Farewell, Roger Pirates

Things developed as Austin probably expected.

After returning from Laugh Tale, Roger was officially crowned "Pirate King."

Countless newspapers rushed to spread the news.

In an instant, the Roger Pirates, a crew of only thirty people, found themselves at the center of the world's attention.

Their status, along with that of crew members like Austin, soared. After all, they were the crew of the Pirate King, possessing [wealth], [fame], and [power].

Countless pirates came flocking, attempting to defeat Roger and claim the legendary Great Treasure.

Even the Marines were no exception, dispatching more elite fleets to hunt for the Roger Pirates across the seas.

And it was precisely at the peak of their fame and status, during an ordinary sunset, that all members of the Roger Pirates gathered on deck.

Captain Roger stood before them, smiling as he delivered his final speech.

"Looking back, it's truly magical. To have come this far despite my limited time left, I am eternally grateful to all of you!"

At his words, even the most serious member, Gaban, couldn't help but blush.

Roger's sudden seriousness made even Austin feel a bit awkward.

Looking at his many crew members, Roger was filled with relief, but there were still things that needed to be said.

He slowly let go of his smile.

"Well, I'm going to say it now."

Hearing this, everyone stood at attention, looking at the "Pirate King" who had accompanied them on their journey.

He smiled and announced to everyone, "Roger Pirates, disband!!!"

So, they've finally disbanded.

Austin felt a mix of emotion and reluctance.

Sailing past Fish-Man Island towards the Four Seas, their first destination was the South Blue. Roger would be the first to disembark there.

That night, the Roger Pirates held a banquet. After all, it was one less opportunity they'd have. Everyone celebrated to their heart's content.

Even if they wanted to sail slower, carried by the sea breeze, eventually, the Oro Jackson reached its destination.

The South Blue, Baterilla Island.

Roger, carrying a bag and medicine, disembarked.

Everyone cried profusely. Even Austin couldn't hold back, shedding a few silent tears.

"Goodbye, Captain Roger."

After the farewell, under Rayleigh's command, the crew continued their voyage towards the New World and Wano Country.

However, to everyone's surprise, the second person to disembark was not Oden.

It was Austin.

On the way to the New World, while coating their ship at Sabaody Archipelago, no one expected Austin to suddenly choose to disembark.

"Hey, Austin, why are you in such a hurry to get off? Why aren't you coming with me and Shanks..."

Hearing that Austin was leaving, Buggy cried the hardest, his snot almost getting on Austin.

Austin had his own reasons for this.

"I'm sorry, Buggy. I want to spend two years growing in Paradise before I officially start my travels. But don't worry, we'll see each other again soon.

My Observation Haki doesn't lie."

"What Observation Haki! Yours can only see thirty seconds into the future!"

Although Buggy said that, deep down, he was willing to respect Austin's wishes, and he cried again.

Austin, with his small bundle, some treasure, and his sword and spear, bid farewell to everyone.

Before leaving, he hesitated for a moment, then looked at Oden and gave him a reminder.

Not for his own sake, but for the sake of the year of camaraderie they shared on the ship, Austin felt compelled to warn him.

"Hey, Oden, strength is always the only way to solve problems. The cunning of pirates is far beyond your imagination."

"What are you suddenly talking about?"

Oden was confused, but Austin didn't explain further. He simply waved his hand and said goodbye to everyone.

After all, fundamentally, he didn't particularly like Oden. It was only out of goodwill and camaraderie that he offered this reminder.

Otherwise, the moment he met Momonosuke, he would have strangled that brat and thrown him into the sea.

Oden's death was his own choice, and Austin wouldn't interfere. However, he would definitely go to Wano Country to join in the fun later.

After all, he did things on a whim.

If he castrated Momonosuke then, he'd surely be a better general, right? Without desires, he could focus solely on state affairs.

Besides, the Kozuki Clan still had Hiyori for lineage.

He wouldn't be betraying Oden.

Austin thought with a wicked sense of humor, watching the Oro Jackson, which he'd stayed on for five years, slowly submerge on its way to Fish-Man Island.

"Farewell, Roger Pirates..."

"Blegh..."

Austin had thought he was mentally prepared, believing Devil Fruits might be truly disgusting, but he hadn't expected them to be this disgusting.

It was worse than old women's foot-binding cloths dipped in rotten eggs and then fermented for three days and nights.

Actually, Austin had originally planned to sandwich the Warp Fruit between slices of bread and swallow it whole, but he couldn't resist his curiosity.

After all, he'd only eat one in his lifetime.

After taking a bite, Austin stood by the roadside, retching into a trash can for a long time.

Then, he decisively swallowed the rest of the fruit whole.

Although it was a bit large, even Buggy managed it a few years ago, so Austin only needed a little effort to swallow the remaining flesh.

Even though there was no flesh left in his mouth, the soul-crushingly awful taste still made Austin's mouth feel awful.

Let's find a place to eat something.

Austin carried his luggage, traveling while simultaneously testing his abilities.

In a very short time, he had completely adapted to the Warp ability.

"Interesting."

Casually walking down the street, Austin moved like a phantom. One step, and his figure appeared dozens of meters away.

It had a certain artistic flair, reminiscent of Bad Handsome Yuan Tiangang.

However, Austin wasn't very familiar with Sabaody Archipelago. He hadn't explored it carefully on his previous visits.

Although Observation Haki provided terrain perception, he didn't remember which district was for what, despite the original work explaining it.

Turning left, then right, Finally, Austin stood before a brightly colored district, narrowing his eyes in silence.

Could this be fate's arrangement?

Looking at the men seeking pleasure and the flamboyant beauties inside, Austin knew what kind of place it was without guessing.

Especially with his Observation Haki sensing the "battles of beauties and beasts" in the rooms of the buildings lining the street, Austin exclaimed, "Awesome!"

Having stayed on Captain Roger's ship, filled with nothing but men, how could he have ever witnessed such a thing?

"Oh my, oh my, I didn't expect a distinguished figure like yourself to appear here."