Rogger, who had just taken a heavy blow to the face, clearly didn't walk away unscathed. When he stood up from the ground, a visible fist imprint was stamped on his face, and blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Still, judging from his condition, Rogger hadn't sustained any serious injuries.
"Who are you?"
Rogger demanded, his voice fierce and sharp, his face shadowed with a heaviness that couldn't be ignored. The man standing before him radiated an undeniable sense of danger.
But the man didn't answer right away. Instead, he bent down and picked up Baichuan like a cat catching a mouse. Then, in the same fashion, he scooped up Shanks and Buggy.
His hands were massive, and grabbing two people by their collars at once took no effort. He then glanced at Katherine, who was lying next to Buggy, his eyes flashing with confusion, but without giving it much thought, he grabbed her as well.
He walked over to a sturdy-looking tree, tossed all four of them to the ground, and didn't bother checking if they were hurt.
After handling those "small matters," he turned back to Rogger and spoke in an emotionless tone:
"Barrett. That's my name."
"You with them?"
"You could say that. At least for now, we're on the same side."
That's right, the newcomer was Barrett. The moment Baichuan saw him arrive, he'd let himself pass out without a second thought. He fully believed in Barrett's strength, someone who could undoubtedly protect them.
"Any last words?"
Barrett's voice rang coldly in Rogger's ears again.
"What do you mean?"
"You hurt my comrades. That's reason enough for you to die. If Rogger found out I let you live, I'd never hear the end of it."
Though Barrett always viewed Gol D. Rogger as a rival, after spending so long with the crew, he had gradually become a part of the Rogger Pirates family.
"You're sure you can kill me?"
"Of course. You may be strong, but compared to me, you're still lacking. You feel it, don't you?"
"Damn it... Then I'll show you what I can do!"
With a roar, Rogger charged at Barrett at near-teleportation speed.
But Barrett didn't move. He simply threw a punch directly in front of him.
Boom!
Their Haki-infused fists collided. Simultaneously, both of their Conqueror's Haki surged out violently.
"You too?!"
Rogger exclaimed in shock mid-punch.
In his entire life, he had only encountered a handful of people with Conqueror's Haki. Yet today, two in one day.
It shook his understanding of the world. His master had once told him that only one in a million might awaken Conqueror's Haki. But was that true?
"Spacing out in battle isn't a good idea."
Seeing Rogger caught in confusion, Barrett kindly reminded him, and with a sudden push, he knocked Rogger's fist aside. In the same moment, his left fist struck hard into Rogger's abdomen.
Rogger couldn't take it. He hadn't had time to activate his Haki to defend.
Barrett's punch, however, was fully reinforced with Armament Haki.
The impact left Roger's eyes bulging and saliva flying. His body curled up like a shrimp.
"Cough… cough…"
He choked out a few mouthfuls of blood, staggering from the blow.
"You bastard... I'll make you pay!"
Rogger's eyes were now bloodshot. Two long fangs emerged from his mouth. He dropped to all fours, his entire body beginning to transform.
"Oh? A Zoan-type user?"
Barrett was slightly surprised by Roger's Devil Fruit powers, but it only fueled his excitement.
"And an Ancient Zoan… A sabertooth tiger?"
Before Barrett's eyes, Rogger had fully transformed into a sabertooth tiger, his body growing larger and more feral.
"ROAAAR!"
Rogger let out a deafening roar, his eyes burning with rage as he stared Barrett down.
"Now that's more like it."
Barrett smiled, clearly pleased.
"I'll tear you to shreds!"
With that, Sabertooth Rogger stood up on his hind legs and suddenly vanished from Barrett's sight.
"He got faster?"
Barrett was shocked by the speed boost. He spun around and threw a punch, but this time, he lost the power struggle.
"Hahahaha! As expected from an Ancient Zoan… This is getting more and more fun!"
Barrett let out a wild laugh. His punches grew faster and more forceful, giving off a frenzied, almost mad aura.
Even so, his mind remained sharp and calculating, always wary of Rogger's two massive fangs. A bite from those would be no joke.
Their hand-to-hand combat escalated, fists and kicks flying. The battlefield could no longer be contained within the bandit camp. They broke into the deep forest, trees toppling around them.
Huge trees were shattered in their path. What was once a dense forest now had a trail of destruction carved through it.
"Are you even human?"
After what felt like ages of fighting, Rogger gasped in disbelief. Even after activating his Devil Fruit ability, he couldn't gain the upper hand.
The man in front of him fought like a demon. Every time Rogger thought Barrett had reached his limit, he'd push even further. His strength seemed bottomless.
"You can call me a monster," Barrett grinned widely.
"Monster…?"
That word had always been used to describe him, Rogger. He never thought one day he'd be using it on someone else.
"Alright. Time to end this fight."
As Barrett spoke, his body suddenly turned blue, his eyes glowing red, and his hair began to whiten.
"W-What is this?!"
Rogger could feel a tremendous threat from this new form.
This was Barrett's Demonic Form, his strongest state, fusing his natural demonic energy with Armament and Conqueror's Haki. It was the very reason he was feared as the Heir of the Devil.
"Watch closely, this next punch will end you."
"No... I'm going to die!"
That was the last thought in Rogger's mind.
"Strongest Punch!"
Faced with a blow that exceeded his speed, Rogger couldn't dodge, only try to block.
But it was pointless. His arms, raised to defend, were instantly broken. Barrett's fist blasted through like it tore through paper, landing squarely on Rogger's skull.
With that devastating blow, Rogger lost consciousness instantly.