After an entire day of pursuit, the Golden Lion's Flying Armada finally cornered the Roger Pirates in the Edd War waters.
"Captain… It's no use. We're surrounded!" Fang Yi shouted down from the mast, his face grim.
He couldn't help but scold himself—had he grown too comfortable? How could he forget something as major as the Battle of Edd War?
In the original timeline, the Roger Pirates had a massive clash with the Golden Lion Shiki's fleet at Edd War. A sudden storm turned the tide of battle, devastating Shiki's fleet while Roger's crew escaped unscathed, even though they only had a single ship.
But that was fiction.
Now, Fang Yi was in the real world. Because of his presence, there was no guarantee that such miraculous luck would strike again. While the weather did show signs of a coming storm, there were no signs yet of the catastrophic one that had saved them in the story.
He'd been so focused on tracking the Whitebeard Pirates and hunting down the Ope Ope no Mi that he completely forgot this event was coming. And by the time he realized it, it was already too late. The Golden Lion had locked onto them, and now, the Roger Pirates were completely encircled.
"Roger…" On a lion-headed ship at the head of the fleet, Golden Lion Shiki called out loudly.
"Shiki!" Roger answered as the captain, stepping forward to meet the challenge.
"What do you think of my Flying Armada? Not bad, right?" Shiki spread his arms proudly. "So? Will you join me?"
"Shiki! We're not the same. My dream isn't to rule the world," Roger replied firmly.
"Dreams? Don't make me laugh, Roger! What are dreams, huh? Power—that's what a real man should pursue!" Shiki shot back, dead serious.
"In this vast world, even laughable dreams can be the compass that guides us. That, Shiki… is what dreams are!" Roger replied with a hearty laugh.
"I've told you this so many times, Roger!" Shiki bellowed. "Forget our past grudges. With the ancient weapon you've found, my army, and my perfectly crafted plan… we can rule the world together. Be my right hand, Roger!"
"I'm not interested in ruling the world, Shiki. If a pirate can't do what he wants… then what's the point?" Roger's refusal was resolute.
"Damn it… How did Shiki find out we have a lead on an ancient weapon?" Fang Yi muttered beside them, frowning.
It was clear from Shiki's words that this was exactly why he'd been hunting them.
Hearing that, Rayleigh's face darkened too.
"At the time, we didn't exactly keep it secret," Rayleigh said after a pause. "And that island did have locals. Probably leaked from there."
No matter how it got out, Rayleigh wasn't about to start doubting his crew in such a critical moment.
"So you're saying I should kill you now, Roger?" Shiki's voice thundered across the sea.
"You'll be the one going down today, Shiki!" Roger grinned, raising his weapon to signal the crew to attack.
"Charged Shot: Flame Arrow!"
BOOM! BOOM!
The first attacks came from Fang Yi and Petem—Fang Yi with his bow, and Petem with the ship's main cannon.
One of the enemy ships was hit squarely. Though severely damaged, Shiki didn't care. With more than twenty ships surrounding the Roger Pirates, losing one meant little.
Unlike Petem's head-on barrage, Fang Yi aimed at a ship behind them, hoping to blast a hole in the encirclement and open an escape route.
But even his powerful charged flame arrows weren't enough to disable a pirate ship. The best he could do was ignite their deck.
"Captain, we need to break through! There are too many—we'll be overwhelmed!" Fang Yi shouted while firing rapidly in all directions, but the worsening weather weakened the effectiveness of his fire arrows.
"Wait… something's not right!" Jabba, the navigator, suddenly called out with a tense expression. "Roger, the sea… It's turning violent!"
"I can feel the fury of the heavens and the sea!" Roger nodded grimly. "Men… big trouble's coming!"
"What do you mean?" the crew asked, turning to Roger in confusion.
They knew their captain had a strange ability to hear the "voice of all things." Many times, his instincts had guided them out of disaster.
"I think a storm's coming—something enormous. It might even trigger a tsunami," Jabba warned.
