The brilliance thundered, as if it sought to blot out sky and sun. Amid that blinding light, Liu Feng—standing atop the execution platform—fixed his gaze on the figure emerging beside him, a smile creeping across his lips. This was the power of his System: a mechanism capable of resurrecting the dead on the very ground where they fell—and granting him one of their abilities.
Of all the fabled powers attributed to Pirate King Roger, Liu Feng coveted every single one: the Flowing Sakura-grade Armament Haki; the boundless fury of Conqueror's Haki; Observation Haki so keen it hears the world's whisper; and that uncanny swordsmanship beyond gods and demons!
"Congratulations! You have successfully resurrected the legendary figure Gol D. Roger. Now randomly selecting one of his abilities…"
"Ability selection complete!"
"Congratulations! You have obtained Gol D. Roger's swordsmanship—and mastered its secret art, 'Divine Departure'!"
"[Divine Departure] unleashes a soaring slash wrapped in Haki, bypassing the enemy's weapon to strike their body directly!"
As the System's announcement faded, Liu Feng distinctly felt an unprecedented power surge into his body, roaring through every muscle and vein. A fierce gale surged, crashing against him. At the same time, countless visions—like long-sealed memories—flooded through his mind in rapid succession. Blade-wielding silhouettes drenched in blood danced vividly in his memory's depths, stamped upon his very soul: these were the memories of Pirate King Roger's sword training and deadly duels!
Within thirty seconds, the blinding white light gradually subsided, and the scene above the platform came into view for all to see. A deathly hush fell—so silent you could hear a pin drop. Liu Feng even heard the terrified hearts pounding around the platform and breaths catching in chests. He knew his senses had been amplified—hence the heightened hearing.
"Hiss—!"
A collective gasp turned into screams and uproar. The plaza around the execution platform erupted in chaos.
"That is—"
"That's Pirate King Roger!"
"That man actually resurrected Pirate King Roger!"
"How is this possible?!"
Not only did bystanders and pirates recoil, but the Marines who had leveled their guns at Liu Feng paled and took a step back, their hands trembling on their triggers. Pirate King Roger—the fabled pirate of unmatched power, renown, and wealth! The man who once bested Fleet Admiral Golden Lion Shiki and Whitebeard Edward Newgate! Branded by the Navy and the World Government alike as their most dangerous foe, with a bounty of 5,564,800,000 berries! The very man who was publicly executed on that very platform years ago was here again in the flesh! How could this be?!
As terror and awe reached fever pitch, the now-clear figure of Roger spoke at last. He still wore his crimson captain's cloak; his gold epaulettes fluttered in the slanting sunlight. A sword and a pistol hung at his waist. His voice was hoarse, threaded with weakness:
"Where… am I…?"
Roger slowly lifted his head, surveying the hundreds of armed Marines below as though they were invisible. When his gaze fell upon the execution platform and Loguetown Square beneath him, a flicker of nostalgia and longing passed through his eyes before vanishing.
"Loguetown?"
"I never expected to return here."
"You, brat…"
Roger turned to face Liu Feng, whose lips curved in a smile, and asked in a deep voice, "Did you bring me back to life?"
Liu Feng shrugged, replying with cool amusement, "Exactly."
Roger frowned, fell silent for a moment, then continued, "I am already a dead man. My will has been passed on. Though I know not what bizarre power you wield to revive the dead, this sea already has its destiny and course—why interfere?"
Liu Feng narrowed his eyes. The icy sea breeze struck him like a blade, whipping his black cloak into a wild frenzy. Fixing his gaze on the legendary pirate—one idolized and reviled alike—he suddenly laughed, "Because I have come to this sea. Without you, this sea is unbearably dull."
At those words, the entire plaza trembled; jaws dropped in shock. That young man dared to challenge Pirate King Roger?! The world fell silent, save for the wind's howl, like iron and blood roaring across the waves.
Roger stared at the youthful face before him. Then—suddenly—a profound, soul-deep connection stirred within him. His expression flickered with shock.
"So that's it…"
"You do not care for legacy."
"You… only wish to conquer!"
Liu Feng laughed, unrestrained. "I have arrived—and I will conquer! Those things you could not accomplish… those things you never dared to attempt… I will do them!"
The moment his words fell, Liu Feng drew his longsword with ruthless intent. The blade was plain and unadorned, yet it sang with a hum like a dragon's roar. He swung the sword—and sword ki, like a dragon, tore across the plaza with a thunderous roar. The earth split—a fissure a thousand meters long! One stroke: the pinnacle of great-swordsman mastery!