I guarded Impel Down for a hundred years in the pirate world.

Curious glances x13.

Usopp continued, "In our Qinghai, there is a unique and magical vast sea area, in which there is a final island, which was also named the Island of Departure by the King of the Stars. Only the strongest and bravest navigators can land there."

To prevent us Qinghai people from being overwhelmed by the dangers of space when we venture into the stars, Lord Figo decreed that only adventurers who have conquered the seas and reached the Island of Departure may enter the cosmos!

Thirteen people listened attentively.

Usopp chimed in, "Of course, this rule applies to non-kings, and they can't use air travel during their voyages, which is quite challenging for us young people."

"us?"

Does that include Lord Luffy?

谷识

“Of course!” Usopp affirmed. “I set sail with Luffy, Zoro, Kuina, Ace, and the others, serving as the ship’s sniper. Back then, Kaisa wasn’t even here yet.”

We went on adventures together, saw giant goldfish hundreds of meters long together, became national heroes together, and searched for a medicine that could heal wounds instantly when applied to them…

He had a look of reminiscence on his face, so genuine that someone exclaimed in surprise and stammered, "And then? What happened next...?"

Usopp sighed and shook his head: "Alas, it's my fault. We went through countless hardships and finally conquered the Grand Line, which is the dangerous sea area of ​​our Blue Sea. During the adventure, our strength has grown, but the other four are obviously much stronger than me. It just so happened that I was injured while fighting the monster fish to protect the ship during the final voyage. In order not to be a burden to them in the space adventure, I took the initiative to withdraw."

Thirteen people sighed for him.

Some people comforted him, saying, "Those four are too talented. You won't find anyone in the entire starry sky or on the planet Lampfire who can surpass them."

Usopp nodded, then shook his head and said, "On the day we parted, Luffy cried his eyes out, and I cried too. Almost twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye, and I rarely see them anymore. Their strength and status are different now. If we met... I don't know what we'd even talk about. Sigh..."

"Sigh..." Thirteen people felt sorry for him.

One of them suddenly said, "You've come to participate in this Starry Sky Martial Arts Tournament, is it because you plan to stand before your former companions with a new identity?"

Usopp paused, then said, "Oh, right."

"Let us help you!"

"……what?"

The 13 people looked at each other and made a decision.

"We'll help you!"

"That's right. Anyway, we're just participating in this competition to gain experience. With our strength, we have no chance of getting a ranking this time, and we might not even pass the preliminaries. So why not send you on your way!"

"Leave it to us!"

Usopp was stunned.

Looking at the 13 people who were getting excited, he gradually felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

Don't do that! I only participated because of Kaya... If they find out that Luffy and I aren't actually close... I'll die, won't I?

He wanted to slap himself, but could only put on a touched expression.

The tears in her eyes looked very real.

"Really? Thank you everyone, thank you everyone!" he said repeatedly.

The atmosphere was very harmonious for a time.

……

High in the sky, the 14 people were unaware that their conversation was being watched by two people.

The two were a man and a woman. The man was over three meters tall, with a straight and well-proportioned figure and handsome appearance.

The woman is about two meters tall, with fair skin and delicate features. Two wisps of hair hang on her forehead, making her look quite playful and youthful.

“This child is a bit… a bit…” She found it both funny and poignant: “It feels so strange to have a fifty-year gap in my life. In my memory, Garp was just a child, but now even Garp’s grandson is a big shot.”

“You’ll get used to it after a while,” Figo chuckled. “Besides, what big shot? Just a little kid. When Luffy sees you and finds out who you are, he’ll definitely open his mouth wide and call you ‘Great-Great-Great-Grandma.’”

"Isn't he an old monster?"

"Compared to those who are three or five hundred years old, we are still young, Mia."

"Yeah, I'm still not used to it." Mia, who had just returned half a month ago, nodded gently and said, "By the way, Figo, I remember you used to call me 'Sister Mia,' why don't you call me that anymore? Is it because you've become the King of the Stars and can't call me 'sister' anymore?"

Figo turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow.

Mia smiled and grabbed Figo's outstretched hand. Then the two disappeared, and Figo went to introduce Mia to more of the younger generation.

The clouds in the sky drifted and rolled, seemingly forming the outline of a human face.

He looks a lot like Doug.

Bonus Chapter: Dreams Never End

thump—

"pay close attention!"

"Stop!"

"What did you bump into?!"

Amidst the sounds of impact and chaotic shouts, Roger's adventure team's airship came to an abrupt halt.

Roger Riley and the others flew out of the spaceship's cabin and into space to investigate what the spaceship had collided with. Soon, puzzled expressions appeared on their faces.

"Nothing at all?"

