Chapter 14: Last Message

It all happened too quickly to stop by the interventions of the enemy parties as the Punk Records teleported away as soon as it finished. But the message was heard across the planet and instinctively understood by all.

"I make this message as I die as a man, but hopefully you will still remember me years into the future by carrying what I strove for technology for the betterment of the world. I want to make it clear that the World Government was founded on principles I can't say these reasons were good or bad but understandable at the time since I knew too little to properly judge them- just that those founders were too trusting and that led to their deaths by those who viewed ruling through force being the only way to control the masses to avoid them being overwhelmed by their Ambitions to avoid a horrible fate embedded in the Lineage Factor of all beings- it was well-intentioned even if I personally find it appalling. However, what I do take issue with is how their motives decayed over time. It's going to sound ridiculous and preposterous- you might even laugh at the sheer despair of it all. However, you have a right to know as people of this world. To make it short, the world is going to sink into the ocean, the sun will be blocked, and Nerona Umi- who calls themselves Nerona Imu- the true current ruler of the world plans to overload you with Haki to turn you all into Nobodies- chaotic beasts made of Haki. I didn't believe it at first, but Kuma's description of what truly happened to King Bekori fits the description. I don't know why Umi values Nobodies, but you can be assured this is not what one needs to become despite what people like the Roger Pirates or the Red Hair Pirates believe- they're under a mistaken belief. The truth is not blindly accepting going back to the primordial chaos to achieve serenity like Mother Sea would want, but to rise and become free via consumption of the Devil plants...no the Daemon Foods, the creations of the obscure figure, Lady Ocean to counter becoming a Nobody. If you are worried about being unable to swim, scientists will take it upon themselves to develop a means to mitigate the issue caused by the Mother Sea's curse. In short, Mother Sea is an unambiguously abusive monster and Lady Ocean is a saint even if she agrees that such power of Daemon Foods can be abused in the wrong hands. Anything can be a weapon but don't blame it- it's the people who use them who need to be responsible to manage them to the right way.

If you don't believe me about the world sinking, then you should be aware or are already aware of an earthquake that struck the entire planet and that the spot where it was fired left a massive hole- the same hole at Ennies Lobby- which hints at a connection of this being a continuation of a use of a device that is the culprit. Its after-effects can still be felt on Water Seven as Aqua Laguna and on Long-Ring Long-Land. As a result of that current use, the sea should rise about one meter around the world, rendering some islands uninhabitable. Beaches around the world will be lost for good. If I am wrong in this prediction, feel free to disregard the rest of the message and go about your day. If this happened, however, you should heed my words very carefully- and no don't ignore me to drink off your inability to have done something about it or go back to tending oranges- Rayleigh and Nojiko as well as anyone else who thinks this doesn't concern you! It's something we should all strive to work together to stop! This particular earthquake is not exactly what I would call a natural phenomenon because it was of a naive desire to help the world and prove my worth to those who wanted to only use me. In my own way, I only ever hoped for peace in my corner, but it was also motivated by greed to blind me from the repercussions of my actions.

I dreamt of a source of endless eternal energy and in my desire to push the world forward into the future, I flew too close to the Sun. Allow me to explain just what it is that is happening to our world.

The rise in sea level over a certain century was 200 meters! As for why the sea level rose so much during that century, it would be natural to assume the work of a sudden natural disaster, but I can state for a fact that this was a man-made disaster! If such a cataclysm were caused by natural forces, then the initial disaster would have spanned several centuries and inflicted slow but continual damage upon the world! But by any measurement, climatology, geology, environmental, and atmosphere science, this dramatic shift could not have happened within a single century! So, the cause is something else, and when I detected the rise in worldwide sea levels the other day, I had my answer. I knew the cause and confirmed its existence! It was a weapon made as a mockery of the Ancient Weapons during a century that the World Government labels forbidden- of which I can name at least three so far- Fake Uranus within the Red Line that only comes out on Umi's command, Fake Pluton resting in Wano alongside the real Pluton to act on the Kozuki's orders- which makes me think the worst in what their true allegiances are, and Fake Poseidon in Ennies Lobby. A fourth or a higher number was created when Lulusia Kingdom was erased.

I was tricked into aiding them using the Mother Flame to create it, but it's incomplete even if it can be used practically in short bursts. It requires a container with waters of the lowest depths of the sea to stabilize it. It is a flame that never goes out. One intended to solve our energy crisis that causes so many wars- at least one of the reasons. But I realize the problem of the world isn't lack of resources but those in power who hoard it for themselves to subjugate others with power. As long as these people remain in power, being capable of doing what you want or in the best interests of others will be impossible. I apologize for being so opinionated, but I take the stance of rebellion.

