I guarded Impel Down for a hundred years in the pirate world.

The mental network expanded outwards, instantly covering an area of ​​tens of thousands of miles. A glint of wisdom flashed in Bai Ji's eyes, which were narrowed to slits.

About 100 kilometers to the southeast, in the clouds.

Rocks is fighting three against one, facing Whitebeard, Krishnamurti, and Shiki simultaneously. The intensity of the battle is far greater than it was three months ago. In fact, the three who are fighting together are approaching the level of Rocks, who was the strongest three months ago. Rocks has also improved to the same level, barely managing to fight three against one and not be defeated for a short time.

A thousand kilometers to the northwest, in the sea.

The giant Lakshmi is lying on the sea, stretching out a large hand and using its five fingers to fight five physically powerful kings: Linlin, Kaido, Kong, Garp, and Zephyr. The battle is fierce.

Three months ago, even when Lingling only used one hand, she only needed to focus on her thumb; the other four fingers were just playing around.

Now, I'm finding it difficult to win with only one hand.

Five hundred kilometers to the northeast.

Roger, Rayleigh, and Jabba are fighting against Ana together. The two sides are evenly matched. Ana's face is full of disbelief, even though the people in front of her are all trained by her.

When they first met a year ago, the three of them were being chased by a young swordsman who had just lit a lamp, and she could kill that swordsman with a flick of her wrist!

Bai Ji looked at Kizaru, Akainu, Aokiji, and Sengoku in front of him again... Had he been tricked?

As the most powerful diviner in the starry sky, Bai Ji was not so easily fooled. He knew exactly what Figo was thinking.

It was simply a case of turning the tables and taking the opportunity to investigate Qinghai.

In four months, he watched as these kings of Qinghai improved their cultivation at an astonishing speed. He had investigated everything that needed to be investigated, and based on a wealth of known information, he finally learned some of Qinghai's secrets through divination.

Something's wrong in Qinghai.

The place is wrong, and the fish is wrong.

Those creatures that are over 5,000 meters in size but as fragile as paper are very strange.

It's so delicious!

The aroma of grilled fish wafted over, immediately interrupting Bai Ji's thoughts. The smell of smoke made tears stream down her face.

When did you get back?

"I just got back and immediately grilled fish for King Raibur. Thank you for your hard work."

More than half a month ago, Figo stopped his special training and sparring with the strongmen of Qinghai, went into the starry sky, and wandered around the Eastern Universe Sea for a while.

After greeting Sengoku and the others, Figo fed Baiji and then immediately flew to reward the savage giant Lakke. The group of physique kings devoured three sea kings that were over 500 meters in size in one meal.

After eating his fill, Figo said, "Brother Lakker, we've known each other for so long, but we've never sparred. How about we have a little match?"

Lingling's eyes lit up. She had the greatest confidence in Figo and felt that even against the giant, Figo might not necessarily lose.

Garp and his group were slightly weaker, but they still showed great interest in the battle.

La Ke agreed: "Okay."

The two traveled to the moon and fought for a full day and night, with no one to witness their battle. Neither of them was injured when they returned. Lingling asked about the result, and Figo simply shook his head and said, "I lost."

It was now close to January 1st.

Figo then announced the end of the special training, and Qinghai entered a state of preparation!

Chapter 193 Before the Battle

February 30, 1500 (Haiyuan Calendar)

In the South China Sea, on the island of Baterila, under a cherry blossom tree, Roger and Whitebeard sat facing each other, enjoying a drink.

"Have you decided, Whitebeard?" Roger asked, picking up his wine bowl and twitching his mustache.

“It’s decided,” the white-bearded man replied.

“Actually, Rocks’ strategy was correct. The starry sky is different from the ocean. The power gap between the strong and the weak is even greater, especially in the central star region you described, where the demons and the Celestial Dragons are engaged in a chaotic battle, which is extremely dangerous.” Roger drank half a bowl of wine and poured the other half into the distance.

There are five tombstones standing over there.

These were the comrades who sacrificed themselves for Jian Fanxing.

“I know,” the white-bearded man said. “It’s better for Longbread and the others to stay in the Eastern Universe Sea or return to Qinghai. After all, even we few had to accept the protection of the Hairless Queen Kailin after entering the Central Star Region.”

Only by moving forward, proactively reducing numbers, and absorbing powerful allies from various planets, and growing along the way, can we go further.

But this isn't what I want. The Rocks Pirates are now just getting stronger for the sake of getting stronger; they've lost their original spirit. After this battle, I will ask Captain Rocks for permission to leave and form my own adventurer's crew... even if it means staying in the Eastern Universe forever!

He burst into laughter: "There are tens of thousands of life-bearing planets in the Eastern Universe Ocean, more than we could travel to in a lifetime. That's enough."

But wouldn't it be a great pity for men like us not to go to the very center of the universe and see the strongest beings in the starry sky? Roger looked at the white-bearded man and offered him another bowl of wine.

"What exactly do you want, Whitebeard?"

The white-bearded man drank a full bowl of wine, his gaze distant and profound, and said, "Family."

Roger paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Roger returned home after drinking with Whitebeard until late at night, his face flushed, but he was no longer as magnanimous as before, and his expression showed an unusual hint of guilt.

In the brightly lit cottage, a tall, beautiful woman with long, wavy blonde hair was waiting for Roger's return.

Portgas D. Rouge, Roger's soulmate whom he met during his early sea adventures, and the two had long been engaged. She waited for Roger for 16 years as he went on his space adventures.

