Great Pirate Era

Today was the execution day of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger!

Born in Loguetown in the East Blue, he had created an incomparably powerful pirate crew and completed the voyage of the Grand Line. Gol D. Roger, the greatest pirate in history, known to the world as the "Pirate King," was to be executed in Loguetown!

No matter how heinous others believed his crimes to be, or how heroic and great they considered him.

Roger would end his glorious life in his hometown!

Today, countless reporters and media outlets from all over the world had surged into Loguetown!

Today, the only scene displayed on screens across the world was the solemn execution platform in Loguetown!

What did it mean to have the whole world watching? This was it!

On the massive live broadcast screen, the camera was fixed precisely on the execution platform. Roger, his hands shackled, was led up by the executioners and finally forced heavily to his knees!

His face was somewhat haggard, and his hair and beard were slightly unkempt. Yet even as he knelt on the execution platform, his back remained straight, his presence majestic!

He showed not the slightest awareness that he was about to die!

"This is a king worthy of everyone's respect."

On Ohara Island, in the street square of the eastern residential district, Ye Qiong stood quietly with the others, watching the massive screen.

He sincerely admired the man on screen whom everyone called the Pirate King.

The voice-over in the broadcast was entirely the World Government's recitation of Roger's so-called crimes, wholly from the victor's perspective.

At last, the sentence was coldly pronounced!

Death!

At that moment, Roger raised his head in the footage, and his eyes shone with astonishing brilliance!

"Want my treasure? You can have it if you want it! Go find it! I left all my treasure there."

As soon as he finished speaking, the executioners' twin swords pierced through his back in a cross. A faint smile lingered at the corner of Roger's lips as he lowered his head.

A legendary hero had died!

The people before the screens stood frozen, motionless as statues.

At that moment, the entire world fell into utter silence.

That earth-shattering voice still rang in their ears like thunder beneath a clear sky, impossible to dispel.

Ye Qiong shook his head, turned, slipped around the others, and quietly left.

He knew clearly that from this moment on, the world had undergone an earthshaking change!

No one could resist the treasure left behind by the Pirate King, a treasure that represented power, fame, and wealth.

Roger's final words had planted a seed of ambition in everyone's heart, giving them all a reason to set sail!

For their dreams, for the ambition in their hearts, countless people would rush one after another onto the path of the sea!

This was the Great Pirate Era!!!

On the island's eastern shore.

Amid the rocky cliffs, a massive boulder was slowly moving.

From closer up, Ye Qiong could be seen with his shirt removed, carrying on his back a huge rock more than five times the size of his body.

The terrifying weight nearly crushed his thin body. Gritting his teeth, he trudged forward step by difficult step.

It was still far from enough! He had less than two short years left. Time was running out.

Over the past few weeks, he had clearly noticed more and more ships approaching the island's eastern shore, along with faint traces of pirates.

The chaotic era had already arrived, yet he still lacked the ability to protect himself. How could he possibly protect anyone else?

Under the blazing sun, his bare feet burned as he sweated profusely, stumbling across the rocky ground.

Ye Qiong's body was covered in wounds of all sizes.

Inhuman fatigue and aching urged him to stop, but his unyielding will drove him onward.

Ye Qiong knew that if he wanted to uncover the treasure vault within the human body, he had to endure pain and loneliness.

Just before his consciousness was about to fade, he reached the destination he had set for himself and lowered the boulder from his back.

The boulder crashed down with a boom, making the ground tremble slightly.

He sat against the boulder, drenched in sweat. Though he was still exhausted, both his body and mind felt incomparably light, as if he might soar into the sky.

His body was still warm, as though it had grown a little tougher once more.

That made a brilliant smile appear on his face. The feeling of growing stronger was truly wonderful.

"Right, today is Saturday. That girl should be here too, shouldn't she?"

Ye Qiong raised his head and squinted at the sun's position, suddenly sensing that something was wrong.

"No, it's already past noon. She always comes before this time, without exception. Why today..."

Remembering the pirate ships he had seen along the shore a few days ago, Ye Qiong's expression instantly changed.

"Damn it! I should have told her sooner!"

Strength surged through Ye Qiong's body. He pushed off hard with both feet and sprinted toward the forest.

Following the woodland path, Ye Qiong ran like the wind. The howling gusts startled countless birds into flight.

His eyes suddenly brightened, and Ye Qiong came to a stop.

Many footprints had been left in the grass. Familiar with the area, he knew they must have been made recently.

The footprints varied in size and overlapped in a disorderly mess. Ordinary people would never have been able to make sense of them, but Ye Qiong, with his extensive scouting experience, saw through them at a glance.

"Two adult men, one adult woman, and one girl..."

A cold gleam flashed in Ye Qiong's eyes as fury blazed in his chest!

Anyone who dared touch his people was courting death!

He followed the trail of footprints and quickly gave chase.

On the southeastern shore of the island, a pirate ship was docked by the sea. Pirates on the ship and along the shore busily carried their plundered supplies aboard.

The one-eyed pirate captain sat on a barrel. Standing a full three meters tall, he toyed with the steel longsword hanging at his waist, malice gleaming in his sole remaining eye.

