“Didn’t you achieve your dream, Roger?!”

Shiki’s shouts came with the sound of waves crashing against the reefs.

Roger looked up at his old rival, a smile playing on his lips, and burst into laughter, opening another bottle of rum.

Then, he lightly tapped the bottle, producing a crisp sound: “Guess?”

“Stop with the riddles! You bastard!” Golden Lion stood up abruptly, his cape flapping in the wind.

“Roger, we were once enemies, but we’re old acquaintances. Tell me the truth!”

Roger finally looked up, his eyes under his hat gleaming with a complex light: “The truth… sometimes it’s crueler than lies.”

“Hmph!” Golden Lion snorted, “Do you think I’m afraid?”

Roger stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed: “Alright, since you want to know so badly…”

He stood up, patted the sand from his pants, “On Laugh Tale, there’s the ‘answer’ to this world.”

“Answer? What answer?”

“The answer is, we are not the people ‘it’ needs…” Roger’s voice was light, yet it was like a sharp knife, piercing Golden Lion’s heart.

Golden Lion’s pupils contracted suddenly, and his breathing stopped for a moment.

“Heh heh, just as I thought.” But soon, he regained his arrogant expression: “I didn’t expect you to deny yourself, Roger.”

Roger shrugged, suddenly feeling a surge of discomfort, but he couldn't expose his terminal illness in front of Golden Lion.

So he chose to endure it, masking it by pretending to choke on his drink.

“Cough, cough, cough, Shiki, my adventure is over.”

“So what?” Golden Lion, as expected, didn’t notice Roger’s abnormality. Instead, he grinned, a flame of ambition burning in his eyes.

“Now you are the Pirate King!! I acknowledge your strength.”

Roger shook his head: “Shiki, the era has changed.

Now, you’re alone. What do you have to fight the World Government Marine with?”

“Who said I’m alone?” Golden Lion spread his arms, the strong wind making his golden mane fly like a lion’s.

“As long as I raise my arm, the pirates of the New World will respond again!

Roger, join me! With your current title of ‘Pirate King,’ we can completely…”

“No thanks.” Roger interrupted him directly, his tone firm, “My journey has ended.”

Golden Lion’s smile froze on his face: “What do you mean by this? Now that your dream has ended, you still won’t help me?”

Roger didn’t answer, just tilted his head back and guzzled the last of the rum in the bottle, then forcefully tossed the bottle into the sea.

The glass bottle arced through the air, finally disappearing into the surging waves.

“Roger!” Golden Lion’s voice was filled with anger, “Are you just going to accept this? You’re the Pirate King!”

“Pirate King?” Roger chuckled lightly, took off his hat, and let the sea breeze ruffle his hair.

“That’s just a title.” He turned, his back to Golden Lion, his voice low and firm.

“Shiki, our legendary era has ended.

The stage that follows… belongs to the people of the new era.”

“Then it should be you and I joining forces to open a new era!” Golden Lion stared intently at his back, his fists clenching with cracking sounds.

Roger didn’t look back, just waved his hand casually: “Think what you like.” He stepped forward, his voice gradually blending into the sea breeze.

“Besides, I haven’t retired. I just want to rest for a bit.”

He paused, looking up at the night sky where stars had begun to appear: “And then… I will personally usher in the true era.”

At this point, Roger’s steps faltered, but he ultimately didn’t stop, his figure gradually disappearing into the twilight.

On the cliff, only Golden Lion remained.

After hearing Roger’s words about wanting to usher in a new era, he stomped his foot down, and the ground instantly cracked into a web-like pattern.

“New era? Heh…” He sneered, a crazy glint in his eyes, “Hahaha! I really wasn’t wrong about you, Roger!!

After you usher in the new era you speak of, I’ll come find you again!”

With that, Golden Lion directly activated his Devil Fruit ability and soared into the air, his floating figure quickly turning into a black dot, disappearing into the clouds.

It wasn’t until his Observation Haki confirmed that Golden Lion’s presence had completely vanished that Roger, who had been holding on, finally collapsed to the ground.

Blood gushed from his mouth, blooming into a dazzling red on the ground.

“Hahaha!!” He lay on his back, gazing at the myriad stars, and suddenly burst into laughter.

His laughter, mixed with blood foam, echoed along the empty coastline.

“Shiki…” He raised his hand as if to grasp something, but it ultimately fell powerlessly.

“This is probably… our last meeting.”

The waves still crashed against the shore, as if playing an elegy for the end of an era.

.........

Grand Line, Nicoyaro Kingdom.

The streets of the royal city were filled with the scent of gunpowder, and the Revolutionary Army flags flapped in the wind on the ruined buildings.

Civilians held simple weapons, their eyes burning with long-awaited hope.

The street fighting continued, the remnants of the King’s army were steadily retreating, and the one leading this storm was the man in the dark green cloak — Monkey D. Dragoon.

At this moment, he stood by a broken fountain in the center of the square, grimly directing the Revolutionary Army’s actions.

“The east city gate has been breached, but the Royal Palace still has the Royal Guard holding out!” a Revolutionary Army soldier ran over to report quickly.

Dragoon nodded slightly, his voice low: “Have the third squad lead people to break in through the sewers, and leave the front to Ivankov for diversion.”

“Yes!”

The Revolutionary Army’s offensive was in full swing, victory seemed close at hand.

However, just then, a cold voice suddenly rang out, cutting through the battlefield’s clamor.

“Long time no see, Dragoon.”

“That voice!!!” Dragoon’s pupils contracted sharply, and he turned his head abruptly.

Not far away, on the flat roof of a building, three figures stood silhouetted against the light.

Gern, who was at the forefront, had his hands in his pockets, black blade eight desolations hanging diagonally at his waist, and his cloak of justice fluttering in the wind.

Beside him, Libo was wiggling her rabbit ears, curiously observing the battlefield below, while Tesoro stood with his arms crossed, his golden rings gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

“Gern…” Dragoon’s voice deepened, and the surrounding Revolutionary Army soldiers immediately raised their weapons vigilantly.

Gern lightly leaped down from the rooftop, Libo and Tesoro followed closely behind.

The three of them thus stood in the open space between the Revolutionary Army and the Royal Palace.

“It’s really lively.” Gern looked around, a playful smile on his lips.

“You didn’t even send a wedding invitation, and now you’re making such a big fuss here…”

“Dragoon, you really are… becoming more and more rebellious.”