"Mm???"
At the instant just before the kick was about to land, accompanied by the entanglement of black-and-red lightning, an extremely terrifying slash tore through the air and arrived in an instant.
Forced to withdraw the light-speed kick, at the very moment the slash was about to strike a physical form, Borsalino transformed into photons and instantly dispersed, retreating backward in a sorry state.
"Divine Departure?"
This black-and-red slash did not stop in place. Instead, its momentum did not diminish as it continued to sweep forward horizontally, smashing countless Marine formations into utter disarray.
A chasm hundreds of meters long was carved open across the ground of Marineford.
"This move... could it be Orin?"
"I expected him to oppose the World Government, but I never thought he'd be so determined to protect these few kids~"
Some Marines discussed nervously.
"No..."
Borsalino stood up from the ground, brushed the dust off his body, and the usual casualness and teasing were gone from his face.
Instead, there was calm—along with a few drops of cold sweat.
"Hey, hey, hey... this is a joke, right? Weren't you already dead?"
Staring at the distant smoke and dust, laser light gathered in his hand.
"Someone who should have died twenty-two years ago, the person least likely to appear here, is now showing up in this way. If I weren't feeling this Haki and presence, I'd think Orin was just messing with everyone..."
Everyone was drawn by Kizaru's words and looked in that direction. Those proficient in Haki froze for a moment before their expressions changed wildly.
Some even collapsed onto the ground, their pupils trembling violently.
"This has to be fake..."
"How is this possible?!"
Even Sakazuki, who had been dead set on killing the three brothers, was now looking over with cold sweat on his face.
Within the smoke and dust, an old man wearing a red captain's coat, with flared mustache tips, slowly walked out, holding in his hand the black blade they all knew far too well.
At that moment, Borsalino spoke the man's name.
"Even though I don't want to admit it, you really do seem to be..."
"Pirate King Roger~"
At this moment, Whitebeard and Sengoku also found it hard to keep their composure, their eyes wide open.
Looking at that figure—so familiar it couldn't be more familiar—the smile beneath the flared mustache made both of them waver.
"What kind of joke is this, Roger?!"
Sengoku shouted, the blood vessels in his eyes nearly bursting.
"So you didn't die after all?! Roger, you bastard..."
Whitebeard also found it hard to accept.
Weapons fell from the hands of countless Marines. Some soldiers were already numb and despairing, others nearly driven mad.
"How many great pirates does it take before this ends? Even the Pirate King who died over twenty years ago has shown up..."
"Ahahahahaha!!!"
With an aged face and a head of white hair, Roger bared his teeth, clearly unsurprised by their shocked expressions.
"Sengoku, and Whitebeard—you've both become old men too, ahahahahaha!!!"
"It's already Sea Circle Calendar Year 1520. Getting old is normal, you idiot!!!"
Though gravely injured, Whitebeard looked far more spirited upon seeing Roger, even finding the leisure to joke.
"More importantly, since you're still alive, hurry up and rescue Ace and the others!!!"
"You should take some responsibility already, Roger!!!"
"That kind of thing's already been said by someone else, Newgate!!!"
Carrying the black blade, the now-aged Roger walked over to the three brothers.
Ace, Sabo, and Luffy were completely stunned.
Especially Ace.
Looking at that face—so similar to the legends and newspaper photos, yet far more aged—he froze in place.
So much so that when Roger walked right up to him, Ace only realized it when he was suddenly embraced.
"I'm sorry, Ace..."
A warm sensation instantly spread from Ace's shoulder. The strange feeling left his entire body stiff, unable to think.
Unbeknownst to him, that warmth was the temperature of tears.
"I'm an unqualified father. You might not want to acknowledge me as your father. Back then, I didn't even realize my mistake, but..."
"I love you, Ace."
...
...
The scene shifts, the three brothers continued running.
As the hormone effects faded, Luffy, carried on Sabo's back, looked toward Ace.
At this moment, Ace's tears and snot streamed endlessly. He clenched his teeth, forcing himself not to cry out, while sprinting with all his might.
"Hey, Ace, was that really your father—Pirate King Roger?!"
"If that's the case, doesn't that mean I can't become Pirate King anymore?!"
"Quiet, Luffy."
Sabo was also shocked, but seeing Ace's tear-soaked face, even though he didn't know what the father and son had talked about earlier, it was obvious Ace's emotions were running high.
"Let's push through in one go and get out of Marineford!!!"
"Don't even think about escaping!!!"
Sakazuki, never one to act, immediately stepped forward to launch another magma attack.
But a black blade directly blocked his fist.
"Marine, if you want to kill the bloodline of sin, then step over the corpse of me—the father—first!!!"
Sakazuki was momentarily stunned, then swung his fist toward Roger.
"I don't know how you survived, but killing you here should go a long way toward restoring the face of justice!!!"
Dear readers, there's more after this chapter. Please click the next page to continue reading—it's even more exciting!
"Great Eruption!!!"
"Divine Departure!!!"
After that...
Thud thud thud...
Sakazuki spat blood and rolled endlessly across the ground.
"Wahahahahaha!!!"
"Marine, if you want to defeat me, you'd better have Garp and Sengoku come!!!"
This elderly Roger, thanks to his power ceiling originating from Orin, still nearly maintained his peak strength.
Even the rolling effect that a near-death Whitebeard could produce wasn't difficult for Roger.
And right at that moment, an extremely excited sound tearing through the air came from afar.
It was a streak of red light, shining like the sun itself, drawing everyone's gaze.
Whether it was Whitebeard and Sengoku clashing head-on, Kuzan and Kizaru entangled with the Shichibukai, the Whitebeard Pirates, Akainu, or the three brothers...
All of them felt an immense pressure bearing down.
"I knew you wouldn't miss this, you bastard..."
A powerfully built old soldier appeared, all traces of his earlier sluggishness gone, descending like a god, his fist wrapped in scorching red light.
"Hey!!! Roger!!!!"
"Oh!!! Garp!!!!"
The two exchanged no words—only eyes filled with extreme excitement, like the closest of friends.
"Divine—Departure!!!"
"Galaxy Impact!!!!"
Amid the horrified expressions and desperate denial of all who watched, a nuclear explosion erupted at the center of Marineford!!!
...
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