Scathach, Akainu, and Esdeath stood in silence, their faces shadowed by lingering shock.
Jaeger's Noble Phantasm—Chaotic Star's Mood—had annihilated them in an instant during their last encounter.
The sheer power of it had shaken them deeply. For now, none dared to challenge him again.
But Jaeger? He was in no rush. Unbothered, he spent his days playing cards—Yoga—with Gion, Yamato, and Olvia.
Life aboard the warship had become strangely peaceful as they sailed toward their next destination.
Karuizawa Kei, meanwhile, harbored a quiet wish to join the card games. But each time she tried to approach Jaeger, Yamato's icy glare stopped her cold.
Like a wolfdog guarding her food, Yamato had made it perfectly clear: Jaeger was hers.
Her grudge hadn't faded. She still hadn't forgotten how Karuizawa had shocked her in battle.
In Yamato's mind, she'd shown mercy by not knocking her out cold and now that same girl dared to get close to Jaeger?
Delusional.
Elsewhere on the ship, Scathach and Esdeath had set aside their vendettas—for now and trained together, forming a quiet rivalry.
Despite their differing origins and powers, they shared an unspoken respect.
Scathach's godlike spear techniques and terrifying clairvoyance kept Esdeath constantly on the defensive, while Esdeath's ability to freeze time itself forced Scathach to push her limits.
Both realized something important: strength wasn't enough. The people around Jaeger were monsters and even gods had to stay sharp.
As for Kaido and Akainu, confined by their understanding of the One Piece world, they could only watch in disbelief.
Spear techniques that pierced space? Ice that froze time?
They couldn't comprehend it.
It made them wonder: Was Jaeger so abnormal that even the women around him defied logic? Where had he found these beings?
Still, each person aboard had their own goals. Time drifted by quietly—until they arrived at Loguetown.
The island of beginnings and endings—Loguetown.
A legendary place. The spot where the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, was once executed. Now, it was the stage once again. A stage for history to repeat… or change forever.
The execution of "Roger" was a spectacle carefully orchestrated by the World Government. Those in the know—like Dragon—understood that the man on his knees was merely a puppet brought to life by Gekkō Moria's power.
But the public didn't know. And that ignorance was a weapon.
The Navy spared no effort—constructing a towering platform, preparing a global broadcast, and decorating the square with banners of justice.
The execution site was packed. Civilians, pirates, reporters, businessmen, navy recruits—all gathered for one thing: a glimpse at the Pirate King's end.
Seven majestic seats sat empty behind the kneeling "Roger," reminiscent of the Marineford War's admiral thrones.
People murmured:
Who would sit there? Admirals? World Government elites?
Then someone in the crowd shouted:
"Look! Someone's coming!"
Eight figures appeared at the edge of the platform, walking calmly through the tension-choked air.
Seven took their seats in dramatically different poses—each radiating an overwhelming aura.
The last figure stepped behind the kneeling Roger.
A golden sword shimmered into existence in his hand.
From the shadows of the crowd, Monkey D. Dragon stared up at the execution platform.
His hood concealed his expression, but his clenched jaw said enough.
"That's him... Nerona Jaeger," Dragon muttered, voice low. "The Celestial Dragon who killed my father. And Sengoku."
He eyed the ones behind Jaeger.
Kaido—once called a beast, now draped in naval uniform.
Akainu—a rising star who had grown infamous in the New World.
Esdeath—the Ice Queen who had publicly defeated Rayleigh.
Gion—a skilled swordswoman gaining renown.
And the others… girls unknown to Dragon, yet clearly powerful.
"They're all monsters," he growled.
Behind him, Doflamingo was watching too—eyes filled with twisted admiration and rage.
"Heh… Look at them. That bastard Jaeger, born into privilege, holds the world in his palm. If my father hadn't thrown away our Celestial Dragon title… it could've been me up there."
Elsewhere in the crowd, two boys—one with a red nose and the other with red hair—watched with fury.
