Chapter 338: The Day a New Pirate Era Began

“Where did you stash all that treasure you plundered?”

“Did you get your hands on that legendary Grand Treasure?”

“That fabled treasure that brings the world together.”

“The One Piece!”

A middle-aged man in green cupped his hands around his mouth, using them like a megaphone.

After shouting, he seemed to release every ounce of tension in his body.

Who knows if this man was someone Roger had arranged beforehand, just an opportunist, or someone truly desperate to know if the legend was real.

But whatever the truth, those words echoed across the sea and a new era began.

“Hehehehehehe!”

“Ahahahahaha!”

Hearing those words, Roger first chuckled low, then threw his head back and laughed with everything he had.

Roger became the first man to ever laugh openly on the execution platform.

“Do you want my treasure?”

“If you want it you can have it all.”

“Go and find it.”

Suddenly, an urgent shout from Sengoku pierced the executioners’ ears. “Execute him now!”

Just moments before, Sengoku had been calmly chatting with Garp. But after hearing Roger’s words, he knew something was terribly wrong.

If Roger kept talking, something unpredictable could happen. Sengoku felt a cold shiver of alarm run down his spine.

The two executioners instantly raised their spears and drove them hard into Roger’s body.

“All my treasure is hidden there.”

At that moment, the guards thrust their spears into Roger’s chest, the tips poking out his back as blood gushed uncontrollably.

Yet, shockingly, Roger faced death with nothing but a serene smile.

That final smile froze on his face as he slipped away, his life slowly ebbing out.

For the briefest moment after Roger died, the entire plaza fell still, as if time itself had hit pause.

There was a split second of utter silence.

Then, the square erupted like a volcano, with shouts and cries shaking the very ground.

“And just like that, the curtain rose on a brand new era.”

Doflamingo, strutting with his trademark swagger and humming a secret tune, walked across the plaza.

That odd passerby had no idea that this so-called proclamation of the gods truly opened a new age—the Great Pirate Era.

He was even fondly called the strongest NPC in history by his fans!

Roger’s final words instantly spread across the seas via Video Transponder Snail.

Even all the way in Zou on the New World’s far side, the Mink Tribe received this earthshaking news.

“I’m heading for the sea too!”

“I’m going to find out what that great treasure really is!”

Pedro made his declaration to set sail.

He was still a child, not knowing this journey would be one full of dangers.

Those who go to sea for their beliefs never worry about dangers they haven’t met yet. All they can do is keep moving forward, step by step.

The reigning king of Alabasta also received the latest newspaper.

“A terrifying era is coming. We must be ready.”

“Is it really that serious, Father?”

“Ah!”

“Cobra, remember this—when the people can live peacefully, there’s no reason for anyone to rush off to sea.”

…

Sanji was born at precisely this moment.

“Why was he born on this day? This child is a demon.”

The midwife yelled in panic, clutching a blond-haired newborn Sanji.

…

“Can anyone really become a pirate?”

Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold looked at the newspaper in their hands, stars in their eyes.

Amazon Lily was deep in the Calm Belt, and with scarce resources on the island, raiding others was their way of life.

Every girl there started harsh training at a young age.

Their goal was to master Armament and Observation Haki. The Kuja Pirates were the only all-female pirate crew whose every member could use both types of Haki.

“They say you have to be a strong warrior or you can’t join the crew.”

Even as a young girl, Boa Hancock was already teaching her two little sisters.

…

Navy Headquarters!

“I never imagined Roger would pull something like that right before he died.”

“Now the number of pirates on the seas is exploding. Let’s figure out a plan together.”

After Roger’s execution, Kong was appointed Supreme Commander, while Sengoku took on the role of the Navy’s Fleet Admiral.

With this mess now fully in Sengoku’s hands, Garp once again refused the promotion to Admiral.

With Kong’s departure, the Navy saw its power weakened. Only Zephyr, Garp, and Sengoku remained at the admiral level.

In fact, the only officially serving admiral now was Zephyr.

But among the new vice admirals, there were many fresh faces, like Onigumo and others.

The rush of new recruits helped a little, but without new admiral-level powerhouses, the Navy had no hope of regaining its peak.

Now the true Great Pirate Era was dawning.

More and more people set sail to become pirates, but recruiting admiral-level talent for the Navy was far from easy.

“Looks like we’ll have to shift most of the Navy’s forces from the first half of the Grand Line to secure the Four Seas.”

“The number of new pirates popping up in the Four Seas is dozens of times higher than on the Grand Line itself.”

“Only by bringing real order to the Four Seas can we clamp down on this surge of pirates.”

Those were Tsuru’s conclusions, after tallying up pirate activity throughout the Four Seas.

The key is to solve the root of the problem.

Since Navy Headquarters sat on the first half of the New World, it counted as the Navy’s true stronghold—there weren’t that many people becoming pirates from there.

But there were countless branch bases in the Four Seas, with wildly uneven strength and no way to control the swelling chaos.

“This is all we can do for now.” Sengoku knew there was no better solution.

He turned to Zephyr. “Zephyr, how’s the new recruit training going?”

That’s what concerned Sengoku most. The pirates were getting more daring, but the main Navy base still had some strength left.

Worst case, they’d just open the floodgates and let the pirates fight it out in the New World.

But without more admiral-level officers, if any pirate made serious trouble, the Navy wouldn’t have enough hands. That was Sengoku’s biggest worry.

“Ah, things are still the same as always.”

“So far, we haven’t found any real standouts fit for greater responsibility.”

Zephyr’s work was crucial—constantly training new Navy members hoping one would reach admiral-level strength.

Which meant he was basically stuck at headquarters.

It bothered him, too. He’d trained so many batches, but never found a new generation ready to inherit the flag.

“It’s time for another round of mass recruitment. Maybe some promising rookies will turn up.”

The topic shifted as Sengoku looked at Garp. “Hey, Garp, want to become an admiral this time?”

“Being an admiral isn’t the least bit free. I’d rather stick to being a vice admiral and keep my peace.”

Even when Sengoku brought it up yet again, Garp stuck to his decision.

Besides, he had no intention of becoming a dog for the Celestial Dragons. As long as he could live freely, why take on more responsibility?

“Alright then, that’s settled for now. Meeting’s over.”

Sengoku knew there was no changing Garp’s mind. After getting a clear answer, he simply waved everyone off.