After Roger returned, the two got married almost in a flash. Roger, who was in excellent physical condition, was so healthy that Rouge became pregnant within two days. She was already heavily pregnant and was only a few days away from her due date.

She poured Roger a glass of water to help him sober up, and Roger hurriedly took it, saying, "I can do it myself, I can do it myself, Rouge, you sit down."

Rouge smiled and said, "Roger, you weren't always such a polite man."

Roger gave an awkward laugh: "Ah, haha, really? This isn't..."

"Are you leaving?" Rouge asked, "After repelling the attacking demons?"

Roger fell silent.

“I can see that, Roger. If it weren’t for the prophecy of the demon race’s attack and the World King’s special training for you, you probably wouldn’t have been able to hold back and would have left again a few months ago.”

Rouge said, "Your heart belongs to adventure, not family. That's okay. I love you as a hero, not as an ordinary person taking care of my children every day."

Go in peace, I'll take good care of the baby. But... could you stay a little longer, at least until the baby is a month old?

Roger looked at Rouge, and all his unspoken words were finally condensed into one sentence: "Um, I'm sorry."

He was moved by Whitebeard's words and for a time really wanted to stay in the Blue Sea and the Eastern Universe Sea like Whitebeard did—Whitebeard only wanted family, but he truly had family.

But his different personalities and his yearning for and pursuit of the Central Star Region ultimately prevented him from making the same choice, and also prevented him from being a qualified husband and father...

……

"Responsibility! Duty! Do you even know what responsibility and duty mean?!" At the same time, Garp was giving the dragon a lesson in love for the nth time.

"You're a navy officer, not one of those adventurers. Your job is to ensure the safety of Qinghai! But what have you done?!"

Once you enter the starry sky, you are out of contact for years. Even I, your father, can only see you in the newspapers. Do you feel honored?

Rescuing some half-demon children? Yes, they are innocent children, and rescuing them is upholding our justice. But specifically targeting half-demon children—what are you trying to do?!

A gentle breeze blew in front of the dragon, deflecting all of Garp's spittle. Garp, half-dead, leaned back helplessly and said, "Calm down, Father. Don't you think the chaotic war between the Celestial Dragons and the Demons in the starry sky is a source of chaos and needs to be changed? And the half-demons, despised by both sides..."

“I know!” Garp interrupted, “But don’t you know your own limitations? Even old man Figo hasn’t done anything yet, and you can’t even beat me? Are you looking for death?!”

“If you want to initiate change, someone has to lead the way. Even if I die because of it, my will will live on…” Long argued.

"Pass it down! Pass it down!" Garp roared, slapping his slippers on his shoulder. "You'd better pass down our surname first! I'm telling you, if you don't give me a grandson, don't even think about entering the stars again!"

The dignified king who lit the lamps was sent fleeing in terror by a slipper.

……

"Come and chase me! Come and catch me!"

On the recruit training ground, Naika, with his long legs, dodged his comrades' pursuit, running without getting tired.

Suddenly sensing someone in front of her, she slammed on the brakes and stopped abruptly. She saw a burly old man holding a thermos and blinked.

"Grandpa Jinqie?"

"Hmm, little Naika, slow down." Jinqie smiled at her, took a sip of tea, and then strolled away leisurely.

Retirement life is so dull and boring. Having dedicated his life to Impel Down, he has no children and only Figo as his old friend. He gets angry when he sees Figo, so he can only take a walk every day and come to the recruit camp to see the energetic children.

However, what kept flashing through his mind was what Figo had said to him more than ten days ago.

'Old Jin, your strength is average. If you ask Ana to help you go back twenty years, it won't cost her more than a few years of her lifespan. I'll consider this favor as my contribution and find a way to make up for the loss of her lifespan.'

If you were 20 years younger, you'd have a much better chance of igniting the flame through your body, which is equivalent to extending your lifespan by eighty or ninety years. You could then return to Impel Down to continue shining brightly—wouldn't that be wonderful?

It was clearly a well-intentioned act, but they insisted on saying it that way.

It's infuriating.

Should I do this or not?

He hesitated. Losing several years of someone's lifespan was no small favor. Figo made it sound so easy; if longevity-extending treasures were so easy to find, the starry sky would be full of old monsters. Besides, there was Mia waiting for him in the future...

"Lord Kinkiri!" A voice suddenly called from ahead, interrupting Kinkiri's thoughts.

Jinqie looked directly at him and saw a fur-bearing boy in front of him, who was also a member of the recruit training class. His name seemed to be Pedro.

"What is it, child?"

Pedro asked, "Lord Kinchie, I've noticed that the officers at the Navy Headquarters have been rather busy lately, and we haven't seen the three admirals for a long time. The atmosphere at the Navy Headquarters is also a bit off."

Is something big about to happen? War? Or something else? We…”

"A perceptive child, this child is suited to guard a prison." Kingie shook his head. "Those things are none of your concern right now, child."

"But……"

“Everyone has their chance to shine, it’s not your turn yet,” Jin Qie said earnestly. “Grow up in peace.”

Pedro paused, then seemed to understand, and looked at Kinche with admiration, saying, "I understand!"

Jinqie smiled and continued walking away.

Everyone has a chance to shine? He muttered to himself, "Where has my chance to shine in the past hundred years?"

'To grow old and die like this, it would truly be a bit of a regret...'

……

"Hahahaha, just thinking about it is really exciting! We, we Qinghai, are about to have a grand entrance ceremony in the starry sky!" A fat man with only a golden whip in his hair laughed loudly in a tavern.

"We're not the main force, Quinn. Whether we need to join the fight is still unknown."