Boom!!!
The sound of this collision echoed louder than any before, shaking the battlefield to its core. Tengetsu Ares's powerful roar rang in everyone's ears, reverberating like a war drum in their chests.
It instantly drew all eyes.
Everyone's gaze turned toward the swirling dust cloud on the beach within it, a massive silhouette reeled backward, its waist folding as the body flew out of the sandstorm.
A moment later, the crowd saw the towering figure of the Giant Silka crash into the sand dozens of meters away like a ship flung through a storm. With a thunderous impact, his enormous body slammed into the beach, throwing up a cloud of sand and debris.
And then.
A strange silence swept the battlefield.
Members of the Roger Pirates broke out into cold sweat. Fear crept into their eyes.
"Silka… lost? But he's a Giant his strength is unmatched!" one pirate blurted out in disbelief.
"He's one of the top fighters in the Roger Pirates! If even he couldn't defeat Bloodhand Ares, then…"
"How did Ares overpower a Giant like Silka? Shouldn't he have been crushed by sheer size alone? Why is it Silka who got thrown like a ragdoll?!"
The Roger Pirates weren't a massive crew just a few dozen elite pirates. Each one was a battle-hardened warrior.
And Silka, being of the Giant Tribe, had always ranked among the top ten in combat strength. Yet he'd been defeated in under thirty minutes.
It left them shaken and more than a little afraid.
Suddenly, one of the Roger Pirates summoned his courage and shouted,
"So what if he's strong?! That doesn't give him the right to hurt our comrades!"
He raised a flintlock pistol, aiming it into the yellow haze where Ares still stood.
With a cry of resolve, he pulled the trigger.
"Die, bastard!!"
Bang! The shot cracked through the air, a trail of smoke curling from the muzzle.
Spurred by his defiance, other crewmates followed suit. Gunfire rang out as more and more pirates fired into the dust cloud, bullets whizzing through the air.
One particularly burly pirate shouldered a rocket launcher and laughed wildly as he launched a round.
"Die, all of you! The Roger Pirates fight for freedom!"
"No one has the right to stop us from sailing free across the sea!!"
Bang! Bang!
Boom boom boom!
Gunshots and cannon blasts lit up the battlefield.
Black smoke mingled with flying sand, swallowing Ares's silhouette completely.
"You bastards!!!"
"I'm going to crush every one of you!!!"
Kaido roared with fury, swinging his massive kanabo like a mad beast.
Clang!
Fishman warrior Sunbell blocked the blow with his steel trident. At this point, Kaido was still just a teenage pirate not yet the tyrannical Emperor of the Sea he would one day become. Not yet the man who'd defeat Luffy with a single Thunder Bagua.
Right now, he was just a rookie. A rough, violent intern.
"Get out of my way!!!" Kaido bellowed. His voice shook the battlefield as his entire body erupted with a dominating presence.
It was Conqueror's Haki.
He swung his kanabo with terrifying force, crashing it down on Sunbell.
Stunned by the burst of Haki, Sunbell failed to react in time and took the blow head-on
blood sprayed from his mouth as he was sent flying.
The Roger Pirates were stunned.
Conqueror's Haki, a rare power possessed by only one in several million had just appeared in a mere crew member of the Rocks Pirates.
Even Gol D. Roger, who was currently locked in a fierce clash with Golden Lion Shiki, turned his head in surprise. His eyes flickered with astonishment.
"Jihahahaha… Roger," Shiki laughed thunderously. "Now do you see how terrifying the Rocks Pirates really are?"
"It's not too late to change your mind. Join the Rocks Pirates, and I'll make sure you get a high-ranking officer's position!"
White smoke from his cigar curled away into the breeze, vanishing almost instantly.
Having exchanged blows with Roger, Shiki now fully acknowledged his strength their power was evenly matched.
Roger swung Ace, one of the Supreme Grade Meito of the 12 Great Swords. A flash of radiant sword light burst across the air as he slashed toward Shiki.
At the same time, he declared in a voice that carried like thunder,
"I'll never join another crew. Our goals are nothing alike!"
"I don't care what the Rocks Pirates do but I'll never be one of you!"
Shiki swatted the slash aside with overwhelming force, his lips curling upward.
"Stubborn fool."
"Freedom, huh?"
"What a laughable excuse. Pirates are meant to conquer the seas!"
"This ocean belongs to pirates!"
Their ideals were irreconcilable. But strangely, Shiki couldn't help but feel a growing interest in Roger.
The two resumed their intense battle.
Every collision of their blades sparked more than just flashes of orange light. There was an invisible spark a clash of will, of belief, of dreams.
Because dreams aren't measured by hierarchy. They shine brightest when pursued with unwavering determination.
And strength true strength always commands respect.
Meanwhile.
Having blasted Sunbell away, Kaido wasted no time. He stomped forward with legs like stone pillars, swinging his massive club at the pirates who had been firing into the dust.
He looked like a savage barbarian gone berserk.
The Roger Pirates immediately shifted their aim toward him.
Pupupupu!
Bullets punched into Kaido's flesh. Blood gushed from multiple wounds, staining his white shirt with patches of dark red.
But pain meant little to Kaido.
For someone of his size and toughness, a bullet was no worse than a mosquito bite.
Snarling like a wild beast, he tore into the enemy with furious strength, scattering their formation in an instant. Several pirates were injured under the rampage.
"I'm fine, Kaido."
"These bullets and bombs won't hurt me."
A voice rang out from the settling dust.
Ares emerged completely transformed.
He had activated his Mythical Zoan form: Dragon-Human Hybrid.
Blue scales gleamed under the light, reflecting a cold metallic sheen. His savage, dragonlike visage radiated an oppressive, beastly aura.
His deep eyes locked onto the Roger Pirates' three strongest warriors:
Gol D. Roger,
Silvers Rayleigh,
Scopper Gaban.
From within his amber eyes, twin flames suddenly flared.
They were flames of battle lust.
The fire of war burned bright in Tengetsu Ares's eyes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, you like the story? Wow, who knew. Go ahead, drop a review and throw some power stones maybe I'll be motivated to keep going.
The story's already ahead on Patron. Go there if you want to catch up faster!
[email protected]/_theon
Change @ to "a"