One Piece: The user of the Nen-Nen Fruit, who overturned the sea.

Roy took two rings out of his pocket and placed them on the bar.

The ring is small but exquisitely crafted, with a golden sheen on its surface. Under the light, tiny characters can be seen engraved on the inner wall of the ring.

Rayleigh picked up a ring and looked at it.

"Pure gold?"

"right."

Roy's voice returned to calm.

"A ring made of pure gold can slow down aging and maintain your current physical condition."

It won't make you younger, but it won't make you older either.

"Just be yourself as you are now, and stay that way forever."

Rayleigh held the ring in his hand and remained silent for a long time.

Xia Qi peeked out from behind the bar and picked up another ring, examining it from all angles.

"Does this thing really work?"

"Whether it works or not, you'll know once you put it on."

Xia Qi looked at Roy's still youthful face, hesitated for a moment, and then put the ring on her ring finger.

The moment the ring touched her skin, she felt something gently tug at a corner of her body.

I can't quite describe the feeling, but there has definitely been a change.

The fatigue lessened, the joint pain disappeared, and even my skin felt firmer.

"It really works."

Xia Qi looked at her hands, a hint of surprise in her voice.

Rayleigh also put on the ring.

He closed his eyes and felt for a few seconds, then opened them and looked at Roy.

"Why are we being given this?"

"Consider it a small token of my appreciation."

Roy stood up, straightened his collar,

"You are more useful to the world by living."

"Especially you, Mr. Raleigh."

"If Luffy ever needs someone to teach him Haki, you can help him."

Rayleigh paused for a moment, then smiled.

"You little rascal, you've even planned out what I'll be doing in the future?"

"no."

Roy walked to the door, pushed it open, and the wind chimes tinkled a few times.

"I just think you're just idling around anyway, so you might as well do something meaningful."

Rayleigh shook his head and said nothing more.

Roy walked out of the tavern, with Big Bear following behind him.

The two walked out along the alley of the thirteenth mangrove tree, with bubbles floating down from above, shimmering with iridescent colors in the moonlight.

When Roy reached the alley entrance, he glanced back at the wooden door with the crooked sign hanging on it.

"Mr. Raleigh."

He silently said to himself,

You owe me a favor.

"It's okay, I'll pay it back later."

Then he turned his head, pushed off with his feet, and his body soared into the air.

Big Bear followed him and flew up. The two of them turned into two streaks of light and disappeared into the night sky of the Sabaody Archipelago.

In the tavern, Rayleigh stroked the solid gold ring on his finger, looking out the window in the direction Roy had disappeared, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Xia Qi, with a cigarette dangling from her lips, collected the wine glasses from the bar and put them in the sink.

"Why didn't you ask him why you didn't let Kuma send Luffy flying to Beehive Island too?"

Rayleigh was silent for a moment, then said:

"Because Luffy isn't the kind of captain who needs someone to protect him."

"What he needs is pressure, failure, and pain."

"Only by going through these experiences can he truly grow."

Xia Qi snorted: "You seem to know him quite well."

Rayleigh laughed: "Shanks told me a lot, how could I not know?"

Xia Qi didn't say anything more, picked up a rag and started wiping the bar.

Rayleigh leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and unconsciously twirled the ring on his finger.

The tavern was dimly lit and warm, while outside, the night wind of the Sabaody Archipelago whistled through the aerial roots of the mangroves.

Everything was quiet.

It's as if nothing ever happened.

Several shooting stars streaked across the sea off the Sabaody Archipelago.

Each meteor left a bright trail as it flew off in a different direction.

Some face north, some face south, some face east, and some face west.

None of them are facing the same direction.

Like chess pieces deliberately scattered across different positions on the chessboard.

Each chess piece has its own battlefield.

The Straw Hat Pirates were all thinking the same thing the moment they were swatted away by Kuma—

"Luffy..."

But none of them cried.

Because they knew their captain wouldn't just fall like that.

What they need is not tears, but to become stronger.

Strong enough to protect his companions, strong enough to realize his dreams, strong enough to gain a foothold in the new world.

At this moment, among those who were sent flying, only one person knew that it was all pre-arranged.

Robin was enveloped in bubbles and flew at high speed through the sky.

The wind blew her long hair back, but her expression remained calm.

She was calculating the time—at this rate, she would land near the "Kingdom of Bridges" in a few hours.

That was the place Roy had arranged for her to practice.

The territory of the revolutionary army.

Roy said there was someone there who could teach her more about the secrets of the World Government.

Robin closed her eyes, and the image of Luffy's face, swollen from being beaten, still smiling appeared in her mind.

"Luffy".

She silently said to herself,

"Next time we meet, I will tell you the whole truth about this world."

"Until then—live on."

When Luffy woke up from his coma, the first thing he saw was a woman.

That woman is beautiful.

It's so beautiful it doesn't seem real.

Her long black hair cascaded down to her waist, snake-shaped earrings swayed by her ears, and her red cheongsam accentuated her perfect figure.

She was looking down, wiping the sweat from Luffy's forehead with a damp towel.

Luffy blinked, his mind blank.

Where is he?

Who is this?

Where are you guys?

"You're awake?"

Hancock's voice was very gentle—completely different from how she usually spoke to others.

Luffy tried to sit up, but his body felt like it was falling apart and he couldn't muster any strength.

"Don't move."

Hancock gently pressed his shoulder.

"You've suffered a serious injury and need to rest."

Where are my friends?

Luffy's first words were not "Where am I?" or "Who are you?", but "Where are my crewmates?"

Hancock looked at him, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

She had met countless men, but none of them asked her about her first thing after waking up.

"They're all alright."

Hancock put the towel in the basin of water.

"They were blown away to different places, but they all survived."

Luffy closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

"That's good."

He reopened his eyes and looked at Hancock:

"Who are you?"

"I am Boa Hancock."

Hancock's tone returned to its queenly manner.

"Emperor of the Amazon Lily Kingdom, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."

Luffy tilted his head and blinked.

"oh."

Just one "Oh".

There was no surprise, no fear, no questioning like, "How come you're a Shichibukai?"

It's just an "oh".

It seems that the title of "Seven Warlords of the Sea" is about the same level as "the uncle next door who sells takoyaki".

Hancock looked at him and suddenly smiled.

She understood why Roy cared so much about this kid.

Because this kid is different from everyone else.

There was no greed or desire in her eyes, only pure curiosity.

It's like a child observing something new and interesting.

"Do you know that Ace is going to be publicly executed?"