The Sword God and Spirit Gourd Incantation had consumed an enormous amount of Rojen's time and effort.
Even with the Sword Saint's profound cultivation and Rojen's own martial arts genius, maintaining such an intense level of calculation and comprehension left him drenched in sweat, mentally exhausted.
It was easy to imagine how unfathomably deep these sword arts and incantations were. Yet at this moment, he had finally succeeded.
"This wave was worth it!"
Sensing the Sword Saint's power gradually fading away, his eyes, though weary, still gleamed with excitement.
It truly was worth it. The Mount Shu Sect Leader's unique heart method and the countless sword techniques were now martial arts he could study and adapt, saving him an immense amount of possession coins.
"Has the time finally come?"
As he noticed Trens and the other two before him, Rojen steadied his mind.
His gaze sharpened. After all the preparation, the moment had arrived.
"Move!"
He spoke lowly to the three, and soon, the four of them slipped away.
They sprinted swiftly through the streets, heading for a specific destination.
"Rayleigh, where are you?"
While running, Rojen opened the Den Den Mushi and asked quickly.
"Sector No. 38, there's a coastal area near the water." Rayleigh's voice came from the snail phone.
"Got it."
Nodding, Rojen ended the call and gestured to the others; their speed increased once again.
This was a race against time. Two Marine Admirals were scouring the island in search of them.
Though he didn't yet know exactly who had come, Rojen had already formed a rough idea.
"If they want to suppress the chaos in the Sabaody Archipelago quickly, they'll send someone specialized in speed… meaning that the still-living Kizaru is the most likely choice."
"But Kizaru alone wouldn't be enough. With Sengoku's caution and wisdom, he'd definitely send another."
"It won't be Sengoku himself. Most likely, one of the first-generation Admirals-in-training, someone near Admiral level."
"In other words, it must be either Sakazuki or Kuzan."
As he thought this through rapidly, Rojen felt no real fear.
The Marines' first objective would be to pacify the island and suppress the pirates' influence. He himself would only be the second target.
Along the way, the four encountered no disturbances and soon arrived at their destination, Sector 38.
"This is it."
Rojen halted, scanning the surroundings carefully.
"Rojen, over here."
A familiar voice called out.
Turning, the four saw Rayleigh standing on a small boat, waving at them. The boat was nestled under the shadow of a large tree, perfectly hidden.
"This is the boat?"
They approached and jumped aboard.
"Yeah," Rayleigh said with a grin, patting the mast. "Small, light, and fast, perfect for your mission."
"Thank you, Rayleigh," Rojen said gravely.
"Go quickly! You've still got a long way to the Red Line!"
Rayleigh nodded and leapt off the boat.
"Don't worry, I'll train those six youngsters well for you!"
Jason stepped forward and fiddled with the ship's mechanism. Soon, a transparent, seven-colored film shimmered into existence, enveloping the wooden vessel.
"It'll be safer to travel underwater," Rayleigh said with a knowing smile.
Rojen instantly understood. Rayleigh had even prepped the coating process for the boat in advance. His heart filled with gratitude.
"We're leaving, Rayleigh. Take care!"
He waved from the boat, his expression solemn.
"You're the ones who need to take care! Make sure you come back alive!"
Rayleigh sighed deeply as the boat slowly vanished beneath the water's surface.
The four of them were about to embark on an unimaginably dangerous mission, Rayleigh knew that all too well.
"Jason, let's go."
Rojen turned around and spoke in a low voice.
Jason responded quickly and started the ship. The small craft roared softly, cutting through the seawater as it sped into the distance.
Standing on the shoreline, Rayleigh watched until the little boat disappeared from sight. Only then did he sigh and turn away.
Five minutes after they left, a golden light suddenly flashed across the area. Out of that radiance stepped Kizaru.
"Gone…? Where did he go?"
Kizaru's eyes showed puzzlement.
Since arriving on the island, he had transformed into light itself, sweeping through every inch of the archipelago. Yet even after searching thoroughly and arriving here, he had found no trace of Rojen or his companions.
After looking around for a while, Kizaru shook his head and vanished again.
"Admiral Sengoku, I didn't find Rojen's group anywhere on the Sabaody Archipelago,"
he reported over the Den Den Mushi after rejoining the main Marine forces.
"Understood. You and Sakazuki stay there for a while, just in case anything unexpected happens,"
Sengoku replied in a deep voice.
Kizaru shrugged. He didn't object. To him, staying here or returning to Marine Headquarters made little difference.
If anything, Headquarters was currently under much heavier pressure, so he preferred the relative peace here.
Under the overwhelming suppression of two Admiral-level figures, the Sabaody Archipelago was stabilized within half a day. Most pirates were either killed on the spot or captured and sent to prison. The once rampant chaos vanished in an instant.
This forceful crackdown once again reminded the world of the Marines' might.
At the same time, it allowed countless frightened civilians to breathe a sigh of relief.
Most ordinary people wished only for a peaceful life.
In times of war and chaos, human life was worth less than that of dogs; no one wanted to endure such hardship and wandering again.
Time passed quickly, and night fell.
Moonlight, cold and silver, shimmered across the rolling sea. Waves glittered, and occasionally a fish leapt from the surface, scattering threads of silvery light.
On the small boat: Crocodile sat cross-legged, channeling his energy to speed up his recovery.
Jason handled the rudder, humming an unfamiliar tune.
Trens leaned against his gun, eyes half-closed as if dozing.
And Rojen, he was immersed in merging the Mount Shu Heart Method he had obtained earlier that day.
His internal cultivation had already reached an extreme limit; one more step, and he would break into the legendary realm of true cultivators.
Because of that, the fusion of the two merit methods progressed rapidly.
After just one afternoon, the True Energy within his body had largely transformed into True Origin Magic Power. And now, that final strand of magic power had fully connected and flowed through him.
"Buzz, "
Rojen opened his eyes. A mighty surge of Sword Energy erupted from his body.
The Mount Shu Sect's unique cultivation method produced fierce Sword Energy the moment mastery was achieved, a true and orthodox path of cultivation, combining longevity with formidable offensive power.
"So this is True Origin Magic Power!"
He raised his palm, where streams of cyan light flickered and flowed like countless miniature swords. A faint smile spread across his face.
True Origin Magic Power possessed all kinds of incredible abilities. With it, one could walk upon the void, summon wind, rain, thunder, lightning, water, and fire, or even extend those elements into deeper attributes, casting spells imbued with the power of natural laws.
This True Origin, or Magic Power, would henceforth be the very foundation of his future Manipulating Sword Arts and other Mount Shu sword techniques.
(End Of This Chapter)
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