"As expected of the Pirate King—his life was already at its end, yet he still possessed such terrifying Observation Haki!"
Rosinante still felt lingering fear as he glanced at Gol D. Roger, who was being led away by the Marines.
With just a single casual glance, Roger had already pinpointed Rosinante's exact location. As expected of the man said to possess the strongest Observation Haki—the ability to hear the voices of all things.
It was said that Roger's Observation Haki allowed him to hear all things. Typically, when one first awakened Observation Haki, they could sense the auras of living beings and determine their positions.
Once mastered, Observation Haki allowed the user to perceive subtle movements in the air, enabling them to see through enemy attacks. At an even higher level, one could hear the muscles and bones of an opponent, predicting their movements before they even struck.
This level of Observation Haki was already an advanced realm. Even top-tier warriors rarely reached this stage. Enel, despite his extraordinary mastery of Observation Haki, had only reached this level. His ability to read minds came from the electromagnetic waves of his Rumble-Rumble Fruit, rather than pure Haki alone.
Only those with a natural talent for Observation Haki or those who underwent extreme training could push it even further—to the point of perceiving weaknesses, or even glimpsing into the future.
Because Rosinante's soul had merged with another, his spiritual strength had greatly increased, giving him an innate advantage in Observation Haki. However, due to his young age, he had only reached the level of attack prediction.
His ability to sense gravity, attack force, even Devil Fruits and life essence was not purely the result of Observation Haki—it stemmed from the mutation of his soul, granting him extraordinary perception.
As his mastery of Observation Haki grew, these abilities became even stronger. With further deliberate training, he developed a perception that was unique to him alone.
However, Roger's ability to hear all things was on another level entirely. It surpassed even the ability to see weaknesses or predict the future—it allowed him to communicate with the very essence of nature itself.
He could even communicate with inanimate objects—an ability that was utterly terrifying.
Roger's Observation Haki allowed him to speak with animals, beasts, and even the Sea Kings.
Just imagine—if Roger called upon the Sea Kings during a naval battle to aid him in combat, what kind of overwhelming force would that be?
Rosinante even suspected that Roger could converse with the very will of the world itself.
Otherwise, how could the events at Edd War be explained? How was it that a sudden, perfectly-timed storm wiped out most of Golden Lion's fleet, while Roger's ship remained completely unharmed?
Perhaps Roger had communed with the will of the world.
Or, at the very least, he had connected with the natural forces of the sky and sea, summoning that catastrophic storm.
"If I could cultivate my Observation Haki to that level and combine it with the Silent-Silent Fruit… then in this entire world, there wouldn't be a single person who could stand against me," Rosinante murmured enviously.
Even though he had merged two souls, reaching Roger's level was nearly impossible—it required a special kind of innate talent.
With the Pirate King now in custody, Loguetown fell into an eerie calm.
After all, Marine Hero Garp was the Navy's greatest deterrent. With him and Admiral Sengoku present, even the most fearsome old-era pirates dared not act recklessly.
Time passed quickly, and soon, the day of Roger's execution arrived.
The Pirate King walked to the execution platform with an easy stride—not like a condemned man facing death, but as if he were strolling through the marketplace.
His expression was one of complete serenity.
"This is the man who possessed all the world's fame, wealth, and power?"
Among the crowd below, someone gasped in awe.
"Pirate King Gol D. Roger, do you have any last words?" asked the Marine officer in charge of the execution.
Roger smirked, tilting his head.
"Take this thing off, will you? It's itchy as hell."
The Marines ignored his remark.
"Why would I escape?" Roger laughed.
The executioners remained silent.
"Tch. Boring," Roger muttered.
He stepped forward, sat down on the execution platform, and leaned back as if he were simply resting.
"Come on, hurry up and get it over with," he said casually, as if this were nothing more than a trivial matter.
Even the executioners, having seen countless deaths, were covered in cold sweat at his composure.
They raised their blades, ready to bring them down.
Then, suddenly—
"Hey! Pirate King! Where did you hide your treasure?"
The voice came from the crowd.
"The legendary treasure… it's in the Grand Line, isn't it?"
For a moment, there was silence.
Then—
Roger chuckled.
"Heh… hehehe… HAHAHAHAHA!"
His laughter boomed across the execution grounds.
"You want my treasure?"
"Silence! No unauthorized speech!"
"You can have it!" Roger declared.
"If you want my treasure, then go find it!"
"I left everything I own in that place!"
The executioners, realizing what was happening, panicked.
"Execute him! Now!"
The blade fell.
For three seconds, the world was silent.
Then—
The cheers erupted like a tidal wave.
"The Great Pirate Era has begun!"
Rosinante turned and walked toward the harbor, even as countless dreamers, adventurers, and conquerors surged toward the sea.
The world would never be the same again.
"That bastard Roger… he set us all up," Sengoku growled, his face dark with fury.
"BuHahahaha! That's just like Roger!" Garp laughed heartily, showing not the slightest bit of concern.
"Be serious, Garp! This is a global crisis!" Sengoku snapped.
"The seas are about to be thrown into chaos—all because of that bastard Roger!"
"What's the big deal?" Garp grinned.
"Let them come! Anyone who dares set sail will taste my Iron Fist!"
"BUHAHAHAHA!"
On the deck of the Moby Dick, Whitebeard raised his cup toward the sky.
"Roger… rest easy, my old friend."
Then, standing tall, he roared:
"Children! We set sail for the New World!"
Meanwhile, in the shadows, a sinister chuckle echoed—
"Fuffuffuffuffu… This world is about to descend into madness. Strength is all that matters now."
Doflamingo's lips curled into a malicious grin.
"Hey, Doffy! Let's seize the Pirate King's treasure! Let's claim the throne of the world!"
Diamante's eyes gleamed with ambition.
"Doffy, you were born to be king!"
Trebol's voice was thick with reverence.
And across the vast ocean, chaos erupted.
A small, insignificant village was painted red with blood—a pirate crew had arrived, their blades flashing as they slaughtered helpless civilians.
The Great Pirate Era had truly begun.