On Lodestar, dawn broke.
Imu's eyes stared at Roy, wide with the unwillingness to close in death.
Her power was never truly hers; Eve had chosen her, and only through that choice did she gain such ability.
Shanks used his life as the price to create a sliver of an opportunity for them, which Luffy seized.
With one swing of his axe, Roy decapitated her. Imu's head fell, and with it, the only link between the demon world and this world was severed.
Her body began to turn to ash, scattering with the wind. Eve also dissipated into points of starlight.
The axe in Roy's hand also vanished. But Luffy's face broke into a wide grin.
"Hehehe, thank you!!"
Roy knew he wasn't thanking him, but rather Nika. Clearly, Luffy had already sensed his fruit ability fading; his body was gradually reverting from white to its normal state.
The sinister aura around Roy also began to fade. Clearly, Nika's departure meant the fruit power within him was disappearing too.
This was something he hadn't anticipated. Perhaps Eve's death meant the channel connecting to the spiritual world of desires was severed.
Through human desires, demons were born. The world where demons resided used Eve to manifest within fruits, gaining the ability to inhabit other objects.
Initially, only living beings could acquire fruit abilities. But through scientific discovery, objects could also gain them.
Devil Fruits were now a thing of the past. There would be no more shortcuts like Devil Fruits to walk.
All Devil Fruit users across the world realized this. At Marine Headquarters, Sakazuki, Sengoku, Tsuru, and the others all noticed it.
"My ability is gone," Sakazuki found he could no longer use his magma powers.
"Mine too," Sengoku said.
"Clearly, the outcome is decided. There will be no more Devil Fruits in this world," Vice Admiral Tsuru stated.
"Hahaha, serves you right for not training your bodies more!" Garp, though severely injured, could still laugh heartily after some rest.
With everyone's abilities gone, they knew clearly: Imu's era was over.
Outside Marine Headquarters, everyone was cheering. Both Dragon, Sabo, and the others were incredibly excited.
"We won! Did Mr. Roy do it?!!" Sabo exclaimed excitedly.
"If the abilities are gone, then it's confirmed. The era of the Celestial Dragons is over," Dragon took a deep breath.
"Our abilities are gone."
"Hahaha, the Celestial Dragons' era is over! The Red Line is gone! The world is connected!"
"We won!!"
Cheers erupted all over the world.
Just moments ago, under Roy's Conqueror's Haki, many had fainted. At that very moment, on the Thousand Sunny, someone had infiltrated, taken something, and slipped away quietly.
Luffy fell heavily from the sky. The smile that was on his face moments ago faded as he slowly stood up and walked to one side.
Benn Beckman, Lucky Roux, and Yasopp stood around. All the Red Hair Pirates knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
Before them lay Shanks, his eyes looking at the sky, a perpetual smile on his face.
"Shanks!"
Luffy walked over, picked up the straw hat, and placed it on his chest, covering the wound over his heart.
"I kept my promise... I brought the straw hat you left with me back to you..." Luffy choked up. The other Straw Hat Pirates watched silently nearby.
He couldn't remain calm seeing this scene; tears streamed down uncontrollably.
"Shanks!!"
He kept crying. The others didn't know what to say, letting him weep.
Roy looked around. It seemed he couldn't fly back; he needed a boat.
"Kinda miss the fruit ability," Roy smiled wryly.
Suddenly, something flew towards him. He tried to dodge, but the object seemed locked onto him, piercing into his chest like a bullet.
Only Zoro and Sanji noticed this; they looked at him strangely. Zoro even wanted to go check.
But Roy's expression changed. He lifted his shirt and saw a seed embedded in his chest, rapidly taking root, sinking its roots into his heart.
"This is... Eve's seed?"
Roy looked at the sprouting seed on his chest. He never expected Eve would choose him.
"Too bad, you picked the wrong person." Roy was about to try and dig it out. He knew he would definitely die if he didn't, but being controlled by this thing was unacceptable.
However, something seemed to appear in his mind. The seed wanted to flee.
"Huh? I forgot I still have a system," Roy couldn't help but laugh.
The system seemed to activate, trapping the Eve seed that had just taken root and tried to escape, preventing it from leaving.
"Interesting. It got captured by the system. What does this even mean?"
For now, Roy felt his body was fine. After all, the system wouldn't let him die just like that. Since that was the case, he'd take it one step at a time and not overthink it.
The magnetic fields across the entire world normalized. A compass was enough now. Roy started walking towards Wano Country on foot.
He found a boat along the way and rowed a small craft to Wano.
He witnessed everything that had happened there.
Hearing what Marco said, Roy smiled faintly and looked at Whitebeard's battle-scarred body.
"…Damn it… this puts me in a hard place, old man. I originally wanted you living to a hundred… never thought you'd be in such a hurry to leave. Fine… it was your choice. I won't judge. I'll find you the finest coffin the seas can offer… and I'll bury you where you truly belong… in your homeland." Roy said calmly.
He didn't shed tears. Looking at the dense array of corpses, the survivors from the three pirate crews fell silent.
The family members who descended from the sky islands saw their husbands and fathers who had died in battle, and their cries filled the air.
"At least now, there are no more Celestial Dragons. The world is a united land. Pirates will fade away. As for what comes next…" Roy didn't know what to say next. Should they form a new country?
Maybe. He didn't really know how the future should unfold either.
"Reckless men conquer the world, but governing it requires professionals." Everyone was busy with the funerals of their loved ones.
