New World, Edd War Sea.
A loud scream echoed from the Oro Jackson:
"Captain Roger! Life is more important than pride! We should just surrender to the Golden Lion!"
A young Buggy clutched his head, shouting in despair.
Beside him, Shanks sighed helplessly. "You've already become someone who can't die no matter how hard they try to cut you. So what's the big deal, Buggy?"
Buggy glared at him in grief and frustration.
"There are still plenty of weaknesses, you idiot! Right, Crocus-san! How's the captain's condition? Is he still not fit to fight? You're the doctor! Go stop him!!!"
He dashed over to Crocus, the ship's doctor.
The man had a barrel full of spears on his back and casually twirled one in his hand. The sound of the blade cutting through the air echoed sharply.
With a smile, he said, "Too bad. He's in perfect shape right now."
Buggy broke down and rushed to Rayleigh next.
"Rayleigh-san!!!"
The vice-captain shook his head and laughed.
"Give it up, Buggy. After all this time, you still don't understand Roger? No one's ever been able to change his mind. Have some faith in Tom's Oro Jackson. And besides... he doesn't have much time left."
As his words ended, silence fell over everyone—except Buggy, who was still in a panic.
The sea roared in storm and rain.
At the ship's bow, Roger stood firm. He grinned widely, facing the approaching Golden Lion fleet and the floating islands.
On the other side, Shiki stood atop a colossal warship as his golden hair and cape fluttered in the wind.
"I've said this many times, Roger! We may have had our grudges in the past, but forget about all that! As long as you give me the location of the world-destroying weapon you know of, along with my forces and the flawless plan I've spent years building—we can rule this world instantly!
"Be my right hand! Roger!!!"
Roger looked across at the man, who radiated ambition like he meant to swallow the world.
With a chuckle, he replied firmly, "I'm not interested in ruling the world. If I can't do what I truly want, then what's the point of being a pirate? So, no matter how much pressure you put on me, Shiki! I'll still refuse your offer!"
Shiki's grin faded slightly. "So you're saying I should just kill you right now, huh?"
Drawing the longsword at his waist, Roger smiled. "I mean I'm going to crush every last one of you!"
He swung his sword forward.
Boom!
A cannon fired from the front of the Oro Jackson, blasting apart one of the enemy ships.
Under the dark sky, fire lit up Shiki's face. His smile vanished.
With his only remaining arm, he drew his sword and launched into the air, aiming straight at the pirate ship below.
"Lion: Scattering Valley!"
Golden energy brightened the sky as sword slashes, hundreds of meters long, poured down like a massive net over the vessel.
At the same time, giant beasts from the floating islands and ships around them charged forward.
Roger's eyes glowed red as Conqueror's Haki burst forth, and black lightning flickered across the blade in his hand. Then a slash of black sword energy, just as long, tore through the air toward Shiki.
Stomping forward, he followed the strike, charging into the sky at his opponent.
Clang!
Their blades collided.
Boom!
An enormous shockwave erupted from between them, spreading across the surroundings. The dark clouds overhead split wide open, stretching far into the horizon.
Shiki flicked his sword, now coated in Conqueror's Haki. Golden lightning danced along the blade.
Roar—
A roar like a beast from ancient times echoed through the skies.
The overwhelming aura twisted into the phantom shape of a massive lion's head, dominating the heavens and sea.
Shiki seemed to merge with the lightning itself, becoming a bolt of golden thunder wrapped in the form of that roaring lion. He streaked through the air, leaving a blazing afterimage in his path as he dove.
"ROGER!!!"
In midair, Roger gripped his sword with both hands, pulling it back over his right shoulder. Black and purple lightning crackled along the blade as his Conqueror's Haki surged violently.
Staring at the lion charging at him, massive, unstoppable, as if ready to swallow the world whole, he smirked.
Behind him, a spectral black demon rose from the force of his Haki. With a burst from his feet, Roger became a blur of shadow, launching himself skyward.
"SHIKI!!!"
BOOOOOOOOM!!!
A thunderous roar ripped through the ocean and sky…
* * *
Kilometers away, far out on the sea.
A small fleet of Marine warships sat quietly, floating on the water.
Only veterans like Sengoku and Garp could sense the distant battle through their advanced Haki.
Garp grinned, eyes closed, completely immersed in the clash as if he were there himself. His fighting spirit stirred. "Roger…"
Alongside him, Sengoku stood with a grave look, eyes sharp and locked forward. "Those beasts Shiki controls…"
Meanwhile, the younger generation of marines could barely make anything out from this distance.
But not "nothing."
Some of them could still faintly see the shapes in the sky—a massive lion's head, formed from pure will, and the looming figure of a black demon.
Even from so far away, the sheer pressure of that clash was unmistakable.
Kuzan, Yamakaji, and the others stood grim-faced, fully aware of the terrifying gap between themselves and the world's strongest.
However, not everyone was so serious.
Off to the side, Borsalino scratched his cheek and drawled lazily:
"The big shots of the New World really are monsters, huh~ to think we can still feel their Haki from this far away~ how scary~"
* * *
The New World, Edd War Sea.
On a remote island, far from the battlefield, Sakazuki leapt from a speedboat onto the shore.
He gave Bullet the order to lead the squad into Shiki's territory. Then he turned and walked deeper into the island alone.
A moment later, his body transformed into molten lava, sinking down into the earth. Once he reached the deep layers beneath the crust, he aligned himself with the battlefield's direction.
With lava swirling around him, he merged with the underground magma flow and made it race beneath the seabed toward the heart of the war.
* * *
The New World, Edd War Sea, center of the battle.
The fierce clash above had shattered the clouds like glass, fragmenting the sky into jagged shards.
The collision of blade and Haki cracked through the air, shaking the entire world.
The tension thickened as a heavy silence fell over the area, like the calm before a world-ending storm.
Then the sea, always wild in this region, snapped into fury.
Winds howled. Waves towered. Lightning slashed across the sky.
And in the midst of the chaos—
Slash!
Rayleigh unleashed a monstrous sword strike, a hundred meters long and a towering, berserk rhinoceros was beheaded in a single blow.
But the dread in his chest only grew stronger.
Something was coming.
His instincts screamed. His heart pounded wildly.
He turned and shouted, voice echoing through the battlefield:
"Everyone! Back to the ship, now!!"
The crew didn't understand, but they obeyed without hesitation, retreating quickly.
Buggy jabbed away an enemy with three tiny knives, tears streaming down his face.
"Yes! Let's just retreat already! Rayleigh-san!!"
But Rayleigh had no time to respond. The sense of impending doom was crushing him.
He looked up at the two titans locked in battle above, and took a deep breath.
"ROGER!!! GET—"
BOOOOM!!!
A sound like a meteor crashing down thundered across the sea. Explosions rocked the earth, and waves of power shook the world.
Far in the horizon, a towering wall of water rose like a divine punishment. Hundreds, no, thousands, of meters high, the tsunami reached into the sky itself.
Every soul on the battlefield froze. Pupils shrank. A chill surged up from the depths of their spines.
"GRAB ONTO SOMETHING!!!"
BOOOOOOOOM—
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