Roa honestly wasn't sure if Vegapunk's replicated Azure Dragon Fruit, without the support of the Ancient Technology data, was successful this time.
But what did it matter?
With Stussy around, it was just a free acquisition anyway.
That woman definitely maintained contact with Vegapunk. It wouldn't be difficult for her to obtain a synthetic Devil Fruit that was considered a failed experiment from the Marine Science Unit.
"Still, it's hard to imagine, little brother Roa,"
Roa was seated in Stussy's office chair, and the woman was leaning softly against him. The thirty-something-year-old Stussy looked at the youth with eyes full of infatuation. "Did you really cross more than twenty years of time to come directly from the past to the present?"
"Well, Devil Fruits are just that wondrous, aren't they?"
Roa chuckled. "They can always achieve miracles that are hard for ordinary people to imagine, can't they?"
The creator of that miracle, Kozuki Toki, stood expressionless behind Roa.
Strictly speaking, she no longer had a self-consciousness. Her current awareness was built entirely upon the emotional foundation Roa had granted her.
"For me, little brother Roa, your return is the miracle."
The woman nuzzled against Roa's chest like a kitten.
If it weren't obvious at a glance that she was lying, Roa might have believed her.
But what did it matter?
Stussy was breathtakingly beautiful, and her attitude was as gentle as water.
Who could dislike that?
"Since I'm so important to you, then help me deliver another message to Vegapunk."
Roa pushed his luck. "Tell him that the energy the World Government asked him to research is meant to power a dangerous weapon, a weapon that almost destroyed the world 800 years ago."
While that weapon wasn't Im's only trump card, causing that individual to lose a major asset would certainly be a good thing.
"Destroy the world?"
Stussy was slightly taken aback.
Weren't we just flirting? Why did the topic change so quickly?
"Although people have long forgotten, this world was indeed almost destroyed twice."
Roa smiled and raised his hand to tap her nose. "Vegapunk is standing at the crossroads of history. It's time for him to make a choice."
"Will he resurrect that weapon or not? The world is waiting for his answer."
"..."
Stussy was speechless for a moment.
If she truly told the Doctor these words, it was unnecessary to guess how he would choose, given his nature.
But, just after returning, he's already planning to scheme against the World Government again?
Roa, you bastard!
"Alright! That's enough!"
Roa unceremoniously pushed Stussy aside, stood up, and said leisurely, "I have a few things to take care of, so I have to go for now. We'll talk later."
"Are you leaving already, little brother Roa?"
A visible look of disappointment appeared on Stussy's face. The beauty lowered her gaze, a heartbreaking sight. "For me, it's been over twenty years since I last saw you, you know."
Roa overlapped his index and middle fingers and gently tapped the woman's forehead. "My apologies. I have to hurry up and deal with Uncle Wang Zhi next, and then announce my return to the whole world. I'm very busy."
"Wang Zhi?"
Stussy wasn't particularly surprised.
He had already dealt with Silver Axe, so going after Wang Zhi next was perfectly normal, wasn't it?
Roa was never a man content with solitude. Now that he was back in this world, he would, of course, announce his return without hesitation.
"But little brother Roa,"
Stussy spoke with some concern. "Compared to twenty years ago, Wang Zhi's personal strength and the power of his forces have grown significantly. Many people in the world even believe that if he hadn't become a Warlord early on, he would actually qualify to be a Pirate Emperor."
"That's excellent."
Roa looked back briefly. "I was worried that Uncle Wang Zhi would be as hopelessly weak as Silver Axe, and I wouldn't get any joy of revenge before it was over."
"In short, let everything be as it was twenty-five years ago, Stussy. Imu."
Roa, taking the ever-silent Toki, swaggered out.
"I wish you good fortune in war, little brother Roa."
Stussy maintained her gentle smile.
Even after Roa's presence completely vanished, she remained sitting up straight, her smile unwavering, like a statue crafted by the most excellent artisan—lifelike, yet utterly unchanging.
This state lasted for more than ten minutes. Only after confirming that Roa truly wouldn't return did Stussy finally collapse onto the floor with a sigh of relief.
