"Ahhh!"
"Run! Pirates are attacking the town!"
"Hurry, run!!!"
Although the cannon fire had mainly targeted the ships docked in the harbor, the thunderous bombardment terrified everyone nearby. The people on the port—and even those living near the waterfront—turned pale with fear and began fleeing toward the town.
Many ran while screaming in panic, which only frightened the residents they passed along the way.
Chaos quickly spread through the streets of Loguetown.
However, the War Pirates paid no attention to the reactions of the townspeople.
After clearing the harbor of all obstacles, the fleet sailed smoothly into the port and docked.
"Robin, little kitten—come with me. Let's take a walk through town."
As the crew began heading into the streets in organized groups to purchase supplies, Kaito Arisawa gestured to Robin and Neferpitou, inviting them to accompany him.
Meanwhile—
"Sandy, let's go take a look around too," Sandy said, feeling bored as he glanced toward Mangu.
Unfortunately, Mangu immediately rejected the idea.
"No. The captain isn't here. Someone needs to watch the ship."
After saying that, Mangu walked aside, grabbed a massive barbell weighing several tons with one hand, and began swinging it around to train his muscles.
"Sandy, come with us instead."
Trafalgar Law, followed by Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin, called out.
"Lafayette, you too. Let's go see the execution platform where the Pirate King died."
"No problem," Sandy replied instantly, since Mangu had turned him down.
Lafayette chuckled softly.
"That sounds interesting. I'd also like to see what's special about the place where the Pirate King was executed."
Soon afterward, Law, Sandy, Lafayette, and the others left the ship as well.
"Meow!"
From the moment she stepped onto land, Neferpitou, who sat comfortably on Kaito's shoulder like a small kitten, looked around with wide eyes.
Even though the streets were nearly empty due to the earlier bombardment, the shops lining both sides of the road fascinated her.
After all, she had never left West Blue before.
Everything in East Blue seemed fresh and interesting.
Walking beside Kaito, Robin glanced around and asked casually:
"Captain, are we heading to the Pirate King's execution platform?"
"Yes," Kaito replied without hesitation.
"If we're here, we might as well see it."
As they talked, the three of them walked toward the center of town.
Long before the fleet had docked, Kaito had already used his Observation Haki to survey Loguetown.
At this point, he knew the layout of the town even better than many of its residents.
Before long, the three arrived at a large square that resembled the area in front of a city hall.
And there—
They finally saw it.
The towering execution platform.
"So this is where the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, was executed?"
Robin studied the structure carefully.
From the outside, it looked completely ordinary.
If someone hadn't known its history beforehand, they would never have guessed that the life of the Pirate King had ended here.
Robin sighed slightly.
She had expected something more impressive.
"It's not surprising," Kaito said calmly as he stared at the platform.
"To the world, Roger was the Pirate King."
"But to the World Government, he was just a criminal."
"When they executed him, why would they treat him with any respect?"
"Honestly, the only reason this thing still exists is probably because the officials in Loguetown kept it around to attract tourists."
Kaito continued staring at the execution platform.
Memories from his previous life surfaced in his mind.
For a brief moment—
It almost felt as though he could see the legendary figure standing there.
A man smiling confidently even as death approached.
Slowly, a smile appeared on Kaito's face.
The title of Pirate King.
That would become his second goal.
He clenched his fist.
Then—
Without warning—
Kaito raised his left hand and punched toward the execution platform.
BOOM!!!
A powerful shockwave erupted from his fist.
The invisible force shot forward like a cannon shell and struck the platform instantly.
In the next moment—
The entire execution platform shattered and collapsed.
"What happened?!"
"Why did the execution platform collapse?!"
"What's going on?!"
"No—the execution platform is destroyed!"
"Quick, report this to the authorities!"
Although the harbor was far from the square, the earlier cannon fire had already alarmed the town.
Now, the destruction of the execution platform caused even greater panic.
Passersby stared in disbelief at the ruins.
Meanwhile—
A short distance behind Kaito and Robin—
Several figures had just arrived.
"Uh…"
"It looks like we're late."
"Well… I guess it still counts as seeing it."
"Even from a distance…"
"How did the captain destroy the Pirate King's execution platform?!"
Lafayette, Law, Sandy, and the others stared stiffly at the collapsed structure.
They had only been a little late.
Yet the platform they had come to see had already disappeared.
"Ah—you're here too."
Robin turned around and noticed them standing behind.
She glanced at the ruins.
Then looked at their stunned expressions.
She couldn't help laughing.
These guys really had terrible timing.
"Sorry," Kaito said awkwardly after turning around and noticing them.
"I forgot that you also wanted to see it."
Only then did he remember that he wasn't the only one interested in the execution platform.
"Captain," Law asked curiously, "why did you destroy it?"
Kaito looked back at the collapsed ruins.
"I didn't think about it too deeply."
"It just felt… annoying to look at."
"Annoying?"
Law blinked in confusion.
But beside him, Lafayette suddenly showed an expression of sudden understanding.
"I see!"
"The execution platform that ended the Pirate King's life…"
"It really would be unpleasant for the captain to look at."
As he spoke, Lafayette even performed a small, excited dance step.
"Could it be," Sandy muttered thoughtfully while rubbing his chin, "that the captain destroyed the platform to declare his intention to become the next Pirate King?"
"So that's it…"
Law's eyes widened with realization.
Moments ago, he had felt disappointed about not seeing the execution platform up close.
But now—
Compared to the captain's symbolic act—
His small regret seemed meaningless.
Destroying the execution platform where the Pirate King died…
To them, it wasn't reckless.
It was the bold declaration of a pirate aiming for the throne of the seas.
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