Before Dawn

Stepping out of the Room of Authority, the entire corridor of Mary Geoise began to crumble one after another.

Grotesque cracks spread wildly downwards from the dome, twisting and deforming the sturdy stone window frames. A single pane of glass shattered with a deafening crash, shards scattering across the floor, leaving a long, sharp trail of broken glass on either side of the corridor. The sounds of crumbling bricks and stones echoed incessantly, sometimes punctuated by three even, muffled thuds, sometimes by a long, rumbling collapse. This Royal City, which had enslaved the sea for eight hundred years, seemed to be using its last strength to push the group out of its decaying cage.

The Whitebeard walked behind Lin Yuan, the tip of his giant Naginata constantly scraping against the gravel, carving new marks on the bluestone slabs. The bandages wrapped around his shoulder were already soaked with blood, dark red bloodstains seeping into his outer garment along the lower edge of the cloth, spreading a large damp patch on the dark fabric. His steps grew heavier with each step, yet he never stopped, nor did he lift the blade off the ground, letting the tip drag along.

Closely following behind was Kaido, whose dragon scales had all fallen away, leaving his bare skin covered in wounds of varying depths. Blood dripped continuously from these wounds, leaving intermittent bloodstains on the ground. His strides grew shorter and shorter, and the gaps between the bloodstains gradually widened. The tearing of his wounds brought excruciating pain, yet he maintained his pace without the slightest sign of panic or slowing down.

Rocks walked behind Kaido, his coat hem covered in dust, but it did not affect his steady steps at all. Golden Lion hovered in the air behind him, his feet always a hand's width off the ground, his body slightly tilted, nimbly dodging the falling rubble and tiles above, without even the hem of his clothes being grazed by the falling rocks.

Big Mom was in the middle of the group, her heavy breathing rising and falling, but she never slowed down, nor did she look back at the collapsing corridor behind her. She only wanted to leave this dilapidated Royal City as soon as possible.

Lin Yuan led the way, his longsword already sheathed. His left hand gripped Roger's sword tightly, the tip dragging along the ground, leaving a shallow scratch. Two swords hung side by side at his waist: one his own, the cloth wrapped around its hilt stained with blood; the other Roger's sword, its scabbard more slender, the blade still retaining the warm afterglow of dissipated Conqueror's Haki.

At the end of the corridor stood the magnificent main gate of Mary Geoise. The once tightly closed gate had been smashed open, not by human force, but by the impact of the Rocks Pirates' ship. The gate was tilted to both sides, leaving a gap wide enough for two people to pass side by side, with layers of wood chips piled around the threshold. A white light poured in from outside, not the Noon sun, but the dawn light, slowly rising from the sea level of the Red Line, carrying the faint warmth unique to dawn.

As Lin Yuan stepped out the door, the cold morning light instantly enveloped him. The white light spread from his shoulders to his waist, like a thin film that had not yet warmed up, mixed with the lingering chill of the night, yet bearing the weight of the arrival of a new era.

The forecourt was covered in pebbles and dust, the stone steps gleaming with a cold, gray light in the dawn. Allied soldiers were slowly converging on the main gate: Marco and Jozu hurried from the right-hand passageway, Rayleigh walked slowly along the left-hand steps, Katakuri, with his children, gathered from the rear highlands. There was no unified command, no shouting; they simply followed the path they had come from, meeting spontaneously at the main gate of Mary Geoise.

Lin Yuan descended the steps, the stone steps beneath his feet covered with gravel and dust. The soles of his boots rolled over the gravel, making a sharp, screeching sound, the ground sometimes hard and sometimes soft. He stopped abruptly halfway down the steps.

It wasn't that he was physically exhausted and needed to rest, but rather that the sight on the sea had captivated his gaze.

Dawn broke over the seas at the foot of Mary Geoise. The gray sky gradually melted into a pale gold, spreading golden light across the entire sea. The clouds on the horizon were illuminated from below by the rising sun, drawing a long arc from dark to light. Outside the harbor, the Allied fleet was quietly anchored in an arc formation, all sails furled, clearly having waited there for a long time.

Among the fleet, one warship stood out as an anomaly. This warship was smaller than the pirate ships, and its cannons were pointed to both sides, neither aimed at Mary Geoise Royal City nor at the surrounding pirate fleet. A two-meter-wide neutral zone was left between the two cannon fire ranges.

Garp stood alone at the bow, having removed his navy cloak and wearing only a simple white uniform. His hands firmly gripped the gunwale, his gaze fixed on the direction of the Royal City on the Red Line, unwavering for a long time. The navy sailors on deck were calm; some were bending over to arrange ropes, others were mopping the deck, their every movement relaxed and unhurried, showing no signs of pre-battle tension. Clearly, they had been stationed there for some time, quietly awaiting the end of the battle.

Lin Yuan descended the last stone step, crossed the rubble-strewn front courtyard, and headed straight for the harbor shore.

The two stood facing each other, ten meters apart. Garp, still leaning on the gunwale, met Lin Yuan's gaze in the morning light and spoke first, his tone flat and emotionless. "Imu is dead?"

"Dead."

What about the Five Elders?

"They were all executed."

Garp was silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh, "So, the World Government, which has existed for eight hundred years, has collapsed."

