"Wealth, fame, power... the man who acquired everything this world had to offer: the Pirate King, Gold Roger."
The world bestowed that title upon the man who achieved the unprecedented feat of sailing across the entire globe. In the same breath, they gave a collective name to everything he had supposedly left behind: the "One Piece."
"The One Piece, huh?"
The Navy and the World Government had begun moving with an almost obsessive level of aggression to track Roger down. At the same time, every pirate on the sea scrambled to find his whereabouts, desperate to claim his legendary hoard for themselves.
Kanata let out a soft chuckle as she read the morning paper. "He actually did it," she murmured, feeling a genuine sense of pride as if it were her own achievement.
Teach, who had just carried a stack of documents into the office, peered over her shoulder at the headline. "There's a certain romance to it, isn't there, Sister?" he laughed. "I wonder what was actually on that final island... What do you think?"
"Who knows? When he called me a few days ago—sounding quite drunk, I might add—he was talking in circles. Most of it was nonsense."
The only coherent detail she had managed to glean was that they had named the final island "Laugh Tale." Roger had been so intoxicated that she suspected he might have forgotten making the call entirely.
"Laugh Tale..." Teach mused. "Aren't you curious? About what's waiting there?"
"It would be a lie to say I wasn't. But Roger chose that name for a reason. Something truly incredible must have happened there."
Considering the treasure was being called the "One Piece," Kanata leaned back and made a dry joke. "Perhaps there's just a stone tablet with instructions on how to pull the Red Line together into one piece."
Teach stared at her blankly for a second before the pun clicked. He burst into a boisterous laugh. "Zehahahaha! So that'swhat 'One Piece' means?! Bringing the world's oceans together?"
It was just a guess, of course. Roger had mentioned that a vast treasure truly did exist, so her joke was likely far from the truth. Teach finished his laugh and headed back out to his duties.
"Teach has certainly grown..." Kanata noted.
It felt like only yesterday he was a boy, but he had already surpassed her in height and was filling out quite a bit. Kaie, too, had shot up in the last few years. Children grew far too quickly.
Since the day she had killed a Celestial Dragon in the West Blue, she had surged forward with relentless momentum. Her finances were stable, and she had built a military force that couldn't be easily toppled. For the first time in a very long time, she felt a sense of peace.
But she knew it wouldn't last.
"The Pirate King... the era is shifting again."
The Navy and the World Government wouldn't let Roger walk free. The number of pirates targeting him would only grow. The world was about to become a very violent place. The great surge of a new age was already looming.
+++
"Wahahahaha! It's been a long time, Kanata! You looking as healthy as ever?!"
Roger's voice boomed across the docks. He bore the same grin he always had, showing none of the frailty one would expect from a man with a terminal illness. Dozens of pirate flags were visible on the horizon—vultures following the King. Roger likely found them more of a nuisance than a threat.
Those blinded by greed wanted Roger's head, but none of them possessed the courage to set foot on Kanata's island. Their ships simply circled Fullalead like hungry sharks. Kanata issued an order to her patrols to wipe them out if they got too close, then welcomed Roger's crew ashore.
"It's been a while, Roger. For a man with an incurable disease, you seem remarkably energetic. I assume Crocus's skills lived up to the hype?"
"Yeah, Crocus is a miracle worker! I owe Sukura a drink for introducing us!"
Roger had been a nightmare of a patient, but he was genuinely grateful for the care. If Sukura were here, he'd likely tell Roger to shut up and follow orders for once. Roger had already lived past his projected expiration date, but thanks to Crocus, he had seen the journey through to the end.
Kanata turned her gaze to Crocus, who was scratching the back of his head sheepishly behind Roger. "Good to see you again," she said. "It's been years since I brought the news to Twin Cape."
"Indeed. It's not that I didn't trust your information, but I had to see it for myself... even if the result was a tragedy."
Crocus had joined Roger's crew on the condition that they look for the Rumbar Pirates. He had confirmed they had fallen, but seeing it with his own eyes provided a finality he needed. Not everyone was as strong as Kanata or Roger; for every man who succeeded, many others were destined to fall by the wayside.
Crocus dragged Roger toward the infirmary for a check-up, and Rayleigh stepped forward to take his place. "We're running low on medication," Rayleigh said. "I hate to ask, but could you spare some?"
"Of course. If there are other supplies you need, we'll prepare them."
"You're a lifesaver."
