Chapter 66: The Great Pirate Era

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Thunder rumbled as dark clouds loomed overhead, the winds gusting and making the man's cloak billow wildly. 

His hood flapped around his face as he stood, silent and unmoving. 

"Boom!" Suddenly, a lightning bolt tore through the sky, winding down and striking the towering execution platform. 

The man under the green hood grew solemn, his gaze fierce as he looked forward. 

A moment ago, the execution stand had been empty. 

A figure shrouded in blue arcs of electricity had appeared, his white Marine coat and justice cloak fluttering in the gusty wind, framed by the bolt of lightning dissipating behind him.

"Arashi!" the man called out, recognizing the Marine standing on the platform. The wind intensified suddenly. 

From atop the execution stand, Arashi looked down, eyes locking on the man under the green hood. "Dragon?" He quickly identified the figure before him.

"Whoosh!" A series of sudden whirlwinds spiralled up from the ground in the central plaza, sending dust swirling into the air. 

Thunder cracked again overhead as lightning lit up the sky. 

The two men stood, silently observing each other: one wrapped in gusting winds, the other encircled by flashing lightning. 

After a long moment, Dragon suddenly smiled.

"What's the point of being a Marine?" he asked. 

"Join me instead. Together, we could overturn this world!" Arashi chuckled in response. 

"Digging under your old man's foundations, are you? The whole world knows I'm his disciple." 

Dragon's laughter grew louder. "Ha! But I can see something in you that the old man never had."

Arashi's interest was piqued. "Oh?" he said. 

Dragon's expression turned serious as the winds grew stronger around him. 

"Your dreams, Arashi. Or rather, the path you're determined to walk—the ideals you uphold! So, what is it you're fighting for?"

The question caught Arashi off guard. Dreams? Ideals? A path? 

He had never given much thought to those ideas, just a vague inkling that had developed over time. 

Ever since he'd met Garp, his life had been steady and rewarding. 

Wealth, fame, power, respect—he was already hailed as one of the Marines' most promising talents, with some even suggesting he might someday be the next Fleet Admiral. 

But he had never truly contemplated what he desired.

"What… do I want?" he thought, as Dragon's question stirred memories and flashes of thought in his mind. 

He reflected in silence until a bolt of lightning suddenly streaked behind him. A smirk played across his lips. "Dreams, huh?" he murmured. 

"Then, I guess I'm different from you, Dragon."

Dragon smiled back. "Tell me then! Let's call it a casual chat, a chance encounter between friends." 

"You're my old man's star pupil, and I'm his most rebellious, disappointing son. We should get along, shouldn't we?"

Arashi shook his head, still smiling. "I don't see much common ground between us." 

But then, his expression turned serious as he looked off into the distance, where the endless sea and vast world stretched beyond Loguetown. 

"It's just…" he began.

Dragon listened intently. "This world is far too vast," Arashi said quietly, a mix of awe and melancholy in his eyes. 

"Big enough for twenty kings." His words drifted away on the wind, but Dragon's eyes narrowed as he absorbed the meaning.

"Too many kings," Arashi continued with a faint smile, his gaze falling on Dragon. "One is enough, don't you think?" 

Dragon remained silent, absorbing this revelation.

"Boom!" Thunder echoed again, the lightning fading from the sky. At some point, Arashi's figure had vanished from the execution stand. 

As a gust of wind swept by, Dragon disappeared as if neither had ever been there.

Later, in a quiet alley, the man in the green hood was walking quickly, thoughts racing in his mind. 

"So, that's what you intend," he muttered. "To destroy Mary Geoise and overthrow the Twenty Kings?" 

He pondered. "Are you trying to create a new era of peace? Or…"

Dragon's gaze grew sharp. "Or will you replace it with a world even more oppressive, darker, and corrupt than theirs?" 

Quickening his pace, he continued to analyze the Marine's motives. "So, that's why you're in the Marines." 

"They hold the most significant, formidable power across the globe." S

Suddenly, Dragon looked up, seeing a vast expanse of golden lightning splitting the sky and reaching toward the distant sea.

"Lightning—the ultimate symbol of authority!" he thought. 

"In myth, it's the power of the gods!" 

The lightning flickered, casting shadows across his face as he realized that Arashi's ambition and potential impact on the future might exceed anything he had imagined.

Night quickly fell. Arashi's squad found no further threats that evening; it was a rare, quiet night compared to the chaos of the previous one. 

Soon enough, dawn broke on the following day. "Hurry! Everyone, head to the execution platform!" 

"Arashi, join us to escort Roger," ordered Zephyr, appearing before them at five in the morning. 

The tension in the air was palpable. Everyone knew the significance of this day.

"Yes, sir," Arashi replied with a nod. He followed Zephyr to the holding area, where they found Roger. 

Oddly, Roger showed no fear or despair; when he saw Arashi, he greeted him with a smile. 

As they proceeded, with Zephyr to his left and Arashi to his right, Roger walked in front, chains clinking with each step, surrounded by two rows of sombre guards.

"Any last words, Roger?" Arashi asked as they moved steadily forward, neither fast nor slow. Zephyr remained silent beside them as if oblivious.

"Last words?" Roger chuckled, the moustache above his lip twitching. "For someone about to die, what use are last words?" 

He paused. "Though, if I were to say anything…" he hesitated.

Arashi watched him closely. "Take care of that blade at your side for me, would you?"

Arashi froze for a moment before he sighed softly. 

"Ace, huh?" Roger smiled, looking out toward the sea, where the first light of dawn touched the horizon. 

"Ace…" he mused. 

"He'll see a world I won't live to see." Arashi's hand rested on the hilt of his sword for a moment before he let it go. 

"I'll make sure he does," he said quietly. Roger grinned in response. Moments later, Garp and Sengoku joined them, falling into step. 

