xing and Vice Admiral Garp, but they ultimately failed to capture Barrett.
At the last moment, Barrett dived into the sea and disappeared without a trace. There was no news of him for several months afterward.
On the other side, the Roger Pirates finally began to act with a purpose, and they advanced like a hot knife through butter. Anyone who stood in their way would face the most extreme violence.
Roger followed the guidance of the voice and constantly searched for Poneglyphs. They no longer focused on the New World, but instead targeted the entire world. The front and back halves of the Grand Line, and all the seas, were their targets.
Finally, Roger achieved unprecedented success. That's right, they finally reached the final island!
(Mainly because Oda hasn't said what's inside the Poneglyphs and Laugh Tale, so I can't directly create it here. Anyway, Laugh Tale is not very important to Genichi, so I won't say much about it.)
In the end, Roger became the Pirate King!
"That guy..."
At Marine Headquarters, An leaned back in her chair and couldn't help but sigh.
Although she was split into two people, she genuinely felt joy in her heart at this moment.
Roger becoming the Pirate King was also her goal in the past.
Unfortunately, the different tasks she was burdened with meant that she couldn't walk that path.
At this moment, she was having a conversation with Roger in her mind.
Since Roger reached the pinnacle of Observation Haki, their communication had become increasingly smooth.
"You've decided to do it, huh?"
An said to Roger in her heart, her words full of emotion.
"Ah, I don't have much longer to live, and my dream has been fulfilled. Let me use the rest of my time to help you fulfill your dream."
Roger's voice was still as carefree as ever. After becoming the Pirate King, he seemed to have put down all burdens, and his whole person became somewhat detached.
It was as if he had the power to overcome everything.
"Let's have a drink after everything is done," An said with a smile. "In Loguetown, the place where we were born."
"Perfect, before I help you, I also need to leave behind my child," Roger's voice came again. "After I'm gone, help me take care of them."
"Your child is, in a way, also my child," An said with a wry smile. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of them, but because of my current position, I won't let them become pirates."
"Who can say what the future holds? I can see a short future, but I can't see the future decades from now. But I believe that my son will find all the treasure I left behind, just like I did."
Roger said one last thing to An, and then said to his reluctant crew, "Thank you all for taking care of me all these years."
"I'm very happy to have had you all accompany me on the journey to Laugh Tale, but in this world, there is no such thing as eternity. Our journey... has come to an end."
"Captain..." Shanks held back his tears. He ultimately failed to help Roger break the curse.
Roger's body could only support him for another year at most, right?
"Don't cry, men of the sea don't cry," Roger said with a grin, and then said somewhat apologetically to Mumei, "Sorry, I couldn't help you find more 'Ascension Altars'. My life is coming to an end, but I believe that you... will no longer be haunted by the demons of the past."
Mumei also looked up at the sky with some emotion. "Don't apologize... I enjoyed the journey with you. At least I learned... how to face things. After everyone leaves, I should continue to search for Ascension Altars in the world. You took me through the first step, and that's already enough."
That's right, the Roger Pirates were disbanding.
Roger's becoming the Pirate King attracted the attention of the entire world. Countless Marines and pirates came like crazy to capture or challenge them, all for the sake of obtaining the title of Pirate King.
Roger could suppress all of this while he was alive, but he was about to die.
What would happen to his crew after he died?
Therefore, he had to disband his pirate crew. As he said before, they had successfully found the final island, which meant that their journey had come to an end.
When the road comes to an end, it's time to say goodbye.
At this moment, it was Loguetown, his hometown.
From this day on, the world would receive the news of the Roger Pirates' official disbandment. The king of the sea, after a brief reign, was about to come to an end.
Roger didn't know what he was thinking as he left his crew and the Oro Jackson.
It was finally time to say goodbye...
The people on the ship were reluctant to part, but Roger walked forward very freely. The past was the past, and even if his life only had a short time left, he would only look at that short future.
After he got off the ship, he walked towards the depths of the town and was slightly stunned.
Then, he revealed a slightly emotional smile.
"Ah, long time no see."
Standing in front of him was Aqua of the Back, from God's Right Seat.
Aqua of the Back was still wearing the same clothes he had worn when they met before, making one wonder if he didn't need to change clothes.
Although they had only met once, and it was for a battle, for Roger now, being able to see someone he had met in the past again in the future was something to be happy about.
"It seems that you have gained some understanding of the so-called era and wishes."
Aqua of the Back didn't have any hostility this time. On the contrary, he spoke somewhat softly.
Era and wishes...
"Ha, you're right, it's indeed the wrong time and the wrong wishes!"
Roger started laughing at this point. "However, wrong or right, let's have a drink!"
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