"Sure enough, changing history wasn't that simple."
Austin crouched beside Buggy, whose entire body was flushed red, and shook his head regretfully.
Even though he had consciously reminded Buggy to watch his diet, stay healthy, and exercise, as the voyage neared its end,
Buggy still fell ill, disappointing everyone.
Austin could do nothing about it. He couldn't exactly force Buggy to continue traveling with them while risking his life.
And just like in the original storyline, Shanks volunteered to stay behind and take care of Buggy.
Austin also knew that as long as Buggy didn't insist on landing, he would recover after resting on the island for a few days, so he wasn't overly worried.
After bidding farewell to Shanks, Austin knew the final moment was about to arrive. His newbie protection period was about to end.
So during those days, he sought out Gaban and Rayleigh more and more frequently, learning as much as he could to build up the capital he would need to roam the seas in the future.
If he hadn't been worried that fighting Roger again before reaching Laugh Tale might send him off early, Austin would even have wanted to properly fight a powerhouse like Roger.
That way, he wouldn't be beaten to death, and he could clearly see the gap between himself and the pinnacle of the world.
Unfortunately, there was no chance.
Once Uncle Gaban finished drawing the map, Austin looked at the island marked "Final Island" along their route, and his heart could not help but race with excitement.
They set foot on the island.
Austin walked forward with all the crew members, while Roger led the way at the front.
But after looking around for a while, everyone burst into laughter. "Looks like we came too early after all!"
Austin had plenty of guesses in his heart, but once he saw its true form, he too smiled knowingly.
"So this is One Piece, you old thief Oda."
The ship slowly departed Laugh Tale. Austin sat at the stern, holding something resembling a bracelet in his hand.
Several glass beads were embedded in it, with three needles inside them.
Roger stood by the ship's side, quietly watching the island grow farther and farther away.
"Captain, you don't mind if I record a pointer, right?"
Austin had no intention of sneaking around. He openly looked at Roger, who was sighing beside him.
Austin had already prepared himself to be refused, but unexpectedly, Captain Roger had no objection.
"Sure, but you won't let this thing spread around casually, right, Austin?"
"Just keeping it as a memento." Austin smiled.
Just as they had laughed and chatted on the way there, everyone continued drinking and talking happily on the return voyage. None of the crew was troubled by the end of their journey.
Yet Austin felt somewhat stifled inside.
Because he knew
the day of parting was about to arrive.
Lying silently against the ship's rail, Austin boredly tossed the Eternal Record Pointer in his hand into the air, caught it, tossed it again, and caught it again.
Gaban noticed his gloom. With a newspaper in his left hand and a bottle of liquor in his right, he slowly walked over.
"Austin, want a bottle?"
Looking at Uncle Gaban's outstretched hand, Austin, who normally never liked drinking, froze for a moment. Rarely, he accepted it and clinked bottles with him.
"...So bitter."
"A man of the sea has to drink to show his bold spirit!"
"I don't get it..."
Although Austin said that, he still clinked bottles with Gaban again.
The two of them nearly drained a bottle in just a few gulps. Gaban casually tossed the bottle into the sea, then handed Austin a small slip of paper.
"Here, this is my Vivre Card."
"Huh?"
"If you change your mind someday and come to appreciate how good liquor tastes, you can come find me and drink with me."
"Then you might never see that day."
Austin smiled. He hadn't expected that, so close to their parting, Gaban—usually one of the few strict parental figures aboard the Roger Pirates, always known for his seriousness—had such a sentimental side.
Still, Austin was more than happy about it. If he had time in the future, he could go visit Uncle Gaban for fun.
After all, he wanted to properly explore Elbaf, and incidentally see how Gaban had tamed a wild Giantess.
And Uncle Gaban had even managed to leave behind a giant child. Austin had no idea how he did it.
Could it be that he climbed inside her body?
Austin's heart itched with curiosity.
Elbaf was a place Austin definitely had to visit.
The round trip took around ten days.
As they neared their destination, Austin stood at the bow, watching the island gradually emerge in the distance. Oden, Rayleigh, and Roger stood beside him.
Compared to Roger's height of 2.7 meters, Austin was barely any taller than a little kid.
"Austin, do you remember what you said when you came aboard?" Rayleigh slowly asked as he looked into the distance.
"Of course I do." Naturally, Austin hadn't forgotten, even if he had said it deliberately just to hitch a ride on the ship.
"Actually, I once said the same thing to Rayleigh. By all rights, you should be the one most capable of inheriting my will.
"But I always felt that you wouldn't be the kind of man who followed the arrangements of fate, Austin."
Roger smiled and rubbed Austin's head, though the meaning behind his words was rather thought-provoking.
Austin did not deny it. He merely nodded in silence.
"I'm a good judge of people. That's why I left Shanks and Buggy behind but took you with me, Austin. You aren't the person this world is waiting for.
"And your talent and strength remind me of someone—a man even I had to be wary of, the former overlord of the seas—Rocks.
"So, consider it doing me a favor, Austin.
"Leave the future of the world to [Hope], just like what we saw on Laugh Tale."
Austin had not expected Captain Roger, who had always been so carefree, to have such thoughts hidden beneath the surface.
The world's "hope"?
Thinking of the New Era Captain Roger would soon purchase with his life, Austin fell silent for a long time.
"I understand, Captain. I promise you."
To be honest, he had never considered supporting the World Government's rule over the world, but he was equally uninterested in overthrowing the old world.
All he wanted was absolute strength, the freedom to do what he liked, and to live in this world as he pleased, unbound by any rules or power.
He lived only for himself, doing whatever made him happy.
In other words, his shoulders truly could not bear the heavy responsibility this world had bestowed upon him, and he would never use his life to push history forward.
After hearing Austin agree, Roger was delighted, as though a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart. He turned and began chatting with Rayleigh about their younger days.
Before they knew it, the ship had docked.
From afar, Austin saw the excited Shanks, who then turned around and called Buggy out as well.
The two were overjoyed. Buggy rushed over and threw an arm around Austin's shoulders, and everyone happily chatted together.
But before long, Shanks, who had been talking with Roger, suddenly began to cry, breaking the atmosphere of their reunion.
Austin did not listen to what the two were saying, but he could roughly guess.
Roger had probably already told him that the Roger Pirates were about to disband.
Before you continue