The morning after the fall of Lord Kaelen, the city of Oakhaven was not the same. The air felt charged, not with the oppressive Qi of the City Lord, but with something lighter, more chaotic—the scent of sea salt and freedom.
Inside the bookstore, Ray sat at his desk, the golden quill moving with a life of its own. On the parchment, the execution platform of Loguetown began to take shape.
[Ding!]
[Synchronization with World Lore: 40%]
[New Environment Manifesting: The Tavern of Gold.]
"Ray," Elder Lu whispered, his voice trembling as he held the latest chapter of One Piece. "This man... Gold Roger. He smiled at his death? There is no Qi in him, no Dao, yet his words... they feel like a Divine Decree that can shatter the heavens."
Ray didn't look up. "He didn't need Qi, Elder. He had a dream. In your world, you cultivate to live forever. In his world, they live so that their dreams never die."
Suddenly, the shop's door creaked open. A man in silver-plated armor, bearing the crest of the Imperial Inquisition, stepped in. The atmosphere froze. The Capital had arrived.