049 The Supreme Will Awakens

The next day, all of Loguetown was alive with prosperity. Lanterns and banners adorned every corner, and the streets bustled with throngs of people. As far as the eye could see, there were commoners, wealthy merchants, and marines—but not a single pirate. If any were present, they lingered on the island with utmost caution.

Amidst the lively street, a golden monkey darted about, leaping and tumbling, a banana in one hand and an apple in the other, taking eager bites—full of spirited energy.

Up ahead, Xuan Ye walked with little enthusiasm, boredom etched on his face.

“Little Gold, let’s go back! There’s nothing particularly fun here. Come train with me instead,” he said, dressed simply in casual clothes, glancing at the golden monkey beside him.

“Just a bit longer!” the monkey gestured wildly, clearly delighted with the human marketplace.

He’d missed out on all these delicious and fascinating things in recent years.

“Suit yourself. I’ll head back to practice,” Xuan Ye waved his hand and turned to leave.

“Wait, wait—I want noodles! After that, I’ll go back,” the monkey cried urgently, tugging Xuan Ye’s sleeve.

“Noodles?” Xuan Ye gave him an odd look, but after confirming the request, he nodded.

Soon, man and monkey found themselves at Loguetown’s finest noodle shop, each slurping down a steaming bowl.

“Boss, one large bowl of udon for me!” came a deep, rugged voice from outside. A burly figure strode in and sat nearby, excitement in his eyes.

Instinctively, Xuan Ye turned to look at the newcomer. His pupils contracted, and a mysterious, unreadable smile curved his lips.

“Hey there, young man. The udon here’s not bad, is it? Been ages since I’ve had any,” the stranger said with a hearty laugh, noticing Xuan Ye’s gaze.

His face was genial, adorned with a distinctive mustache. He wore a battered straw hat and a plain overcoat, looking for all the world like the friendly uncle next door.

“Yes, it’s quite good,” Xuan Ye replied, surprised to have met such a person.

“Boss, put that gentleman’s noodles on my tab, and bring a good bottle of sake as well.”

“Thanks, kid!” The big man grinned, his manner open and generous.

A few hours later, on a desolate mountain near Loguetown’s coast, the burly man wandered through the rugged terrain, a bottle of sake in hand, eyes glazed with drink.

He found a large rock atop a tall peak, sat upon it, and gazed at the fading sunset—speaking softly, perhaps to himself, perhaps to the world: “All men must eventually fade, like the dusk. But what of the world? Will it too have an end?”

Silence reigned. Beneath the vast sky, only the sound of waves and the wind rustling through the trees could be heard.

“You’ve followed me all day, little one. Aren’t you tired? I can hear your heart racing—what a curious fellow you are,” the big man mused, still perched on the stone, his strange, intense eyes fixed on the endless stars above.

Footsteps rustled in the grass. From the darkness emerged a slender figure.

“Young people these days are ruthless. All things have life, yet you trample them so carelessly—is that truly right?” The man turned, his gaze calm and steady.

“I don’t sense their sorrow. After all, like them, I have no strength to resist,” the youth replied, his chiseled face softly lit by the slanting sun, an easy smile on his lips as he met the man’s eyes.

“Tianbird Xuan Ye Tang.”

“Pirate King Gol D. Roger.”

The old and the young locked eyes. The elder burst into laughter; the younger wore a peculiar expression.

“My, my… young folks these days are fearsome,” the man chuckled, dusting off his clothes as he stood, then offered his flask. “Care for a drink?”

“Perhaps we ought to fight before we drink,” Xuan Ye replied, stretching, his eyes burning gold and white, his body thrumming with anticipation.

“You’re brimming with vitality—worthy of the Dragon’s legacy,” the man said, wiping his mouth, eyes glittering with anticipation.

Xuan Ye narrowed his gaze, eyebrow raised, warily watching the man before him.

“I can hear it—you’re uneasy, hesitating.”

“The voices of all things?” With a flicker of focus, Xuan Ye shed all distractions, summoned his strength, and spoke: “Gol D. Roger, please grant me your instruction.”

Flames surged. The sky was awash in gold and crimson as a colossal creature shrieked, soaring through the heavens in a blaze.

“Three-legged Golden Crow.”

