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People call them 'ill-fated ties': bonds that, no matter how times change, inevitably bring certain individuals together.
One example is the reincarnated child of Nika and Imu.
Or the reincarnated child of Joy Boy and Imu.
Or the reincarnated child of the Pirate King and Imu.
And also...
'Pirate' King Luffy and his right-hand man, 'Three-Sword Style' Roronoa Zoro.
…
"Hey, Zoro, I'm starving!"
"I'm starving too! That's why I'm taking you around to find food!" The green-haired swordsman walked ahead, leading the way. Following behind him was a boy wearing a straw hat who was so hungry that his stomach was practically stuck to his back.
"But we've already been walking around this town for thirty minutes…" Luffy muttered while Zoro immediately snapped:
"Shut up! In a town this small, how could I possibly get lost? I just saw a road; just follow me!"
…
As they spoke, a sudden exclamation and the sound of bowls and chopsticks shattering came from nearby.
"Damn it! The reports in the World Economy News Paper are getting more and more ridiculous. What do they mean, "The Twelve Zodiacs fought an Admiral at the Sabaody Archipelago, and the Red Line was pierced?!"
"The Red Line? Pierced through? Since when can words be strung together like that? Hey, boss! My fried food spilled. Can you make me another?"
"Too noisy! I'm busy reading the newspaper; I haven't got time!"
The loud voices made Luffy and Zoro stop in their tracks.
Zoro froze for two reasons.
Firstly, he was confused about when this restaurant had appeared. Why hadn't he seen it when he was leading the way just now?
Second...
"The Twelve Zodiac?"
The term instantly made him pause, recalling the figure he had encountered months ago, the one wearing a boar mask.
After setting out to sea and learning more about the world's basics, he was certain that person had to be 'Inoshi' from the Twelve Zodiacs.
But Luffy clearly couldn't care less about any of that at this moment.
"Food! Food!" He shouted excitedly, charging straight into the restaurant.
Inside, it was strangely quiet. Everyone had their heads lowered, staring at their newspapers.
If you looked closely, you would notice that many of their cups had already tipped over, spilling drinks all over their clothes. Yet none of them seemed to notice anything at all.
While Luffy dragged the boss away to cook, shouting things like "Everything looks so delicious!" and "I'm starving; I can't wait!", Zoro walked up to the counter.
The boss had been dragged away, leaving behind the newspaper he had been reading.
Zoro picked it up and began to read.
And then he understood why no one in the restaurant was eating:
[The Twelve Zodiacs Reappear!]
[A World Noble Kidnapped?]
[The Twelve Zodiacs Clash with an Admiral - Two Islands in the Sabaody Archipelago Sink as a Result]
[Leader of the Twelve Zodiac? The Red Line Pierced Through!]
For the first time in history, the top three headlines in the special edition of the World Economy Newspaper were all about the same organization.
Looking at the photos attached to the articles, Zoro saw:
The first image showed a building reduced to ruins. Looking at it, the remains still bore the name 'Yakshawood.'
The entire surrounding island was covered in exaggerated traces of battle. Craters from lightning strikes and scorch marks from extreme heat had turned the area into a wasteland.
Zoro couldn't comprehend the kind of power that could cause such widespread destruction.
The second image was even more absurd. The photo seemed to have been taken in a strange way... it was overexposed and so bright that it was almost blinding.
At the very center, Zoro could see a glowing figure with wings slamming another figure down onto the island below.
The island was clearly beginning to sink.
From the caption below, Zoro could make out that the winged figure was 'Youji,' one of the Twelve Zodiac.
The figure being slammed down was Marine Admiral Akainu.
"So it's not Inoshi, but this guy is insanely strong too. The Twelve Zodiacs really are monsters..." Zoro muttered to himself.
Only then did he turn to the final photo.
This last photo was particularly unusual; it was the only one not taken up close at the scene but from a great distance instead.
In the image, one could see that enormous thing.
Zoro recognized it immediately: The Red Line.
The colossal landmass that separates the Four Seas and marks the beginning, middle, and end of the Grand Line.
And yet, at that moment, there was a hole in the ancient, everlasting giant.
Sunlight poured through the hollow.
It illuminated the figure standing in the sky above the distant sea.
Below the image was a caption from the World Economy Newspaper:
[As our reporter fainted from shock while taking this photograph, this image was purchased at great cost from an anonymous photographer—"the wife of Old Ray".]
[Additionally, the identity of the individual who pierced the Red Line remains a mystery. However, it can be confirmed that he appears to be a member of the Twelve Zodiac, though not one of the currently known "highest officers" who wear animal masks. Our reporters are continuing to investigate.]
'...'
Even Zoro, who prided himself on staying calm, found himself at a loss for words.
He recalled what Shimotsuki Kōshirō had repeatedly told him before he left Shimotsuki Village:
"Zoro, as you've seen, there are as many strong people on this sea as there are fish in a river. One day, you will go to the Grand Line. I won't stop my student from pursuing his dream. But before that, you must make sure you're fully prepared."