Suppressing Roger's symptoms required a massive pharmaceutical hoard. Crocus had managed, but since Roger became the Pirate King, they were hounded by Marines and rivals at every turn, making resupply nearly impossible. The crew knew what was coming next, but they had stopped at Kanata's to have one last celebration.
As the crew disembarked, their faces were bright. Whatever the future held, the memories of this journey were clearly precious to them. Among the crowd, Kanata spotted Izo and Oden.
"Izo! It's been too long. Have you been well? Oh, and the good-for-nothing is here too."
"I'm just an afterthought?!" Oden yelled.
"Kanata, it is good to see you again," Izo said with a polite nod.
Kanata ignored Oden's grumbling and shook Izo's hand. She noticed that Inuarashi and Nekomamushi were missing. When she asked after them, Izo explained that Lady Toki had fallen ill from the strain of the journey, so the two Minks had taken her and the children back to Wano ahead of time.
"Are you all heading back to Wano next?"
"Yes, that's the plan."
Izo was supposed to have left with Toki, but after some discussion, it was decided that Oden needed at least one responsible retainer to keep him in check.
"You're a dedicated vassal," Kanata remarked.
"Of course! He's my retainer, after all!" Oden bragged, puffing out his chest.
"Despite his lord being such a handful," Kanata added.
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
Oden was fuming, but the reality was that he had left a country where emigration was a capital offense. Even with a silent understanding from the higher-ups, his return would be complicated. Kanata invited them all into the heart of the island, deciding that the serious talk could wait for the evening's banquet.
+++
That night, the members of the Twilight Pirates and the Roger Pirates gathered, cups in hand. Tables groaned under the weight of the feast, and the air was thick with the smell of roasting meat and expensive ale.
Roger, ever impatient, stood up the moment the final tray was set. "Alright, that's enough waiting! It's time!"
"Then—to the Roger Pirates and their successful voyage around the world!!"
"CHEEERS!!!"
The sound of clinking glass echoed through the fortress. Men laughed, drank, and ate their fill. It was a blessing for the end of a journey and a farewell to friends who were about to walk new paths. Kanata spoke briefly with Roger before he was swamped by her veteran crew members, then she made her way over to Izo and Oden.
"So, Oden, have you had your fill yet?"
"The night is young and I'm just getting started! Hahaha! It's a celebration!" Oden roared, drinking as if he were trying to empty the sea.
Izo, however, was more reserved. He tried to temper Oden's drinking, his expression clouded with worry.
"Thinking about Wano?" Kanata asked him.
"...Yes. The glimpse I got when we dropped off Lady Toki... I can't get it out of my head."
Wano had changed. Factories were rising, and something fundamental about the country had twisted into something unrecognizable. Izo had felt it, but he had a duty to see Roger's journey to the end. Now that the end was here, he knew the work ahead would be monumental.
"About that," Kanata said, her voice turning serious. She recounted her own experience in Wano—being framed for the assassination of the Shogun, her clash with Whitebeard, and the rise of the regent, Orochi.
At the mention of Orochi, Oden's drunken cheer vanished. "Orochi? Why is that name coming up?"
"He's being called your 'little brother' in the streets. I don't know much about him, but is it true?"
"Don't be ridiculous! He was a mere errand boy for Yasu-san. I only lent him some money out of pity!"
The idea of them being brothers was an insult. But if the public believed it, it meant information was being manipulated. The goal was obvious: he wanted the Shogunate.
"Wano is in a dangerous position. I have my own reasons for wanting to find the one who killed Lord Sukiyaki. I'll lend you my strength."
"No," Oden said firmly. "Wano's problems are mine to solve."
"Why? You don't know the enemy. You'll need military might."
"I'm the one who abandoned my country. I didn't think I had the right to be Shogun, but the journey—and your story—changed my mind. I will be the Shogun of Wano. I will fix my family's mistakes."
Izo looked at Oden, his eyes welling with tears. "You've grown so much, my Lord..."
Kanata stared at Oden for several seconds, searching his resolve. Seeing that he wouldn't budge, she sighed. "Fine. You're as stubborn as ever. But... leave Izo here."
"What?! Why?!" Oden shouted.
"You plan to open Wano's borders, don't you? Whether you join the World Government or not, you have zero knowledge of international diplomacy or trade. Let me hammer the basics into Izo first."
"Oh... I see. Well... I guess that makes sense?" Oden muttered, steam practically coming off his head as he tried to process the logic.
Kanata turned to Izo. "What do you think?"
"International negotiation is a necessity," Izo agreed. "Lord Yasuie handled some trade, but our internal politics are mostly limited to disputes between the regional Daimyo. We are far behind the rest of the world."
