"Your Majesty!!! Your Highness!! Nero!!!"
As the pirate ship gradually moved away from the shore, Livord could no longer hold back: "How could my old Majesty be handed over to those scoundrel pirates? At least, at least take me with you!"
With that, Livord tried to jump into the sea, but luckily other ministers desperately held him back.
"Stop it, Lord Livord! Didn't you just seriously bow to the pirates and ask them to take good care of His Majesty?"
"How could those idiots do a good job?"
"Regardless, His Majesty has already set sail, and the country still needs you!"
"This country might as well be destroyed!"
"Is that something a Duke should say?"
"Your Majesty! Nero!!!" Livord wailed at the port… "What a lively old man." Rayleigh chuckled dryly. Most of the people on the ship possessed Observation Haki, so even at this distance, they could clearly hear Livord's words.
"Hmm, indeed, although Livord always speaks of himself as old, he's always full of energy." Nero nodded, agreeing with Rayleigh's words.
"Isn't this conversation a bit out of sync?" Buggy scratched his cheek and looked at Shanks.
"It does feel a bit strange."
Shanks could still barely see the commotion at the port, but he hadn't yet mastered Observation Haki, so he thought it was a farewell and enthusiastically waved back.
"So, are we heading to Wano Country next?" Jabba asked. Roger didn't have much time left, so their voyage was a race against the clock.
"The land of samurai, huh? I heard it's a closed country with natural geographical advantages, so getting in won't be easy." Rayleigh's hand rested on his sword hilt as he pondered.
"Hmm, regarding Wano Country, I have indeed found some related information in the historical texts."
Nero frowned in thought. Ever since her special Observation Haki talent awakened a few days ago, she felt her memory had noticeably declined.
"It's best to directly find the local royalty, the Kozuki Clan of the Daimyo. They should have a legacy of historical Poneglyphs."
"Speaking of which, Newgate and his crew seemed to have a samurai join them a while ago. He's now the captain of the Second Division." Rayleigh suddenly recalled a piece of information.
"Hmm, everything is happening just right!"
Rayleigh remained silent, but he shared the same thought as Nero: an unknown force seemed to be pushing Roger to reach Raftel as quickly as possible.
"Hahaha! Then our next goal is clear! Let's go find Newgate!" Roger laughed happily. He wouldn't overthink things.
His goal was clear: to reach Raftel in this final period and bring a perfect end to his voyage.
Roger didn't care about anything else; doing what he wanted was enough. As a pirate, he couldn't possibly casually take on some mission to save the world, could he?
"Hmm, I have one more thing!" Nero looked at the famous sword hanging at Roger's waist: "Teach me the technique you used to attack internal organs earlier. In exchange, I can grant you one condition."
"Conquerors Haki Infusion? No conditions needed, I can teach it to you directly. After all, we are partners now!"
Nero's eyes widened slightly: "Hmm, could it be that you're actually a decent fellow?"
"Hahaha! You're too late to realize it!" Roger laughed triumphantly.
Over the next two days, Nero began to learn how to use Conquerors Haki Infusion.
She had long suspected that Conqueror's Haki's use wasn't limited to intimidation, but the extent of its potential still genuinely surprised her.
Unlike Armament Haki, which forms a hard armor of Haki on the body's surface, Infusion is a flowing Haki, its characteristics more akin to an unstoppable spear.
Within two days, Nero finally gained some insight, and at the same time, her Great Swordsman realm, which hadn't progressed in years, also showed a slight improvement.
Nero extended her hand, and a mass of reddish-white Haki continuously wriggled in her palm, like an irregular blob of slime.
"Hmm, this thing is really difficult. It seems I won't master it for several months." The Haki in her hand dissipated, and Nero muttered to herself.
Conqueror's Haki itself is a rare talent possessed by only one in a million, and among those, even fewer master Conquerors Haki Infusion.
This is a threshold that can keep most people striving their entire lives. Even for Nero, it's an advanced technique that would take several months to complete if she followed the conventional steps.
Thump, thump, thump!
A knock on the door interrupted Nero's thoughts. Hathaway's voice came from outside: "Your Majesty! We have reached the border."
"Hmm, finally arrived? It's quite a bit slower than I imagined." Nero jumped off the bed, opened the door, and Hathaway stood meticulously at attention, bowing.
The two came to the deck, where the massive city gate of the border was clearly visible.
"Oh, what a magnificent gate. That was fast this time! We reached the border in just two days." Rayleigh stroked his mustache, sighing with emotion.
"Hmm, the Imperial family's express route is naturally faster than when you all snuck in before." Nero said indifferently.
The ship sailed towards the city gate, flanked by neat and orderly soldiers. Once they fully entered the gate's tunnel, a thunderous roar came from behind them.
"May your military fortune be prosperous!!!"
Roger patted Nero's shoulder: "Should I say it's worthy of an Emperor? It's certainly grand!"
"Hmm, naturally!" Nero proudly lifted her head, a smile on her face.
Meanwhile, Buggy, who was nearby, immediately entered a fantasy world until Shanks' slap broke his daydream, after which the two quickly got into a ruckus again.
Just like that, the pirate ship sailed out of the tunnel, and an endless sea stretched before their eyes.
A loud voice came from nearby: "I've told you! The Roger Pirates have infiltrated this country! We Marines are here to arrest him; we won't do anything extra!"
"And I've told you many times! The Nicuss Empire forbids all outside forces. To enter, you must have a noble's guarantee!"
"Idiot! I'm here to maintain the peace of the sea! The Roger Pirates are… Ro, Roger?"
Hearing someone call his name, and the voice sounding somewhat familiar, Roger also turned back in confusion: "Yue? Ga… Garp? Quick! Full speed ahead!!!"
Roger roared loudly.
"Hmm? An acquaintance?" Nero was bewildered.
"Ah, you could say that!" Rayleigh gripped his sword hilt, staring intently at Garp.
[Fist — Galaxy Impact!]
[Kamisari!]
The next instant, Garp leaped high, and his fist collided with Roger's sword in mid-air. The sea, with the two of them at its center, churned up giant waves, even pushing the pirate ship a considerable distance.
"What are you waiting for? Sail fast! We need to escape!" Roger, who had landed back on the ship, had no intention of fighting and shouted loudly.
"Huh?" Nero looked at Roger in bewilderment.