"Vice Captain..." The young man spoke with a hint of sadness in his face. Behind him, a red-nosed boy tugged at his hand and shook his head.

  "All right, now that Roger's younger brother has left safely, it's time for us to move on," The middle-aged man with the gsses said with a smile, his eyes filled with the wisdom of someone who had seen it all.

  "Disperse. You all have your own paths to follow, and I o visit someone I've never had the ce to see."

  The others exged gnces but remained silent.

  The formation of a pirate crew was filled with hopes and dreams for the future. But its dissolutio separation, a farewell to shared adventures and camaraderie.

  No longer would they be rades fighting side by side on the same ship. The bonds of friendship might endure, but they would never be as close as they once were.

  The small wooden boat sloroached the shore. One by one, five or six figures dressed in bck disembarked. Their rge cloaks hid their faces pletely.

  "Take care!"

  "May your future be a smooth one."

  "Shanks, Buggy, give it your all. The future is yours."

  The two smaller boys nodded early, their expressions solemn.

  In this moment of parting, everyone seemed deeply serious and thoughtful. The you, Shanks and Buggy, had tears in their eyes.

  About five mier, the remaining members embraced, their expressions a mixture of plex emotions.

  Then, nodding to each other, they each turned and walked away in different dires, symbolic of their divergent paths. From that day forward, those who had once sailed in the same ship would embark on separate futures.

  "Let's go, you two. Why are you standing there?" Rayleigh's voice was heavy as he scolded the two boys.

  "Vice Captain!" Shanks and Buggy shouted, uet the days of ughter and tears they had shared.

  Shaking his head, Rayleigh turned and walked away. His steady pace carried him farther and farther, until he disappeared from their sight.

  "Buggy, let's go together. Be my partner. We'll form a pirate crew that will make waves on the seas," Shanks said early, wiping away tears as he looked at Buggy.

  At that moment he made a decision. He would remain a pirate, carry on the legacy of the Roger Pirates, and once agaihe pinnacle of glory.

  "Who wants to go with the likes of you?" Buggy snapped, shaking off Shanks' hand. "Don't fet, you still owe me a treasure map!"

  "Hmph!"

  With that, Buggy turned and ran off.

  Shanks watched Buggy's retreating figure and sighed helplessly. Then his gaze turned distant as he looked out over the vast sea.

  The surface of the o resembled a huge, menag beast, its waves crashing violently and r like thunder.

  "This wild, beastly sea... Someone must quer it!"

  "This 'Era of Violence' - who could possibly stop its relentless march forward?"

  Murmuring to himself, Shanks turned and disappeared from the se.

  ---

  Meanwhile, on the distant horizon, a bird cried out in despair.

  "Caw!"

  Its pierg scream echoed through the air. Rojen, crouched low on the White Phoenix, clutched at his shoulder with his right hand. Blood seeped through his fingers in bright red streaks, flowing untrolbly despite his efforts.

  Sweat dripped silently from Rojen's forehead, falling into the seawater below, only to be instantly diluted and lost.

  "Time is running out. I must find a pce to rest as soon as possible," he thought grimly, his expression cold and serious. He patted the White Phoenix beh him. The bird let out another sharp cry, fpped its wings vigorously and accelerated towards the horizon.

  The duration of the 'Possessed System' was only about an hour. It had been barely thirty minutes, yet Rojen already felt his trol over the White Phoenix's power slipping. This realization struck him like a jolt.

  "The duration of this system's possession depends on the user's physical dition," He deduced.

  Sweat streamed down his fa rivulets, and he felt the strength of the White Phoenix beginning to wane like it was slowly leaving his body.

  "Faster. I o move faster!"

  The vast sea y calm and serene uhe warm sunlight, a deceptive tranquility. Yet Rojen could sehe shadow of impending doom looming over him.

  Amid this endless expanse of o, without a pce to nd, even the greatest power would be rendered futile. His wooden boat had already beeroyed by the odores' on fire, sinking to the depths. The only things he had left were the bag of belly slung across his babsp;

  "If I don't find nd before the White Phoenix's power fades, I'll die for sure!"

  The looming crisis of life ah weighed heavily on him, his heart rag wildly.

  "Faster! Faster! Faster!"

  Summoning every ounce of irength, Rojen urged the White Phoenix forward. The bird let out sharp, pierg cries as it soared ahead, rag across the open sea.

  Three mier, Rojeire body felt weak, his muscles ag unbearably. The White Phoenix's strength had dwio less than half. Fatigue and pain were draining his energy rapidly.

  "Keep going. I ot die here!"

  Gritting his teeth, he forced out the words and ahe White Phoenix to press on.

  Five minutes passed, but the se ahead remained unged— rolling waves as far as the eye could see. A few fish leaped joyfully out of the water, pyfully spshing bato the depths. Seagulls flew in flocks across the sky. The beauty of the se was starkly at odds with the despair in Rojen's heart, which felt as heavy as lead.

  There was no nd in sight. The possession time was nearly up. At most, he had five minutes before the White Phoenix's power would vanish entirely.

  Meanwhile, the wound on his shoulder had gone pletely numb— a troubling sign that his right arm was losing all sensation.

  "Keep flying! It's not over until the very st moment!"

  Soured from his face, but his determination remained unbroken.

  The White Phoenix tis swift flight across the o, but its pace slowed. It was now flying closer to the water's surface. The great bird, which had carried him so far, was nearing its limit, its strength almost spent.

  Three mier, Rojen's eyes suddenly brightened.

  On the horizon, a small bck dot appeared.

  "A ship! It's a ship!"

  The White Phoenix let out a joyful cry, fpping its wings with renewed vigor as it sped toward the distant vessel.

  One mier, the White Phoenix gave a pained screed plummeted heavily toward the ship below, which was slowly moving across the waves.

  At that same moment, Rojen reached his absolute limit. The power of the White Phoenix dissipated silently, leaving his body. Darkness ed his vision as he fell into unsciousness.

  (End Of The Chapter)