"That's right. The old era is completely over."

Garp traced the grain of the wood on the ship's hull with his fingertips, continuing to press, "You've won this great war, what are your plans next? Will you dismantle Mary Geoise, the Royal City, or rebuild a new ruling regime?"

A salty sea breeze blew in his face, carrying the unique scent of the rising sun and the sea. Lin Yuan stood at the edge of the harbor and gently shook his head.

"The Royal City will not be demolished, nor will we establish a new centralized regime. The era of the Celestial Dragons has come to an end. There's no need to completely raze this magnificent building to the ground, letting time turn it into forgotten ruins. From now on Mary Geoise will only be an ordinary building, never again Holy Land for nobles' enjoyment, and certainly not a second World Government."

After speaking, he looked up at the people on the warship. "What are the Navy's plans for the future?"

Garp didn't answer directly, but turned and shouted towards the cabin, "Sengoku, you go and explain things to him!"

Sengoku lifted the curtain and stepped out of the cabin. He was still wearing his navy overcoat, but the epaulets that signified high-ranking authority had been removed. He walked slowly to the ship's side and looked solemnly at Lin Yuan on the shore.

"The Fleet Admiral Kong has ordered the entire navy to cease hostilities across all fronts. This order is merely a ceasefire, not a surrender or a hasty retreat. Now that Imu and the Five Elders have all been annihilated, we have no reason to continue the war. I came here personally to confirm that the situation has completely stabilized."

"Have you finished confirming?"

After a few seconds of silence, Zhan Sengoku nodded solemnly. "The situation is settled; the war must end here."

Garp breathed a sigh of relief, shifted his weight to his left leg, casually pulled a bag of senbei from his pocket, and took a big bite. The crisp chewing sound was particularly clear in the sea breeze.

Now that the war is over, what kind of framework do you plan to establish next?

"To establish a new order." Lin Yuan gripped the twin swords at his waist, his tone resolute. "However, I won't be the only one in power."

"So who ultimately makes the decision?"

"All the strong who yearn for freedom and are willing to sit down and negotiate come together to establish the rules of the sea."

Garp stuffed the remaining senbei into his mouth and vigorously clapped the crumbs off his hands.

"Then you two can discuss it slowly. I've been busy for so many days, I need to go back and get a good night's sleep."

He turned and walked toward the cabin, his steps faltering, his back straight, never looking back. His voice drifted lightly on the sea breeze. "Where's Roger? Is he still in the Royal City?"

Lin Yuan gripped his sword tightly, his knuckles tense before slowly relaxing.

"He has chosen to remain in the Room of Authority and will not emerge again."

"Will you never come out again...?"

Garp stood there for a long time, his right hand gripping the cabin door frame tightly, his knuckles white, before finally letting go. These few words crushed the last glimmer of hope in this tough man's heart. He walked into the cabin without a word. The wooden door was not completely closed, leaving a narrow crack. A ray of morning light pierced through the crack, casting a golden line in the dark cabin.

Sengoku remained on the ship's railing, his gaze lingering on Roger's sword at Lin Yuan's waist for a moment, without asking any further questions about Roger. He then stepped into the cabin, turning his head slightly as he entered and speaking softly.

"You plan to keep this sword forever?"

I will take good care of it.

"Then keep it safe."

The hatch slammed shut. The warship slowly turned around, the dawn sunlight casting a long, narrow shadow along its side, stretching all the way to the stone steps of the harbor. The three Marine warships turned together and slowly sailed away into the open sea, their sterns churning up white spray as their wakes gradually merged into the golden surface of the sea. The silhouettes of the ships shrank from large to small, finally becoming three insignificant black dots on the horizon, disappearing completely into the light.

Lin Yuan stood quietly on the shore, gazing for a long time in the direction the warship had departed. The sea breeze brushed against the hilt of his sword, and the two longswords at his waist were pressed tightly together, their sheaths touching, forming a straight silhouette in the morning light, steady and still, without swaying in the slightest.

Pirates from all directions gradually gathered at the port.

Whitebeard descended the steps, his Naginata resting on his shoulder, the dark bloodstains on his shoulder appearing even more so in the sunlight. Kaido followed closely behind, his Iron Club braced against the ground, his steps slowed yet still as steady as a rock. Rocks walked in the middle of the group, completely unconcerned about the dust covering him, his steps always steady and composed. Golden Lion continued to float in the air, maintaining a height of one hand above the ground. Charlotte Big Mom brought up the rear of the group, her breathing still heavy, but she didn't stop for a moment.

Marco, Jozu, Rayleigh, Katakuri arrived at the shore one after another, and everyone stood silently in a circle, no one speaking.

The waves crashed against the stone steps of the dock again and again, the splashing water reflecting the rising sun and creating tiny specks of light. The golden morning light shone on every war-torn face, outlining a bright silhouette for everyone.

Looking up at the tallest flagpole in Mary Geoise, the World Government's flag was slowly falling. No one had cut the rope; it was simply broken by itself due to years of wear and tear. The flag tumbled and fluttered in mid-air before crashing heavily onto the dusty plaza, never to rise again.

Lin Yuan looked down at Roger's sword beside him and uttered a sentence softly.

"It's all finally over."

(End of Chapter 121)