Boom!!
The long sword was stained with blood, and heads with different expressions fell one after another, soaking the small execution platform in bright red.
The Marine responsible for the Den Den Mushi immediately picked it up and trotted along, giving these so-called heroes a final close-up.
Either shocked, carefree, or unwilling...
Every emotion was reflected on their faces, broadcast live to every corner of the sea through the Den Den Mushi.
"——"
Although everyone knew this scene would happen sooner or later, witnessing this historic moment still made the entire sea fall silent.
Immediately afterward...
Boom!!
Pandemonium erupted all over the world.
"I saw that correctly, right? Those nasty pirates are dead?"
"That's right, and it seems like a new era is rising!"
Some people weren't stingy with kind words, their eyes full of longing.
"Hey! Don't you remember we were blackmailed by that bastard from the Marine branch last year?"
However, some people were still angry.
Boom!!
Someone nearby gave him a headbutt so strong that he almost stumbled to the ground.
"You idiot, have you forgotten that the picket team from headquarters brought that guy to justice some time ago? They not only returned our property several times over but also made a public apology to us!"
A vicious voice came, and the beaten man turned back angrily.
He saw a middle-aged man with mottled hair and full of vigor standing behind him. His expression changed suddenly, and he muttered angrily.
"Dad!"
At Marineford headquarters, the sailors on the school grounds subconsciously opened their mouths, the atmosphere solidifying for a moment, then bursting into even louder cheers.
"Marine King!!"
No one knew who started it first, but a loud voice echoed in the crescent-shaped port, and the enthusiasm and appeal hit the heart of every Marine.
Then...
"Marine King!"
"Marine King!"
"Marine King!!"
A fanatical look appeared on every Marine's face, with strong arms raised high, shouting loudly, waves of sound sweeping across!
At Fish-Man Island, the fish-men gathered in the Gyoncorde Plaza had the same look as the Marines, waving their arms and chanting "Marine King".
Even Neptune and Otohime, who were members of the royal family, followed the people and joined in the 'mischief.'
Even Princess Shirahoshi, who was beginning to take shape, joined in excitedly, her childish voice echoing the loud noise.
Broccoli Island, Logue Town, Windmill Village, Dressrosa...
The voice of "Marine King" grew louder and louder, resounding on every island and in every corner of the sea. Almost everyone yearning for a stable life was drawn to the blueprint described in Atlas's speech.
They didn't want grand adventures or colorful, exotic scenery.
Silently cultivating their small plots of land might be their greatest hope in life.
...
A few days later...
East Blue.
On a deserted island.
A pirate ship hurriedly left the coastline, heading toward a nearby town.
The traditional skull had crossed humerus bones at the back, with black eyes cut open by a cross-shaped knife and a big red nose replacing the original nostrils.
On deck.
A man in a clown costume had a gloomy expression, with a white skull pattern painted on his forehead, two blue scratches diagonally over his eyes, and a big red nose sticking out. He looked like a skeleton version of a clown.
Both hands held a piece of A4-sized paper, one looking a bit old while the other was printed with brand-new ink.
"What's wrong, Captain? Cabaji?"
A man wearing a rag doll hood and wild clothes whispered, dragging a whip on the deck.
On the other end was a long-haired man wearing a scarf, with pirate minions gathered around him.
"I don't know," the long-haired man known as Cabaji shook his head and pointed at the latest news report in the captain's hand. "It should be related to that news."
Even Cabaji, the chief of staff of the pirate group, probably wouldn't have thought that his captain would be related to the legendary Pirate Emperor.
"That..."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier, Cabaji?"
The whip man wanted to ask more, but the red-nosed clown had already turned around, looking surprisingly serious.
"Captain Buggy..."
Cabaji called out, then paused slightly as he realized something.
However, the imaginary phrase "What? Red nose? Are you laughing at me?" did not appear.
"Captain, didn't you always say you must decipher the secrets on that treasure map? You also said that nothing can disturb you."
The whip man pointed to the old paper in Buggy's hand to defend himself.
"Although this kind of thing is important, it won't affect us who are still in East Blue, right?"
"..."
Buggy looked a little slumped, like an actor who had shed his comedy shell and revealed his tragic core.
Although that bastard Shanks made him become a Devil Fruit user and lose his ability to swim forever, Buggy felt bad when he saw Shanks in the limelight, and he laughed heartily when he saw him being defeated. However, as friends who grew up on the same ship, Buggy suddenly found it hard to accept the news of his death.
Even...some outrageous anger.
"Captain? What's wrong with you? Do you know the guy in the newspaper..."
The whip man asked curiously, but he felt ridiculous halfway through the words.
The characters in the newspaper were all guys who once stood at the top of the ocean.
Pirate Emperor, Five Elders…
How could a man like their captain interact with these people?
He smiled somewhat self-deprecatingly.
"That bastard Shanks, I grew up on the same boat as him, and our captain was... Roger, the Pirate King!"
Buggy's voice came slowly.
"Eh?!!"
The crew looked at each other, then screamed, startling the seagulls flying above.
Their mediocre captain was once a crew member of the Pirate King?!
Buggy's expression was sad, and he suddenly clenched his hands. The treasure map and the news quietly turned into powder, falling on the deck and dissipating in the wind.
"I want to go back to the Grand Line!"
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