Chapter 165: Dream (2)

Four Road Poneglyphs,

Along with the man of Three-Eye Tribe—means to decipher the ancient language.

"And so,"

Blackbeard whispered,

"The path to Laugh Tale... has finally been opened."

It was a dark night. They had to hold up a torch to light up the surroundings. But regardless, the faces of the Pirate Alliance were filled with exhilaration.

Blackbeard's grin widened—before he paused.

After all, a gun was brought to his head from the side.

"..."

Blackbeard silently turned around and looked at his surroundings.

Ochoku, John, Shiki, Silver Axe, Shiki, Caesar—everyone. They were pointing their weapons at him, with the greed lingering in their eyes.

"Since the very start, Xebec,"

Ochoku muttered as he stared Blackbeard right in the eye.

"You brought us in, saying that as long as we share a mutual interest, we'd be able to work together."

There was a reason why the Rocks Pirates, the strongest pirate crew that arose, crumbled so easily in the past.

It wasn't based on the bonds that they worked together. They weren't friends, they weren't companions, they weren't allies.

They, who possessed the Conqueror's Haki just as Blackbeard did, were competitors of one another.

"Road Poneglyphs were found. Every single one of them."

Shiki grinned as the blade embedded on the stump of what his arm used to be was pointed at Blackbeard.

"When I lost to that ice bastard out of everyone, I thought everyone was over. To us, Xebec... you are a miracle."

A miracle which we no longer need.

"Shurororo~"

Caesar laughed,

"Why do you think I joined? There may have been many reasons, but above all of them, my primary goal, since the start, was to seize that body of yours, Blackbeard! And at last, the time has come!"

"..."

Shiryu, without any reaction, simply lowered the hat that he wore, avoiding an eye contact with Blackbeard.

He was simply siding with whom he thought would be the victors of the fight. That was all.

"Do you see, Xebec?"

John chuckled in a drunken state.

"It's time for you to die for good."

The pirates laughed. Be it a goon or someone more noteworthy, every single one of them turned against Xebec.

"But don't worry. For your sake, we will ensure to enjoy every last bit of what One Piece has to offer."

After all, from the very start, it wasn't Xebec whom they were following. It was their desire, be it the money, fame, or power, that they were after. And there was no one other than Ochoku who could fulfill their needs.

"...Die? Me?"

Blackbeard's head lowered and his body shook. Others raised an eyebrow, wondering if he was trembling in fear.

But no, he was laughing.

"Zehahaha..."

Unable to keep it low, he burst out in a boisterous laughter than thundered throughout the sky.

"ZEHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

He was laughing so hard that the tears came out of his eyes. Though the weapons were pointed at him from all sides, he didn't seem to care at all.

Then, his laugh abruptly died down.

"Do you know for how long we planned for this? You puny mongrels?"

"...We?"

Ochoku frowned.

'The Rocks family, hiding in the places where the eyes of the world don't reach, waited for this very moment.'

Blackbeard was the fruit of their effort.

The re-establishment of the Great Kingdom of Fable. In order to achieve this feat, the Rocks family studied Archaeology. They interpreted the past of their ancestors—not based on the Poneglyphs scattered around the world, but based on the inheritance that Rocks D. Zachs personally left for them.

'To reach our goal, we needed certain conditions. One, the Dark Dark fruit. Two, the body of a pure-blooded Buccaneer. Three, the wielder of Conqueror's Haki. And finally...'

One Piece.

"Do you understand? Just as how I fulfilled my role on your side, you no longer are of any use to me."

The wind blew ominously.

"If you were going to betray me... you should've done it much earlier."

"Tch!!"

Ochoku clicked his tongue, before roaring,

"KILL HIM!!"

Before they could launch their attacks on Blackbeard, however, the darkness suddenly expanded out of Blackbeard's body, taking over them all.

"Zehahahaha...!!!"

Ochoku was severely mistaken. Though they themselves were the capable folks, those who were treated as the legends of the old time, Blackbeard—he was no longer the individual who stood on the same plane as them.

Doom. That's what the pirates felt as they felt the oppressive Conqueror's Haki that poured out of Blackbeard.

...

In the puddle of blood and flesh, Blackbeard stood, all by himself.

His body was drenched in blood—though they didn't belong to him.

Around him were the bloody skulls, the loots which he acquired from the war against pirates who used to serve him.

Throughout his journey, he killed whoever stood in front of him.

Whitebeard Pirates, Big Mom Pirates, Roger Pirates, and even his own.

Now, there was no one but him.

"...The trail of blood,"

Holding four pieces of paper, one that detailed the content of four Road Poneglyphs, Blackbeard spoke.

"Such is the path which the Supreme King must walk."

He raised his head and gazed at the bright moon.

In his eyes, the moon appeared red.

In this gruesome scene, Blackbeard revealed delight. Stomping down on a skull and shattering it into dusts, he laughed.

"ZEHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

__________

Standing in the middle of his allies and the enemies who were subdued, Smoker breathed out in exhaustion.

The Marine Officers, now deemed as criminals, were in the process of being sent away—by the Revolutionary Army members led by Dragon.

With their heads down, they weren't able to resist. Though there wasn't a physical warfare between them and Smoker, their wills were absolutely shattered.

Smoker raised his head up.

There was a bright sun, illuminating the blue sky that seemed peaceful in his eyes.

Such a scene reminded him of the view which he saw back in the Impel Down 4 years ago.

"...We've come a long way."

Running away and keeping the families of the people who followed him hidden from the eyes of the World Government, training day by day to reach the level of strength sufficient enough to compete the strongest ones, travelling left and right, correcting whatever he saw as wrong—Smoker did all that he could do.