"Jaeger… he killed Rayleigh. And now he'll kill Captain Roger too? That bastard… we'll never forgive him!"
But not everyone stared with hatred.
A young swordsman—Dracule Mihawk—focused not on Jaeger, but on his sword.
That blade…
Though Mihawk had never seen it before, every instinct told him: it was no ordinary weapon.
The sheer presence of the golden sword made his blood stir.
Nearby, a young Crocodile, still whole and arrogant, scoffed with disdain.
"Pah. Pirate King? Look at him now. A loser kneeling at the end of his story. I'll never end up like that pathetic waste."
Even Ivankov—with his massive frame and eccentric style—felt the tension.
He gripped Dragon's trembling arm and whispered, "You're not thinking of interfering… are you? This lineup… even Roger couldn't take them all. You'd die like a bug!"
Dragon shook his head.
"I won't act. Not yet. Someone else will make the first move… and then I'll strike from the chaos."
Jaeger stepped forward, golden sword gleaming in the light, and faced the world.
"I am Saint Nerona Jaeger," he said, voice calm but commanding. "You may remember me from the last global broadcast."
Cameras zoomed in. Reporters went breathless. Around the world, women screamed.
Even in Loguetown, many shouted their willingness to become his slaves.
But Jaeger ignored them, continuing with a pleasant smile.
"Before executing the Pirate King, I have two announcements. First—this is a formal appointment ceremony."
He gestured.
"Kaido, for your contributions to justice and world peace… you are now officially Admiral of the Navy Headquarters."
Kaido rose, walked before him, and knelt.
Jaeger placed admiral epaulettes on his shoulder and pinned navy justice medal to his chest.
Across the world, the response was explosive.
In the New World, Whitebeard and Big Mom cursed together:
"Kaido, you bastard! You kneel before the Celestial Dragons now? Is that what you've become? Their dog?!"
Their contempt echoed through their territories.
But to the masses… Kaido was a hero.
In the streets, civilians cheered like a tidal wave:
"Admiral Kaido! Admiral Kaido! Admiral Kaido!"
Kaido stood frozen, soaking in the adoration.
For the first time in his life, he was not feared as a beast… but praised as a protector.
It felt good.
After what felt like an eternity, Kaido and Akainu finally returned to their seats, their towering presence casting a silent pressure over the cheering crowd below.
Gradually, the roars and whistles died down, replaced by a tense, expectant hush.
All eyes turned toward the execution platform, where Jaeger stood tall, with Roger—no, the man impersonating him—kneeling before him.
This was the symbolic end of One Piece, and the dawn of a new era.
Jaeger raised the glowing sword in his hand, its golden light flaring like a star.
"Use the Noble Phantasm the Pirate King sublimated to kill 'him'," he muttered with a smirk, his tone both mocking and curious.
"Let's see what kind of legend I can forge from this farce."
Then he spoke the words that cleaved through history itself.
"God Avoids!"
In a blinding flash of divine gold, the sword fell.
The head of "Roger" rolled across the bloodied platform.
For a few seconds, the world froze. All across the globe, countless spectators stared in stunned silence at the broadcast.
Was that it? Was that truly the execution of the Pirate King? No final words? No legendary speech?
What they didn't know was that Roger had already died long ago. This was merely a formality. A ghost paraded before the world to mark an end that had long since come.
Jaeger looked down at the corpse, eyes narrowing.
"…Failed."
The legend hadn't transferred. The forged Noble Phantasm hadn't taken root in the real Roger's mythos. The Hand of Hermes judged the imposter as it was—an echo, not a legacy.
He sighed in disappointment. Clearly, cheating fate wasn't that easy. But it wasn't a total loss.
The spectacle had drawn powerful figures like moths to flame. And in this sea of legends, opportunities to carve new myths were everywhere.
