01. Invisible Black Wings in the Sky

The lingering echoes reverberated across the square as the halberd swung, flashing with cold light.

Countless people stood beneath the execution platform, witnessing the end of a legend.

In a building in the distance, a short figure stood by the window, watching Roger fall silent before turning and leaving.

[Notable Scene Check-In 1: The Death of the Pirate King]

[Check-In Complete. Obtained Demi-Human Bloodline]

After leaving the house, Wu De stood at the entrance. Hearing the sound of crying, he turned to look.

A red-nosed brat was clutching his head and sobbing. A careful search would reveal another person nearby—a man wearing a straw hat, with red hair showing beneath its brim. One hand pressed down on the hat while the other clenched into a fist, holding back his sobs.

Buggy and Shanks...

Wu De merely glanced up at Roger's corpse on the execution platform, shook his head, and turned toward the direction leading off the island.

Whether or not Roger had chosen this ending, he could not escape death.

Wu De had been transported to this world six months ago. With only a twelve-year-old body, he had yet to begin writing the chapters of his own journey, but he had already come to understand one thing.

This world was extremely cruel.

In the blink of an eye, the clear sky vanished. Dark clouds gathered, pressing down over everything. Thunder rumbled, and raindrops began to fall.

Hearing the low, wild laughter coming from beside him, Wu De looked up.

Doflamingo, wearing a pink feathered coat and a pair of flamboyant sunglasses, walked past him. "And with that, the curtain on the new era has finally risen."

Some people excitedly discussed the treasure because of Roger's words. Others, brimming with ambition, were filled with confidence in the plans they had made for their futures.

Some were relieved by Roger's end, while others wept in unwillingness.

Wu De took in the expressions of these people one by one. Pirates, Marines, and other major figures of the future were hidden among the crowd, each harboring different thoughts.

The raindrops above his body suddenly vanished. Droplets slid down along an invisible "something" that could not be seen by the naked eye.

Wu De looked up. Black matter that only he could see began to gather overhead.

The black matter transformed into a black humanoid figure that looked as though it were wrapped in bandages. A pair of enormous, long black wings constantly beat behind it.

Wu De admired the black-winged humanoid and watched the specks of black particles drifting from its body.

"So this is my Black Ghost. Pretty cool." Wu De mused.

Black Ghost, or IBM for short, was a kind of avatar-like entity controlled by demi-humans.

Ordinary people could not see them, though they could sometimes do so when their emotions were intense.

Every demi-human's IBM had a different appearance and obeyed its demi-human's commands.

It had appeared for only an instant when Wu De briefly contemplated death. After receiving Wu De's command, its body quickly dissipated.

"...Roger... Notable scene."

The IBM's body stiffly tilted its head. Its body scattered in the wind. It glanced at the execution platform before vanishing completely.

The rain began falling again. Wu De raised the umbrella in his hand and continued walking into the distance.

Two figures, one large and one small, passed each other. A beautiful figure walked by Wu De's side. When he turned to look, he could only see someone wearing an earring on their right ear.

"Is that Crocodile, or... Crocodile-chan?"

Wu De had discovered some incredible gossip.

"Hey, where are you going?" A white-haired child in a green coat emerged from the crowd. He grabbed Wu De's arm, his eyes fixed on the backpack on Wu De's back.

Just after arriving in Loguetown, Wu De had encountered Smoker, who was only twelve years old at the time, before going to witness the notable scene of Roger's execution.

"Going home." Wu De smiled and waved at Smoker before leaving him with a departing figure.

When he had first arrived in this world, he had wandered everywhere, without a home or enough food.

Fortunately, in the Oykot Kingdom, he had met a kind old man who had taken him in and provided him with food and shelter.

A drop of water should be repaid with a spring. The old man was advanced in years and had no family, so Wu De decided to return to the Oykot Kingdom, keep him company, and begin training there.

"I hope I'll see you in the Marines someday!" Smoker shouted.

Wu De nodded. With his back to Smoker, he gave an OK sign with his fingers.

After passing through the streets and crossing puddles, Wu De reached the docks and arrived beside a sailboat.

He walked up the wooden plank onto the sailboat and looked back into the distance.

In the rain, four figures walked toward him through the curtain of falling water. Each held a flintlock pistol, coldly watching the people aboard the ship.

"How hilarious. The 'little Marine' was being followed by pirates without even realizing it!"

"Brat, you want to become a Marine? Get on the ground and beg for mercy. Then I might consider letting you go!"

The five pirates sneered. The Pirate King was dead, and Marines were guarding the area around the execution platform. These insignificant nobodies did not dare provoke the Marines, but bullying a child was still quite enjoyable.

"Oh, how terrifying~"

Wu De understood. After all, even the lowest of lowlife pirates could only vent their anger on the weak.

On the ship, the crewmen stared fearfully at the guns raised by the pirates. One after another, the adult men knelt on the deck ahead of Wu De, their bodies trembling.

"What an annoying wind." One pirate felt the powerful wind blowing toward him and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Whoosh—!

Splurt—!

Wind?

That was the effect of the IBM's wingbeats. The invisible "Little Black" shot forward, and in an instant, both feet landed on a pirate's head.

The pirate had just wondered, "Why isn't it raining on my head?" when his consciousness vanished in the next moment and his body went limp.

"Little Black" stepped down, crushing one pirate as easily as an ant.

The remaining four pirates stiffly turned around, their gazes falling upon the ground.

The puddle turned red, spreading as raindrops struck its surface.

Their pupils contracted and chills ran down their spines. One pirate, tense with fear, looked upward in terror. His scream abruptly cut off as a shadow descended, sending him after his companion.

"Fire!"

The three surviving pirates had long since lost their composure and shouted instinctively.

But only moments later, all five pirates had been defeated.

The invisible entity possessed tremendous strength. It could fly and move with agility, making dealing with these men as easy as cutting grass.

"W-what happened?"

With a thud, a pirate who had just left Loguetown stared at the scene in terror, his mind blank.

What had killed the five pirates so quickly? Why could he not see anything?

"Hm?"

At the edge of Loguetown, in another direction.

Mihawk, carrying Yoru on his back, gazed into the distance. He sensed a strange aura, and his sharp, eagle-like eyes turned thoughtfully toward the sky.

Recalling the unique aura that had appeared for an instant in the square, Hawkeye used Observation Haki to sense it.

He then shifted his gaze and glanced at the umbrella-wielding boy standing on the ship before withdrawing his attention and leaving.

He had sensed a similar aura from that boy. However, the aura was strange. Unless one sensed it carefully, it was difficult to detect.

"Let's set sail. We should return to the Oykot Kingdom as soon as possible." Wu De spoke to the crewmen who had risen behind him.

"Understood."

The crewmen answered one after another. They hauled in the anchor and lowered the sails. The ship slowly set off, quickly sailing toward the distant horizon.

"What in the world was that!?" On the island's shore, a red-nosed boy cried out in shock.