"Could it be… that you want to follow Dragon's path too, Luffy…"
Even Garp, usually so carefree, now wore a troubled expression, his gaze complex as he looked at Luffy atop the platform.
The blood of the Monkey family would never settle for peace.
…
"Tell me," Luffy said in a deep, guiding tone, addressing everyone who could hear him, "what do you think is the pinnacle of this world?!"
"And where have you placed your own goals?!"
"Let me see…"
"How many out there in the four seas don't dare to shout, 'I will become the Pirate King'?"
"And how many mock others' dreams as mere 'fantasies'?"
"Pirate King… wealth… fame… power…"
"You spend your entire lives chasing these things!"
"But some are born having all of it already."
"Do you think that's fair?!"
Luffy's tone was calm, but each word cut straight to the heart, dissecting the world from a higher perspective.
"It's fair!"
A response no one expected, and everyone turned to look at Luffy's teasing eyes in disbelief.
Why would he give such an unconventional answer?
But Luffy, as if unaware of their astonishment, continued in his own rhythm:
"The Celestial Dragons, the World Nobles—this is the position everyone dreams of!"
"I think most people in the world dream of being one of those pig-like beings."
"Don't take it personally; that title is probably even a compliment to them."
"…He really dares to say that…"
Doflamingo muttered under his breath, covering the mark on his wrist.
Even Hancock, glaring at the man she despised, now watched with unusual focus, a faint spark of hope in her eyes.
"But!"
"Do you feel it's unfair?!"
"Do you think the children of the strong are born strong, the children of the wealthy are born rich…?"
"Is that not supposed to be?"
"But do you know what those who became strong, those who became wealthy, those who became Celestial Dragons…"
"…paid to get there?!"
"You don't know! You only see their children inheriting power effortlessly, their descendants strutting proudly!"
Luffy's words might not have made the Marines at Marineford pause.
Everyone here had already fought tooth and nail to get this far.
But for ordinary people watching from afar, his words sparked thought.
In the age of live broadcasts, Luffy's voice spread to every corner of the seas.
"The strong work to ensure their descendants inherit even greater power; the wealthy toil so their children can live without want!"
"Have you ever thought of that?!"
"What are you thinking?!"
"And do you understand why I am saying this?!"
"To make you accept the unearned success of others? To make you accept your own failures?!"
"No! Not at all!"
"The Celestial Dragons are who they are because their ancestors suffered and bled!"
"They left their descendants noble status!"
"And if…"
"They can do it!"
"Then why can't you?! Why can't you become an ancestor to your own descendants and carve out a sky for them?!"
"Is it bloodline? Talent?"
"No!"
"All of it depends on whether you are willing to settle!"
"No one is destined to be ordinary forever; everyone has their own brilliance!"
"And the key to achieving it?"
"The height of your goals! The height of your ambition!"
Luffy suddenly slammed his fist to his chest.
"How high a person can reach depends on the height they set their target."
His gaze swept across the crowd of heroes: Moria, Crocodile, Hancock, Doflamingo, Whitebeard and his crew…
Even the Den Den Mushi broadcast cycled through their faces under Luffy's control.
"Those who work hard advance toward their ultimate goal."
"Set your goal as king, you approach power. Set your goal as richest, you approach wealth. Set your goal as Pirate King, you become a formidable pirate."
"But I ask all pirates of the world!"
"What happened to Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King?"
"Captured by the Marines, publicly executed, scorned by millions!"
Luffy lowered himself to a single knee, his black gauntlets supporting his head.
"I know you all have dreams, ambition, and are willing to risk life and limb. But why don't you think…"
"…even if you find Laugh Tale and become the Pirate King, the ultimate outcome will be the judgment of justice!"
"Is this… what you truly want?"
…
"Luffy… he really knows how to make people think…"
Moria chuckled, remembering the calm, bottomless eyes of Luffy when they first met years ago.
Years later, Moria felt the terrifying pace of Luffy's growth and the charisma that unconsciously led others' hearts.
Following Luffy's advice before, he had transformed from a failed New World pirate into one of the underground's prominent arms dealers.
His territories in the New World were still far from the Yonkou, but the nations and islands serving him had long exceeded a dozen.
And now, Luffy's every word etched itself into Moria's mind.
He understood: from this day forward, the world would change in ways unimaginable.
Every Shichibukai, Whitebeard and Red-Haired crews, and even most of the Marines had their ears pinned, eager to hear how this man would reshape the world.
Doflamingo, puzzled, could not fathom what Luffy was truly plotting.
