Chapter 342: The Recollection of the One Piece World (III)
[At the same time, on the execution grounds, you spotted Shanks, who had also come to witness the execution. He didn't see you — he was standing among the crowd with a red-nosed young man. Several other people also gave you a strong impression: one was a sharp-eyed young swordsman with a black blade on his back that reminded you of a hawk; another was a strange man with an onion-shaped head; another was a cloaked young man whose entire body was shrouded in a cape; and in one corner stood a young man wearing a flamboyant pink flamingo coat. They had all gathered here, perhaps to witness the fall of the previous Pirate King.]
[The moment the blade fell, you almost acted — truthfully, if you had, you might have been able to use your six-second time stop to snatch Roger from the execution platform. But there was no need for that. You simply watched the execution with a blank expression. Forget it — perhaps you should do something after all.]
[Directly across from the execution platform stood a clock tower. Behind you, a bluish-purple phantom spirit suddenly emerged, leaping high into the air until it reached the tower. It drew back its fist and struck the great bell with a resounding blow. The deep toll of the bell echoed across the plaza — a sound that marked the end of the old era, the beginning of the new, and your final farewell to your dearest friend.]
[DONG… The sudden, resonant bell startled the attending marines and threw the crowd into commotion. Before your eyes, a whirlwind erupted across the plaza, sending people tumbling in all directions. At the same time, threads wrapped around every marine's body, forcing them into absurd, puppet-like movements. Seizing the chaos, you patted Shanks on the shoulder and led them out of the area.]
[Through conversation, you learned that the red-nosed boy beside him was named Buggy — a trainee member of Roger's crew and a user of the Chop-Chop Fruit. "A Devil Fruit ability?" You immediately took note of the term, recalling the whirlwind and those sudden strings.]
[This power, like Haki, was entirely distinct from the Stand system. However, according to their explanation, anyone who eats a Devil Fruit becomes cursed by the sea, forever unable to swim — something utterly unacceptable for a marine biologist like you. But you couldn't help thinking: could your Stand eat a Devil Fruit in your place? After all, you knew that a Stand could interact with physical matter — and could even eat.]
[It was a good idea, but one that required testing. After all, the market price of an unknown Devil Fruit was at least 100 million Berries, and with your current shortage of funds, you couldn't afford one yet.]
[Not long after, Shanks formally invited you to join him — he was planning to form a pirate crew and carry on Roger's will through free adventure. Buggy immediately refused, saying he had his own dream: to find the world's greatest treasure. As for you, you said you'd think about it — perhaps after Ace was born, you'd decide.]
[On the other hand, Borsalino also invited you to join the Marines. In the midst of the great recruitment drive, you would at least have been given the rank of Headquarters Lieutenant Commander. But you refused.]
[In October of 1500, just as you had predicted, Roger's death inspired pirates all over the world to seek the One Piece. Thus began the Great Pirate Era! Even in the weakest of seas, the East Blue, four to five new pirate crews appeared overnight.]
[After gradually mastering Armament Haki, you tried swimming across the Calm Belt for the first time. Midway, you encountered a familiar figure — as soon as it saw you, it flinched and instinctively tried to flee. It was you again, Leopard-Head Godzilla! And once again, it was forced to serve as your steed, carrying you back to Baterilla Island in humiliation.]
[From October 1500 to January 1501, life remained relatively peaceful. After Borsalino left, a Marine named Rear Admiral Leander took over. To be honest, you didn't have a good impression of him — he even tried to withhold part of your bounty. Unforgivable.]
[The result? He got thoroughly beaten up. That's what happens when someone angers you. To avoid further trouble, you took Rouge and left Baterilla Island early, moving to a southern island in the South Blue called Trian Island to lie low.]
[The island wasn't populous, wasn't under the World Government's jurisdiction, and had no king. It was divided into four districts, each controlled by local gangs — meaning the Marines had no presence there.]
[Perhaps by coincidence, on your way to Trian Island, you defeated a pirate ship sailing from the South Blue to the East Blue — their biggest mistake was trying to rob you. Inside the cabin, you discovered a blue fruit with strange spiral patterns — a Devil Fruit, perhaps? You obtained an Epic Item: Unknown Devil Fruit ×1 (this item may change when acquired from the simulator).]
[You didn't feel particularly excited. After observing it closely for a while, you summoned Star Platinum and had it pick up the fruit and take a bite. Moments later, a golden-and-silver-white version of Star Platinum quietly emerged from the mist behind you. As expected, after consuming the Devil Fruit, Star Platinum had undergone an unprecedented evolution.]
[You named the fruit the Mist-Mist Fruit. It allowed partial vaporization of the body and could also generate a vast field of mist that trapped anyone within it — seemingly a rare Logia-type fruit. You hadn't yet named your Stand's new form, but it was now far more than just your original Stand.]
[After some research, you came to an understanding: once Star Platinum consumed the Devil Fruit, even your body received feedback from your Stand. You gained partial Mist-Mist abilities — your physical strength improved significantly, you could generate a small cloud of mist, and, importantly, you didn't lose the ability to swim. Experiment successful.]
[You were certain that with your enhanced Stand and the power of the Devil Fruit, if you were to face Roger again — though you'd still be inferior in Haki and combat skill — you could at least fight him on even terms.]
[On January 10, 1501, Rouge successfully gave birth to a baby boy on Trian Island. According to Roger's wish, he was named Ace — Gol D. Ace. Coincidentally, on the same day, your neighbor also gave birth to a red-haired boy named Kid — Eustass Kid. Perhaps he and Ace would make fine playmates one day.]
[After settling them in, you left Roger's Supreme Grade Sword "Ace" and his pistol "Jackson" behind, sincerely hoping that Ace would grow up healthy and happy with his mother.]
[Once you returned to Baterilla Island, you packed your belongings and decided to set sail for the Grand Line — it was about time to pursue your own dreams.]
[From the constant reports of the News Coo, you learned that Shanks had already made quite a name for himself on the Grand Line, while Buggy had formed a pirate crew in the East Blue with a bounty of five million Berries. As for you, your journey was only just beginning.]
[Over the past year, you had saved a decent amount of money and bought a ship for your voyage. But, as luck would have it, barely two minutes after setting sail, you ran into a large fleet — from their sails, you recognized them as Marine escort ships, guarding a luxury vessel departing from the Sorbet Kingdom. Upon spotting your ship, they opened fire without hesitation.]