Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Loud roars continuously reverberated across the sea. With each thunderous sound, a giant flower of fire bloomed on the ocean. The entire sea was churned into chaos, with massive, surging waves spreading wildly in all directions.
On a Marine warship, tossed by the undulating giant waves, a Marine Vice Admiral's hand trembled as he shakily dialed a Den Den Mushi. Soon, the call connected.
"How is it, Thompson? Have you dealt with that fellow, Byrnndi World?"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
The Marine Vice Admiral, named Thompson, screamed in fury, "Roa is here! Byrnndi World has been turned into his puppet! Everyone is going to die!"
"Wh—"
Boom!
Another cannonball, like a small mountain, smashed down, instantly blowing the ship to smithereens.
At Marine Headquarters.
Fleet Admiral Kong stared blankly at the Den Den Mushi, which emitted a busy signal, then automatically hung up and went into standby mode.
Roa?
The next instant.
Boom!
His sturdy wooden office desk was instantly smashed to pieces.
"That damn brat! Why is he everywhere?!"
In the New World.
"Oh! Not bad, huh?"
From Dylan's back, Roa cupped his hand over his eyes, gazing out at the churning sea. Not a single Marine warship could be seen on the ocean anymore. All the warships, along with the Marines on board, had been blasted into smithereens by the cannonballs fired by Doflamingo. After all, each cannonball was a giant one created by Doflamingo's ability, amplified by the Moa Moa no Mi, making their destructive power terrifying beyond belief.
At this moment, even with Roa extending his Observation Haki, he could no longer sense any human presence on the sea. It was as if they had all been obliterated.
This is the consequence of provoking relations, I suppose.
Doflamingo excitedly emerged from Capone Bege's belly, his face shining with a smile as radiant as a child showing off a new toy to his friends during the New Year. "Fufufufu! This ability is amazing! Boss! From now on, I'll be the one to use that guy!"
"It's possible, Doffy, but," Roa said earnestly, "capturing that guy wasn't easy. Now that he's in your hands, Doffy, you must live up to expectations."
What do you mean 'not easy'? Doflamingo muttered to himself. Wasn't the hardest part just waking up an hour early and then riding here on Dylan's back?
Roa continued to earnestly advise, like a concerned parent, "If you don't live up to expectations, Doffy, just look at Byrnndi World. That's what happens when you don't live up to expectations."
Not to mention Doflamingo, who was specifically warned by Roa, even Bege instantly felt a chill run down his spine. If you don't train hard, you'll end up joining the Zombie Ghost Legion, huh?
Doflamingo couldn't help but swallow. Maybe, should I just give up?
Roa's nostrils flared slightly, and the corners of his mouth curved upward. Look how scared these two brats are, black aura's even coming off them.
He wouldn't lay a hand on them, no matter what, as long as they didn't disappoint him to the extent Byrnndi World did. In any case, it was time to head back. And while he was at it, he wanted to figure out what flaws the Moa Moa no Mi truly had. Otherwise, there was no reason Byrnndi World should have been so weak.
As they were returning, in Marijoa.
The Five Elders were again holding a meeting.
"How did that brat Roa appear there? Could it really be such a coincidence?"
"The Marines have been completely wiped out. The only information left is Vice Admiral Thompson's last words. No one can say whether Roa just passed by or sought them out."
"What's certain is that Byrnndi World has become his puppet! What exactly is that brat's ability? How can he possess power similar to that one?"
That supreme deity also possessed the power to convert others into servants, and it was far more powerful than what Roa had currently displayed.
"Byrnndi World's Moa Moa no Mi is incredibly potent, and now that power has fallen into Roa's hands! They have become even more dangerous!"
The expressions of the Five Elders were incredibly solemn. Without them realizing it, Roa, who had barely escaped from their hands in God Valley all those years ago, had become a formidable individual they now had to treat with caution.
"We cannot allow him to continue growing freely, but we also cannot act recklessly against him. If we cannot eliminate him in one go, his retaliation might be more than the government can bear."
His almost infinite self-healing ability, his mobility to soar freely through the sky, his super destructive power capable of easily flattening a city, and finally, his absolutely vengeful nature. That guy Roa possessed all the traits of the most troublesome opponents. If they truly provoked him, who knew what would happen next?
The Five Elders had quite a headache.
"Perhaps we could try to recruit him as a new God's Knight?"
One of the Five Elders suddenly spoke, though it was unclear who it was.
The Five Elders were all stunned. Did Roa qualify to become a new God's Knight? Of course he did. Not only his strength and age, but also a crucial factor: his relationship with those monsters in the New World was quite important to the government.
"Go and ask that adult for instructions!"
Roa was still unaware that his greatest enemies, finding him too difficult to deal with, were actually preparing to offer him a surrender. Of course, if he knew, Roa would refuse without hesitation. Roa, though he liked to form groups, would not defect. He had no desire to drink Imu's bathwater. Not even if Imu, under that black cloak, was truly a great beauty!
After returning to Germa Kingdom, the snail fleet continued towards the entrance to the New World, still some distance from the Red Line.
Meanwhile, a bored Roa had already begun experimenting with Byrnndi World's abilities. Results came quickly. First, the Moa Moa no Mi's hundredfold increase in size and speed seemed to be real; it was just that Byrnndi World's stamina couldn't sustain that level. And even so, he could only push the amplification to his maximum when targeting objects. Because his body couldn't keep up. Moving too fast, muscles and bones couldn't bear it; after all, that was a super high speed, amplified by at least tens of times, which would directly break bones.
Enlarging one's own body was even more detrimental. The Moa Moa no Mi's enlargement was proportional. This meant that the microscopic structure of the object was also enlarged tens of times, significantly reducing its strength. It was fine for enlarging cannonballs or similar single-use items. If one dared to enlarge their own body during a battle with a strong enemy, they would truly be seeking death.