Even though twenty-five years had passed, and even though Roa was still the same Roa from twenty-five years ago, the pressure he put on Stussy was simply too great.
If she had genuinely betrayed him, he would probably kill her without hesitation, or perhaps even turn her into a puppet.
Though the most intimate things had already happened, it was impossible to expect that monster, who lacked normal human emotions, to show mercy because of it.
Roa would never spare anyone who stood in his way.
My nightmare is back, and the world's nightmare is back too!
A new storm is about to sweep across the globe!
Doctor, where do we go from here?
Soon, Roa and Toki returned to the Cream Doughnut ship. Katakuri was beginning to get a little impatient.
However, the good brother's face mostly held intrigued gossip. "Did you really have a thing with that old woman, Stussy?"
He admitted that Stussy was indeed much better preserved than his mother, Charlotte Linlin. A woman in her sixties looked just like a young woman in her twenties or thirties.
But, no matter how well preserved, sixty is still sixty!
Roa said righteously, "What are you talking about? After more than twenty years, what's wrong with stopping by to visit an isolated old aunt?"
"You better have been doing proper visiting."
Katakuri twitched the corner of his mouth.
"I also managed to get some intelligence from her on the side."
Roa said, "The World Government already knows about Silver Axe's death. Wang Zhi should be taking action. We need to hurry."
"The Velvet Island is a mixed bag of people, and that woman's information is indeed very accurate."
Katakuri didn't deny this. "Well, what are we waiting for? Full speed ahead! Target: Hachinosu Island!"
"Eh?"
Oven, who was listening nearby, exclaimed, "Katakuri, shouldn't we pick up Mama in Wano first? That country is right in the sea ahead! With Mama and Kaido's help, dealing with Wang Zhi would be easier, wouldn't it?"
As for whether Kaido and Mama would help Roa—was that even a question?
"Exactly!"
Bonney also nodded repeatedly. "I want to go beat up that bastard Yamato once too!"
"Mama and Kaido will rendezvous with us at Hachinosu later,"
Katakuri said casually. "As for Wang Zhi, Roa, do you think you need help?"
Roa thought for a moment, then raised and wiggled his right hand.
"No help needed?"
Oven was startled.
Although Roa defeated Katakuri effortlessly, Wang Zhi was still a seasoned powerhouse on the sea, and he had an immortal body!
"I mean,"
Roa spread the five fingers of his right hand. "I'll kill him five times with just one hand."
"Hahahahaha!"
Katakuri roared with laughter. "That's exactly what I mean!"
Roa's strength completely transcended human common sense.
Even Katakuri himself was no match for him, and Silver Axe was instantly annihilated. Now that Roa even possessed the ability to break the immortal body, what could Wang Zhi possibly fight him with?
Thus, the Cream Doughnut sped forward, heading for Hachinosu Island.
At almost the same time, on the destination, Hachinosu Island.
"Did that bastard Shiki really do it?"
Wang Zhi was talking to another old comrade. "He naturally hates us to the bone, but if he wanted to act, he would have done it long ago. Why wait until now?"
"The bigger question is, can Golden Lion take Anselm Island? And can he really kill Silver Axe?"
A slightly aged voice came from the other end of the Transponder Snail. "Even the Roa of the past, as powerful as he was, couldn't break the immortal body! But now, Silver Axe really is dead!"
A few beads of sweat appeared on Wang Zhi's forehead. "Yes, I can't imagine it either. Only time should have been able to kill us."
"Who did it, and what method did they use? Most importantly, was Silver Axe the only one targeted?"
"..."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the call.
Then, "Could it be those brats under Roa? Didn't that bastard Rocks' son always want to reclaim Hachinosu Island from you? Loki has probably been looking for a way to break the immortal body and kill Harald too."
"Those two brats? If they really had a way to break the immortal body, why would they go after Silver Axe first?"
Wang Zhi shook his head. "Hachinosu and Elbaf would probably have started fighting long ago."
"Then who could it be? It can't be that Roa is back, can it?"
"Back? Even his own subordinates betrayed him. That little scoundrel is probably long dead in some unknown corner!"
Wang Zhi sneered.
The first few years were indeed nerve-wracking.