The fault is on my hands for the deaths of the Lulusia Kingdom which has been erased due to the negligence of the rulership not living up to Umi's ideals. Around two weeks after the theft of the flame, the sky over Lulusia shone with a barrage of powerful lights and the kingdom vanished without a trace, according to reports. After that, I observed the first signs of worldwide earthquakes in conjunction with that incident! As a scientist, and with utmost pride in its development but utter shame in how it was used, I can tell you this: It was used to empower this false weapon to destroy the country! The flame that I created was used to activate this abomination- a Nobody-created aberration that feeds off the ambition of others while repressing dreams and hopes. Umi likely used it, but I am just as guilty for the results that speak for themselves! My actions have led, directly or indirectly, to the loss of many human lives! A fact that weighs most deeply upon my soul, I am so sorry! I have inadvertently proven that the man-made disaster that once sank the world is possible again.

These imposters will be used again and we need their counters. Therefore, we need the Ancient Weapons that were falsely labeled by the beasts slain by the World Government to create it from the "chaos" it was born from. They might be scary but it's not a crime they exist. They have been reborn from 800 years and prior to that time- still existing today to await the moment to aid the one to stop the madness of Umi. We may live in peace while ignoring the wartorn counties, but the war of the Void Century has been happening in secret. Sadly, I owe you all my deepest apologies as I've set a mark on every last person listening to this message.

It all traces back to a time period of about 900 years ago to 800 years ago, a period of a century, there is a span of history that is completely and entirely blank. We call this the Void Century because all records from this time were eliminated by the World Government. The only means to know this lost piece of history it to find a message from the past in the form of Poneglyphs scattered across the world and decipher its contents! However, the world government has made it a crime of the highest order to decipher the message of the poneglyphs, and despite being a member of the government myself, I broke this law. But it was to understand how to dismantle these creatures at first, but now, it is carrying on the will of the fallen who want the World Government to be directed in a more positive light. And that the technology can be used more responsibly this time and their ideologies won't be as isolated and shunned to the point of purging them.

Through the determination of the Archaeologists of Ohara and the Giants of Elbaf who saved the research- even with their polarizing current culture of retaining the past or converting to the World Government mindset of Peace at all costs to destroy this evidence- I inherited some texts and several Poneglyphs- having cloned myself to go and decipher each one with an anonymous aid and the assistance of a group labeled as forgotten and evil by the public. You might think history is meaningless to the present such as Luffy and others but it informs the present and it can help the future to not repeat the same mistakes.

However, even with that, it was incomplete as there is actually a 5th Red Poneglyph to explain the jumbled messages of the four located in a part of a world that I will explain. In other words, what I know so far is an incomplete story of this century-long void that still ripples into the present. It would be hubristic of me to fill in the gaps to label my own judgment so I leave you with what was left behind. The main character of this era was born into a kingdom with technology I re-engineered. In other words, my advanced technology is just a faint shadow of what happened 900-800 years ago. He ate the Gomu-Gomu Fruit, which allows the user to have a rubbery body and being able to do anything- something heavily worshipped in Elbaf as a sun deity able to bring joy for winter- it has been falsely labeled as the Human-Human: Sun God Nika and the Rubber-Rubber Fruit, but it's just Gomu, one of ten primordial gods that helped to create this universe- universe 56...yes, I am just as confused as you are. So I'll tell you what is significantly more rational- his name was Sunny-Monkey D. Joy and he was a Pirate King and not even the first one as he belongs to a vast organization of Pirate Kings that spread across the universe and several other universes...again, this is just as weird for me to tell you as you're labeling me as odd.

He was a pirate because he wanted freedom and he fought in a war against the Nobodies that strove to wipe out the universes to return it to the primordial chaos of their deity, EMPTY, which was also worshipped by the 20 Kings- the provisional army put together as The Alliance. After the Nobodies were defeated early on, Joy would rise up the ranks to become a leader of entire universes. The Alliance was outclassed understandably so they used trickery and manipulation to get people to turn on Joy in favor of their system. The spark of the war was dreams to improve despite one's station/intended purpose versus obeying those of naturally high Haki from birth. However, there were other factors- there were players on both sides that couldn't be labeled as good or bad. It started to seem that the Pirate King system was flawed and the new system seemed more promising.

However, the side that had good intentions was too trusting of the ones who did have the worst intentions- or were too obedient to their comrades to defy those intentions despite their personal wishes. These usurpers took over from the intended rulers Joy surrendered himself to make peace for the betterment of the world and sacrificed himself to appease the civilians in spite of what his crew and loved ones saw as a trap. He did, however, deny them access to the technology that has recently been rediscovered through my efforts.

The war left scars on the world as races were forced into isolation or discrimination with the victors being allowed to enslave and dominate due to Joy's group being the only one strong enough to beat them dying due to a sacrifice to protect all life, but more so on the planet itself as a result of their selfishness. The islands are separated and people prefer to live their entire lives in one culture, being forced into Reveries to avoid them dominating the other nations out of fear of another culture questioning their foundational beliefs. Women are seen as lesser, Okama is seen as deviants, Men are forced to be unfeeling and macho jerks with no depths or delicate dreams, and so many evils are allowed. This was very different 1000 years ago and prior to 900 years when slavery became more prominent and the sinking of the world caused the 900-year start point that briefly caused the sun to disappear- leading to 16 years of darkness with the continents becoming slightly smaller. There were a number of bigger lands called continents we know nothing about, creatures we can't even imagine, and truths that would truly aid in improving peace. We live in Hell and we should strive to bring back that Eden- even if it's flawed and might be more dangerous. That erasure of that century to bring back that glory is unforgivable.

