In the distance, in a corner where Kureha drinks alone.
Shakky walked slowly to her side.
Shakky snatched the drink from Kureha's hand, took a big gulp, and then said with a smile.
Have a cigarette.
As soon as she finished speaking, she took a cigarette out of her pocket and tossed it to Kureha.
Kureha took the tobacco and lit it leisurely. As the smoke rose, it blended with the Sakura blossom-colored snowflakes all around.
Kureha then put the cigarette in her mouth.
"What an unrealistic beauty..."
She took a long drag of her cigarette, then looked up at the sky, remaining motionless.
Looking at Kureha beside her, Shakky gently pursed her lips.
"Sometimes, I also feel sad when I'm alone."
Although Rayleigh is still lively and energetic, he is already seventy-three years old.
How many more decades does he have left?
How long will it take before I completely lose him?
How am I supposed to face my future after losing him?
"Will I still be alive like I am now by then?"
At this point, Shakky finished the wine in the bottle, then stuck the bottle into the snow beside her, covered it with snow, and sculpted a simple little snowman.
In the silent stillness, pink snowflakes gradually covered the snowman, transforming the previously somewhat ugly snowman into an adorable creature.
And Kureha.
She slowly exhaled smoke rings, then said casually.
Even without that person who cherishes you, you can still live. At worst, you can just live like me...
Although I always feel like something's missing from this kind of life, but...
Kureha reached out and caught the falling snowflakes. Watching the snowflakes melt in her hand, Kureha grinned.
"As long as I can occasionally see some gifts."
Or perhaps you occasionally think of someone.
Or perhaps... you might have a dream occasionally.
Isn't that enough?
As soon as she finished speaking, Kureha threw her half-smoked cigarette on the ground.
"Tch, let's not talk about that. In our eyes, men outside always exude Haki, and the more we look at them, the more pleasing they become."
But what we women remember most is the guy who stayed with us the longest, always acting like a child, showing his naivety and silly side.
Love?
It's long gone.
What remains is more like family affection...
After saying that, Kureha, wearing only a shirt and carrying her vest on her shoulder, walked down the mountain.
As she walked, she shook her head and said this.
"I'm not watching anymore, I don't want to watch anymore. The romance of being alive is what's beautiful, while the beauty of being dead..."
Those are all beautiful regrets.
"Peony, would you like two cups?"
"Certainly."
Shakky nodded, then walked towards Kureha, patting the pink snowman's head as she left.
Even beautiful regrets cannot escape one fact.
That is, this regret is truly beautiful...
Meanwhile, at the center of a distant crowd.
As Chopper recounted his story, the crowd remained deeply moved.
Of course, including Gawain himself, everyone with sufficiently good Observation Haki heard Robin whispering another story!
They also overheard Kureha and Shakky's conversation...
So, amidst the tears of emotion from ordinary viewers and children, Gawain sighed softly.
"The most beautiful scene of falling cherry blossoms..."
It was indeed a beautiful sight that made one forget all regrets.
"Chopper, your father, Hiriluk, was a very admirable guy, at least in the final stages of his life."
"Of course!"
Chopper wiped away his tears with his little hooves while proudly raising his head.
"If Hiriluk's father were alive today, he would have already developed a panacea!"
"Um."
Gawain nodded, then patted Chopper on the back with his other hand.
"It's a pity he's gone, so let's carry on his legacy and keep striving."
"I will!"
Chopper nodded very seriously.
After Chopper agreed, Gawain put Chopper off his back.
After he reached the snow, Gawain turned to the reporter in the distance and asked softly.
"Journalists, the scenery here is more than enough to make your trip worthwhile, isn't it?"
So, you should know how to report from here on out."
The moment those words were spoken, a large group of reporters immediately perked up, nodding hurriedly and responding to Gawain in a jumbled mess.
"I understand, please rest assured, Saint Gawain!"
"We will carefully record this breathtaking scene of Sakura falling like snow!"
"Saint Gawain, Winter Island is now arguably the most worthwhile country to visit in the Grand Line!"
"That's right, we will follow the agreed-upon rules and promote this place well to attract enough tourists..."
"Bullshit! When did we ever talk? We're journalists; we never record conversations!"
"Yes, it's all real. With such authentic beauty here, why would we need to fabricate anything?"
"We will also record in detail the touching story your pet told us!"
"We want to make half the world cry with us!"
Yes, let's cry together!!!
With each statement, the reporters seemed to reach a consensus, but their opinions left Gawain feeling rather disillusioned.
After all, no matter how poignant the separation of life and death may be, it's just another story told by others.
Many people listened to the story.
Who will remember?