Zoro realized once again just how vast the sea truly was.
There were people who could destroy dozens of pirate ships with a single blow.
People who could sink an island with one strike.
And now, there were even monsters who could pierce through the Red Line alone.
"The Twelve Zodiac… the Yonko… and… that man's 'Warlords of the Sea'…"
Zoro lowered his head and looked at the swords at his waist.
"So this is the Grand Line we're supposed to challenge?" He muttered quietly, his body trembling.
It was the instinctive fear of a living being.
And also, the excitement and anticipation of a swordsman.
"Huh? Zoro, do you finally want to be my partner?" At that moment, an ill-timed voice interrupted his thoughts.
Zoro turned his head and saw the guy he had met not long ago, who was currently stuffing himself with an absurd amount of food to the point that his body looked like a ball. He was grinning at Zoro excitedly while the boss cursed in the background.
"Who would want to be your partner?" Zoro shot back irritably.
"But you just said you're going to the Grand Line... I heard you!"
"Are you an idiot? Even if I go, it won't be now. Sensei told me that it won't be until my sword is strong enough, either from challenging powerful opponents or from finding strong companions..."
As Zoro said this, he saw Luffy grow even more excited.
"Exactly, exactly! You're already really strong, and..." He grinned and pointed a thumb at himself. "Even though I set sail earlier than planned, I'm strong too, you know!"
"Who was talking about you anyway?"
Zoro didn't deny that Luffy was strong.
He had seen Luffy fight. As a Devil Fruit user, something quite rare in the East Blue, ordinary pirates were no match for him.
"But compared to the real monsters out there, you're still, wait… hold on, how much food did you order? Didn't you leave early without bringing any money!?"
Halfway through his sentence, Zoro realized that there was a problem.
The pile of food beside Luffy was absurdly high.
Luffy, still stuffing his face, replied casually: "What's the problem? Don't you have any money?"
"Most of my money was stolen by those pirates, and I've already spent it! Have you forgotten how we met?"
As the two argued...
"Dear customers~" The muscular boss had already walked up to them.
"If I heard correctly, you two don't have the money to pay, do you?"
Thus, at that very moment, the future Pirate King and his right-hand man were forced to work in a restaurant.
...
In the New World, Elbaf, Upper Realm, West Village...
A banquet was being held.
Surprisingly, however, the ones hosting the feast were not the giant warriors of Elbaf but a group of human pirates.
The only giants present were the bar owner, who was providing giant-sized food and drink, and a pink-haired boy wearing a Viking helmet.
"Hey, Lucky! Take me out to sea with you! I'm really strong, you know!" The giant boy spoke excitedly to the man in front of him, who looked tiny compared to his massive size.
"Ha ha ha ha!" The fat man, who was wearing a green, marine-style hat and small sunglasses, burst into laughter.
Taking a big bite of meat, he said, "That won't do, Koz. Didn't the captain already turn you down?"
"And besides... gulp, gulp..."
He downed a giant mug of alcohol in one go, let out a satisfied sigh, then jerked his chin towards the side.
Mr. Gaban is still over there, you know. I don't want to get killed by him. Ha ha ha!"
"My old man used to be a pirate like Shanks, too! So why won't you let me go to sea!?" Koz complained angrily.
"You're not banned from going to sea; it's just…"
Lucky Roux said while glancing towards the distance where three figures were sitting together, drinking.
He grinned.
"The sea isn't peaceful right now. It's not a place for someone like you, someone who hasn't yet gained enough resolve."
Clearly, the giant boy named Koz didn't quite understand what 'resolve' meant. He could only sulk, turning his gaze towards the three figures in the distance.
Having grown up in Elbaf, where information was relatively scarce, he didn't know who they were.
But any experienced pirate or Marine on the seas would recognize those three.
Those three were impossible to not recognize.
The former No. 3 of the Roger Pirates, the "Mountain Devourer," Scopper Gaban; the former No. 2, the "Dark King," Silvers Rayleigh; and a former apprentice of the crew who is now one of the Four Emperors of the Sea: "Red-Haired" Shanks.
Yes...
The three men casually drinking together were legendary figures capable of shaking the entire sea and putting even the World Government and Marines on edge.
And yet their current conversation was far from legendary.
"Ha ha ha! Rayleigh, I never thought you'd be the type to hide money away... be careful, or Shakky might find out and sell you at a slave auction!"
Gaban laughed heartily, mocking his old friend.
"Huh? Doesn't Liperi check your accounts?"
In front of his old friend, Rayleigh dropped his usual calm demeanour and snapped back.
"Besides, I hid my private stash very well; even Shakky has no idea."
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Liperi is a good woman."
"Oh? Maybe I should go ask her right now?"
"You old bastard! Are you picking a fight with me in Elbaf!?"
Seeing that the two were about to start fighting, Shanks quickly stepped in to mediate.
"Mr. Gaban, Mr. Rayleigh, this is a rare chance for us to drink together. Let's not talk about that kind of thing."