"What do we do?! If it's that strong… we could all die here!" Petem shouted while reloading the cannon.
"Sambell! Wangzai! You're up! Get in the water and find us an escape route from below!" Jabba barked orders, then turned to Fang Yi. "Xiao Yi—remember the navigation lessons I gave you?"
"Teacher… is it okay to dump all this on me right now?" Fang Yi said bitterly, knowing exactly what Jabba meant.
The sea was already raging, and with the Flying Armada all around them, finding a surface escape route was impossible. Only Sambell and Wangzai—who could dive—might be able to find a safe current from beneath the waves.
Sambell, being a fishman, could detect ocean currents—but he wasn't trained in navigation. He couldn't guide the Oro Jackson alone.
But Fang Yi could. He had learned proper navigation and survival skills from Jabba. And with Wangzai's help, he could survive underwater long enough to find a way out, then signal Sambell to guide the ship.
"Xiao Yi," Roger placed a firm hand on his shoulder, grinning. "It won't be easy—but with courage in your heart and the banner of conviction flying high, we'll find our way. And even if we're doomed to sink here… that's fate. It's not your fault."
"Captain… Teacher Jabba… understood!" Fang Yi nodded. He waved to Wangzai, took a deep breath, and said firmly, "We're getting out of this alive! Mr. Sambell—let's go!"
He jumped onto Wangzai's back and dove into the sea, swallowing an underwater breathing capsule as he plunged below the surface.
The storm struck immediately.
Waves surged wildly, crashing into the clustered ships of the Flying Armada. Their numbers worked against them—tightly packed ships collided and broke apart under the violent surf.
BOOM! BOOM!
Vessels crashed into one another, wreaking havoc. Even Shiki's flagship was caught in the chaos.
Ironically, the Oro Jackson—trapped at the center of the formation—was temporarily safer, shielded by its enemies.
"Captain! Over here!" On the surface, Sambell reappeared and waved frantically.
"Rowen! Ten o'clock—go!" Roger shouted to the helmsman as soon as he saw the signal.
Beside him, Jabba stood ready, carefully tracking Sambell's position and checking Fang Yi's signals to confirm the escape route.
"Trouble! There's a burning pirate ship blocking the path!" Jabba called out suddenly.
If they tried to force through, the flames might engulf the Oro Jackson, too.
"I'll handle it!" Rayleigh unsheathed his sword and unleashed a powerful slash. The flaming vessel exploded again—this time splitting apart, clearing the way.
"Gorlan! Assist Jabba and Rowen with navigation! Barrett, Rayleigh—you're with me! Let's clear the path!" Roger commanded.
Several derelict pirate ships blocked their way. Though many were already disabled, their sheer size created a formidable obstacle.
"No problem, Captain!" Rayleigh and Barrett flanked Roger, each handling one side of the ship. The three of them struck down every ship that dared block their escape, sending hulls crashing into the sea.
"I'll help too!" Buggy shouted. He detached his feet to stay anchored to the deck and sent the rest of his body flying overhead. From above, he had a better view than Gorlan and could spot Sambell more easily.
Meanwhile, beneath the waves, the ocean currents surged like furious sea serpents, twisting and turning every second.
Fang Yi could perceive their patterns, but finding a safe route for the slower, heavier Oro Jackson was another matter entirely.
"Damn it… is this impossible?" he thought, anxiety mounting as he scanned the chaotic waters.
He and Wangzai could slip through the currents, but guiding a full ship? That was a different story.
Then—WHAM!—a powerful surge slammed into the chaos, cutting through the wild currents like a martial artist's throw.
"Sea Current Slam!"
It was Sambell—he had used his immense fishman strength to part the water and forge a temporary path.
"Mr. Sambell!" Fang Yi looked back, seeing him grinning with a thumbs-up.
Fang Yi took a deep breath, nodded in thanks, and pushed forward, continuing to trace the current for their path to safety.
The faith and strength of his comrades filled him with determination. He now believed they would survive this storm.