The New Age

As the sun shined brightly on the stage, the Pirate King's smiling face never faltered. His clear eyes showed not a single ounce of fear, he looked like he was here for a drinking party. At least that's what a tall man wearing a green cloak thought as he stood there. Watching as the Pirate King had his final moments in this forsaken land.

"I know why you came here, don't worry. I'm not that stupid."

A set of footsteps was heard from behind the man in the cloak as Akatora walked over to his friend's side. The man was covered by a green cloak that was meant to hide his identity didn't move, but his heart had felt more relieved now that his friend was by his side.

As for Akatora, who knew who it was instantly as no one else but him would choose such an ugly color, he just took a scanning look at the Pirate King he had heard so much of. Afterwards, he turned to his friend who seemed to look worse for wear. He wondered how he had been these past two years.

"Ai, I told you that color does not suit you at all. You look better in white and blue."

Akatora didn't mind his friend's seemingly unfriendly manner of not even looking at him. Even placing his arm over his shoulders as if they were back in the Marines again. Dragon himself didn't try to push him away so Akatora leaned in closer to pass him two letters. One that came from his father and one from his friend.

*sigh*

"I'm not going back to the Marines Akatora, you should know better than anyone."

"You never know, life just happens Dragon. It's not set in stone that your path with the Marines ended two years ago."

"It should have never happened in the first pl-"

"If you weren't there, I don't know how I'd be standing here. I hope you know that. I owe you a life, so if you ever need my help."

The two friends didn't speak for a while. The two had always been men that talked little with each other, at least publicly. The experience the two had of having fought for justice in the name of the Marines had formed a bond that transcended being just colleagues. They were brothers.

"I got it, your Rear Admiral ass can't even help me get any vital information so I don't know why you would bother."

"Hey! You know, I got promoted when you left. It's Vice Admiral Akatora now."

Akatora proudly thumped his chest, showing off his new rank with his buddy. Dragon gave him a soft smile, feeling happy for his friend.

"Congratulations kitty, looks like you fire cat powers finally got you somewhere. Could it be that you've finally given ownership of your tail to that old man?"

"Fuck off! You drizzle lizard! I would have been promoted long ago if you didn't up and leave so suddenly!"

Akatora elbowed Dragon on his side while using just enough Armament Haki to make it hurt. Though the man had already dodged his attack after expecting the move after his trash talk. Dragon judged his friend's improvement and was impressed, it seems he hadn't been slacking off all these years.

"Still too slow little kitty, why don't you try using that tail you're so proud of."

"Then I'd have burned your sorry ass! How would I explain that to your old man? 'Sorry old man, I wasn't expecting your son to get hurt so easily."

The pair were about to butt heads when a voice in the crowd shouted out loud. It was especially loud when you consider the silence that lingered around the square.

"Hey! Pirate King! Where'd you keep your treasures?"

Everyone looked intently at the man kneeling on the stage. His smiling face had turned amused when he heard the question.

"Whahaha! You want my treasure? You can have it! I left everything I gathered together in one place."

Kong immediately felt the dreary atmosphere turn jubilant as murmurs sounded out from the once listless crowd.

"Silence him! Kill him now!"

The two executioners hurriedly raised their glaves that were ceremoniously used in executions. Though they were too late.

"Now you'll just have to find it!"

"Ohhh!"

"Yeah!"

*thud*

Even as the man's head stopped moving on the stage, roars of excitement were heard all around the city. His declaration of a secret hidden treasure had captivated more than a few people.

"The Pirate King's treasures! How much would that be?!"

"How rich is a king?!"

Kong watched all this with a helpless face as he felt that the execution had turned what the expected result was into the exact opposite. Gol's smiling face as his lifeless body sat there made him feel like he was cheated by the man when he surrendered. Though the question from the crowd didn't seem to be something he planned.

'Damn it!'

The man's death was supposed to reduce the number of pirates that litter the sea, but with the reactions from the crowd, he had no idea what the repercussions of this event would bring . How a few had even started calling using their den den mushi to spread the news. There was no hiding this from the public, unless they want to make a big deal out of it.

'It will blow off in a few weeks.'

Kong reassured himself while munching on a packet of friend rice crackers. He looked up in the sky as if trying to find any sign of his prediction coming true.

'It has to.'

But it didn't.