"But it doesn't have to be Izo, does it?" Oden asked. "Can't you just lend us some of your experts?"
"What kind of ruler lets an outsider handle his foreign policy, you fool?" Kanata snapped. If her subordinates handled Wano's diplomacy, she would essentially be the shadow ruler of the country. She was trying to protect Oden's sovereignty, even if he was too thick-headed to see it.
"It will take a few years, but I'll teach him everything he needs to know. In the meantime, you go and fix your country."
"Alright. Izo, can I count on you?"
"For your sake, my Lord, I have no complaints."
With the serious business settled, they returned to the party. Before she left them, Kanata pulled Izo aside and whispered, "I'm going to make a Vivre Card for Oden. Make sure you get a piece of his fingernail for me."
+++
Later that night, Roger called Kanata away from the noise to a quiet corner of the fortress.
"What is it, Roger? Why the secret meeting?"
"I just... wanted to say thank you. For everything. For Crocus, for Oden... for being a friend."
Roger knew this was likely the last time they would see each other. He bowed deeply. "Thank you. Because of you, we finished our journey safely."
"I should be the one thanking you," Kanata replied softly. "I owe you a debt I can never repay."
"Wahaha! Well, if you really feel that way... help my child when the time comes."
"Your child? You have a kid?"
"I'm going to!"
Kanata stared at him, exasperated. "You're unbelievable. But fine. If it's your child, I'll help."
She handed him a small piece of a Vivre Card with the words To my dearest friend written on the edge. "Tell your child to keep this on them at all times. If they ever make it to the sea and find me, I'll be there for them."
Roger laughed and took the card. He had once teamed up with Garp to take down a certain man. He never imagined that one day he would be entrusting his legacy to that man's daughter. Fate was a strange thing.
"The Roger Pirates are disbanding today," Roger said. "There are no more adventures left for us."
"I see. What will you do now?"
"I'm going to see Whitebeard one last time. We've fought for years... he's more like a brother-in-arms than an enemy."
"Newgate, huh?" Kanata had fought him once; his strength was in a league of its own. Linlin and Shiki couldn't match his raw power.
"I heard you traded blows with him. How was it?"
"He was strong. That's all." Kanata knew she couldn't win a true death match against him yet. They drank in silence for a moment before Roger brought up his name.
"The Navy and the papers keep calling me Gold Roger! They're wrong! I am Gol D. Roger!!"
"The 'D,' huh? I have one in my crew, and I've known a few others... what does it actually mean?"
"Oh, you want to know? I can tell you how to get to Laugh Tale, too."
"I don't care about the island. If I want treasure, I can get it just by sitting in this chair."
"Wahahaha! You really are a merchant at heart!"
Kanata didn't care about the final island, but she was curious about the "D." It concerned her father... and her mother.
"Listen close, Kanata. The 'D' is—"
Roger told her everything he had learned on his final journey. The two people who should have been enemies had become friends, and a secret was passed between them. Their meeting truly had been fate.
+++
A year later.
A year after the Roger Pirates disbanded at Fullalead, Roger surrendered to the Navy. The news that the "Pirate King" had been captured sent Shiki into a blind rage. He stormed Marine Headquarters alone, fighting both Garp and Sengoku in a battle that leveled half of Marineford.
Shiki the Golden Lion was defeated and imprisoned in Impel Down. The execution of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, was set to take place in his birthplace: Loguetown in the East Blue.
Under the heaviest guard the Navy could muster, Roger was led to the execution platform. A massive crowd had gathered, including many who would go on to become the most infamous pirates of the next generation.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd screamed. "Where did you hide your treasure?!"
Everyone wanted to know. The "Wealth, Fame, and Power"—where was the legendary hoard hidden?
Roger, facing his final seconds, let out a wide, defiant grin.
"My treasure? If you want it, you can have it! Look for it! I left everything this world has to offer in that place!"
It was a spark that turned into an inferno. The fervor spread like wildfire, and every man, woman, and child looked to the sea with dreams of romance and adventure. Strong or weak, it didn't matter—everyone set their sights on the Grand Line.
The Great Pirate Era had begun.
+++
Back inside the fortress on Fullalead, Kanata received word of the execution from Dragon. She listened to the report of his final moments and laughed out loud.
It was a death that suited him perfectly.
She raised her cup to the moonlight, offering a final toast to the man who had changed the world.
"Goodbye, you magnificent fool. I'll see you at the end of hell."
***
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