"Garp!!!"
"Roger!!!"
The two powerhouses roared as they charged at each other, colliding in an instant. Garp's fist clashed against Roger's Ace.
Roldy's sharp eyesight caught the crucial detail—their attacks never actually touched. Black-and-red lightning erupted outward from the two men as the epicenter. He vaguely remembered Instructor Zephyr mentioning this once before…
"This is… a clash of Conqueror's Haki?!"
Roldy's eyes widened. He had never witnessed such a scene. Conqueror's Haki truly was overbearing. Just imagine—if he were the one fighting Roger, the latter could strike first purely through the force of his Conqueror's Haki. Against a monster of that caliber, one clean slash would mean, at best, losing the ability to fight… at worst, instant death!
When will I ever possess that kind of power?
The thought flickered through his mind, but the warship was already closing in fast. He could now clearly see the pirates on the shore. They had raised their guns and opened fire. Shots rang out endlessly, and some pirates with exceptional marksmanship were already thinning the ranks of the Marines from afar.
Roldy knew he couldn't just stand there watching any longer. Besides, the hot-blooded urge for battle was already surging through his veins.
"Time for me to move!"
He kicked off the air—there was a sharp sonic burst—and his body shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow!
With his mastery of physical combat, his command of the Six Powers was naturally exceptional. While he couldn't match Garp in speed, he was far from slow.
"Enemy incoming! Someone's charging at us!"
The pirates quickly raised their guns and fired at him, but Roldy moved like a great bird in flight. With the aid of Observation Haki, ordinary bullets were completely useless against him.
"A new face?"
Scopper Gaban stepped forward, preparing to engage. He could sense that Roldy's aura was not weak—this would be a worthy opponent.
"Wait… that face looks familiar…" Rayleigh narrowed his eyes. "I remember now! He's that so-called 'future star of the Marines' Headquarters they've been promoting lately. The name's… Fite Roldy!"
Rayleigh had an excellent memory. As he spoke, he casually stepped ahead of Gaban, positioning himself in front.
"Since he's a rising star worthy of promotion by Marine Headquarters, his strength should be decent. I'll handle this one. Wouldn't want you getting hurt."
Rayleigh spoke righteously, but Gaban showed no mercy.
"Oh, please. You just want to fight him yourself."
He muttered, but Rayleigh had already dashed out. His speed was astonishing, skimming just above the ground. His saber became coated in Conqueror's Haki.
Above him, Roldy descended!
"Sea Drop!"
He roared excitedly, using a move identical to Garp's. The only difference—Garp infused his with Conqueror's Haki, while Roldy relied solely on Armament Haki.
"Garp's technique, huh? Not bad, kid. You've got some spirit!"
Rayleigh laughed and swung his blade upward, choosing to meet him head-on.
Boom!
The fist came crashing down with overwhelming force!
The blade arced upward—
Blood sprayed across the air!
A searing pain shot straight into Roldy's brain.
Seeing the Conqueror's Haki flowing along Rayleigh's blade, frustration surged within him.
Relying on the power of Conqueror's Haki, Rayleigh had wounded him with ease.
But Roldy was no pushover either!
Enduring Rayleigh's slash with his formidable physique, Roldy's fist came crashing down. Rayleigh raised his saber horizontally to block—
The next instant, the smile on his face froze.
With a thunderous boom, the sand beneath them exploded into a massive crater. Rayleigh was driven into the ground like a nail hammered in place. Everything below his knees was buried in sand, and the force pressing down on his blade continued to increase!
"Bounty: 1,388,000,000 Berries. Vice Captain of the Roger Pirates—'Dark King' Silvers Rayleigh!"
"First time meeting you. The name's Fite Roldy. When you end up in Impel Down, just report my name—I'll make sure you get the 'leg-breaking special' for free!"
Roldy bared his teeth in a savage grin.
In their very first exchange, the legendary Dark King had been forced onto the defensive by a rookie Marine. Rayleigh had been too careless. Though he'd admitted that a rising star heavily promoted by Marine Headquarters should have some skill, deep down he still believed—how strong could a rookie really be?
"Don't get cocky, brat!"
Face flushed red, Rayleigh thrust upward with both arms. Seizing the brief opening while Roldy was airborne, he slashed fiercely—but Roldy was clearly prepared.
Rayleigh pulled himself free from the sand, his expression darkening. He didn't need to look to know what kind of face Gaban was making right now—definitely that idiotic grin he wore when trying not to laugh. He'd never hear the end of this.
Still…
His gaze sharpened as it fixed on Roldy in the distance.
"What a terrifying young man…"
Roldy wiped the blood from his chest. As if possessed, he stuck out his tongue and licked it. A metallic sweetness filled his mouth.
His eyes visibly turned red, and his body began to tremble with excitement.
"As expected of the Dark King! That slash surpassed every swordsman I've defeated so far! Let's really go at it!"
He tore off his upper garments in one motion, revealing a lean, battle-hardened body. Black-and-white fur rippled in the wind, and a fierce aura burst forth from him.
The two locked eyes.
No words were needed.
In the next instant, both vanished.
A thunderous explosion rang out in the sky—it was Roldy and Rayleigh clashing once more!
"This brat isn't normal…"
Gaban's expression shifted, exactly as Rayleigh had predicted. He studied Roldy thoughtfully, but a sharp slicing sound snapped him back to attention. Swinging his axe to the right, he blocked an incoming katana strike.
"Hey, Bogard. We've fought plenty of times already. Mind giving me a heads-up before you attack next time?"
Looking at the man before him—dressed in a gray suit—Gaban complained helplessly.
"Hah. I don't recall our relationship being close enough to warrant advance notice before a fight."
"You're as boring as ever."
Gaban swung his other axe, forcing his opponent back.
As the Roger Pirates' No. 3 and a man with a bounty exceeding one billion Berries, he should have been able to defeat a mere Marine Headquarters Lieutenant Commander in three moves.
But the man before him was anything but ordinary.
"Then let's begin our thirty-first duel."
"The nameless swordsman—Bogard."
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