In the blink of an eye, the once composed Rayleigh had fallen into absolute disadvantage.
Roldy 's assault was frenzied beyond reason. To the onlookers, it seemed as though Rayleigh's slender figure was being swallowed by a massive blur of white, utterly unable to fight back.
"Wolf Fang — Thousandfold Barrage!"
Roldy 's arms moved at blinding speed. His fists fired like machine-gun rounds, hammering relentlessly into Rayleigh's body. The overwhelming force made the veteran pay dearly for his earlier underestimation. Had he not assumed Roldy 's strength stopped there, he would never have been driven into such a desperate state.
Boom!
Another punch sent Rayleigh flying.
Roger saw it all—and anxiety gripped his heart. He knew he couldn't hold back much longer. In his urgency, he revealed a brief opening, and Garp seized the chance to slam two heavy punches into him.
"Garp!!!"
Rage ignited in Roger's eyes.
This couldn't drag on any further. The longer it lasted, the more dangerous Rayleigh's situation would become.
With that thought, Roger stopped worrying about conserving Haki. He forcefully drove Garp back, and the aura unique to a king erupted skyward.
His Conqueror's Haki surged wildly, coating his supreme-grade blade, Ace. At the same time, his Observation Haki locked firmly onto Roldy in the distance.
The aura around him was like that of an Asura—so oppressive it stirred instinctive dread in all who sensed it.
An ordinary person would have abandoned their attack at once.
But Roldy was no ordinary person.
He was a wolverine Mink—born without the concept of fear.
Perhaps in the future he would learn caution. Perhaps he would one day weigh pros and cons.
But not now.
His boiling blood refused to let him stop. The frenzy blazing in his eyes made one thing clear—
He was eagerly anticipating Roger's next strike.
How could he make sure Roger unleashed one hundred and twenty percent of his power?
Roldy had a brilliant idea.
He shot Roger a mocking, provocative grin.
His speed surged once more—the power of the Moa Moa no Mi (Multiply-Multiply Fruit) activating again. The white blur shot toward the fallen Rayleigh at terrifying velocity.
Under Roger's splitting gaze—
Roldy 's body spun at high speed. His right leg became a battle axe, crashing down viciously onto Rayleigh's chest.
Rayleigh forced his arm up, coating it in Armament Haki to block.
But Roldy 's Armament Haki was even stronger.
The moment the kick connected, Rayleigh's Haki shattered after barely half a second of resistance. The remaining force twisted his left arm into a grotesque angle. His chest visibly caved in.
A mouthful of blood erupted from his lips.
He was blasted into the ground like a cannonball, smoke and debris exploding skyward—
His life or death unknown.
"Rayleigh!!!"
Roger roared.
Then he turned toward Roldy , fury blazing.
The next instant, Ace slashed forward without hesitation.
The roaring blade wave was like a second crescent moon. Even the full moon in the sky seemed dim in comparison.
The monumental slash cleaved through the air, as if splitting the very world in two, surging upward with unstoppable force—
Its target: Roldy .
"Damn it!"
Garp's heart skipped violently.
That brat was the future of the Marines!
Forget how he'd explain things to Zephyr if Roldy were harmed—Garp himself would never forgive allowing such a prodigy to fall here.
He moved to intervene—
"Garp, you're not going anywhere!"
Two figures suddenly appeared before him.
They were combatants of the Roger Pirates—Sunbell the Fish-Man and Millet Pine.
Among the Roger Pirates, their strength ranked solidly in the upper tier. They were no match for Garp in a true fight—but delaying him for a few moments was well within their ability.
Blazing with fury, Garp sent Millet Pine flying with a single punch—only to have Sunbell block his path once more.
He could only watch as Roger's monstrous slash crashed down toward Roldy .
"Perfect timing!"
Feeling that bone-chilling pressure—so cold it seemed to freeze his blood—Roldy roared, as if psyching himself up.
His aura began to condense and solidify.
Jet-black Armament Haki wrapped around his wrist. He clenched his right fist tight. The power of the Moa Moa no Mi (Multiply-Multiply Fruit) erupted once more. Silver lightning—unique to the Mink Tribe—coiled around his arm like writhing serpents.
This was his full power.
"Black Armament! Iron Fist—World Breaker!"
He was like a meteor—reckless, charging forward with a will to die.
Knowing he was outmatched, yet refusing to retreat a single step.
A mantis trying to stop a chariot.
This was Roldy 's brand of romance.
Fist and blade wave collided.
The Conqueror's Haki-infused slash struck first, carving a massive wound across Roldy 's upper body—nearly splitting him in two.
Then his fist met the sword aura head-on.
Roger, still burning with rage, gradually froze at what he saw—
His slash… was being stopped.
It was a desperate resistance. In a few seconds, it would surely collapse.
But he had stopped it.
"Move aside!"
Garp took a punch from Sunbell head-on, then kicked him away. Bursting forward at top speed, he appeared beside Roldy and threw a punch at the blade wave.
"Galaxy Drop!"
The overwhelming slash finally shattered.
Garp's power was on an entirely different level from Roldy 's.
And in that moment, Roldy truly understood the gap.
Once, he had been weak—like a frog in a well, gazing up at the sky, watching titans clash from afar.
Now, he had touched the threshold of Admiral-level power.
Yet compared to monsters like Garp and Roger…
He was still but a mayfly staring at the heavens.
"That's what makes it fun…"
Pain ravaged his body, rapidly draining his strength. Roldy 's massive frame fell from the sky and crashed heavily onto the ground.
He forced himself upright, sitting amid the wreckage.
Looking at Roger—whose expression had yet to fully recover—Roldy suddenly burst into laughter.
"Roger! That slash really hurt! But the king of this world won't be you! Sorry we were born in the same era!"
Something seemed to crystallize within him.
His presence surged—bold and unrestrained.
Roger paused.
For some reason, he sensed something different about this kid now.
"Hahahahaha! Interesting! You're saying you're destined to surpass me? What an arrogant brat! Fine! I'll stand at the summit—and wait for you to climb!"
Conqueror's Haki exploded from Roger once more, as though he alone were the sovereign of heaven and earth.
Roldy felt irritated.
Extremely irritated.
And then—
A faint but undeniable aura burst forth from his own body.
Conqueror's Haki.
Awakened.
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