To Burn Is to End

As he watched the sun shrinking in the distance, anger, resentment, and confusion flickered across John's face.

He lowered his gaze to the two swords in his hands: Phantom and Stars.

He had once been a towering figure on these seas, a Great Swordsman who had reached the very pinnacle of swordsmanship.

Though he was reluctant to speak of the days when he served under someone else, his time with the Rocks Pirates had truly been the most exhilarating period of his life. It had felt as though the entire world lay in their hands, as though they were the true rulers of the seas.

In that era, he had encountered countless monsters stronger than himself, discovered many of this world's secrets, and witnessed its vastness.

That experience had allowed him to surpass almost every swordsman in the world, become a Great Swordsman, and forge these two Black Blades.

But now, all of it seemed to be turning into a lie, as though everything he had experienced with the Rocks Pirates had been nothing but a deception, and he had merely been a tool in someone else's hands.

Yet Lililu did not stop. She continued speaking.

"Why get angry? Shouldn't you have seen this coming long ago? When Master recruited you, he told you he wasn't looking for companions, only collaborators. As for who would ultimately claim that position, that would come down to each person's ability."

"That's right!"

John, too, recalled the words that man had spoken as he offered him a hand after defeating him.

Hadn't he himself never truly considered himself a member of the Rocks Pirates?

Even so, being used was unforgivable.

At that thought, he stared coldly at Lililu before him, then glanced at the fireball behind her, which had already shrunk by half.

"I've