======
Elsewhere in the New World, on a hidden island of jagged rocks, a massive military base stirred.
"Dragon!"
The chief office doors burst open, revealing a fish-man's face.
The man inside, looking down at documents, slowly lifted his head:
"What is it, Hack?"
"Come to the hall! Whitebeard and the Marines' war… it's been stopped!!!"
…
Luffy's voice echoed again over the tens of thousands gathered:
"Since you don't seem to understand, let me use the Starry Sky Pirates as an example!"
The Shichibukai pricked up their ears. They knew the previous words were just preamble.
Now, the real show is about to begin.
"Koby! Launch a full-strength strike at the sea!"
"Y-Yes!"
Koby froze, then stood like a soldier, ready.
He faced the ocean, planted his feet in a strong stance, inhaled deeply—unassuming, ordinary.
Yet no one dared underestimate him.
His earlier performance had proven his strength.
Whitebeard, Garp, and the others watched intently, like students waiting for a lesson.
Only those who had reached such heights could comprehend Koby's true power.
To someone scoring 30 points, 100 or 120 looks similar.
Only those scoring 140 see how invincible a 150 really is.
With a flash unseen by all, Koby's seemingly ordinary fist launched, powered from his waist.
BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A massive shockwave swept through everyone present.
The violent wind of his punch surged like a tidal wave, the blazing aura threatening to tear the sky from earth.
The entire space trembled.
"What… what is this power?!"
On Marineford, everyone stared in disbelief at a strike that only myths could produce.
That devastating blow, fueled by over 20,000 attribute points, truly had the force to destroy worlds.
Compared to it, Whitebeard's quake-induced minor tsunami seemed like child's play.
Vast, cosmic power, like stars and galaxies, surged forward, defying nature.
The clouds above split into a massive "V" shape.
The ocean below was pushed aside, carving chasms in the seabed.
The roaring waves seemed to challenge the heavens themselves.
After a long while, the two titanic tsunamis collided, canceling each other, leaving the sea calm.
And the world, for the moment, was at peace.
Mary Geoise, the holy land of the Celestial Dragons, sat in stunned silence.
A bald elder adjusted his glasses, glanced at the others, and sighed:
"Bring CP0 back. Or… don't send anyone else to die."
At the Revolutionary Army headquarters, Sabo watched the screens, mouth agape.
Having just finished devouring a Flame-Flame Fruit, he wondered if he had somehow crossed dimensions.
…
On Marineford, Koby turned calmly to Luffy, standing tall, awaiting instruction as if he had completed a mission.
Luffy nodded, smiling, ignoring the mood of everyone present:
"What you just saw was our Starry Sky Pirates' janitor delivering a full-powered strike."
"To avoid destroying other islands in the outer seas, Koby didn't extend his power fully—so visually, it might seem underwhelming…"
…
"Janitor!? Underwhelming!?"
Janitor?! Underwhelming?!
Marineford's strong looked at Luffy in disbelief.
Even they could sense the aura of the other Starry Sky Pirates and estimate their strength.
Yet, hearing Luffy call Koby a janitor without protest, they were torn between admiration and shock.
Koby… a true powerhouse, calling himself a janitor?!
…
On the platform, Luffy continued his speech, undeterred.
He realized that what seemed trivial before becomes tangible on a grand stage.
No wonder leaders always praise something. Even hollow words can carry deep meaning.
"Do you know why Koby has such power?!"
Because I paid for his cheat codes!
Luffy thought silently—but aloud, he said:
"Because our goals are set high!"
"While you were fighting for a laughable Pirate King, we set our sights on the distant stars!"
"Do you think the world ends at the ocean?!"
"Do you think sailing the seas is freedom?!"
"No! You're wrong!!!"
"Above the seas, above the skies, above the planets…"
"There are countless unknown worlds!"
"We are not alone! We are not special!"
"Our planet is but one among billions in the universe!"
"Countless beings surpass us in power!"
"Countless can destroy planets with a single hand!"
"The world is far vaster than you imagine!"
"Ambitious ones! Stop just sailing the seas!!!"
"Want to understand the meaning of life? Want to truly live?"
"Go! Endless freedom awaits you!"
"If you want it, go and find it!"
"Everything in this world is out there!"
"Boundless, perilous, yet breathtakingly beautiful…"
"The cosmos!!!"
…
Luffy's words spread instantly through video, audio, and text, reaching every corner of the seas.
From this moment on, the old era of performance and spectacle had ended.
The new era, fragile yet full of limitless possibility, had begun.
=============
Completed version available on P@treon(.)com/Veltoria