One Piece: Legacy of the Pirate King

Chapter 22

One Piece: Legacy of the Pirate King

The sky was burning.

As the End Realm descended from the heavens like a broken crown, every corner of the world felt its presence.

Birds stopped flying.

The sun froze mid-rise.

And across the Grand Line, people looked up and whispered the same thing:

"The sky is dying."

On the deck of the Thousand Sunny, the crew stared in silence as the final battlefield unveiled itself—a floating island forged from the bones of forgotten gods and the dreams of extinct civilizations.

At its heart pulsed the final anomaly—

The Seventh Time Pillar.

And on its throne…

The Echo Child.

No longer a boy.

No longer human.

Floating midair with wings made of time threads, his silver hair trailing like comets, and eyes no longer filled with sorrow—but resolve.

And behind him, merged into the island's core, was Imu—their body no longer physical, now a mass of shifting shadows, mouths, eyes, and screams.

The Thousand Sunny rose into the sky on wings of light, powered by Cymos's last reservoir of Chrono Energy. As it neared the island's base, a force field erupted from the realm's roots, barring all entry.

Then came the voice.

Not shouted, not spoken—but heard.

"To reach the Final Pillar, you must pass the Seven Trials."

The island split into spiraling rings, like a floating labyrinth of time and soul.

Each trial—one for each Straw Hat member.

Each one targeting not their strength… but their identity.

Trial 1: Zoro – The Trial of Regret

He awoke in a bamboo forest.

Fog drifted through memories.

And Kuina stood before him—alive, older, with tears in her eyes.

"If you hadn't let me fall… we could've ruled the world together."

Zoro dropped his swords.

"I didn't let you fall. But I carried your dream. That's enough."

He closed his eyes and walked past her illusion.

And the mist shattered.

Trial 2: Sanji – The Trial of Hunger

A banquet beyond his wildest dreams appeared. Food. Wine. A seat beside Zeff. Peace.

But when he tried to eat, he saw the starving faces of orphans. Villages destroyed by pirates.

Zeff whispered, "You deserve happiness, boy."

Sanji lit a cigarette.

"But not before I serve it to everyone else first."

The feast burned.

And the path opened.

Trial 3: Robin – The Trial of Knowledge

She stood in a library that contained every book that could ever exist. And at the center… her mother, alive.

"Stay," her mother said. "The world outside only breaks you."

Robin touched her hand.

"I'd rather suffer with truth… than live in comfort with lies."

The books crumbled.

And she walked through.

Trial 4: Chopper – The Trial of Beast and Man

He stood before Dr. Hiriluk… and a version of himself as a full reindeer.

"Abandon humanity. Be safe. Be wild."

Chopper cried, then shook his head.

"No. I became a doctor because I wanted to help humans, too."

He stepped forward.

And the beast vanished.

Trial 5: Franky – The Trial of Creation

He was offered the chance to build the perfect world—mechanized peace.

"No pirates. No pain. Just order."

Franky laughed, slamming a fist into the machine.

"A world without chaos is a world without freedom. And freedom's the whole point."

Trial 6: Nami – The Trial of Love

She saw Bellemere alive. Arlong gone. The village safe.

"Stay," Bellemere begged. "You've suffered enough."

Nami touched her face.

"I'll never stop missing you. But I belong with them now."

The memory wept… and let her go.

Trial 7: Luffy – The Trial of Self

He stood in a place of absolute silence.

No sky.

No ground.

No sound.

Only… himself.

Across from him stood another Luffy—no smile, no warmth. Just a dead-eyed shell.

"I'm the you that never laughed," the shell said.

"The you that gave up after Sabo died. After Ace burned. After the crew was lost."

Luffy didn't speak.

He simply reached forward.

And hugged him.

"I hurt too. But I still smile. Because if I stop… I'll lose everyone."

The shell crumbled into stardust.

And Luffy walked through the final gate.

Above, the Seventh Pillar loomed.

Broken.

Unstable.

Spinning like a dying star.

The Echo Child waited at its base—hovering above a sea of shattered timelines.

His voice rang out across the sky.

"You passed the Trials. But the cost of stabilizing the final pillar… is one life."

He pointed at Luffy.

"Joy Boy failed. Roger laughed. You… will die."

Luffy stepped forward.

"I'm okay with that."

Hancock cried, "NO!"

Lian ran forward. "Dad—!"

Luffy turned to them with the softest smile.

"If my life means the world keeps turning… I'll give it up."

But then…

Lian grabbed his father's arm.

"I won't let you!"

His body burst with golden Chrono Light.

"I'm the bridge between past and future! I'll take the price!"

The Echo Child narrowed his eyes. "You dare defy the contract?"

"I'm not the echo," Lian roared. "I'm the voice of what comes next!"

He struck the final pillar with his palm.

A blast of pure memory and will surged out.

And in that moment—every Straw Hat, every friend, every moment they lived—flowed into the Seventh Pillar.

It pulsed.

Stabilized.

And for the first time in centuries—

Time stood still.

The Echo Child screamed as his body unraveled.

But Luffy stepped forward and grabbed his hand.

"No more hate."

The boy blinked.

And cried.

Before fading into peace.

Imu shrieked.

A thousand voices roaring in failure.

But their body cracked.

Collapsed.

And dissolved into nothing.

The End Realm crumbled.

But the crew escaped—sailing back to the sky, laughing, holding each other.

Above them…

The seven Time Pillars now floated like moons.

And time began anew.

Epilogue Preview (Next Chapter):

Peace returns to the world. Pirate flags lower. Nations rebuild. The Straw Hats retire, finding new roles. And years later, a boy with a straw hat walks to a hilltop, where Luffy—older now, with Hancock beside him—smiles under a sakura tree. A new story begins.