You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395
Large numbers of Marines were deployed on both sides of the street to maintain order.
Meanwhile, Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, and Kojin formed a subtle encircling formation as they escorted Roger toward the execution platform in Central Park.
Elite Marines with stern expressions stood on high alert behind them.
Meanwhile, in the alleys of the surrounding districts, more Marine units ran at full speed toward the execution platform.
“Hurry! Get to your deployment zones ahead of schedule!”
“Today is Roger’s execution. We can’t afford any mistakes!”
The officers at the front barked their orders in low voices.
Every Marine’s face was filled with tension and gravity.
For the Marines, today was a day of immense significance. For the rest of the world, the impact would be even greater.
One could say that the eyes of the world were on this small town.
Not far from Roger, countless faces with different expressions were fixed on Kojin and the others.
“Marine Headquarters, Admiral Zephyr, Sengoku!”
“The Hero of the Marines, Vice Admiral Garp!”
“The man who captured Roger and the Golden Lion… Vice Admiral Kojin!”
“Such a defensive lineup is simply invincible!”
“Even the craziest lunatic wouldn’t dare disrupt an execution with a lineup like this!”
“I heard someone tried to infiltrate Roger’s prison a few days ago, but they vanished without a trace.”
The murmurs rippled through the crowd, making Loguetown’s morning exceptionally lively.
The mass of people moved forward with Kojin and the others, slowly advancing. By the time everyone gathered in Central Park before the towering execution platform, the sun had fully risen above the horizon.
“Kojin, maintain order at the scene,” Sengoku said in a low voice.
Kojin understood immediately. He nodded, separated from the escorting team, and joined Kuzan and the others, who were already stationed beneath the platform.
He swept his gaze around. Central Park and the surrounding streets were so crowded that not a single gap remained.
Judging by the auras many of them carried and their scarred faces, most were pirates or members of dark factions.
Silently, he spread out his field.
Sure enough, he soon discovered several familiar figures.
Not far behind them stood a young man with eyes as sharp as a hawk’s.
He was the future world’s greatest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk.
Looking to the other side, he saw a tall figure in the crowd that drew particular attention. He wasn’t fat but powerfully built, and he wore a confident smile.
Gekko Moria.
At some distance from the execution platform, standing at the mouth of a street and gazing this way, was another man:
Donquixote Doflamingo.
Even farther away, hidden within the crowd, was a figure wearing a green hooded cloak. When he sensed Kojin’s attention, he slightly raised his head and locked gazes with Kojin.
The leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon.
“There really are a lot of people,” Kojin sighed.
“Yeah. Today, Loguetown probably doesn’t have a single empty spot left,” Kuzan said, nodding in agreement.
Everyone was waiting… waiting for that thrilling moment to arrive.
Time flowed by second by second. Kojin stood beneath the platform and watched Garp and Zephyr ascend the execution stand. Under the gaze of the world, they began their speech.
This was a formal occasion. Reporters from countries all over the world were recording and taking photos beneath the platform. Video Den Den Mushi from every direction were broadcasting the scene live and transmitting it across the globe.
Sengoku’s tone was calm and steady as he recited Roger’s crimes.
Kojin and the others listened quietly. Compared to their usual meetings, this one was clearly far more drawn out.
Clearly, the script hadn’t come from Marine Headquarters, an organization that always pursued brevity and efficiency.
By the time he reached the end, even Sengoku, an admiral, frowned slightly, his lips twitching.
The crowd below had long since grown impatient.
Finally, after Sengoku finished reading and exhaled deeply, he shifted his gaze to the area below the platform.
“Bring Roger up!”
In an instant, all of Loguetown fell silent.
Countless pairs of eyes focused on the execution platform, waiting for that man to appear.
Escorted by Garp and the jailers, Roger walked to the front of the platform. His hands and feet were bound with heavy sea-stone shackles. He kept his head slightly lowered, his long hair covering his face and preventing anyone from seeing his expression.
Creak.
He stepped onto the wooden stairs with his right foot, followed by his left.
With the jailers close behind, Roger moved under the gaze of the entire world. He stepped down, lifting his feet steadily, one step at a time, until he reached the highest point of the execution platform.
This stretch of road felt unbearably long, and the agony of waiting weighed heavily on everyone.
Some people even had sweat seeping from their foreheads and cheeks.
When Roger was forced to kneel at the highest point of the execution platform beside Sengoku, the entire crowd in Central Park and all of Loguetown erupted.
“It’s Roger!”
“Gol D. Roger!”
“No, that’s not right; there are rumors that his name is Gol D. Roger!”
“Unbelievable… The Pirate King, Roger, was captured, and he’s going to be executed here!”
A deafening clamor instantly filled the air, and the entire scene descended into chaos.
“Captain!”
Within the crowd, two figures suddenly burst into tears.
Kojin’s gaze turned toward those two figures, swallowed by the sea of people on the opposite side of the crowd.
The red-haired boy in the straw hat had tears streaming from his eyes. The red-nosed boy beside him was also wailing uncontrollably. Although the sun was already high in the sky, dark clouds suddenly gathered over Loguetown. Suddenly, a fierce wind swept over the crowd.
“It’s going to rain,” Borsalino sighed.
After all, the weather these past few days hadn’t been normal at all.
Hearing this, Kojin looked up at the dark clouds that had appeared above them at some point, his expression calm.
Boom!
Thunder roared, and lightning tore across the sky.
At that moment, Sengoku finished his formalities and turned toward Roger, who was kneeling beside him.
“Roger!”
“Do you have any last words?”
His low, heavy voice echoed in everyone’s ears, and the scene instantly fell silent. Everyone focused intently, listening for the final words of the man on the execution platform.
“What will he say?”
Someone clenched their fists and spoke excitedly.
“Last words, huh?”
Gol D. Roger suddenly raised his head and revealed a wide, beaming smile to everyone present and to people all over the world who were watching.
“He’s smiling?”
Someone cried out in shock.
“Hey, Pirate King! Where did you hide all the treasure you plundered?”
“You got that legendary treasure, didn’t you?”
“That vast, connected treasure… ONE PIECE!”
Suddenly, someone shouted the question with overwhelming excitement.
Everyone heard it, including Roger.
He lifted his head, grinned suddenly, and burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Hahahahaha!”
His laughter grew louder and louder, and then he shouted out.
“My treasure?”
“If you want it, you can have it! Go find it!”
Hearing this, Sengoku realized that something was wrong and roared, “Execute him!”
The jailer raised his blade and swung it down.
“I left all the world’s wealth there!”
The resounding voice, filled with laughter, echoed across the Loguetown sky and lingered in everyone’s ears.
Silence. Absolute silence.
Everyone heard the words of the Pirate King, Roger, spoken at the moment of his death.
And so, the world went mad!
Boom… Boom… Boom!
Thunder roared and wild winds howled.
Torrential rain poured down from the sky over Loguetown.
Kojin raised his head and watched the raindrops fall. He pressed his right hand against the hilt of the sword at his waist, then slowly relaxed it.
“It’s over.”
“And yet, it’s another beginning.”
He turned around.
“It’s time for us to go.”
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395