"Wait, what's this?!"

As Roger flew to the front of the spaceship, he suddenly touched an invisible membrane. It was as if a barrier had appeared in the vast starry sky, blocking their progress.

"Could it be..."

With a hint of excitement, the group followed the membrane and explored the distance, traversing hundreds of miles, but they found no holes or gaps in the membrane.

"Have we finally found it?"

After their battle with the Spirit of the Lamp, Roger and his companions rested for a year before embarking on another adventure. This time, their goal was to explore the ends of the stars!

Since all the planets in the starry sky were created by the Spirit of Light, and the Spirit of Light is the origin of the starry sky, then this starry sky should have an end!

They weren't the only team exploring the ends of the earth, but they were the strongest among them, and none of them had a terrible sense of direction. Over the past decade or so, they've discovered hundreds more planets harboring life, including a dozen or so where humans still inhabit.

Now, it seems they have finally found their goal and reached their destination!

"The end of the starry sky? Then... what lies behind this protective membrane? Nothingness? Or an even more vast starry sky?"

Roger's mouth gaped open uncontrollably as he drew his sword and slashed heavily at the membrane!

A piercing, high-pitched whistle rang out, punctuated by Rayleigh's exclamation: "Roger!"

"Haha, I know!"

Roger sheathed his sword.

If it truly is the end of the starry sky and a protective barrier, recklessly destroying it might lead to unforeseen consequences.

“If this truly is the end of the starry sky, I think this barrier shouldn’t be something we can easily break through, so I’ve come to give it a try,” Roger explained. “Indeed, it is. So…”

The group of companions looked at each other.

Record the location, then go and invite Ancestor Figo!

……

More than half a month later, Figo followed Roger Reilly across the starry sky and personally touched the protective membrane of the starry sky, tapping it with the back of his finger.

“This is it, no doubt about it.” Figo confirmed that this was the edge of the starry sky. After thinking for a moment, he said to the two people next to him, “Step back a little.”

"Do you want to make an opening, old man?" Rayleigh wanted to ask if this was alright.

“It’s alright, the starry sky isn’t that fragile,” Figo said.

After the two men stepped back, Figo stretched his body and clenched his fists.

Having not fought anyone for over a decade, Figo had no idea how powerful he had become. Following his physical strength and bloodline reaching level seven, his armor and Conqueror's Haki had also reached level seven, transforming into two suns that illuminated an even wider expanse of starry sky.

Moreover, just like when he advanced to level six, advancing to level seven brought another leap in the essence of his power. Figo estimated that his full-force attack could shatter planets below the fourth-order level!

The level seven designation, "Transcendent," also gave Figo a hint. Transcendent, transcending—clearly referring to the starry sky of the Spirit of the Lamp.

This protective layer of starry sky should be something only he could break through, so he didn't make any unnecessary attempts and mobilized 70% of his power in his first strike!

As the fist struck the protective membrane, a blinding white light expanded.

The all-consuming brilliance lasted for more than a minute before vanishing into nothingness. Roger and Rayleigh, who were far away, rushed over and immediately saw Figo's arm stretching out as if reaching into another starry sky, disappearing without a trace.

"This……"

"You really broke through? What's it like on the other end, old man?" Roger asked excitedly.

“I don’t feel anything.” Figo shook his head and looked at Roger, who didn’t hesitate for a moment: “Let me do it!”

Figo didn't know what was on the other end of the protective membrane, or if it was one-way. Mia had only recently recovered, and he didn't want to play hide-and-seek.

Given Roger's personality, he didn't need to confirm whether Roger was ready or not. He and Rayleigh each grabbed one of Roger's feet and made him test the waters.

“This feeling of déjà vu,” Figo laughed. “When we first landed on the moon, this is how Rocks and I held onto Shiki and let him peer out of the planet’s protective membrane.”

"Hahaha, really? You wouldn't take us with you on that moon landing, old man." Roger laughed, then decisively leaped out.

Rayleigh's expression was tense, and his hands were also tense. After Roger leaned out and didn't react for more than ten seconds, Rayleigh looked at Figo with some inquiry.

Figo nodded, and the two pulled him along.

If only half of Roger's body had returned, it would have turned into a horror movie. Unfortunately, Roger returned completely intact, without a scratch, though he couldn't contain his excitement.

“What did you see?” Figo asked.

“It’s the starry sky!” Roger laughed in response.

Beyond the starry sky, there really is another starry sky!

“However…” Roger added, “I can’t breathe outside. It’s okay for a short time, but if it goes on for too long, I’m afraid there will be problems.”

No air? The real universe?

Figo was both surprised and found it reasonable.

"In that case, if you want to continue your adventure, you'll need to plan carefully and prepare for a while."