"Seriously, every time I see you, you have new tricks!" Whitebeard grumbled helplessly, "Speaking of which, after all these years, you're the only one who hasn't changed."
"Want to know my secret to staying young?" Nero feigned ignorance, not directly answering.
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard suddenly burst into laughter, "You all step back, let me have a private chat with my old friend."
Nero reined in his smile: "...Hathaway, take Kuina for some tea."
Once everyone had left and only Nero and Whitebeard remained on deck, the atmosphere grew quiet.
"Newgate, you haven't used the Pure Gold?"
"That kind of thing is useless. I am Whitebeard, I don't need that stuff to cling to life."
Whitebeard waved his hand grandly, speaking with heroic spirit.
"Is that so? Then I advise you to use it sooner rather than later. The earlier you use it, the more beneficial it will be."
Nero, however, wasn't smiling. His expression was indifferent, tinged with pity and compassion.
"What do you mean?" Whitebeard sat up, resting his arm on his leg, a faint unease stirring within him.
"Whitebeard's journey is about to reach its end." Nero slowly extended his hand and clenched it into a fist: "A new era is coming, and the remnants of the old era should exit the stage."
"Is this also something you saw with your Observation Haki?" Whitebeard didn't argue, silently taking the Pure Gold necklace from a nearby bottle and putting it on his wrist.
"Ah, your death, though not like Roger's, will also accelerate the rampage of the era."
Nero lowered his fist, then grinned: "How about it, Newgate? Let me give you a dignified exit?"
"What you saw was Whitebeard's exit? Or the Whitebeard Pirates' exit?" Newgate ignored Nero's provocation, frowning as he asked the question he cared about most.
The future Nero saw with his special Observation Haki was extremely accurate.
Unlike other Observation Haki that saw short-term potential futures, Nero's Observation Haki leaned more towards absolute prophecy.
"Is there a difference? The remnants of the old era, they are also the same." Nero put his hands behind his back: "The division between the new era and the old era is not determined by age."
"Your children still haven't grown at all. I said Whitebeard's journey is about to reach its end."
"...Is it Teach?" After a moment of silent thought, Whitebeard slowly said.
Nero looked up in surprise: "You actually know?"
"Gurararara! Don't underestimate me, Nero. The future you see is too distant. For now, only that guy Roger has fallen for it, right?"
"Whatever you say..."
Nero's eyelids drooped, too lazy to waste words with this guy who had an 'Ah Q' spirit.
"Anyway, I just came to see you one last time."
"Gurararara! My sons! It's time for a banquet!"
"I can't stand you, you know..."
...After the Whitebeard Pirates' three-day and three-night revelry, Nero and his companions finally departed.
On the golden rose, Nero watched the distant Moby Dick gradually disappear.
Pulling out a rose from who-knows-where, he tossed it into the sea. As the red petals scattered, Nero silently thought, "Farewell, Newgate."
A News Coo circled down and landed on the deck of the golden rose.
The front page of the latest issue prominently read:
"Whitebeard Pirates Second Division Commander, Fire Fist Ace, defeated on Banaro Island, arrested by the Marine and now imprisoned in the Great Undersea Prison 'Impel Down'!"
Crimson magic patterns emerged, and Nero entered this state again after who knows how many years.
Unlike his Dragon-Human form, this was the first time Kuina had seen Nero like this.
It wasn't Haki; only pure demonic aura radiated from him.
"Hathaway, do you know what I saw when Roger and I reached the Final Island?" Nero's voice was tinged with wickedness, yet he wore a smile.
"Eh, not interested!" Hathaway's answer was the same as it had been years ago.
"Mwahahaha..."
The sky, which had just been clear, became overcast. The extreme weather of the New World was like this; accompanied by thunder and storms, Nero's golden hair was blown somewhat disheveled.
"Why must history be buried?" Nero continued this time: "What about the victor's glorious achievements cannot be seen by people?"
"It would be simpler to fabricate stories. The vilification of the defeated should better highlight the justice of the victors, shouldn't it?"
"The answer is simple: that battle has not yet ended! Roger is waiting, Joy Boy is waiting, Imu is waiting, and I am also waiting."
Hathaway wrapped her arms around Nero's waist, not speaking, just pulling him tighter into her embrace.
"Now the time is almost here." Nero didn't mind, continuing to speak to himself: "Newgate's death is the ringing of the bell for the new era."
"However, what I am waiting for is different from everyone else..."
Kuina's clothes were soaked with cold sweat. It seemed as if some colossal monster had opened its eyes within Nero's shadow.
This was the true Nero. Compared to Nero's other titles, Kuina felt that only a title like 'Demon King' was more fitting.
When she first met Nero, he would occasionally have such demonic outbursts. She hadn't seen Nero have an episode in so many years.
Kuina had thought Nero had long ago resolved these issues, but now, seeing Hathaway's unsurprised demeanor, she began to realize it might not be as simple as she had imagined.
"What a pity!" Nero suddenly sighed, "Old friends are about to fall: the aging Newgate, the physically depleted Linlin, the insufficiently talented Kaido, the one-armed Shanks..."
"Kaido...insufficiently talented?" Kuina swallowed, somewhat confused by Nero's viewpoint. That was a Four Emperors who reigned over the New World!
"A guy who squeezed in relying on his Devil Fruit and sheer willpower has already reached his limit." Nero closed his eyes, the magic patterns on his face gradually fading.
"These old, weak, and infirm will become stepping stones for the new generation. I guess I've said goodbye to everyone."
Breaking free from Hathaway's embrace, Nero walked towards the cabin: "Let's go home. To face the coming new era, Nicuss also needs to be prepared."
Hathaway and Kuina's pupils constricted. Nero's meaning was that the so-called new era could actually affect Nicuss?
...Meanwhile, the Straw Hat Pirates defeated Gekko Moriah, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and were heading towards Sabaody Archipelago.
Thanks to Robin, the crew had learned about the existence of Haki in advance.
However, because the group was riding high on their victories against two Shichibukai, they didn't urgently train their Haki.
At Robin's insistence, only Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji had managed to grasp a half-baked Armament Haki.
Although Robin herself had mastered both Observation Haki and Armament Haki, she didn't place too much importance on them as they were about to enter the Nicuss Merfolk Special Zone.
And the Straw Hat Pirates were about to face their greatest defeat in history due to their complacency.
---------------------------------
If you'd like to read the next 70 chapters in advance, you can support me on Patreon.
I regularly post chapter previews there, so you'll always be up-to-date and won't have to wait too long.
patreon.com/SolyuraMT
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!