Who would care?
Gawain shook his head slightly and walked lazily down the mountain, waving his hand as he went.
"Pink snow is very rare. Those who like it can stay on the mountain or go to the snowfield and play with their children."
The meeting time is 3 PM, please be back on the ship before 3 PM.
As soon as he finished speaking, Gawain slowly walked away, followed by Hancock, Gion, Robin, Robin, Kuma Shiryu, and Crocodile.
Ace originally wanted to come along, but even if the snow was pink, he, being a straight man, only thought it was so-so, and that one glance was enough to satisfy his curiosity.
But Isuka's resolve to stay was so strong that she not only stayed herself, but also dragged Ace along with her.
As for Rayleigh and Zephyr...
Elderly people like them are the ones most deeply moved by Hiriluk's story.
He waved to Gawain's retreating figure.
"Captain, let Shakky and Dr. Kureha have a talk."
"Zephyr and I will play with the children in the snow for a while."
He wasn't worried that Gawain couldn't hear him; he simply pulled out a small table and a wine pot.
"Godson, warm the wine!"
After shouting, Rayleigh and Zephyr exchanged a glance.
Just as Ace was rolling his eyes and warming the old men's wine with the Mera Mera no Mi.
The gazes between the two old men, which had initially been habitually antagonistic, gradually softened.
Once the wine was warmed, Ace was taken by Isuka to the side of the snow-capped mountain to watch the pink hue gradually cover the entire Drum Island.
Zephyr finally reached out and picked up the cup in front of Rayleigh.
He tapped the cup against the steaming wine pot.
"You've done far more bad things, so pour me some wine!"
That's true.
Rayleigh smiled and poured Zephyr a glass, then filled his own and clinked glasses with Zephyr.
"If it were any other Admiral, they would have just as many corpses in their hands as I have."
But you... Zephyr, my brother.
You're such a good person! We pirates owe you... so much!
As soon as he finished speaking, Rayleigh took a small sip of his drink.
"Ha~."
Exhaling a breath of warm alcohol, Rayleigh grinned.
"So, old man, I'll help you apply to our captain to try and kill that guy who cut off your right hand to avenge you!"
"Snort!"
Hearing Rayleigh's words, Zephyr shook his head dismissively.
Do you really think this is what I care about?
Compared to past hatred, I would rather cut off the tide of piracy; compared to killing a mere pirate, I would rather kill the pirate in everyone's heart!
So, let's not talk about him anymore!
Doflamingo is nothing to us, the Dark Bird Ship!
If killing him would put Little Gawain under the fear and pressure of the Five Elders, then...
Do you think I'll make things difficult for Little Gawain?
After speaking, Zephyr took a sip of his drink, then turned to look at the pink sky.
As he watched, Zephyr couldn't help but say something.
Is there a panacea that can save a country?
Indeed, living amidst such breathtaking scenery, even though the people still face exploitation by Wapol, they can still experience the feeling of living in beauty.
Moreover, Wapol has already been punished by Little Gawain on trumped-up charges.
In that case, this landscape is enough to become a pillar of the country's future.
Hiriluk, huh?
That was truly a romantic and awe-inspiring guy!
On the Dark Bird Ship, Gawain returned to the ship and soon began sparring with Crocodile.
Facing Gawain at this moment...
Well, Crocodile has completely fallen to the point of being beaten up.
On one hand, Gawain's rapid progress after obtaining the Rumble-Rumble Fruit already made him the most troublesome existence below the level of monsters.
On the other hand, they were standing on the Dark Bird Ship, not on an open field where Crocodile could freely turn sand into its home ground.
Relying solely on the sand he transformed into and his physical skills, he was no match for Gawain.
As for the deadly poison on Crocodile's hook, that stuff was prepared for Whitebeard. It was completely useless against Gawain, and even if it were, he wouldn't dare use it.
So, how could he not get utterly thrashed?
After being beaten for half an hour, the two of them rested and Gawain to sit back on the beach chair and watch Gion and Hancock play shogi.
Franky has also returned from the mountain.
He said to Gawain while holding a bucket of water.
"Giao!"
My lord, the potion that Hiriluk developed before his death is truly miraculous. That potion lasted for half an hour without showing any signs of fading.
Although it's unknown whether this is permanent, even if it isn't, the Drum Kingdom can create new Cherry Blossom Potion based on the formula and launch them into the sky to maintain the beautiful scenery.
As for the safety of these medications..."
Franky gave a thumbs up.
"These chemicals not only did not affect the water quality of Winter Island, but they could even be used as a light dose of nutrients."
In short, these medications are similar to the nutritional supplements Dr. Kureha gave you, only in much smaller doses.