Right on cue, a voice thundered from the sky like divine wrath:
"ROGER'S HUMILIATION WILL NOT END AT THE HANDS OF A CELESTIAL DRAGON LIKE YOU!"
Jaeger didn't even look up.
"So… he finally came."
Dragon exhaled slowly, tension easing from his shoulders. This was part of the plan. Bullett had arrived.
Gasps rippled through the elite crowd of Marines and pirates. Who would dare interrupt a public execution led by Jaeger, the man who annihilated the Rose Kingdom?
The skies cracked open.
BOOM!
A meteor-like figure smashed into the execution plaza, the impact shattering the earth. Flesh, stone, and air exploded outward.
Civilians were vaporized, torn apart by the shockwave. Screams filled the streets of Loguetown, now a slaughterhouse.
As the dust cleared, a figure emerged—muscles like iron, golden hair wild, black military coat flapping in the wind. Douglas Bullett had returned.
"A devil reborn," someone muttered.
Akainu's eyes narrowed, lava bubbling at his feet. "Bullett…! You dare disturb Saint Jaeger?! I'll kill you where you stand!"
But Bullett didn't even glance at him. His eyes were locked onto Jaeger, hate burning in his glare.
"I didn't come for you, dog," he snarled.
With a roar, he charged forward, massive feet crushing the blood-soaked ground as he leapt straight at the platform.
"You bastard!" Akainu shouted, ready to move—
—but something shot past his ear.
Two streaks of red lightning flashed through the air, blood-colored spears tearing through space itself.
"Pierce! Break through! The Spear That Penetrates Death——!!"
The voice rang with cold, ancient majesty.
From mid-air, Scathach descended like a queen of war. Her first spear impaled Bullett mid-charge, pinning him in the air like a crucifixion.
The second pierced through his organs, sending him crashing through the crowd like a meteor, vanishing into the distance.
"Leave the monster to me," Scathach said calmly. "He reminds me of the giants from the Age of Gods. How nostalgic."
She twirled her spears, vanished, and gave chase without hesitation—her live broadcast already ignited, her blood boiling for the hunt.
Dragon could only gape.
That woman… where did she come from?!
He had expected Bullett's Fusion-Fruit-powered rampage to create enough chaos for a surprise assault on Jaeger. But now—the plan was falling apart before it began.
As he reeled, another figure stood up.
"…Her too?" Dragon muttered, eyes snapping toward the tall, pale woman smiling coolly from her seat. Esdeath.
She raised her hands.
"Ice Age!"
A storm of white surged outward. In seconds, moisture in the air, clouds overhead, and even the sea itself froze into glacial silence. The entire town became a sealed, frozen tomb.
"Let the hunt begin," Esdeath said with a wicked grin.
Yamato jumped to her feet, gripping her spiked kanabo.
"I call dibs on the red-nose and the red-haired brat! They were Roger's crew, right? They better be strong!"
Esdeath laughed, eyes narrowing. "Crocodile's mine."
Karuizawa Kei adjusted her gloves and stood up as well. "Then I'll take Doflamingo. I'm curious how strong a Celestial Dragon can be… when he isn't Saint Jaeger."
Only Gion remained seated, her eyes fluttering closed with a gentle smile.
"I won't be fighting. I'd rather stay and serve you, Jaeger-sama."
Yamato clicked her tongue. "Tch. Fox."
Down below, Kaido and Akainu exchanged glances.
"Seems like everyone's taken their pick," Kaido muttered, cracking his knuckles.
Akainu smirked.
"Then how about we take those two?"
Their eyes turned toward the remaining figures—Dragon, still cloaked in his revolutionary attire… and the man beside him, masked and silent.
Dragon's blood ran cold as he felt their murderous gazes fall upon him.
He raised his head slowly.
Kaido and Akainu were already smiling.
•••
Support me at patreon.com/SoftShot and read upto 50 Advanced Chapters
For every 300 Power Stones, there will be a Bonus Chapter!