"Bwahaha... we surely did,"

Said Garp, who too was looking up at the sky with that of relief.

"For years, Smoker,"

Smoker listened in silence,

"I lived as someone who accepted the World Government-mediated balance as the peace—though imperfect. It was an effort to run away from the truth, perhaps because I was tired of the state the Marine was in."

Garp smiled tiredly.

"If I were to talk about my greatest accomplishment, it won't be my victory over Rocks D. Xebec."

Garp still remembered when he first met Smoker—the little boy, one who overcame the pirate invasion and protected his friends.

"Bwahaha, you had quite a wild fight, didn't you?"

"Bwahaha... I'm glad I found you back then."

"...And so am I."

As Garp lost his consciousness and fell into a slumber, Smoker caught Garp and slowly placed him on the patch of grass, allowing his teacher to rest.

"You've done more than enough, Garp-sensei. And I cannot thank you enough for all that you've done for me."

Through Garp and Kuzan, Smoker grew. Through Robin and many others, he learnt lessons.

It was the bonds, his relationships with others, that shaped Smoker into who he was today.

Shifting his eyes, Smoker saw Dragon looking at him.

Nothing needed to be spoken. They simply nodded at one another, before Dragon took away the arrested enemies away from this site, where injured ones were resting.

"Smoker."

Turning his head, Smoker saw Fisher Tiger standing. Smoker lowered his head slightly upon the sight of the man.

"Thank you for your help, Fisher Tiger."

However, it wasn't the gratitude which Fisher Tiger came here for.

"You..."

He stuttered, seemingly amazed.

"...You did it, haven't you."

Smoker chuckled,

"We did it. All of us, together."

"We... we, huh."

"But this is just the beginning, so,"

Smoker stated genuinely,

"let's make this world a better place to live for everyone, regardless of their race."

"...Smoker."

Fisher Tiger mumbled.

"For years, I despised humans. Someone like me don't—"

"We aren't saints, Fisher Tiger. Even hate is part of life."

Smoker placed his hand out. Fisher Tiger stared at it reluctantly for a moment, before grabbing and shaking it.

Releasing it, Smoker turned his head and spoke,

"Hina. Bastille."

There stood the two friends whom he's known for the longest period.

Unlike the majority, they weren't celebrating. They knew.

"Ha..."

Hina sighed,

"Hina wants to rest."

"So do I-dara."

Bastille said to Smoker,

"It isn't over yet, is it-dara."

"One more."

Smoker's form swayed, but he quickly rebalanced himself.

"I need you to connect me to Doll and Dr.Vegapunk."

...

<<...Smoker. >>

From the Den Den Mushi, Dr.Vegapunk's voice was heard.

<<The fact that you are calling us must mean you've succeeded. Well done, my boy.>>

"However, it isn't over yet."

Smoker, who was sitting in front of the Den Den Mushi, said seriously.

Surrounding him were Sengoku, Tsuru, Hina, Bastille, Aramaki, and many others, listening to the conversation.

"How is the situation in the New World?"

<<We've been keeping in touch with Dressrosa and Wano.>>

This time, Doll spoke out.

<<They are in process of restoration. Furthermore, we launched the combined operation, and have discovered bases underworld merceneries who worked under name 'Id'. I suppose that one piece information to relay you would be that... world's greatest broker, 'Id', is none other than 'Strategist' Ochoku.>>

"Ochoku..."

Sengoku's eyes widened.

"So that's how it was..."

Tsuru massaged her temple.

<<But of course, that isn't the most important information we have. You see, just a few hours ago, samurais Wano contacted us, telling us about some members Mink Tribes who were in dire state. After they woke up, said that... Zou, another location housed one Road Poneglyph, was invaded by Pirate Alliance.>>

Fish Men island. Tottoland. Wano Kuni. Zou.

4 years ago, while Kaidou was out in G-1, the Pirate Alliance attained a copy of the Road Poneglyph in Wano.

"Which means... the Pirate Alliance has all four."

Many around Smoker became pale in realization.

<<...Precisely. >>

Then, the next question to ask was, how do they prevent Blackbeard from reaching Laugh Tale?

The sea has notably calmed down. With the stabilization of climate in the New World, the sailing has become more rapid and efficient. This meant that Blackbeard's sailing would be sped up, heading onto the location which Smoker had no idea of.

Robin then raised her hand and asked,

"Can they read them though?"

And Dr.Vegapunk responded,

<<...Those in the Pirate Alliance are shrewd. If they didn't have a way to decipher them, would've waited instead of sailing seize final Road Poneglyph.>>

"..."

The only way, in this situation, would be to wait until Blackbeard attained the One Piece.

However, that would mean their defeat. One Piece... it was a treasure that grants its wielder everything he or she desired for.

"Wait."

Then, a new face entered the scene.

Smoker turned his head to the direction in which the voice came from, and saw,

"You are..."

There were two individuals—one skeleton and old-aged man to be more specific.

"Yohohoho! Greetings, my friends! I am Brook, and it is my pleasure to meet you!"

They were someone whom Smoker never expected to meet here, of all times.

"Call me Crocus. I live near the Twin Cape Lighthouse just down the Reverse Mountain."

He sighed as if not wanting to do this.

"If those idiotic friends of mine didn't ask, I wouldn't have done this. But..."

With eyes filled with complicated emotions, he spoke,

"I was the doctor of the Roger Pirates in the past. And I know,"

How to reach Laugh Tale.

From the back, Laboon, the Island Whale of gigantic size, happily swam by.