If things continue like this, perhaps in a few decades, everyone living on Winter Island will have a healthy body!
"Oh?"
Upon hearing Franky's words, Gawain looked over with interest.
"If that's the case, then it truly deserves the title of a panacea. Hiriluk gave Chopper a promise, gave Dr. Kureha a beautiful view, and he also gave the people of Winter Island health."
What a thoughtful person!
Franky, keep some extra Cherry Blossom Potion on hand. Occasionally, when things are calm, we can use the Dance Powder prepared by Sand Crocodile, along with the Cherry Blossom Potion, to create targeted rainfall for the Dark Bird Ship.
Dr. Kureha's Rambo series of super nutritional supplements are extremely expensive to produce, and the ingredients are not easy to gather, making them difficult to assemble.
This Cherry Blossom Potion makes up for this very well!
Hearing Gawain's words, Franky nodded knowingly.
"Giao, my lord, Su Po is truly amazing! How come I didn't think of using Dance Powder to create artificial rain and snow?"
I'll go get ready right away, haha!
Amidst laughter, Franky returned to his laboratory. The people sent by the Dark Bird Ship to Vegapunk's hometown some time ago were returning one after another, bringing with them a lot of experimental equipment used by Vegapunk in his early days.
So, in the past few days, Franky has not only delved into mechanics, but he has also dabbled in genetics.
Although he doesn't seem to have much talent in genetics, even Kureha admires Franky's anatomical skills.
Thinking about it, it makes perfect sense. Franky is a terrifying individual who dissected himself and turned himself into a robot.
It would be strange if a guy like him didn't know how to dissect anatomy!
Time passed slowly, Shakky and Kureha, having finished their drinks at some unknown tavern, eventually returned to the Dark Bird Ship.
One by one, the two old men, Rayleigh and Zephyr, also returned with the children who were tired from playing.
Once everyone had arrived, it was past 3 PM.
The Dark Bird Ship slowly raised its flag and left the island where countless people were gazing at them.
The people of Winter Island have incredibly complex feelings towards Gawain.
After all, the mountain that stood above them Wapol.
He vanished from the throne simply because of one sentence from Gawain.
While people were delighted with Wapol's departure, Gawain's display of power in the matter also instilled a sense of fear in them.
On the other hand...
The more fearsome Gawain, the more the people of Winter Island will feel a sense of reliance towards him.
With Gawain around, the people of Winter Island hardly had to worry about their lives anymore, because Kalifa's finance team and Blueno's Black Ice Terrace logistics team taught Winter Island a lot about business management and agriculture.
Don't ask why the Black Ice Terrace's logistics team knows about planting.
It was all caused by those lowly Whale Shark Fish-Man from the deep sea!
In short, Gawain left no supplies for the people of Winter Island, nor did he leave them any money.
He even smuggled all the wealth accumulated by the king and nobles of the Drum Kingdom onto the Dark Bird Ship.
But he did so earnestly to leave behind means for ordinary people to achieve a better life.
It's just like teaching someone how to fish.
The money of the nobility?
The King's Money?
What does that have to do with us ordinary people?
Therefore, the people of Winter Island are truly grateful to Gawain.
This is the world of Pirate King, not reality. In the world of Pirate King, when most people are treated with kindness...
This kindness will often be rewarded sincerely.
However, Gawain's arrival was sudden, and his departure was also sudden.
So the people of Winter Island could only keep their longing in their hearts and silently wave their hands to Gawain's departing ship.
When Gawain arrived, they knelt in the snow to greet him, their faces blank.
When Gawain left, they stood in the snow, their faces etched with sadness, to see him off.
Change is just a few words.
What changed were the fates of countless people and their lives.
When Gawain witnessed this scene...
Standing on the ship's side, watching the crowd gradually disappear into the distance, Gawain raised his right hand.
"Remember what they look like now, everyone!"
After speaking, Gawain closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"No matter what great feat we intend to accomplish, we must be clear about what our goal is."
So, take a closer look at the people on the shore.
Their current state is the reason we fight for them!
After saying that, Gawain placed his hands on the gunwale, while Kuma and Robin beside him kept taking notes.
While the two of them continued taking notes, the others looked towards the distant dock.
Kureha, holding a cigarette, sighed softly.
"So, it's finally time to say goodbye..."
As she spoke, Kureha stubbed out her cigarette, tilted her chin slightly upward, and then closed her eyes.
That's all...
She caught the pink snowflakes falling from the sky with her cheek.
Listening to the sound of snowflakes melting.
It was as if someone was whispering in her ear.
Let her be captivated.