The era of the Celestial Dragons was over.
The news spread across the globe, causing a worldwide sensation. Finally, the 900-year rule had ended. There were no more World Nobles.
Nations worldwide joined forces to establish a new World Government. The first World Council involved over three hundred countries. First, they demarcated territories, then jointly elected council members.
The five council members were: Dragon, Kuzan, Neptune, King Riku, and Dalton.
Representing the Revolutionary Army, the new Marines, elected representatives from various races, and two national representatives from humanity.
As for Roy, it seemed no one chose him, or perhaps he disdained such a position.
The world's order was being rebuilt. Conflicts and clashes were inevitable in the future. Resources would always be finite, and conflicts between people would always exist.
But without the exploitation of the Celestial Dragons, world peace would be managed collectively by everyone.
For them, at least the threat was gone.
Shortly after the World Council was established, another major event occurred.
A new Pirate King was born.
There were still many pirates in the world. Some renamed themselves explorers, accepting funding from world council and merchant guilds to explore the new continents and discover new resources.
However, some pirates refused to change. They wanted to continue their pursuit.
The second Pirate King since Roger was born.
Buggy the Clown, a former member of the Roger Pirates, became the new Pirate King.
He found the Great Treasure and once again utilized his talent for live broadcasting, revealing the truth of the world before a global audience.
Seeing the words Joy Boy left behind, people all over the world laughed.
["I want to throw a banquet that everyone in the world can attend!"]
And then, the newly crowned Pirate King Buggy was defeated by the Straw Hat Pirates who arrived later. Thus, a generation's Pirate King fell.
Sanji rescued Pudding. Because their Devil Fruit abilities had vanished, Sanji's memories returned. The two fell in love and decided to return to the East Blue to open a restaurant.
No one expected Sanji to be the first to leave the Straw Hat Pirates.
Luffy chose to continue adventuring. Usopp decided to return to Kaya. Zoro, planning to continue wandering, followed Luffy. Yamato decided to go with Luffy. Robin went to Elbaf to guard the library, becoming the new head librarian and writing this history into the history books.
Brook decided to go find Laboon. Franky stayed in Elbaf with Robin, intending to conduct research there.
After losing his ability, Chopper turned into a mere reindeer. He was probably the unluckiest one. Even as a reindeer, Chopper was an intelligent one.
Then, Vegapunk's appearance changed his fate. He created a humanoid body for Chopper, completely transforming Chopper from a reindeer into an artificial deer-person.
Chopper decided to join Vegapunk in research, hoping to conquer more diseases.
The changes in the continents had brought forth many ancient viruses. Chopper hoped to make efforts in this area.
In the end, the Straw Hat Pirates went their separate ways.
A year passed. The world was thriving. Many events were gradually forgotten, like the Whitebeard Pirates.
In that great war, many details went unrecorded. Only in the library of Elbaf did Robin write the full history into a book.
The main force that crushed the Celestial Dragons was a massive alliance of three pirate crews, who paid the price of over a hundred thousand lives to annihilate the Celestial Dragons' main army.
On Moby Dick Mountain, rumors persisted over the year that a group of bandits lived there, coming down periodically to rob.
On this day, a group of people gathered there, looking at the man before them.
After losing their Devil Fruits, they rarely saw such peculiar people anymore. The man before them was extremely unusual because a sapling grew from his left chest.
"Big Bro, are you alright?!"
Marco and the others asked nervously.
"I'm fine. It's just a tree growing," Roy said.
Seeing Roy like this, everyone present was astonished.
"This is the Sunlight Tree Eve. Eve is absorbing your life force. In a few more years, you might be drained dry by this tree and die," Dragon said.
"Yeah. That's why I called you all here. Loxus, protect your sister. Your old man might have to go on ahead first," Roy said, his face pale.
"Dad!!" Loxus immediately became panicked.
"Act like a man. Alright, time's up. Whitey Bay... I'm leaving," Roy said to his wife.
Whitey Bay stepped forward quickly, wrapping her arms around him, refusing to let go. Her voice trembled, but she fought to stay strong.
"I knew this day would come… but that doesn't make it hurt any less, Roy. You always carried everything on your shoulders… now you want to carry this too?"
Roy chuckled weakly. "Heh, still as fiery as the day I married you. That's why I loved you."
Tears welled in her eyes as she pressed her forehead against his.
"You stubborn fool, don't worry and go… I'll watch over them.
Roy's lips curved into a faint smile. "Good… "That's why… I could leave in peace."
Over the past year, she had known this day would come.
Their daughter, still too young to understand, played curiously with the leaves.
By midnight, everyone had left Moby Dick Mountain.
This place, originally called Moby Dick Island, was now a mountain.
"Checked in for forty years... What surprise will you give me?"
Roy watched the clock tick away, finally reaching midnight.
The familiar system sound rang out.
["Ding! Check-in successful! Congratulations on surviving one day. Acquired: Divine Might!"]
["Detected parasitic seed. Choose to fuse?"]
"What happens after fusion?"
["Leave this world for a world full of gods."]
"And if I don't fuse?"
["Die!"]
"Then fuse it is!"
{Grand Finale}
....
To the Fellow Daoists, I thank you for your support and encouragement thus far. Your kind words, generous and unwavering enthusiasm, have been the spiritual energy that sustains this humble translator's journey.
With deepest gratitude, Daoist Jinzu.