The pirates beside him were busy tallying the plundered supplies.

"Ten bolts of high-grade cloth, six barrels of oil..."

The pirate captain grinned, revealing yellow teeth. The haul from this island had exceeded his expectations.

"Boss, the scholars on this island are really rich!" A pirate lackey beside him came over, gesticulating excitedly.

"Yeah. What a shame we might attract the Marines if we stay much longer, otherwise I'd really like to loot this place a few more times." Greed filled the pirate captain's eyes.

"The first mate hasn't returned yet. Maybe he'll bring back some other gains too!" one pirate lackey said with a fawning smile.

"Hmph, I hope so!" The pirate captain sneered, only to see three figures emerge from the forest, carrying a living person in their hands.

They were the first mate Ogu and his two assistants, and the living person was none other than Robin.

"Let me go!" Robin's hands were bound with rope. Ogu carried her by the back as she struggled fruitlessly.

"Oh? Ogu, you only caught a little girl?" The pirate captain stepped forward and examined Robin closely.

The murderous glint in that one eye was terrifying. Like a startled rabbit, Robin closed her eyes and trembled all over.

"Boss, this isn't an ordinary girl. She's a Devil Fruit user." The bearded man holding Robin looked smug. "I happened to find her on a forest path while returning. Luckily, she doesn't really know how to use her powers, otherwise she wouldn't have been so easy to catch."

"A Devil Fruit user? That's extremely valuable!" The pirate captain's tone became excited as he said delightedly, "Perfect. We can sell her along with that thing we got not long ago."

"Boss, we've struck it rich! This counts as a huge merit, right?"

"Hehehe, of course. I knew this era had appeared for my sake."

Suppressing the overwhelming excitement in his heart, the pirate captain ordered them to put Robin aboard the ship first.

Robin was exceptionally clever. How could she not know that once they took her onto the pirate ship, a miserable fate awaited her?

"Please, let me go!" she pleaded desperately, tears streaming from her eyes.

"Hmph, if I let you go, can I get hundreds of millions in wealth?" the pirate captain said coldly, urging them to take her away.

"No..." Robin struggled with all her strength, tears falling like beads from a broken string, yet she could only watch as the pirate ship drew closer and closer.

"Let her go!"

The sudden voice was youthful yet cold!

The pirates all turned their gazes toward the forest.

Ye Qiong stepped out from the shadows between the trees, one step at a time. He was still breathing heavily, but his gaze and strides were as firm as his voice had been.

Thank goodness, he had made it in time.

"What did you say? Say that again?" The pirate captain laughed as the nearby pirates surged forward and surrounded Ye Qiong.

"Let her go. I'll be your hostage instead."

Ye Qiong looked at the tearful Robin, and a gentle light appeared in his sharp eyes.

"Ye Qiong, go! Why did you come?!" Robin stared blankly at him, then began shouting frantically.

"I'm not leaving. I'm going to save you." Ye Qiong emphasized every word.

The pirate captain and the surrounding pirates seemed to have heard the most ridiculous joke imaginable and burst into uproarious laughter.

"Hahaha, what's this brat saying? With those skinny arms, how are you going to save anyone!"

"A newborn calf isn't afraid of tigers. Kid, are you weaned yet? Do you know who we are? We're pirates!"

"I'm dying of laughter. He came here looking to die. This kid must have heard too many stories about heroes saving beauties!"

Ye Qiong seemed oblivious to the pirates' mockery. His eyes remained fixed on the pirate captain's massive figure.

The pirate captain stepped forward, his enormous body looming over Ye Qiong. The vicious gleam in his lone eye became fully apparent. "She's a Devil Fruit user. What makes you think you can trade for her?"

"These fists!" Ye Qiong calmly extended his clenched fists. His still-childish hands were covered in scars.

"Boring!" The pirate captain spat on the ground, utterly uninterested. Turning toward the pirate ship, he said, "Deal with him. Ogu, take the user aboard."

Ye Qiong did not make a move. He coldly watched the pirate captain and another bearded man take Robin away.

His breathing gradually steadied. Some of the strength he had spent sprinting here had already returned.

"Kid, don't be so reckless in your next life." One of the pirates surrounding Ye Qiong grinned viciously as he pulled out a pistol and aimed it at him.

A scene appeared in his mind: he would pull the trigger, the bullet would fly from the barrel, and a bloody hole would be blasted through the kid's head.

Ye Qiong sighed softly. He had to admit, this body of his really came with the aura of a weakling hiding his strength.

He pushed off with his feet and lunged before the man in a single stride, reaching out to jam the pistol's trigger.

The man's face turned pale in horror. Instinctively, he tried to pull the trigger, only to find that he could not press it down no matter what!

Ye Qiong grabbed the man's arm with both hands, spun around, and heaved, swinging the man's entire body into the air before smashing him viciously into the ground.

Ye Qiong had used the force of a thousand pounds in that throw. The man's head was slammed into his torso, leaving him a bloody, mangled mess. He was dead beyond doubt!

Ye Qiong was truly enraged!