But twenty-five years had passed. If Roa could return, he would have returned long ago!
"You're right."
The man on the other end of the line, another Warlord, Captain John, sighed. "For now, we can only wait for news from the Government."
"Gather our forces, and prepare the teleportation array. Call for help immediately if anything goes wrong."
"Understood."
Roa was naturally unaware of the conversation happening on Hachinosu.
The Homie warship was incredibly fast. Within days, it had passed through the seas of Wano and arrived in the area once known as the World's Freest Sea.
"Oh, why doesn't it feel like much has changed?"
As the ship passed an island on the sea, Roa leaned against the rail and said with surprise.
At least on the island in the distance, the rising Black Mist was still very dense.
"This sea area is incredibly lively now. It's still the most chaotic sea area in the entire world!"
His good brother dutifully explained. "Although it was initially divided between Kaido and Wang Zhi, everything changed with the return of the Whitebeard Pirates. You know, Whitebeard's hometown is here."
Roa nodded slightly.
"Even though the Whitebeard Pirates returned, they mostly stick around Sphinx and aren't very interested in this sea area, so Wang Zhi and Kaido haven't provoked him."
Katakuri continued, "Then a few years ago, Teach (Thatch) and Loki arrived one after the other. One aims for Wang Zhi, right next door in this sea area, and the other aims for Elbaf, which is right here too. So they are very active in these waters."
"After that, the Straw Hat Pirates also began to rise here. This sea area instantly became a playground for monsters. Wang Zhi and Kaido's forces have long retreated."
"Oh? So, this sea area has two Pirate Emperors alone?"
Roa smiled serenely. "Plus Teach and Loki. Truly, doesn't it feel crowded?"
"In fact,"
Katakuri smiled, "the expansion of the Whitebeard Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates did encroach upon a lot of territory belonging to Wang Zhi and Kaido. The Straw Hat guy established his position as a Pirate Emperor only after a fierce fight with Kaido."
Honestly, even though he had heard it many times, hearing the name Straw Hat Shanks was still a bit much.
"How about it?"
Katakuri smiled, egging him on. "Since you're back, shouldn't you reclaim what belongs to you?"
"Later,"
Roa said casually. "The main course now is Uncle Wang Zhi."
After passing through this sea area, Hachinosu Island was very close.
A few days later, Hachinosu Island.
The island was completely locked down.
Wang Zhi had recalled all his main forces. Giant battleships practically surrounded the entire island.
The island itself was packed with pirates, and even some Marines were mixed among them.
The World Government and the Marines were highly concerned about Silver Axe's death, and these Marines were dispatched to assist Wang Zhi in dealing with the matter.
Looking down at the island from the sky, Roa couldn't help but gasp slightly. "Uncle Wang Zhi hasn't done too badly these past years. His forces must exceed a hundred thousand, right?"
He could only see a sea of black-haired heads.
The Marineford War didn't even gather forces much larger than this.
"This is what makes it fun!"
Bonney looked impatient behind him. "We can kill to our heart's content today!"
Katakuri also smiled. "And these are just the most elite main forces."
"Since Uncle Wang Zhi has prepared a welcoming ceremony,"
Roa curved his lips. "Then let's not keep him waiting."
The Haki arm supporting the three of them suddenly dissipated. In the next instant, the three plummeted like meteors.
Soon, the pirates below heard a sharp whistling sound.
"Something's falling!"
But before they could clearly see what was descending, the three figures hit the ground hard in the plaza in front of the central Skull Tower.
The entire island trembled for a moment, and the plaza was instantly covered in smoke.
In the next moment, the smoke was blown away by a strong wind.
The surrounding pirates, still stunned, saw three figures and heard their laughing conversation:
"You're still weak, Katakuri. You still needed Haki for a drop from this height. Look at how Bonney and I did it."
"Hahaha! Brother Katakuri is just weak!"
"Hmph, I don't have an invulnerable body like you two."
Katakuri?
Bonney?
The pirates' faces gradually changed.
Then, they saw the shortest figure cup his hands and shout loudly towards the Skull Tower ahead:
"Uncle Wang Zhi, I'm back for my revenge!"
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