High above, Xuan Ye’s heart churned with towering waves.

“Endless Arrows.”

Scalding winds swept forth, hurricanes raging, arrows streaking like meteors from the sky.

“Your mind is in turmoil.”

Unhurried, the big man strode through the rain of arrows as if on a stroll.

“Flame Ray.”

Blasts of fire tore through the air. The ground trembled, flames erupted in every direction. Amidst the haze, a shadow calmly emerged.

“Five Million Degrees Celsius: Domain of Endless Flame.”

“High Temperature: Vacuum State.”

A raging force scattered all around. A giant flaming bird dominated the sky.

“Interesting—something akin to a domain?” The man remarked in surprise, then smiled. “Didn’t expect you’d develop such an extension—draining the air itself. Frightening.”

“Armament: Super—Fire God Spear.”

Flames pulsed violently as a giant blade, nearly a thousand meters long, burst through the atmosphere, plummeting straight down!

With a casual swing of an ordinary longsword, the big man met the attack. Instantly, the world split—a beam of dazzling white light shot into the heavens.

The massive spear shattered. Xuan Ye spat blood, his eyes blazing.

“Armament: Divine Sun.”

He stood tall, wings beating high. A mass of fiery energy, gold and white, radiated destructive might.

For the first time, the big man’s impassive expression flickered.

“Armament: Heavenly Brilliance.”

Both fists shone black and violet. The man lifted his head, exuding an aura of invincibility, like a titan rising to the heavens.

“Go—”

A blazing sun seemed to fall from the sky. On the ground, two orbs of blinding black-violet light suppressed all.

“Explode—”

A deafening roar shook the land. Fire filled the sky, the earth split, and a terrifying gale swept forth.

The whole of Loguetown quaked violently.

“What’s happening?” At the naval base, Sengoku and others sprang to their feet.

“This aura—Roger.” Garp leapt into the air, vanishing into a speck in the distance.

“Xuan Ye,” Zephyr’s eyes widened, his figure likewise disappearing on the spot.

“No way…” Kuzan rubbed his forehead.

“The Pirate King?” A flash of gold shot past.

“Hmph…” Magma churned.

On the mountain, after the explosion, a blood-soaked figure lay prone, barely breathing.

Opposite, the big man was disheveled, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

“Sigh… My body can barely endure anymore,” he muttered, approaching Xuan Ye.

A golden monkey, now three-headed and six-armed, radiated a wild, violent aura, glaring hoarsely at the man.

“Interesting,” the man smiled, almost childishly. “Don’t worry, I won’t harm him.”

“Little Gold, it’s alright,” Xuan Ye said weakly, rising shakily despite his battered body, his will keeping him upright.

“Outsider.” The world seemed to fall silent. Xuan Ye’s eyes widened, locking onto the man.

“Sleep now. When you wake, it will all be over, Son of the Dragon.”

A silent storm erupted from the man’s body, domineering and irresistible, like the heavens themselves. The monkey’s eyes rolled back as he collapsed.

Overwhelmed by the man’s will, Xuan Ye felt the world squeezing him, leaving him gasping, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness.

“What… do you… know?” Blood flowed from his seven orifices, his eyes ablaze. From deep within, something broke free—a terrifying force surged out to meet the man’s.

The earth split as unseen waves clashed like titans.

Dark red lightning danced. Storms raged, the world plunged into chaos.

“So it’s true—the Three-legged Golden Crow, the myth, the Dragon’s heir…”

The man’s aura flared again, overwhelming, crushing Xuan Ye beneath its might.

Terror, helplessness, submission—Xuan Ye felt as if he stood before a king demanding his surrender. But—

“What do you know?” Though his bones were shattered, Xuan Ye staggered forward, face twisted in a grimace, determined to resist—even against a king.

The sky cracked apart, lightning snaked across the heavens like the apocalypse unleashed.

Like bubbles, the world shattered.

The big man stumbled back, coughing blood, his face suddenly pale.

Xuan Ye, bloodied and wild-eyed, finally collapsed and lost consciousness.

The man cast a long, thoughtful look at Xuan Ye’s fallen form, then gazed at the horizon, where several black dots raced closer.

“It’s time, at last, for the plan to unfold,” he murmured. His figure vanished without a trace.

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