Aftershocks of the Lion's Fall, the Float-Float Fruit!

"Boom--!"

High in the sky, the enormous rock sphere vanished into the distance under Roy's power, silently sinking into the deepest part of the ocean.

As the turbulence gradually subsided and the gale dissipated, sunlight shone again from the sky, and the sea returned to calm.

On the Warship, everyone gazed at the sky, speechless for a long time.

"It's... it's over...?"

Usopp's voice trembled; he was still reeling from the aftershocks of the battle.

Smoker took a deep breath, his Cigar trembling between his fingers, ash falling everywhere. "Ah... it's over."

As soon as he finished speaking, a ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting golden rays onto the sea and illuminating the Warships and the faces of the people on board.

"Whoosh!"

Roy's figure appeared silently at the front of the deck, his expression calm, like God of War descending from the sky.

He glanced around, observing the awe, reverence, or contemplation in the crowd's eyes, and a faint smile appeared on his face:

"Let's go... it's time to go back."

Loguetown - Marine Branch Harbor

"Whoosh!"

After a spatial tremor, the entire Warship instantly appeared at the Harbor of Loguetown!

Upon setting foot on familiar ground, all the naval soldiers remained in a daze, as if their souls were still lingering on the Battlefield thousands of meters in the air.

Smoker immediately composed himself, turned around and strode towards the communications room to report the battle situation to Fleet Admiral Sengoku.

Zoro, Kuina, Sanji, Usopp, and the others remained at the pier, silently gazing at the distant horizon where the azure sea met the sky.

They experienced the overwhelming Impact of Conqueror's Haki and witnessed the fall of the strongest warriors of the old era...

At this moment, only one thought remained in their minds:

This is the world of the strongest.

"We... we're still a long way off..." Zoro murmured, his clenched fist trembling slightly from the force.

"One day..." Kuina's gaze was resolute, "We too will stand high in the sky."

Sanji put his hands in his pockets, slowly exhaled a long puff of smoke, and said in a low voice, "Let's go. The road to becoming stronger is still long."

East Blue · Dawn Island

As the sun set, Roy's figure quietly appeared in front of the familiar cottage.

He pushed open the door and entered, greeting with a smile, "Dad, Mom, I'm home."

"Oops!!"

Airin greeted her with delight, then frowned and looked around. "Why are you alone? Where are Ace and Luffy?"

"Those two brats," Roy chuckled, taking off his coat and hanging it up, "Are busy with their own lives now; they don't have time to come back and slack off."

"Ace trained under Admiral Sakazuki in the New World, while Luffy stayed at the G-3 Branch for intensive training."

"They're all racing towards their 'dreams' right now..."

As Rock ground the old teapot, he snorted, "They've finally turned over a new leaf, otherwise I'd kick them all back home to farm."

Airin laughed and patted him on the shoulder, "You're always so stubborn."

The family sat down to eat; the food was simple, but it was more comforting than any lavish feast.

After the meal, Roy took a briefcase from his coat and gently placed it on the table. "This contains Vegapunk's latest research—a complete nutritional conditioning factor, a cell repair and enhancement fluid, and a sleeping pill to regulate nerve fatigue."

"You guys, just eat on time, don't try to skimp on meals."

"You brought back so much random stuff again..." Rock complained, but his eyes were full of gratitude.

Airin put the box away and asked softly, "This time you're back... can you stay a few more days?"

Roy looked up at the night view outside the window, remained silent for a moment, and then stood up.

"It's too chaotic outside right now; there are many things waiting for me to handle."

He reached out and gently ruffled his mother's hair, a warm smile appearing on his face.

"Don't worry, I'll come back often."

The next second, space distorted, and Roy's figure vanished silently in the night wind.

The room was still warmly lit, and the tea on the table was still warm, but two elderly people were now quietly gazing out the window, their eyes filled with reassurance, concern, and boundless pride.

The following day, news of Shiki the Golden Lion's defeat and death, along with the latest issue of the World Economy News Paper, dropped like a bombshell across the world's major seas.

But in the chaotic Battlefield of the New World, most Pirates have no time to pay attention.

They remained engrossed in a frenzied massacre and struggle, vying for the territory and remnants of Whitebeard's power.

Cannons roared, and Pirate corpses littered the ground.

Every inch of the sea, every island, is stained with the marks of blood and iron.

In such a world, "order" has long become a joke; only power can become the rule.

But some people fell completely silent after seeing the shocking headlines in the newspapers.

New World - Whitebeard Remnants Outpost

"Bang--!"

The newspaper was slammed heavily onto the table, and the thick wooden table instantly cracked into a spiderweb pattern, sending wood chips flying everywhere!

"Diamond" Jozu's face was flushed, his breathing was rapid, and his strong fists were firmly embedded in the table.

"Blamenco... Rakuyo... Blenheim... Namur..."

He read the names aloud, word by word, his voice trembling with anger:

"They're all... dead?!"

Vista stood beside him, holding the newspaper in both hands, his knuckles white from the effort, the paper already crumpled and soaked with sweat.

