Chapter 330: Prelude to 1520
Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1520
The New World was surging with undercurrents; various factions were restless and making their moves.
Roy had disappeared from the public eye for over a year, and the wave belonging to the new generation was rising.
Ace, Luffy, Zoro, Kuina, Law, and the other young Marines had already made a name for themselves in the New World, hailed by the world as the "Banner of the Marines' New Generation."
East Blue · Dawn Island
At this moment, on the tranquil Dawn Island, the evening breeze brushed by. The wind chimes under the eaves tinkled, the crisp sound echoing in the small courtyard.
In the yard, Ace and Luffy's wood-chopping competition was gradually going "off track."
"Firewood Chop—!!!"
Luffy smashed his fist down, resulting in the wood flying high into the air and scattering messily all over the ground.
"Hey! Idiot Luffy! How are we supposed to burn it if you shatter it all like that?!"
Ace facepalmed. Then, flames ignited on the edge of his palm. Transforming it into a hand-blade, he gave a light swipe, and neat blocks of firewood immediately dropped to the ground.
Luffy's eyes widened: "Whoa! Ace, you're cheating!! Using your Devil Fruit ability doesn't count!!!"
Ace raised an eyebrow smugly: "This is called efficiency, idiot~"
Rock watched his grandsons bickering. The firelight in his pipe flickered, his gaze gentle and profound.
"These two brats... have finally grown up."
The wind chimes on the doorframe were blown by the wind, letting out a crisp tinkling sound as if in response.
"Grandpa Rock! The firewood is chopped!"
"Phew—this should be enough to burn for a while."
Under the porch, Rock sat cross-legged. The already-worn pipe in his hand burned with a red fire, gently exhaling rings of smoke. He narrowed his eyes and scolded with a smile: "Stinky brats, your voices are still as loud as ever."
In the kitchen, alongside Irene's busy figure, two little helpers had suddenly appeared.
Nami chopped vegetables swiftly and neatly. Her proficient knife skills made Irene's eyes light up.
"Lassie, who did you learn these skills from?"
Nami raised a hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead, her smile confident: "When I was at Marine Headquarters, I often learned from the master chefs in the cafeteria."
Nojiko was kneading dough on the other side. Her movements were gentle yet possessed a resilient strength, the dough gradually becoming as smooth as jade.
Irene nodded secretly in her heart: "These two girls... are truly wonderful."
She looked up, just happening to meet Rock's eyes under the porch: "Old man, they'd make a fine match for the boys, wouldn't they?"
Rock bit his pipe and exhaled a puff of smoke, giving an almost imperceptible nod: "Yes, they definitely would."
The two elders smiled in tacit understanding.
Come evening, the dining table was filled with a sumptuous meal.
Irene had specially prepared Ace's favorite spicy stewed meat and Luffy's beloved extra-large portions of roast meat. Nami and Nojiko also brought out several exquisite side dishes.
"Wow—it smells so good!!! Let's eat!!!"
Luffy's eyes lit up like stars, and he almost lunged straight for the food.
"Wait! Let Grandpa and Grandma take the first bite!" Ace pressed Luffy's head down, his face full of exasperation.
Nami covered her mouth and giggled, whispering to Nojiko: "I didn't expect them to actually know manners..."
Nojiko nodded: "After all, they grew up in Big Brother Roy's home..."
The table was filled with joyous harmony as the twilight outside gradually dyed the sky a tangerine red.
After dinner, Rock and Irene sat under the porch. The night breeze was slightly cool, and the sound of the wind chimes echoed in the tranquil night sky.
Irene asked softly: "That brat Roy... when is he coming back?"
Rock took a deep drag of his pipe, finally exhaling a slow puff of white smoke: "When he does things, he always has his reasons."
He looked at Ace and Luffy, who were fighting over the last piece of roast meat, and then looked at Nami and Nojiko, who were clearing the dishes in the kitchen. A smile curled his lips:
"However, this home will always wait for him."
The night sky of Dawn Island was dotted with stars.
The wind chimes tinkled lightly, as if passing along a distant promise.
