Chapter 341: The Recollection of the One Piece World (II)
[It wasn't until you personally experienced the power of Haki that you realized Roger's true strength.]
[It wasn't as if you'd never fought him before. Even though he couldn't see your Stand, before you could activate its ability, he would always sense the Stand's movement ahead of time using Observation Haki. Even when you stopped time, he could promptly coat his entire body with Armament Haki to defend himself. Even with its overwhelming offensive power that surpassed most Stands—invincible Star Platinum still couldn't do much against him.]
[You had to admit you underestimated him. Someone like him couldn't possibly be an unknown figure in this world.]
[March 29, Year 1500 — a young boy visited Roger. Roger was delighted and pulled you along to throw a banquet. The boy's name was Shanks. His bright red hair stood out, and he wore a straw hat on his head. Roger laughed as he told you that he had entrusted his hopes for the future to this boy. Perhaps, before long, you would hear his name resounding across the seas.]
[Shanks's personality was somewhat similar to Roger's—bold, generous, carefree, and loyal to a fault. After a few rounds of drinks, the three of you began talking about your dreams. Roger said his dream had already been fulfilled, and that he now suffered from an incurable illness. His greatest wish was simply to spend the rest of his days peacefully with his wife and child. Shanks said he loved the sea and longed for freedom, dreaming of becoming a free pirate with his crewmates. As for you—you wanted to see the All Blue, the sea where every fish in the world gathered, and if possible, return to your homeland.]
[March 30, Year 1500 — after waking from your hangover the next day, Shanks was already gone. Apparently, you'd promised him something while drunk. Ah, right—you'd agreed to sail out to sea with him! Well, you could think about it later. If you didn't feel like it, no one could force you. You were once a delinquent, after all—the kind who'd refuse to pay for food if you thought it wasn't worth the price.]
[April 2, Year 1500 — you found your first job in this world: a bounty hunter. You began hunting down heinous pirates. Because of this line of work, you met a young Marine major stationed at the South Sea G-178 base named Borsalino. He followed a philosophy of "ambiguous justice." He was strong and got along well with you—at least he never tried to embezzle your bounty rewards.]
[Due to the tyrannical rule of the current king, "Tyrant" Bartholomew Kuma, many of his citizens had turned to piracy, wreaking havoc on the surrounding islands. A bit farther away lay another nation—the Torino Kingdom—rumored to be a place where birds enslaved humans. Pirates there were rampant as well.]
[From April 3 to July 17, Year 1500 — during these months, with Roger's guidance and your own battle experience, you had fully mastered Observation and Armament Haki, faintly returning to your peak state at age seventeen.]
[Since your Stand was the manifestation of your "spiritual energy," your growing strength enhanced Star Platinum's destructive power, precision, speed, and time-stopping ability. And this seemed to be only the beginning. On July 17, you even managed to defeat Roger for the first time by stopping time—but perhaps due to his illness, you could tell his power had noticeably declined.]
[July 19, Year 1500 — early in the morning, Roger came to see you, looking far more haggard than before. With a solemn expression, he told you the truth—that he was once the Pirate King, and that his illness had reached its final stage. He didn't have long to live. In his remaining days, he intended to stake his life on the future. Earlier, he had told you that his dream was to spend his last years peacefully with his wife and child. That was true—but not the whole truth. He had another dream: to ensure that the will passed down through generations would transcend the flow of time and continue forever. As long as dreams endured, he said, he would never truly die.]
[In his speech, Roger mentioned something called the "Will of D," though he didn't elaborate. You didn't know exactly what he planned to do, but you didn't stop him—because a person's dream should never be stifled. That, too, was a kind of Golden Spirit.]
[Before leaving, Roger entrusted you with his sword and pistol, saying he would no longer need them. He then set off alone on a small boat. Though you weren't skilled with either weapon, you carefully preserved them. You obtained Epic Equipment: Supreme Grade Sword – ACE. You obtained Epic Equipment: JACKSON. You obtained the Achievement: Heart of Gun and Blade.]
[From July 20 to August 20, Year 1500 — after Roger's departure, you continued your life as a pirate hunter. Even though Roger never asked you to look after Rouge, you still checked on her from time to time during her pregnancy. As for the pirates who trampled on the weak for their own gain, you showed them no mercy—some you killed, others you captured and handed over to the Marines. Because of your remarkable record and your distinctive white coat, you gained a new title: the White Hunter.]
[The only pirate who ever escaped you during those months was a young man with messy black hair passing through the area. His name was Marshall D. Teach, with a bounty of 17 million Berries. Perhaps because of the "D" in his name, you remembered him vividly.]
[August 22, Year 1500 — you read a report from a News Coo: the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, had been captured by the Marine hero Garp, and would be executed in his birthplace, Loguetown, on September 3, Year 1500. You couldn't help but feel a faint shock.]
[August 23, Year 1500 — you boarded a Navy ship bound for Loguetown. Borsalino, recently promoted to Vice Admiral, would be traveling aboard the same vessel to oversee potential riots at the execution and then return to Marine Headquarters to report. As one of your few friends in this world, you decided to accompany him—to see Roger off on his final journey.]
[Due to the strange geography of this world, the seas are divided into four regions—East, West, North, and South—by the Red Line and the Grand Line, which intersect almost perpendicularly. At their two junctions lie Reverse Mountain and the Holy Land Mary Geoise, the headquarters of the World Government. On both sides of the Grand Line stretch the Calm Belts, home to enormous Sea Kings that actively attack passing ships. With no wind for sails, only Navy vessels lined with seastone could safely pass through.]
[To reach the East Blue from the South Blue, one could either sail directly through the Calm Belt aboard a Navy ship, apply for permission from the World Government to cross the Red Line, or—if strong enough—simply swim across. Travel was incredibly inconvenient.]
[Along the way, you saw countless Sea Kings—most larger than the one you'd fought before—but thanks to the seastone, they ignored the ship entirely. After nine long days at sea, you finally arrived at the East Blue and entered Loguetown.]
[September 3, Year 1500 — you stood beneath the execution platform, witnessing Roger's final moments with your own eyes. Roger saw you too and flashed a wide, fearless smile.]
[The square below the platform was filled with people—some crying, some laughing, some trembling with excitement. Then, with one sentence, Roger ignited the crowd into chaos: "You want my treasure? You can have it! Go find it! I left everything the world has to offer... all in that place!" As the official countdown to the execution began, you fell silent, pulling your hat low over your eyes.]
[As his friend, you couldn't judge whether what he did was right or wrong. You had seen firsthand the devastation pirates could bring. Though some, like Roger, were adventurers and dreamers, many others were like Dio Brando—those who trampled on the lives of the weak without remorse.]
[In a way, Roger's final words would undoubtedly usher in a new era—an era led by pirates.]