Shanks and Sigurd were drinking, while Roy walked onto the island and looked down at Ace, who was lying on his back in the same pose as Katakuri.
Ace was filled with unwillingness completely drained of strength. He had lost decisively.
"Why are you crying?" Roy asked, watching Ace cover his face and weep.
"Big Brother, I... I've failed your expectations," Ace said.
"I never expected you to succeed in the first place. Making it this far is already impressive. Well, it's not all bad," Roy smiled.
Ace lowered his hands and looked at Roy, unsure what he meant.
"Big Brother?!"
"Since you've lost, just go home," Roy said calmly.
"Big Brother, I..." Tears streamed down Ace's face again.
"Go home", such a luxurious phrase. After being driven out of the Whitebeard Pirates, he could finally return.
The thought of his family made Ace smile. 'Perhaps losing wasn't such a bad thing.'
"Yeah, Big Brother, I understand," Ace sat up, crying happily.
Loxus and the others approached Ace, and seeing his expression, they all smiled.
"Actually, we lost on purpose," Deuce said with a grin.
"Right, I'd never lose to someone like Yasopp," there sniper Mihar laughed.
"You guys..."
Ace looked up at his crewmates, who surrounded him.
Roy watched them gather without comment, then glanced at Loxus.
"Father," Loxus bowed his head to Roy.
"I'm starting to suspect Kaido fed you hormones to make you grow this big," Roy looked up at his son. After joining the Beasts Pirates, he had grown so much, how would he ever find a wife?
"N-no, I just ate and slept a lot, that's all," Loxus muttered.
"Let's go back. There's still a war waiting for us," Roy said.
"Yeah!"
Roy didn't go to Elbaf. He knew Luffy and his crew had won, and that was enough. The details of the battle didn't matter. If Luffy hadn't won, the world would have fallen into chaos.
Even without him, according to the prophecies of the various races, the sun will rise again.
And those who tried to steal the sun would ultimately fail.
Long ago, the people of the sky islands came to the surface, bringing technology. They encountered the people of the land, and conflicts over resources led to war. The first Sun God, Nika, emerged, and the world was divided.
The second clash of ideologies led to enslavement. The second Sun God, Joy Boy, led the enslaved races in a war against darkness.
The Void Century was left behind, and the world was submerged in seawater.
The third world would usher in dawn. The third Sun God would appear and lead humanity to overcome all obstacles.
No matter what, victory was assured. Roy only wanted to protect his own small family. As for the world, he would leave it to Luffy.
Ace and his crew began to rest and recover. They would eventually head to Wano and return to the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Do you know the secrets of the Celestial Dragons?"
Roy returned to Shanks' ship, where Shanks and Sigurd were still drinking.
"No."
"I don't know either."
"Neither of you knows?"
"Not many Celestial Dragons have access to those secrets. Most are just enjoying life and don't care about such things," Sigurd said.
"Whatever. It doesn't matter. We'll just overturn everything when the time comes."
Shanks didn't respond, continuing to drink in silence.
Roy took a bottle of alcohol and headed to the heart of Water Seven Star Island. He had hoped to find some clues.
Standing before the Poneglyph at the island's core, he read the inscription:
"To those who arrive here, I am sorry to tell you, this is not the answer you seek. I left the answer elsewhere, inscribed on four red stones marking four locations. When you place them on a map and connect the intersecting points, you will find the ultimate treasure."
This Poneglyph was the most unique of all, not written in ancient script but in modern language that anyone could understand.
The first Nika came from the moon, bringing advanced civilization and ancient writting to this world.
But war broke out between the sky and the land over resources. To eradicate them, the written language was altered.
To ensure the world's truth would be known, the most unique Poneglyph was left among all the others.
From the moment the first pirate, Joy Boy, emerged nine hundred years ago, he likely knew the third world was coming.
He was destined to fail, yet he still resolutely launched the war, leading the people of the world against the crowned, horned monster.
After his defeat, the remnants scattered across the world, waiting to reunite at a certain time.
Roger arrived too early. Perhaps he saw the third world on Laugh Tale, the final island.
The murals left in Elbaf might not be childish doodles but creations of Joy Boy himself.
He knew everything from the start, including his own fate.
All truths pointed to the final destination. When the mist lifted, darkness would descend again, attempting to bury everything once more.
Roy stood before the Poneglyph in prolonged silence.
At some point, Shanks approached and sat down on the grass beside him.
"We came here a long time ago, and not just once," Shanks said.
"And then you searched everywhere for the Poneglyphs," Roy replied.
"Yes. Captain Roger had the ability to hear the voice of all things. He could hear ancient voices, the older, the clearer," Shanks nodded.
"I can hear them too, but I choose not to listen," Roy said.
"That's where we differ. When Captain Roger returned from Laugh Tale, he told me something," Shanks said.
"About your origins? Or rather, you already knew your origins," Roy smiled.
"You knew?" Shanks looked up at Roy.
"I had an idea. You had contact with the Celestial Dragons during your time with the Roger Pirates and learned your identity," Roy said.
"Do you know why Captain Roger didn't take us to Laugh Tale?" Shanks asked.
"No."
"It was for my safety."
"Once you learned the truth of the world, the Celestial Dragons would eliminate you?"
"Exactly. Captain Roger often said it was a pity, if he could have waited twenty more years, he might have seen it. So he hoped I would see it and find the answers myself."
"So you found the key clue," Roy said.
"Yes, the Gum-Gum Fruit!"
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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