Austin was startled by his own thoughts!
If he really thought about it from that angle, there were far too many possibilities to play with.
Not just them—Luffy, Zoro... Akainu, Aokiji...
Or if he let his thoughts wander to the older generation: Whitebeard, Garp, Rayleigh, Gaban...
Austin shuddered!
What a betrayal of master and ancestors.
Too perverse...
Austin did not dare let his imagination run wild anymore. He was afraid that if he kept thinking, he would eventually think of himself.
After desperately shaking all that filthy stuff out of his head, Austin finally cleared his mind a little.
No matter what happened to everyone else,
at least Crocodile should not get gender-swapped.
Austin quite liked her current appearance.
Having made up his mind, Austin's mischief-making spirit returned. How should he stop Crocodile from seeking Ivankov's help?
An idea slowly formed in his mind.
Perhaps noticing Austin's gaze, Crocodile, still a woman at this point, frowned with her lovely brows and shot him a glare.
But in Austin's eyes,
if she had been the male version, perhaps it would have had some intimidation behind it. But when such an icy beauty glared at him,
Austin only felt a wicked urge rise within him, an urge to toy with her fate.
Crocodile,
you are staying a woman.
Even Imu himself couldn't change that. I said so!
Fortunately, that little incident
did not cause any impact.
A few minutes later, waves of commotion came from the distant crowd. Through his Observation Haki, Austin once again clearly sensed that man's presence.
Step... step... step...
Accompanied by slow, powerful footsteps, everyone's attention was drawn over.
With two flag-bearing guards leading the way and two squads of guards escorting him, a bearded figure in a dark crimson captain's uniform slowly appeared, his hands shackled.
His steps were strong and steady, as though what awaited him was not death at all. His expression was calm and full of spirit.
"Captain Roger..."
The moment they saw that man, Buggy and Shanks both opened their mouths wide, their faces filled with excitement as they stared fixedly at that towering figure.
As they watched Captain Roger walk up the platform alone, step by step, tears and snot streamed uncontrollably down both their faces.
Even though they had prepared themselves,
the moment they saw him, overwhelming grief still instantly swallowed their hearts!
He was destined to be a great man.
Below the platform, even the most arrogant rookie pirates were awed by Roger's bearing when they saw him still smiling at the moment of his death, and silently watched him off.
And Austin?
He merely stood there in a daze,
his vacant eyes fixed on the figure seated atop the platform, about to be executed.
He had thought that when this famous scene, which he had seen countless times before, played out before him once more, he would be immune to it.
At the very least,
he would not be as heartbroken as Shanks and Buggy.
But...
Austin raised his hand and looked at the glistening drops falling onto his palm.
This was completely different from what he had expected, damn it...
"Hey, Austin, you'll catch a cold if you don't wear a shirt. Let's get off the ship and buy some clothes together."
"Hahaha, Austin understands me best. I told you drinking a little wouldn't hurt my body. Cough, cough, cough..."
"Want to coat your weapon with Armament Haki? I'll teach you. Watch closely."
"As expected of Austin! Let's throw a banquet to celebrate Austin's increased bounty!!!"
"...Thank you, Austin."
Scene after scene of memories played through his mind. Facing this parting of life and death, Austin felt both happy and sorrowful.
He was happy because Captain Roger was leaving in glory, for his own dream, without regret.
He was sorrowful because he would forever lose this respected captain, this teacher who had shown him such kindness.
Still wearing that smile that seemed as though it would never fade, Roger sat cross-legged atop the platform, with not the slightest fear of death in his eyes.
He looked like a true
victorious king!
Before the execution,
someone finally could not contain himself any longer and excitedly shouted that famous question:
"Pirate King! Where did you hide all the treasure you found?
You must have gotten it, right? That legendary Great Treasure, the one and only Great Treasure—
One Piece!!!"
"Silence!"
The executioner roared, but he still could not stop Roger's final words!
A wild smile hung on his face as his bold voice spread throughout the entire square.
Through the Den Den Mushi broadcasts, it even truly echoed across the whole world.
"Want my treasure? You can have all of it if you want it!
Go find it, on the Grand Line!
I left everything in this world there!!!"
After those words were spoken, the entire square fell into brief silence and shock.
No one even paid attention to the figure pierced through by the long blades, blood slowly flowing and spreading.
The entire world went mad, thrilled by the existence of the Great Treasure.
Amid the rampant ambitions and cheers of people setting out to sea, only three figures silently stared at the bowed head, their tears pouring like a broken dam.
Especially Austin, a remnant of the Old Era.
As someone who knew everything,
he did not care who would ultimately find Laugh Tale, nor who would possess the world's entire treasure.
He only knew
that this man who claimed to possess fame, wealth, status... even everything in the world,
actually left the ship with nothing but a small bundle when he finally disembarked. When he lived with Rouge, he had only one pair of trousers to change into, and he had worn his Captain's Hat for so many years without ever willing to replace it.
Captain Roger, you bastard...
Austin had once heard many people question Roger.
Some said that the Great Pirate Era he started had caused the number of pirates at sea to skyrocket, bringing harm to countless people.
But Austin, who had truly traveled around the world and seen countries of every kind, understood
that even if Captain Roger had not shouted those words, there would still have been countless wars and bandits in the world.
This was the result of eight hundred years of corrupt rule by the Celestial Dragons and the World Government, oppression by kings and nobles, opportunists stirring up chaos, and countless other factors combined.
On the contrary, beneath the chaos brought by the beginning of this Great Pirate Era, it would also guide forth someone capable of truly inheriting the will of Captain Roger and even Joy Boy, and eventually liberating the whole world.
Roger might not have been a good person in the traditional sense,
but he truly was a good captain, a real Hero.
And for Austin, understanding that was enough.
Just then,
dark clouds filled the sky.
As though the world itself mourned Roger's passing, a drizzling rain began to fall.
Shanks lowered his straw hat and cried silently. Buggy was far more uninhibited, his mouth wide open as he grieved for his captain, tears streaming down his face.
Austin slowly raised his head to the sky, staring fixedly at the dark clouds overhead.
The water continuously running down his face could no longer be told apart—whether it was tears or rain.
"Dark clouds? What kind of joke is this?!"
Anger flickered in his eyes, and his face was terrifyingly cold.
"Captain Roger's death was for his ideals and convictions. It was not something to mourn!"
His long hair stirred without wind as Austin slowly drew the long blade at his waist.
A massive amount of Conqueror's Haki surged forth as lightning, instantly causing panic and shock among the people present. Countless people looked uncertainly at the figure flashing with black-red lightning.
Buggy and Shanks also stared blankly at Austin.
"That sword... it belongs to Captain Roger..." Shanks recognized it.
Austin pointed his sword at the sky, like a man who had once stood against the world.
"Divine Departure!!!"
In an instant, beneath countless horrified gazes,
the sky...
split apart!
Strands of sunlight fell once more,
illuminating that figure who departed with a smile,
and bathing him in golden splendor.
Before you continue