With a single slash, Yoriichi was sent flying, and Kozuki Oden was saved from certain death. The man who suddenly appeared in front of the rocky cave was none other than the long-awaited captain of Shanks and Buggy, the man now known to the Marines as the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
Roger gripped his saber, Ace, in one hand and gave Oden a casual wave, greeting him with a smile.
Oden turned his head in a daze. His eyes were filled with confusion, shock, and raw fear.
Had Roger not arrived in time just now, wouldn't he have already been decapitated?
As Oden snapped out of it, he felt a sticky sensation on his neck. Reaching up, his fingers touched something warm and wet.
He looked down and saw his hand covered in blood.
He was injured, and on his neck, no less.
The Marine's blade hadn't even landed a direct hit. Just the Haki-infused aura surrounding it had been enough to wound him.
If Yoriichi had hesitated for even half a second more, Oden would already be dead.
Then again, had Yoriichi reacted even a fraction slower, he might have been the one to die.
"Clatter, clatter!"
From the smoke and dust rising from the distant mountainside, the sound of falling debris rang out. A blurry silhouette emerged from the thick haze.
Moments later, a young man wearing a Marine officer's uniform stepped forward through the smoke, a longsword in his hand.
Roger turned his head toward the sound. Seeing Yoriichi's current state, he couldn't help but look slightly surprised.
Yoriichi's uniform was torn and covered in dust, but his body was otherwise unscathed.
Not a single injury.
Roger's slash just now had been fully blocked.
Although it hadn't been an all-out attack, it was the fastest and strongest strike Roger could unleash in that moment to rescue Oden.
A blow like that could have easily obliterated pirates with bounties in the billions.
Yet this extremely young Marine officer had managed to block it. Not only that, he had reacted fast enough to sheath his blade and shift into a defensive stance.
Such reflexes and situational awareness stunned Roger.
"This Marine..."
"You're that red-haired brat who used to follow Garp around, aren't you?!"
Roger stared at Yoriichi for a moment before finally recognizing him.
He remembered Yoriichi clearly. In a crowd of crooked, clumsy Marines, a handsome young prodigy like him stood out.
Not to mention his strength and potential. Just a while back, Douglas Bullet had come ashore, and Yoriichi had managed to injure him.
Very few Marines could accomplish that.
And now, Kozuki Oden had nearly died at this man's hands.
"The Pirate King, Gol D. Roger... why is he here?"
"Did Vice Admiral Garp and Fleet Admiral Sengoku lose? That's impossible."
Yoriichi narrowed his brows, gazing at Roger standing protectively in front of Oden, Shanks, and the others. He muttered to himself internally.
He hadn't expected Roger to show up. If he hadn't reacted fast enough earlier, Roger's slash might've already knocked him out of commission.
Even now, his arm still felt a little numb. While he had blocked the blow, he hadn't negated it entirely.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
Suddenly, a burst of wild laughter echoed from the sky. Everyone looked up to see a white silhouette plummeting toward the ground.
Boom!!
A thunderous crash shook the ground. Smoke and dust erupted in front of Yoriichi, only to be swept away by the sea breeze.
When the dust cleared, the figure of Garp appeared, standing protectively before Yoriichi.
"Roger! Quit calling him a brat!"
"This kid is the youngest Rear Admiral in Marine history, Kiku no Kuni Yoriichi!"
"Believe it or not, not long ago, that bastard Shiki had the bad luck of crossing him, and got his arm chopped off for it!"
"Oh, don't look so shocked! It's not that big of a deal! Hahahaha!"
Garp laughed heartily, turning to glance proudly at the young officer behind him, bragging about Yoriichi's achievements.
But Yoriichi felt a bit overwhelmed by the praise.
To be honest, if he had a choice, he never wanted to encounter Golden Lion Shiki again.
As for cutting off Shiki's arm, that had been pure luck. Shiki hadn't even used his full power.
Still, Roger and the others didn't care if it was luck.
All they knew was that Yoriichi had done what others couldn't.
Roger had no doubt in Garp's words. Though they were enemies, Roger trusted Garp like a crewmate.
"So this is the kid who cut off Shiki's arm... no wonder he nearly killed Oden."
"I didn't expect you to grow this strong in such a short time."
"The Marines have produced a remarkable one."
Roger looked at Yoriichi, standing behind Garp, and didn't hold back on his praise.
That was just the kind of man he was. He expressed admiration and disdain openly, never belittling or exaggerating for show.
And Yoriichi had certainly earned his respect.
"Right?!"
"Hahahaha!"
"This kid's the future of the Marines!"
"Roger, you bastard, you nearly destroyed our future!"
"I won't forgive you for that!"
Garp, who had been boasting just seconds ago, suddenly turned serious. Without warning, he clenched his fist and launched it at Roger.
An overwhelming wave of Conqueror's Haki burst forth, transforming into a tangible force that surged toward Roger and his crew.
"You really haven't changed at all, damn you, Garp!"
Roger grinned and swung Ace in return. Two waves of Conqueror's Haki, distinct in aura yet equally powerful, clashed violently in midair.
Under the clear blue sky, thunder roared.
The shockwave blasted out in every direction. The clouds above Lodestar Island instantly dispersed under the pressure of their Haki.
Moments later, the thunder faded.
Garp and Roger locked eyes, then broke into laughter together.
Roger's laughter was cut short by a violent coughing fit.
Garp stared at him, seemingly reminded of something. He turned to glance at Yoriichi, then looked back at Roger with a strange, indescribable expression.
It almost seemed... regretful.
Garp hid his emotions well. Neither Roger nor the others noticed. But Yoriichi saw it clearly and sighed inwardly.
"Roger, did you choke on your own spit?!"
"You look awful!"
Garp grinned, shoving his emotions aside, and mocked him cheerfully.
Roger's coughing subsided. Just as he was about to fire back, he stopped abruptly and turned toward the distant port.
At the same time, Garp's expression shifted. He, too, turned his gaze to the port, eyes narrowing.
Out on the calm sea, a terrifying tremor surged from beneath the ocean floor.
The flat surface began to ripple and layer, and in a flash, waves over ten meters high erupted.
And they weren't stopping.
The seaquake continued to build, and the waves piled higher and higher.
Within seconds, a colossal tsunami, hundreds of meters tall, had formed.
From the central peak of Lodestar Island, it now appeared level with the incoming wall of water.
This was no mere wave.
This was... a tsunami.
And riding the very crest of it, a white dot drew closer and closer.
The Moby Dick, Whitebeard's ship, was surfing the tsunami, charging into the battlefield on Lodestar Island.
"That guy... why is he here?"
Garp stared toward the harbor, murmuring to himself. His tone had lost all trace of lightheartedness.
The Marines had no way of handling both the Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates at the same time.
Two legendary pirate crews, now converging on one battlefield.
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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter
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