The End of an Adventure

On a now barren island one could see two men, one standing his face obscured by his straw hat and another lying on the ground.

"*Cough* Ne… Luffy… Thank you… for being.. my last opponent…*Cough*" Each cough of the man on the ground was accompanied by blood but still his smile never left his face. It was a smile so bright everyone watching across the world saw a man with no regrets left.

You could see the tears falling down the face of the man with the straw hat but even so he had to ask one last question. Despite the two knowing each other for a long time he couldn't come up with a reason why his friend wanted to die so close to Laugh Tale.

„*Sniff* Lyde… Tell me why now? Why so close to our dream?"

„Ha...ha… Luffy promise me… never stop chasing whatever dream you have even after reaching the end… but I'm sorry… I can't chase those dreams beside you now… I am/was sick without a cure in sight… I wanted to end my journey on my terms… and not end it because my body couldn't keep up anymore…"

„Sick?! But then Chopper or Traguy could surely cure you! Wait here-" the straw hat said while turning towards his ship.

„No! No Luffy… don't you dare! I'm fine with things as they are now… besides isn't this a fitting end… for both your and my journey? One last grand battle before the last Island… it is the best end i could hope for for my story… One last thing Luffy… in my cabin on the table… there's a book i want you publish across the world… It is my story… how I lived and died… and everything in between."

By now you could see and hear the man with a straw hat cry openly. „OK! I will do that! I promise you that!"

„Hahaha… thank you… Luffy… and goodbye… may we see each other… in another life…" with these last words blood red eyes closed for a final time.

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Across the world the reactions of the people watching this event were very varied.

In new Marineford the modd was a mix between jubilant and solemn. Most marines were elated that one of the most notorious pirates was now dead. But some who met the man were feeling solemn for today one of those that defined this era left this world.

On Wano the mood was depressed because one of those that saved the country has died. And soon there would be a festival on the day he died to honour him.

On the Sabaody Archipelago inside a shabby looking tavern, the only two people there raised their glasses to honour his death.

Inside the palace in the Alabaster Kingdom the mood was depressed and even some openly cried for the young man.

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A few years later you could find a particular book in every bookstore. It attracted the attention of every age no matter if man or woman. The story it told left the reader with a myriad of emotion. From hanging on the edge of his seat, towards boiling rage, leaving them laughing loudly to crying for those who left the world. You could hear the children on the streets talking about the adventures in the book and the want to experience something similiar themselves. No one knows how many people left their homes to sail the world because of this book, but one thing everyone agreed on was the message this book told it's reader: Never stop chasing your dreams! No matter how impossible they seem!

The title of the book was: Dreams Chasing Across the Sea by Solaritas D. Lyde.