...
New World · Unnamed Deserted Island
Deep within a cave, a bonfire danced, the firelight reflecting on the rough stone walls.
The members of the Red Hair Pirates sat in a circle. Wine bowls clashed, and laughter and bold roars rose and fell.
"Come on! Bottoms up!!"
"Haha—we aren't going home until we're drunk today!"
Beneath the lively atmosphere, however, lay an imperceptible, suppressed undercurrent.
Benn Beckman, a cigarette dangling from his lips, walked slowly to Shanks's side.
He spoke in a low voice, his tone carrying a heavy gravity: "It's been confirmed... Ever since Roy went to the Holy Land that time, he has completely disappeared."
"To date, it's been over a year."
The wine bowl in Shanks's hand paused slightly, layers of ripples spreading across the surface of the liquor.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes. The firelight flickered, yet it couldn't dispel the gloom between his brows.
"Over a year..."
"With that guy's strength, it's impossible for him to disappear without a trace."
After a brief silence, he slowly uttered a sentence: "Unless, someone deliberately..."
The bonfire crackled. Shanks slowly raised his head, "While he's not here... we must act ahead of time and push 'that plot' forward."
Beckman took a deep drag of his cigarette, his eyes narrowing slightly, clearly having anticipated this answer all along.
Shanks then turned his head, lowering his voice: "The matter I asked you to investigate earlier, what are the results?"
Beckman was silent for a moment before pulling a yellowed portrait from his coat.
Under the firelight, the person's face was sinister, his gaze dark, a cruel arc hooking the corner of his mouth.
"The cause of the Whitebeard Pirates' collapse... has been verified."
"It's him."
"—Marshall D. Teach."
The moment Shanks saw the portrait, his pupils shrank violently, the scars over his left eye seemingly throbbing with a dull pain.
"BOOM!!!"
Unsuppressible Conqueror's Haki erupted with a boom, instantly extinguishing the bonfire inside the cave!
Every single wine bowl shattered explosively, the air booming as if it had been torn apart!
The crew members of the Red Hair Pirates all froze in place, cold sweat breaking out as they looked at their captain in confusion.
Shanks's single eye shrank like a needle, his voice as cold as iron: "No wonder..."
He slowly clenched the portrait. As his fingers exerted force, the paper was ground into dust in his palm, scattering with the wind.
After a long while, he suddenly spoke, his tone chilling: "Where is he right now?"
Beckman flicked his cigarette ash, his expression grave: "Rumor has it that when Roy annihilated the Whitebeard crew back then... he deliberately spared the lives of Marco and Teach."
"Subsequently, he personally delivered Teach into the hands of Vegapunk."
"His motives are unknown."
"Vegapunk..."
Shanks muttered in a low voice, a cold light surging in his eyes as he abruptly stood up!
Gryphon at his waist trembled slightly in its scabbard, as if responding to his battle intent.
"All hands, prepare yourselves!"
"Target—Punk Hazard!"
...
Somewhere in a barren wasteland, heaven and earth were a dusky yellow. The wind whipped up sand and dust, making the place so desolate it seemed like it didn't belong to this world.
The sky-filling yellow sand howled, as if even time had stood still in this moment.
Inhale—
A low breath sounded. The man lying in the gravel slowly opened his eyes.
He raised his hand, brushing the dust from his face, a familiar glint flashing past his eyes.
"Hey, idiot system."
Roy propped himself up, looking around the desert wasteland, a trace of helplessness in his tone.
"Are you sure I didn't teleport to the wrong place?"
Just as his voice fell, a semi-transparent phantom of a young girl abruptly surfaced in the air. The idiot goddess's voice rang out:
"That's right~ This is the exact time period you requested!"
Roy rubbed the bridge of his nose speechlessly, "The time period is right, but the place..."
He slowly stood up and stretched his arms, able to feel that his injuries and stamina had already completely recovered.
"800 years ago..."
The tragic scenes of the battle at God Valley flashed through his mind. The yellow sand howled, and Roy's back gradually blurred into the wind and sand.
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