"Those four... went to seek help from the Golden Lion..."

"But in the end, they were buried together with the Golden Lion... at an altitude of ten thousand meters..."

He slowly closed his eyes, the corners of his eyes bloodshot and filled with tears.

Jozu struggled to calm himself, looked up at the horizon, and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Brother Marco is still in the Navy's hands..."

"What... should we do now?"

After a long silence, Vista finally gritted his teeth and said, "Defend the last territory left by Pops."

"Once you recover, we'll go together and bring Marco back!!"

Their fists clenched, and a fierce fire reignited in their eyes.

Wano Country - Onigashima

"Ororo!!"

Kaido tilted his head back and drank the entire jar of strong liquor in one gulp. Dragon scales faintly appeared under his arms, and the smell of alcohol mixed with the restlessness of battle intent!

He smashed the wine jar, grinning maliciously. "That old madman Shiki... actually fell to Roy's hands?"

"Back in the day, he was the one who stole the headlines from me and Whitebeard!"

Jin stood quietly to the side, his gaze grave. "Roy... has he become this strong?"

Kaido sneered, a dark and ambiguous emotion flashing across his eyes. "Hmph... another remnant of the old era is gone."

He looked up at the raging sky, his brow furrowed slightly.

Totto Land of Whole Cake Island

"Mama--!"

Charlotte Linlin was stuffing a huge cake into her mouth, with frosting stuck to her chin.

Her smile froze instantly when she saw the news headline handed to her by her subordinate.

"Shiki... also lost?!"

She suddenly crushed the cake in her hand, sending sugar shards flying!

"That madman... he was someone I didn't dare underestimate back then!!"

Katakuri, standing to the side, said slowly with a solemn expression, "Mom, Golden Lion's fighting strength... even you have to take it seriously."

"And Roy almost single-handedly ended that battle."

"His power... has probably already surpassed that of the 'Four Emperors'."

Charlotte Linlin stared at the photograph in the newspaper for a long time, her eyes deep and unfathomable.

Finally, she licked her lips, her laughter low and menacing. "Well... this ocean is really about to change..."

Marine Headquarters Marineford

"Whoosh--!"

With a spatial distortion, Roy's figure appeared first on the dock, followed closely by Kuina, Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp.

Zephyr had been waiting for a long time at the dock, standing upright with his hands behind his back.

But when he saw Roy return safely, a barely suppressed look of relief flashed across his eyes.

Roy led Sanji and Usopp to Zephyr and said softly, "These two brats have very different personalities, but they have great potential... I hope you will personally train them, Master."

Zephyr glanced at the two of them and said in a deep voice with a smile, "Since they are people you brought, they must... become worthy of you."

Sanji and Usopp instinctively straightened up, not daring to be negligent.

With a flicker of his eyes, Roy turned around and vanished from the spot in Teleportation.

The next second, his figure quietly appeared in the Marine Headquarters Fleet Admiral's Office at the Navy Headquarters.

Behind his desk, Sengoku sat upright, his expression solemn. The room was so quiet that even the ticking of the clock was exceptionally clear.

Seeing Roy return, Sengoku slowly stood up and looked at him intently. "You've worked hard, Roy."

Roy nodded slightly, stepped forward, reached into his pocket, and slowly took out a box wrapped in velvet cloth, gently placing it on the table.

He lifted the lid.

A strange fruit, emitting a faint glow, as if still containing the power of the sky.

Sengoku period: His pupils contracted sharply, his voice low and filled with shock.

"This is... the Float-Float Fruit."

He raised his hand to touch it, and his fingertips could almost feel the oppressive force and buoyancy lurking within.

After a moment of silence, Sengoku's tone turned solemn and he slowly revealed the true terrifying aspect of this fruit:

"The Float-Float Fruit grants the user two stages of abilities."

"First, levitation. The user can completely defy gravity, fly freely, ignore climate, ocean, and temperature, and has virtually no time or space limitations."

Second, object manipulation. Any non-living object can be made to levitate simply by touching it.

Furthermore, this state can persist until the user loses consciousness, and there are no weight restrictions!

"These floating objects can even be reshaped for use in combat."

He spoke faster, his tone growing increasingly somber. "Like the earth and rocks ripped from the surface, sculpted into the shape of a lion's head Impact; or triggering hurricanes and snowstorms, forming a natural-level energy attack."

"Even..." Sengoku whispered, "The devastating Impact of the fall once severely damaged Marineford."

He paused, looking at Roy with a meticulous gaze:

"Shiki once used this ability to guide the eruption of rock layers from an underwater volcano, creating a controllable cluster of Floating Islands, carrying a large number of Pirates and hovering them at an altitude of ten thousand meters for extended periods."

You should know what this means.

After a long silence, Sengoku slowly sat down, placed his hand beside the Float-Float Fruit, and whispered:

"This fruit is comparable to the trump card of a Four Emperors)."

He raised his eyes, sharp as an eagle's.

"So, Roy."

"Who do you plan to give it to?"