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Just as the light curtain displayed this shocking upheaval of the era…
Inside God Valley, a drunkard who had only just been "awakened" by the rich aroma of alcohol looked at a fleeting scene in another corner of the light curtain and let out an even more bewildered and stunned shout.
"Wait… wait! That red-haired kid (Eustass Kid)… why is he using my Magnet-Magnet Fruit ability?! Could it be… could it be that in the future, I'm already dead?!"
The speaker was "Captain John" from the Rocks Pirates.
He was a man who loved alcohol like his life. Right after landing on God Valley, he had used brute force to snatch the top-quality fine wines from the Celestial Dragons' private cellar.
Those wines, specially reserved for the World Nobles, were naturally of unparalleled quality. After downing a few bottles, John had passed out completely drunk!
From the moment the light curtain appeared until now, he had remained in a groggy, half-conscious state.
At this moment, still suffering from his hangover, he saw the future Supernova Kid manipulating magnetism on the screen. The alcohol sobered him up instantly—he looked utterly dumbfounded.
"Jahahahahahaha!!"
Golden Lion Shiki mercilessly burst into mocking laughter, pointing at John. "Do you even need to ask, John?! You drunkard! There can't possibly be two identical Devil Fruits existing in the world at the same time! The only explanation is
you're definitely dead in the future! Your Magnet-Magnet Fruit ability was inherited by that red-haired brat! Face reality, you boozehound!"
Shiki's words struck John's heart like a cold iron hammer.
"Fehahahahaha! Exactly, exactly!"
Ganju—the smuggler pirate famous within the Rocks Pirates—also joined the "corpse-whipping" session against John, his face full of schadenfreude: "I've heard before that when a Devil Fruit user dies, the 'demon' inside them returns somewhere in the world,
waiting for the next host! Look—Newgate's Tremor-Tremor Fruit was snatched by Rocks's son, wasn't it?
You, a rotten drunk who's always clinging to a bottle, your future end is probably about the same! Dead as a doornail~"
Ganju had no good feelings toward John. Back when they first landed on God Valley, John had used his Magnet-Magnet Fruit to steal a treasure chest filled with precious gems worth hundreds of millions of berries right out from under him.
"Hey, hey, hey! Shut your mouth, you nose-picking sleaze!"
John's face flushed red with anger and embarrassment. He roared at Ganju, "Alcohol is my spiritual sustenance! The water of life!
Damn it… I never thought that Captain John's future would end up like this—unable to even protect my own ability! This is… way too humiliating!"
Though he grumbled in frustration, his hand didn't stop moving—he lifted the bottle again and chugged down a huge gulp.
He looked like he was trying to wash away the unpleasantness of learning about his "death" with more alcohol.
His alcohol addiction seemed etched into his very bones. Even knowing it might lead to his downfall in the future, he couldn't change.
After all, even when he became a zombie general in the future, he still couldn't kick the drinking habit!
"Hey! Shiki!"
Another Rocks Pirates member who never got along with Golden Lion—Silver Axe (the future "Silver Axe")—impatiently cut off Shiki's mockery.
"Quit laughing at this guy and mocking that one over there! You talk like your own future is going to be any better! Maybe your ending will be a hundred times more pathetic than this drunkard's!"
Shiki's golden mane practically exploded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: "What did you say?! Silver Axe! Want to fight?!
My future is destined to be the king who rules the world! How could I end up as pathetic as this boozehound!"
"Hmph! Rule the world? You? Keep dreaming! I bet in the future you get knocked down from the sky and splattered into a puddle of mud!"
"You're asking for it!"
Since fighting was forbidden, the two immediately launched into a verbal war, trading insults about each other's ancestors for eighteen generations, arguing furiously…
A perfect example of a "battle of words" under the light curtain's rules.
"What a bunch of idiots…"
Whitebeard Edward Newgate watched this chaotic yet strangely familiar scene and helplessly shook his head, his massive hand gently tightening around Murakumogiri.
This was the normal state of the Rocks Pirates: a lack of real trust and bonds among members. They were more like a motley crew temporarily united by interests and strength—
ready to turn on each other at the slightest provocation.
