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"I've already found my freedom!"
"And that's more than enough!"
As Roger spoke, the familiar dominance and kingly aura surged back into his smile.
Under the fading light of the sunset, the space around them began to tremble and warp.
Yet he kept that pressure tightly confined to a very small area, careful not to disturb the townspeople.
Pulled by that force, Kyle's Conqueror's Haki erupted as well. In the blink of an eye, he compressed it to the limit and crushed it straight toward Roger.
"Freedom, huh?" Kyle murmured.
"So all you ever wanted to be was the Pirate King. Nothing more."
"Yes," Roger replied without hesitation.
"I didn't have the time or energy for anything else."
"But without a doubt," he continued, laughing loudly, "someone like me will appear in the future."
"And they'll finish everything with their own hands."
Then he suddenly lifted his head, his gaze locking onto Kyle.
"Did you come here to capture me?"
"Yes."
Kyle nodded without the slightest hesitation.
This mission was not just about arresting his opponent. It was also a brutal trial, a chance to test and push his own strength to its limits.
"Hahahaha!"
"There aren't many Marines with ambition like yours!"
"If you were a pirate, your achievements might not be any worse than mine!"
Roger laughed heartily.
In the next instant, the long blade in his hand trembled violently, then flashed forward.
Too fast. Far too fast.
Like a bolt of lightning, it cut across Kyle's vision. Golden lightning roared like a living dragon, faintly accompanied by the sound of a dragon's cry.
"If you want to arrest me,"
"Then be ready to die right in front of me, Marine!"
Roger's deep voice rang out as his blade slashed downward.
Kyle reacted instantly. The moment Roger moved, his body was already in motion.
"Paper Art!"
In a bizarre twist, his body contorted unnaturally. His chest caved inward just enough to narrowly evade the blade.
"Divine Evasion."
Roger spoke calmly.
Buzz.
The air itself trembled. A devastating slash, wrapped in overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, tore through the space between them and slammed directly into Kyle's chest.
Pff!
In an instant, Kyle's torso was torn open. Blood burst outward as his body cracked like shattered glass, and he was sent flying back violently.
"Roger!"
Barrett finally moved. He roared and charged straight at him.
"So you've chosen your new path as well, Barrett."
Roger sighed softly and swung his blade without flourish.
Boom!
The blade never touched Barrett directly, yet the invisible slash smashed into him through the air, sending him flying just like Kyle. In the blink of an eye, he was hurled thousands of meters away.
"Desert Storm!"
Watching his superior and ally fall in an instant snapped Crocodile back to reality.
Sand swirled in his hand as he prepared to strike.
But in the next second, Roger was already standing in front of him, casually raising his blade.
That single motion made every hair on Crocodile's body stand on end.
"Logia form!"
The blade cut through sand as Crocodile hastily retreated, his face pale with lingering fear.
"You reek of piracy."
Roger turned around, smiling as he looked at the young figure approaching with a grim expression.
"Kyle, as Garp's disciple, you're quite the rule-breaker."
When he saw that Kyle was completely unharmed, Roger's eyes narrowed slightly.
He was certain that the earlier slash at close range had completely split the boy's chest and abdomen. It should have been a fatal wound.
Yet here he was, perfectly intact.
"So Rayleigh was right," Roger murmured.
"An immortal body, huh?"
Facing an enemy who could not be killed, even Roger grew more alert.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Footsteps echoed as Kyle quickened his pace. After three steps, he broke into a sprint, then leapt high into the air, soaring nearly a hundred meters upward.
Crackle!
Black-red lightning exploded, coiling around both of his arms.
"Fist of the Iron Bone. Heavy Strike!"
Without hesitation, his right fist came crashing down.
Black-red lightning tore through the sky, roaring straight toward Roger.
In the distance, Barrett had just managed to get back on his feet. When he saw that punch, his pupils shrank violently. There was no doubt about it. That blow could have erased him completely.
"You're being reckless."
"That punch would destroy the entire town."
Roger shook his head. His figure vanished, and in the very next moment he appeared in the sky, rising rapidly.
His blade swung again.
Buzz!
The slash collided head-on with Kyle's fist. Space twisted and shook violently. The distorted shockwave was then redirected upward by Roger's blade and vanished into the sky.
Kyle's pupils contracted in shock.
This was the first time he had ever seen something like this.
His Conqueror's Haki-infused attack had been reflected back.
"Your talent is impressive," Roger's voice echoed.
"At your age, having Haki like this is no small feat."
"But."
His figure flickered, and he appeared right in front of Kyle, blade pointed straight at his forehead.
"Your technique is terrible."
Kyle's heart sank.
His body flashed, disappearing instantly and reappearing behind Roger.
But Roger was already facing him again, blade still trained on him.
Observation Haki.
Kyle's eyes sharpened. He changed positions repeatedly, attacking from different angles, yet every move was seen through. Every action was perfectly predicted.
His heart grew heavy. He had been completely read.
Still, after only a brief pause, he charged forward again without hesitation.
If there was no opening, then he would smash one open with overwhelming force.
"Fist of the Iron Bone!"
Black-red lightning erupted as an immense wave of Conqueror's Haki surged skyward. The clear blue sky darkened instantly, thunder rumbling like an angry god.
"Depth Charge!"
Iron Body and Armament Haki stacked together on his right fist. The seastone gauntlet creaked under the strain.
Roger simply smiled faintly and swung his blade.
Boom!
A massive shockwave burst outward in the sky, transforming into violent winds that swept across the entire island. Thunder roared overhead, sending civilians scrambling indoors, convinced a storm was about to break.
"You still have a lot to learn," Roger said calmly.
"Young man."
Kyle's expression turned grave.
At that moment, he understood something clearly.
From Garp, he had learned raw weight, savage power, the kind of fists that crushed everything head-on. Overwhelming strength that could suppress all techniques.
But his lack of Observation Haki left fatal gaps in his defense.
In his brief clash with Roger, he had seen the absolute peak of technique. Smooth, fluid, razor-sharp, and terrifyingly powerful.
"If you want to arrest me," Roger said lightly,
"Then call Marine Headquarters. Let Garp and Sengoku come."
His blade shifted suddenly, slashing swiftly at Kyle's arm.
Pff!
Kyle's expression changed.
Below them, Crocodile and Barrett's pupils shrank.
An arm, still bleeding, fell to the ground.
"..."
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