Therefore, Roa's final conclusion was: The Moa Moa no Mi was powerful, but it genuinely seemed only suitable for assisting Doflamingo.
The female ship doctor of the Byrnndi World Pirates was handed over to Judge by Roa; that woman possessed many strange potions. Of course, Roa wasn't interested in the potion that melted Boa Hancock's clothes in the original story. The truly crucial one was the medicine that allowed her to regain her youth for a short time. If Whitebeard had had that, would he have been so miserable at Marineford?
The next day, Roa saw news in the newspaper that Byrnndi World had been killed by the Marines, accompanied by a picture of Byrnndi World with a single bullet hole in his head.
"Are they trying to deceive the world again?" King commented sharply. "Boss, should we have Byrnndi World make an appearance?"
"No point," Roa said casually. "Even Morgans has to cooperate with the World Government. If they say Byrnndi World is dead, then he is indeed dead. Even if he's not, he's dead." Of course, Byrnndi World was indeed dead, just not completely dead.
"Just let them win." The World Government won face, and he won the foundation. Everyone won big; it's realistic.
After that, Roa's life became boring again. Aside from exercising his Haki and practicing Conqueror's Haki every day, he was practically idle. This world really was quite boring; Roa could barely find any entertainment, especially in a godforsaken place like Germa Kingdom where there wasn't a single ordinary resident and no cultural or entertainment scene at all. The only things he could do every day were read books and sleep. Fortunately, there was still his beloved food to comfort Roa's scarred heart.
A change occurred one day when the snail fleet passed by an island. At that moment, Roa was lazily watching the fierce battle between Douglas Bullet and King. These two guys fought intensely almost every other day. Indirectly, it helped Roa alleviate his boredom. It was then that Roa noticed the island on the sea not far away.
"Hmm?" He raised an eyebrow.
Dylan immediately spoke, "Boss, no need to worry. That island, Trans Island , is not an affiliated nation of the government. There's only a small town on the island. News of us passing through here shouldn't reach the government's ears for a short time."
"Mm." Roa nodded.
Then. He suddenly widened his eyes. "Dylan, what did you say the name of the town on the island was?"
Dylan paused, then subconsciously recalled carefully, and after confirming he hadn't misremembered, he respectfully replied, "Boss, it's called Trans Island , correct."
"Is it that Trans Island , the one with ancient ruins nearby?" Roa's eyes narrowed, a hint of playfulness on his face.
"Yes, it's said that there are indeed many ancient ruins on this island, but many years ago, the kingdom that discovered this place had already plundered all the treasures from the ruins. Now, only ruins remain."
"Ruins, huh?" Roa's lips curled. "I don't think so."
"Let's go, let's check out the island."
Has Boss learned some secret that ordinary people don't know again? Dylan understood inwardly. Although Boss grew up on Hachinosu Island and had barely left his sight after joining the Rocks Pirates, he always seemed to know many secrets from unknown sources. Perhaps, this was what it meant to be born with knowledge? As expected of Boss!
So, soon, a giant snail rumbled ashore on the island. The residents of the small town on the island stared dumbfounded at the huge snail charging directly towards them.
"Oi!" Roa stood on the snail's head, looking down at the fishermen sorting their nets in the harbor. He didn't ask if his snail could stop in the harbor. "Which way to the ruins on this island?"
The fishermen, their skin dark and rough from years of sun exposure and sea wind, stared blankly at him, at the face they had only seen on newspapers and wanted posters. After a long while, one fisherman shakily raised his hand and pointed in a certain direction.
"Thanks." Roa thanked him politely. Then, the large snail rumbled directly towards the direction indicated by the fisherman, carving a path through the town, causing a commotion wherever it went.
Before long, the snail had arrived outside a set of ruins hidden within the mountains. This was a fairly large-scale ruin. On both sides of the entrance were the collapsed remains of houses, permeated with a decaying smell. It certainly looked quite old, with vines and moss growing all over the broken walls and fallen debris.
The snail continued along the clear path in the middle.
"Fufufufu!" Doflamingo adjusted his sunglasses. "There are even kids playing here!"
Indeed, there were some children from Trans Island playing in the ruins. Their reactions varied when they saw the rumbling giant snail. Some turned and ran, while others showed curious and eager expressions. How many children could say no to a rideable giant mount?
Roa simply ignored these insignificant children, riding the large snail directly to the central point of the ruins. This was a dilapidated plaza, which must have once been quite grand, but now it was piled with dead branches, fallen leaves, and broken stones and rubble, looking utterly desolate.
However, the focus wasn't this plaza, but rather the building opposite the plaza, the only one that remained relatively well-preserved. That must have been a temple. Outside its grand entrance, tall pillars stood like giants, guarding the solemn hall. Of course, that's how it used to be; now, most of the pillars had already toppled. More than half of the temple's roof had collapsed, and a small part of its walls had crumbled, with the remaining intact sections teetering precariously.
Though he didn't know exactly where Gild Tesoro got it, this was likely the most probable location, wasn't it? Thinking this, Roa jumped off the snail's head and strode into the temple.
"Boss, is there anything inside?" His subordinates followed behind Roa, King asking curiously.
The temple was also empty, with nothing but broken walls and collapsed rubble. Just as Dylan had said earlier, all valuable items here had long been removed by those who discovered the place centuries ago.
However, Roa's lips curved into a smile. He walked directly to a set of steps. On the wall above the steps were carved some words. Words that ordinary people couldn't understand at all.
"That's—" Doflamingo suddenly gasped, "Ancient text!"