In the past, there were multiple ancient weapons but they were used to balance the world- it would be more accurate to call them Guardians of th World. Joyboy preserved them into the future so they could bring things back to normal. I initially thought he was foolish to do it when I read the first two Red Poneglyphs and I initially sided with the World Government's opinion on the matter. But, reading the 3rd and 4th...but also getting a sample of the 5th...I won't say it because certain people want to discover it. We of the older generation are too staunch and rigid in our ways to truly make a difference in stopping the flood since we played a part in maintaining the status quo.

The Roger Pirates were former Warlords or Privateers of the World Government- a fact that most people don't realize- doing the dirty work of the Nobles till God Valley made them see the errors of their ways. But their crimes were too heavy and this rippled onto their children who bore their burden, causing the death of Ace by proxy. He realized he was only a D by proxy as his ancestor was a traitor to that clan.

To those who bare the name of D, you have a new location to explore find the answers, and come up with a better resolution. You may have suffered but this suffering has meaning so you don't have to be ashamed of not fearing death or freedom like everyone else. Someone once told me that, "the voices of the past call out to you". History is written by the victors and the words of the vanquished are usually cast into a deep, dark ocean to be forgotten for the sake of the victors. That being said, their truth can still come to light, If the oppressed carry it on their backs and endure to resolve this eon-long conflict.

It might be foolish to believe a faulty 900-year-old account of a battle that is seemingly hopeless. But, things deemed impossible are often proven wrong- Gol D. Roger achieved the unprecedented and circumvented the world to give a true map that has been detained by the World Government. I have suspicions that his death was staged with an imposter while they dealt with the real one while punishing his crew as well for daring to have the Voice of All Things that could expose the plans of Umi.

His tale ended in tragedy but there was another, he might've been someone not to fully admire, but not one to hate either. Rocks D. Xebec...or rather Sunny D. Excite. He is the latest descendant of Joy and he did the impossible that will become apparent now.

The Dawn is approaching and a secret of the world is about to be laid bare. To counter the sinking weapons. Those with rare and unique ancestry have been persecuted and slaughtered due to their connection to ending the weapons. They have a right to live like any other race. They will be needed in this new development.

I'm now opening the door. It was sealed 800 years ago so you need to be on guard. But I have faith in humanity's ability to adapt and faith in science to come up with solutions.

25 years ago, Roger died with a message that might be a lie but it inspired the next generation. Two years ago Whitebeard died to confirm its existence while denying his true reality to his dying breath. Today certain individuals can't be oppressed and will be able to finish what they inherited from them.! Such individuals are probably the closest to the truth as they explore the opposite of the New World! A coincidence? or is this God planning to achieve this fate? It's all there- it may seem like a dream or a nightmare when you go to it, but you have to go- all pirates- those who go against the will of fate unlike Revolutionaries, Marines, and World Government.

The 5th Road Poneglyph and yes...that as well...but they're not as you'd think them to be.

There's no stopping this now...

Jaygarcia Saturn, Shepherd Ju Peter, Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, Topman Warcury, Marcus Mars, Quaor Weynot, Gaia Terra, Haumea Namaka, Make-Make Vincent, Orcus Vanth, Ferry Cha-Ron, Gong-Gong Xiangliu, Uranus Ouran, Donquixote Sedna, Ceres Kuiper, Hygia Badina, Anza Chiron, Gol Eris, and Nerona Imu...

Or should I say, Hohenhiem Ezekiel, Vinsmoke Germain, Shimotsuki V. Byakuo, Dodgeson Darwin, Isaac Abraham, Maxamillion Midas, Charlotte Ruth, Tudor Howard, Percy Victor, Westerly Miser, Fortunatus Wright, Douglas Irene, Samson Arcas, Donquixote Nero, Xavier Malcolm, Cromwell Allister, Fudo Acala, Nerona Umi, Nefertari Ramses, and Figardland Imu along with any of supporters.

The fate of this world will be decided by whoever finds it! Let's hope it's not the worst outcome.

It all depends on who finds it...

THE ONE PIECE!"

Egghead

Stella, Lillith, Pythagoras, Shaka, Edison, and Atlas all smiled as did York a bit more painfully as they went limp.

Punk Records warped back as it glowed with beams that converted their bodies into light to be assimilated into the records before warping away elsewhere.

Things were about to get much worse as Emeth pulled the knot as it released a powerful Haki that caused the sky to split like a curtain- revealing an expanse of the world known to the public for centuries...

The OLD WORLD.

Next Chapter: Nineteen Kings

Author Notes: The chapter was focused entirely on Stella's speech but modified into my vision of the story. After lying in the back of the narrative, OLD WORLD is finally revealed.