In a few words, he brushed past the sore points of the two older men.
Upon hearing this, both Gaban and Rayleigh turned to look at Shanks.
They understood... he was about to talk about something serious.
"Go on, Shanks," Gaban said, draining his giant bowl-like cup of alcohol in one gulp. "You came all the way to Elbaf and even called Rayleigh here, what exactly are you trying to confirm?"
Indeed.
Since the death of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, the members of the Roger Pirates had rarely gathered together again.
Gaban would occasionally visit old friends for drinks.
But something like this, Shanks deliberately bringing everyone together... This was the first time.
"Yeah. There is something." Shanks nodded. "It's about what Captain Roger once said... about the "New Age"."
At the mention of that, both Rayleigh and Gaban grew more serious.
Anyone who had reached the final island, Laugh Tale, with Roger knew that the "New Age" was not far away.
It was a tide that would change the world.
It was the 'hope' of freedom for the entire world.
Shanks continued: "You both know my identity. After the captain died, I returned to the Holy Land for a while."
Hearing this, both Gaban and Rayleigh were surprised.
They were naturally familiar with Shanks' background.
He was no ordinary man but a direct descendant of the Celestial Dragons from the Figarland family.
"I joined the God's Knights." Shanks said this calmly, but there was an unmistakable coldness in his voice.
Clearly…
That period of his life was anything but pleasant.
What he saw there, what he experienced, what he did... Even recalling it now made him feel sick.
"They didn't fully trust me. I never got to meet 'that person.' " Shanks spoke softly.
Rayleigh and Gaban knew exactly who he meant; they had both heard Roger mention the monster said to be the very embodiment of the 'world' itself.
"But even so, I still managed to obtain quite a bit of information through certain means, including a Devil Fruit that the World Government has been searching for and a name."
At this point, he touched his missing left arm.
"Because of fate, that Devil Fruit has already found its rightful owner."
That was the 'New Age' he had bet on.
"And what I want to tell you both this time… is that name..."
"Star Lord."
The moment he said it, Rayleigh and Gaban's expressions turned completely serious.
"Is it the one Roger mentioned back in Skypiea?" Gaban frowned.
"Yeah." Shanks nodded.
"From what I heard while I was in the God's Knights, he's called the "God's Ultimate Enemy"... the existence the World Government fears the most. I think I've already figured out how Captain Roger learned that name. It probably has something to do with Rocks and Whitebeard.'
Just as he was about to continue...
"Captain."
The bar door opened and a man walked in. It was the Red Hair Pirates' first mate, Benn Beckman.
He held a newspaper tightly in his hand.
"Take a look at this."
He handed it to Shanks. After a quick glance, Shanks's expression froze.
Then...
"…Just as I thought."
A grin of excitement spread across his face.
"Rayleigh-san, Gaban-san... look at this!"
He tossed the newspaper to them. The two old men caught it and immediately saw the contents and the figure that had pierced through the Red Line.
Incidentally, Rayleigh's expression turned slightly gloomy because he had noticed that 'Island No. 13' had disappeared. Although he trusted Shakky's ability to protect herself, the tavern had undoubtedly been destroyed.
That thought sent a faint chill through him.
But clearly, Shanks hadn't noticed.
"It's Star Lord!"
The voice of the Emperor of the Sea carried unprecedented excitement and anticipation.
"He really does exist."
Shanks clenched his fist and his Haki surged.
"The tide of the New Age… is about to arrive!"
He was one of the few people in the world who knew a great deal about its hidden truths. So he naturally understood just how significant the contents of that newspaper were.
He quickly turned to Rayleigh and Gaban.
"Mr Gaban, Mr Rayleigh, do you remember what the captain obtained after reaching Laugh Tale?"
"What he obtained… Oh, you mean that?" Gaban was momentarily stunned, then quickly reacted.
When they reached Laugh Tale, they had learned the truth about the world, but they hadn't been able to take anything from the island because they had arrived at the wrong time.
The only exceptions were a few "souvenirs" from Laugh Tale.
As these items didn't look like treasure, no one had thought to take them.
Except Roger.
"I remember him saying that he was going to make them into souvenirs and give them to others."
At this point, Gaban couldn't help but smile nostalgically.
Then he looked at Shanks.
"I always thought he gave them to you and Buggy, since you didn't make it to the island. But judging by this, that's not the case?"
Shanks shook his head.
"I confirmed it with Buggy in Loguetown. He never received anything."
Hearing this, Gaban turned to Rayleigh.
If neither Shanks nor Buggy had them, and he himself didn't, then the only possibility left was Rayleigh.
But...
"… He didn't give them to me either."
Rayleigh shook his head to indicate that he had never received Roger's 'souvenir.'
The two then looked back at Shanks.
"What use could those things possibly have?"
Clearly, they couldn't understand. To them, those items had truly seemed like nothing more than worthless objects.
But Shanks shook his head.
"I'm not certain whether they're what I think they are, but if they are..."
"They might become the key… to determining the outcome of the coming era."
(End of Chapter)