Roger walked calmly in the middle, his chains clinking softly as they moved toward the execution platform. 

By now, the streets of Loguetown were filled with people pushing forward in curiosity, excitement, and anticipation.

"Roger!" "Is that the Pirate King, Roger?"

The streets were lined with Marines maintaining order. 

Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, and Arashi formed a tight formation around Roger as they escorted him to the execution platform in Central Park. 

Behind them followed elite Marines, stern and vigilant. 

In the surrounding streets, more Marine units hurriedly took their positions, moving swiftly toward the execution site.

"Hurry! Get into your assigned zones!" the lead officers ordered in low voices. 

"Today is Roger's execution; there must be no mistakes!" 

Each Marine's face showed tension and solemnity. Today was momentous for the Marines and profoundly significant for the entire world. 

All eyes were on this small town.

Among the nearby crowd surrounding Roger, faces of varying expressions turned to observe Arashi and his group. "There's Admiral Zephyr, Sengoku!" 

"Marine hero, Vice Admiral Garp!" 

"And Arashi, the Vice Admiral who captured Roger and Shiki the Golden Lion!" 

"This level of security is unbeatable!" 

"Not even the craziest fool would dare disrupt the execution here!"

"There were reports of someone trying to infiltrate Roger's cell in the past few days, but they vanished without a trace," murmured others in the crowd. 

That morning, Loguetown was buzzing with activity as the crowd slowly approached Central Park, where the tall execution platform awaited. 

By the time everyone gathered, the sun had risen above the horizon.

"Arashi, keep the area secure!" Sengoku said quietly. 

Arashi nodded, understanding his meaning, and stepped away from the escort to join Kuzan and others already stationed below the platform. 

He scanned the surroundings and saw Central Park and the nearby streets packed with people. 

He sensed the presence of numerous pirates and shady figures, identified by their scars and rough appearances.

As he expanded his awareness, he noticed familiar figures within the crowd. 

Not far behind, a young man with piercing, hawk-like eyes stood silently—Dracule Mihawk, the future World's Greatest Swordsman. 

A large figure stood confidently in another direction, radiating pride—Gekko Moriah. 

Further away, in the shadows of a side street, Doflamingo Donquixote watched the scene with keen interest. 

Even farther, hidden within the crowd, Arashi spotted the green-clad figure of Dragon, the Revolutionary leader, who lifted his gaze as he sensed Arashi's attention.

"So many people," Arashi mused. "Yeah, today there's probably not a single open spot in Loguetown," agreed Kuzan. 

Everyone was waiting for that thrilling moment to arrive.

As time passed, Arashi watched Garp and Zephyr step onto the platform to address the crowd. 

This was a formal occasion, with journalists from various nations taking notes and pictures. 

Visual Den Den Mushi recorded every angle and broadcast it to the world. Sengoku spoke steadily, recounting Roger's crimes. 

Arashi and the others listened, recognizing the familiar content from previous meetings, though it seemed drawn out here. 

Even Sengoku looked frustrated toward the end, his mouth twitching in annoyance.

The crowd was becoming restless below the platform. When Sengoku finally finished, he exhaled and glanced to the side. 

"Bring Roger forward!" he commanded. 

Instantly, Loguetown fell silent as everyone focused on the platform, awaiting the Pirate King's arrival.

Roger stepped forward under Garp and the guards' escort, carrying heavy Sea Prism Stone shackles on his wrists and ankles. 

His long hair hung over his face, concealing his expression. Each step he took up the wooden stairs echoed, drawing the crowd into tense anticipation.

When Roger finally knelt beside Sengoku, the entire area erupted. 

"It's Roger!" 

"Gold Roger!" 

"No, no, it's said his real name is Gol D. Roger! He carries the D!" 

"It's unbelievable—the Pirate King got captured and is about to be executed here!"

Amid the crowd, two figures burst into tears. Arashi looked across the sea of people, spotting a red-haired boy in a straw hat and a young man with a red nose, both sobbing uncontrollably.

The sun was now high, but dark clouds suddenly gathered over Loguetown, and a strong wind picked up. 

"Looks like it's going to rain," Kizaru sighed. 

It had been unusually stormy these past few days. Arashi glanced up at the clouds, calm as ever.

The thunder rumbled, lightning streaked across the sky, and finally, Sengoku looked down at Roger beside him. 

"Roger!" he called out. 

"Do you have any last words?" 

His voice echoed, and silence fell over the crowd as everyone strained to hear the Pirate King's final words.

"What will he say?" someone muttered, clenching his fists in excitement.

Roger slowly lifted his head, flashing a wide grin everyone could see, a grin broadcast to the entire world. 

"He's... smiling?" someone gasped in shock.

"Hey, Pirate King! Where did you stash all the treasure you plundered? Did you find that legendary Grand Treasure, the ONE PIECE?"

Someone in the crowd shouted, unable to contain his excitement. 

Everyone heard the question, including Roger. 

He lifted his head and burst into laughter. "My treasure?" he shouted. "If you want it, you can have it!"

Sengoku's eyes widened in alarm, realizing the danger. "Execute him!" he ordered, and the guards raised their swords. 

"I left everything I own in that one place!" 

Roger's voice echoed over Loguetown, ringing in the crowd's ears, carried by the wind as his execution was completed.

For a moment, silence blanketed the area. The crowd heard Roger's final words, and then madness ensued. 

Thunder roared, and the wind whipped through the streets as a downpour began.

Arashi looked up at the falling rain, his hand gripping his sword hilt before slowly releasing it.

"It's over," he murmured. 

"But another journey has just begun." 

He turned around. "Let's go!"

The world has entered a Great Pirate Era!

<End Chapter>

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