socalfunplaces Page 15
Page 15
He came too. The captain who came to see him off, to witness the beginning of the true weight of this straw hat.
Further away, a furtive figure lurked behind the crowd, only half his head and his signature red nose visible. His face was a mixture of fear, sadness, and a tense "I mustn't be discovered by the navy" attitude. Every now and then, he would tiptoe to peek in the direction of the execution platform, then quickly retreat back into his seat.
Even though he was terrified, he still came.
Liu Jiu even caught a glimpse of a few more blurred faces belonging to former members of Roger's pirate crew, scattered in different corners of the crowd. They were all silent, their usual arrogance gone, like ordinary onlookers, but the look in their eyes didn't lie.
They are all here.
In their own ways, they disappeared into the vast sea of people to send their captain off on his final journey.
Liu Jiu withdrew his gaze and looked back at the execution platform.
Roger has already stepped onto the steps, one step at a time, heading towards the top.
The crowd below erupted in an even more frenzied roar.
Liu Jiu sat on the roof, watching this scene.
Looking at those familiar, silent people seeing me off, hidden in the crowd.
The sea breeze carries the unique scent of Rogge, a mixture of seawater and the sweat of its inhabitants.
He let out a small breath.
So, he wasn't the only one who came.
Chapter 14 The Great Pirate Era
Time seemed to freeze around the execution platform.
Roger knelt on the wooden platform, the rough planks digging into his knees. Two executioners, each wielding a halberd, stood behind him, their faces hidden beneath cold helmets, like two lifeless statues.
The sunlight shone directly down, casting a clear shadow on him.
The clamor below fell eerily low, transforming into a suppressed silence filled with immense anticipation. Countless eyes were fixed intently on the man on the stage, the man who was about to die.
The air was taut, like a fully drawn bow.
The naval officer in charge of the execution seemed to want to say something, but after opening his mouth, he simply waved his hand, signaling the execution to proceed.
The executioner raised his halberd.
The cold light shimmered under the blazing sun, stinging the eyes of countless people.
Just as the halberd was about to fall—
"Hey! Pirate King!!"
A hoarse voice, filled with a do-or-die courage, suddenly boomed from the crowd, piercing the deathly silence.
Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to it.
It was a man with a scar on his face, squeezed into the front row. His face was flushed, and he shouted out the question that had been swirling in everyone's minds with all his might:
"The treasure you obtained! The treasure you found while conquering the Grand Line! That 'great treasure'—ONE PIECE!! Does it really exist?!"
The question rolled across the silent square like a thunderclap.
Everyone's heart seemed to be gripped tightly by that roar!
Even the executioner's downward movement paused slightly.
Roger, kneeling on the execution platform, raised his head.
There was no fear of impending death on his face. Instead, the question brought out an extremely gleeful, even mischievous, and smug smile.
Facing the silent sea of people below, awaiting his answer, he used the last of his strength to issue a declaration that resonated throughout the entire town of Loguetown and would soon echo throughout the entire era:
"My treasure?"
"You can have it all if you want!"
"Go find it! I've left everything in the world there!!"
The voice, like a booming bell, possessed an undeniable and wild allure, crashing deep into the soul of every listener!
Deathly silence.
"boom!!!!!!!"
Like a volcano that had been accumulating for millions of years suddenly erupting! The crowd went completely mad! Shouts, screams, and frenzied roars merged into a destructive sonic wave that soared into the sky! The whole world seemed to boil and burn at that moment!
Ambition, desire, dreams... were completely ignited by these few words, turning into a raging fire that swept everything away!
A new era has begun amidst this frenzied clamor and the dying laughter of one man!
On the execution platform, the halberd finally fell.
But the man's laughter seemed to still echo in the sky above Rogge, lingering for a long time.
Liu Jiu sat on the roof, looking down at the sea of people below, completely out of control and engulfed in wildfire.
Watching the figure slowly fall on the execution platform.
There was no expression on his face.
Just watch quietly.
Watching an era come to an end.
And the beginning of another, more chaotic, more insane era...
The fervor and uproar surrounding the execution gradually subsided a few days later, like the receding tide.
The town of Loguetown remained bustling with people, but the restless fire of ambition, as if it were about to ignite the air, had spread to every corner of the world along with the flow of people heading to all corners of the globe.
Pirates sprang up like mushrooms after rain. The Grand Line became either the starting point or the graveyard of countless dreams.
In a relatively quiet corner of the harbor, a small but sturdy-looking new ship was moored. There were no markings on its sails yet.
Shanks pulled his straw hat down and looked at the sulking Buggy in front of him.
"Bucky, come sail with me." Shanks' voice was earnest, filled with the unpolished sincerity unique to young people. "Let's go together, just like before."
Bucky crossed his arms, his red nose turning even redder with displeasure. He snorted and turned his head away: "Who wants to go to sea with you, you bastard! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be a landlubber! And I wouldn't have eaten that lousy fruit!"
He got angrier and angrier, waving his arms (this time they didn't fall apart): "I'm going to find Captain John's treasure myself! I'm not following you!"
Shanks looked at him, not angry at being rejected, but just smiled helplessly. He knew Bucky's temper.
"Well... take care of yourself," Shanks said finally, patting Bucky's shoulder firmly. "We'll meet again on the high seas."
"Get out! Who wants to see you again!" Bucky impatiently shook off his hand, cursing under his breath, but deep in his eyes, a very faint trace of reluctance, which even he himself did not notice, still flashed.
He turned around, clutching his meager belongings, and walked away without looking back, quickly disappearing around the corner of the dock.
Shanks stared in the direction Buggy had disappeared, and stood there in silence for a while.
Then, he took a deep breath, turned around, and strode toward his new ship.
The look in his eyes beneath the straw hat hardened.
He also has his own path to follow.
Liu Jiu did not leave Rogge Town immediately.
He found a cheap and simple place to stay on the edge of town and settled down temporarily.
Life became very quiet.
He would still go to replenish his supplies, and occasionally, if he encountered any foolish pirates, he would casually "replenish" them.
Most of the time, he just wandered aimlessly around the town or sat by the sea, watching the new pirates who were full of dreams and set sail.
Every few days, as night falls and the streets become less crowded, he would carry a small jug of cheap rum and walk alone down the main road leading to the execution platform.
The execution platform had been cleaned by the navy, but some dark red stains that couldn't be washed off still seemed to remain in the gaps between the wooden planks.
The execution platform at night appeared particularly lonely and solemn under the moonlight.
Liu Jiu walked down from the stage and looked up at the empty platform.
Then, he uncorked the flask.
The pungent liquid inside was slowly poured onto the stone slab beneath the execution platform.
The spilled liquor made a soft, pattering sound that didn't travel far in the quiet night.
He didn't speak.
There were no memorial ceremonies.
He simply poured the wine quietly.
Then, stand there for a while.
Watching the wine slowly seep into the cracks in the rocks, or be dried by the night wind.
A sea breeze swept across the empty square, bringing a chill.
After standing there for a while, he turned and left.
His steps were neither hurried nor slow.
His figure blended into the night of Rogge, like an insignificant ghost.
He didn't know why he did it.
Perhaps, it's just that people feel the captain, who treated everyone on board to drinks so many times and laughed so loudly, shouldn't be denied even a sip of cheap liquor on this final stretch of the journey.
Although, he probably won't get to drink it.
And so he settled down in Loguetown.
I watch the sea by day and pour wine by night.
Like a temporary gravedigger.
Guarding the embers of an era.
And the captain's final resting place, where he once wiped the deck.
Chapter 15 Melbell