I've Handed Ace Over to You

Roger said softly.

Xia Le nodded, carefully practicing and comprehending the techniques.

The details of how to swing the knife, how to generate force, body posture, and how to choose the angle of attack had already been learned before.

Roger's teaching of Kendo clearly places more emphasis on the artistic conception and details.

Therefore, he meditates and adjusts his breathing every day.

The advantage of this is that his perception of the surrounding environment becomes more refined and clear.

"The knife is the belief in your heart; grasp it and wield it."

"Slice through everything in front of you, whether tangible or intangible."

"Control is as the mind; when you think of severing it, it will sever; if you don't sever it, even if the blade passes through, it won't break. When you reach this level, you've succeeded!"

Time passed day by Tenten, and Roger's teachings were very detailed.

Xia Le was quite certain that this man, who had become the Pirate King, had not held anything back.

He seemed to truly regard himself as the successor who could carry on the mantle, and in the remaining time of his life, he did his utmost to cultivate him.

Five months later, Xia Le raised his own questions.

"To me, this is just a trade to extend your free time."

"But you're putting all your effort into teaching."

Upon Wen Yan, Roger slowly stood up, faced the sea, and suddenly grinned.

"Xia Le, kid."

"I'm the king of Pirate! What are Pirate?"

"The freest man on this vast ocean, and Lao Tzu is the king of the freest men!"

"I am free to do whatever I want!"

He paused, then turned to look at Xia Le.

"I will pass on my Swordsmanship to you, as long as you ever face the sea and the world and wield your blade."

That means...

Roger grinned widely.

"I'm alive!"

"I will never die!"

He suddenly drew his sword, named Ace, from his waist and pointed it sharply at the sky.

"And!"

"I heard your roar against this world."

"I heard your powerful cry to change the world."

"I heard it. Your restless heart is constantly telling me how different you are from everyone else in this world!"

Roger took a deep breath and stared intently at Xia Le.

"Kid!"

"My time is running out, and you are the one thing I'm betting on before I die!"

The unvarnished words startled Xia Le, who was sitting cross-legged on the shore, and his gaze gradually Deep Abyss.

He suddenly realized that the man before him possessed the ability to Voice of All Things. Perhaps the voices emanating from his heart, which even the man himself could not hear, could be easily heard by the other.

There is a big problem in this world.

"I no longer have the chance to change things, but those who come after me are still very young."

"You can definitely do it!"

Roger walked over, plopped down next to Xia Le, placed Ace on the beach, and suddenly laughed as he faced the Sea Breeze.

"I'm already retired!"

Xia Le fell silent.

This period of time spent together allowed him to understand Roger very well and to admire the man from the bottom of his heart.

He is free-spirited, bold, optimistic, and open-minded, possessing a captivating personal charm. When he comes before you and sits beside you, you can't help but feel an irresistible urge to trust him.

Roger was indeed a formidable and powerful figure!

It's not just about physical strength, but also about the ethereal and intangible aspect of spiritual will.

"My time is running out!"

"If you have the chance in the future, please take care of Rouge."

Roger suddenly smiled again.

Xia Le turned her head and looked at the man with the mustache beside her.

"Are there any regrets in your life?"

Roger paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Pity?"

"When exactly do we humans die?"

Chapter 64 I'll give you Ace

When does a human being truly considered dead?

This question left Xia Le stunned.

Breathing stopped? No!

The heart has stopped beating? That doesn't seem right either!

Amidst the cries of loved ones, the body was placed in a heavy wooden coffin and buried beneath the dust.

That's not right either!!!

What exactly is death?

The very next second, Roger smiled, looked up at the sky, and gave his answer.

When do people die?

"When you're shot in the heart?"

"His body was hanged on the Execution Platform?"

"Diagnosed with an incurable terminal illness?"

"When you know you don't have much time left, and you haven't achieved your dreams, and you feel disheartened?"

"No, none of that is right!"

Roger grinned.

"It is time to be forgotten by the world!"

"So, you're asking me if I have any regrets?"

"I can give you that answer."

Roger paused, then turned with a smile to look at the woman carrying a bowl of piping hot pork rib soup coming from the backyard.

"I have no regrets!"

"Because I will live on!"

Then, the man stood up and walked towards the woman, laughing all the way. When he received the pork rib soup, he shouted that it was hot, prompting the woman to remind him to be careful.

Xia Le turned her head and looked at this scene, and suddenly froze.

What is death? What is regret?

Or perhaps...

What does it mean to be alive?

Is it a blissful wait to die, with plenty of food and drink every day? Or is it to strive relentlessly for one's dreams, pointing straight to the moment death arrives?

Perhaps, this is all about living, as long as you follow your heart's desires and achieve the freedom you envision for yourself.

"Xia Le, come and eat!"

Rouge's laughter startled Xia Le from her reverie.

This made him shake his head, dispelling the philosophical question that was difficult to answer, and he smiled as he got up and walked over.

For the past five months, he has been living with Roger and Rouge. Crocodile, Bullet, and others built a yard for him next to the couple's house.

Every so often, Evens and his companions would deliver the ingredients.

Then, Rouge took on the responsibility of cooking.

"I've always been curious, Xia Le, what do you do?"

"Are you married? I can introduce you to Nina from the village."

"Don't end up like Roger, getting married at such an old age."

"I'm the only one who would be interested in him."

During the meal, Rouge said with a smile, not forgetting to subtly mock Roger, who was grinning sheepishly beside her.

"I'm not in a hurry."

Xia Le could only awkwardly refuse and lower her head to eat silently.

On the surface, Roger and his wife seemed like exceptionally good people, living their days like ordinary civilians without any major upheavals.

Aside from learning Swordsmanship, this period was a rare peaceful time for Xia Le.

He continued to practice his Swordsmanship, but he knew very well that it would eventually come to an end.

In the blink of an eye, I've already spent almost a year on Baterilla Island.

"This is Divine Departure!"

Roger sheathed his longsword and said softly.

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly bent over and coughed violently. When he slowly straightened up and withdrew his hand, the pool of blood in his palm was incredibly bright red.

Xia Le turned around, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at the blood on his palm.

Over the past two months, Roger's physical condition has been deteriorating. It's a weakness that can be seen with the naked eye, as if his vital energy is being rapidly drained away by an invisible force.

Even so, this man could still unleash a devastating strike when facing the sea.

The chasm ahead stretches endlessly, seemingly splitting the entire sea in two.

Just now, the other party was teaching him one of the few moves he had ever made in his life: Divine Departure.

A powerful slash that is perfectly blended with the Conqueror's Haki Infusion and combined with one's own swordsmanship.

"That's all I can teach you."

Roger said with a smile.

He didn't care about the blood on his palm.

Xia Le nodded, then suddenly swung his Military Saber and slashed fiercely at the sea ahead.

"Buzz!"

The powerful strike shattered everything; the boundless sea was swiftly split apart, revealing a bottomless chasm within.

At the same time, the words "Divine Departure" also appeared on the system panel.

This is not merely the name of this particular strike, but rather the culmination of Roger's lifelong, highly refined Swordsmanship.

"Your talent is astonishing."