On the other side, Kaido looked quite excited.
He pointed at a brief appearance on the light curtain of the pirate named X Drake (secretly the captain of the Marines' secret SWORD unit),
but at this moment Kaido only saw the parts connecting him to his future "Flying Six." He shouted at Big Mom: "Linlin! Did you see that! In the future not only did I become one of the Four Emperors, I even founded the Beasts Pirates!
Even a guy who looks pretty strong came to join me! Looks like I did pretty damn well!"
Though Kaido was making a bit too much of it, from his current age and perspective, it at least proved that in the future he hadn't fallen into ruin—instead he had become a dominant overlord.
"Mam-ma-ma-ma~ Kaido!" Big Mom Charlotte Linlin turned her massive body toward him, her face wearing a condescending smile as she doused him with cold water.
"Don't get too full of yourself, kid! In front of me, you'll always be the little brother who needs looking after! Don't forget that precious Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Mythical Zoan! You owe me that favor for life—remember it well!"
Big Mom's words reminded Kaido of her favor and subtly hinted that his future achievements owed no small debt to that powerful Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit.
Kaido grew visibly irritated when Big Mom brought up the topic of "favors." He waved his hand to change the subject: "Say whatever you want! Right now I'm more curious about what kind of country this Wano Country is?
Why would future me establish my base there? The light curtain seemed to mention you stayed in Wano before too? What's so special about that country?"
The current Kaido was still just a powerful but relatively junior "apprentice" in the Rocks Pirates. His knowledge of world geography and history was far from complete.
"Wano Country?"
Big Mom frowned and thought carefully: "Mam-ma-ma-ma… I don't think I've heard of that country either.
But judging from those samurai outfits and weapons, it should be some isolated samurai nation, right?
Places like that often hide things the outside world doesn't know about…"
A glint of interest flashed in Big Mom's eyes toward this unknown country.
Amid the noisy discussions and chaotic atmosphere, a middle-aged man with a distinctive pineapple-shaped hairstyle—his face bearing some resemblance to the future Marco—casually walked over toward Whitebeard's side.
"This pineapple head looks so familiar!"
Seeing Polo Gram, both Whitebeard and Stussy—who was leaning on his shoulder—were momentarily stunned. They felt a vague sense of recognition.
"Hey, Newgate!"
Polo Gram stopped a short distance in front of Whitebeard, his face beaming with a hearty and somewhat proud smile. "Haha, let me introduce myself—I'm the captain of the Pineapple Pirates, Polo Gram!
The guy on the light curtain—the 1st division commander of your crew, Phoenix Marco, who fought bloody battles for you and remained loyal to the end—that's my son!"
Since fighting was forbidden by the light curtain rules, Captain Gram had decided to come over and chat.
Whitebeard had always been a hero he admired, and from the future scenes, not only had his son Marco followed this idol, he held a high position in the Whitebeard Pirates, deeply trusted…
and even after Whitebeard's death, Marco had fought tirelessly to uphold his legacy. This moved and filled this father with pride.
"Oh?" Whitebeard carefully sized up Gaban upon hearing this. The earlier vague familiarity finally clicked.
He slowly nodded, his deep voice carrying a touch of gentleness: "That kid Marco… is your son, huh… He's excellent. A truly outstanding man—loyal and full of integrity.
In the future, he took good care of things. Thank you—for raising such a fine son."
Whitebeard's words were simple, yet carried immense weight.
He not only acknowledged Marco but also expressed gratitude to Marco's father.
This recognition that transcended time left Captain Gram deeply moved. He waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, no—it's Marco who was fortunate enough to follow you!
Seeing him become the right-hand man to a hero like you in the future—there's nothing that could make me, as his father, happier!"
The future Marco's feelings toward Whitebeard and his unwavering loyalty to his comrades truly touched many people.
Including this father standing here in God Valley right now.
This small interlude injected a rare touch of warmth and humanity into the calculating, mocking, and chaotic atmosphere of God Valley.
The future revealed by the light curtain was not just a map of power and ambition—it was also proof of emotion and bonds.
...