The air inside the Hall of Echoes was timeless—no wind, no warmth, no sound but the beating of Arkan's heart.
And the footsteps of a legend.
Gol D. Roger stood before his son, not aged or ghostly, but vibrant and alive, as if time itself had bowed to let this moment exist.
Arkan's breath caught.
"Father..."
Roger smiled gently. "So you made it here after all."
Arkan gritted his teeth. "Are you real… or just a memory?"
Roger chuckled. "I'm everything and nothing. A will left behind. A voice that echoes where time folds."
He stepped closer, placing a hand on Arkan's shoulder.
"I've watched you… and I'm proud. You chose a different path than me. One of shadow, not fire. And yet, you carry the flame."
Arkan lowered his head, voice shaking. "Why didn't you ever come back? Why did you leave us?"
Roger's eyes dimmed. "Because I saw what was coming. And I knew... it had to be you."
Outside the Trial Realm — Submerged Temple
The sea raged once more.
The Thousand Sunny hovered above the ruins in a protective bubble, powered by Franky's deep-sea system.
Inside, Nami struggled with steering as the waters twisted unnaturally.
Zoro stood at the edge. "Something down there is alive."
Robin pressed her hand to the temple's markings. "These aren't just ruins. This place remembers."
Luffy looked over the edge. "I'm coming, Arkan."
Back in the Hall of Echoes
Roger turned and gestured.
A thousand glass panels formed around them, each one showing a bearer of the Will of D—Kuzan D. Ashari, Eris D. Vona, Jagel D. Wyn… names lost to time.
"These were the forgotten ones," Roger said. "Each of them tried. Some failed. Some never got the chance."
"And me?" Arkan asked.
Roger faced him fully. "You're not just a bearer. You're the keystone."
"What does that mean?"
"It means the serpent fears you most."
Suddenly, the images shattered.
The hall shook.
The voice of Veyron, cold and sharp, echoed across the realm.
"You were never meant to survive this trial."
A hole opened in the sky. Black chains erupted from the void, wrapping around the hall.
Roger placed both hands on Arkan's chest.
"I can't go with you. But you must go now. Take what you've seen. And light the flame."
A massive burst of light exploded from within Arkan.
He screamed—not in pain, but in awakening.
In the temple ruins
A pillar of golden light erupted from the ocean floor, cracking the sea above.
The Straw Hats stared in awe as the beam broke through their shield.
"HE'S COMING BACK!" Luffy shouted.
The water exploded.
And from the heart of the ancient temple, Arkan emerged.
His wounds healed.
His blade renewed.
And his eyes—glowing with something more than Haki.
A voice.
A will.
A king returned.