The news of the Rocks Pirates' rapid expansion hit the world like a boulder thrown into a calm ocean, sending ripples far and wide. Each new recruit, each new ship, became a testament to their growing ambition and strength. The seas were stirring, and the world would soon tremble.
Yet aboard the Oro Jackson, life seemed to continue in its own rhythm. The daily routines—navigation, training, and banquets—formed a simple symphony unique to Roger's crew. Laughter and the clatter of swords mingled with the scent of the sea, creating an air of easy camaraderie.
The sun was warm that day, the waves gentle, as if even the ocean itself were dozing in the heat.
"Ahead… fleet spotted!" came the sudden cry from the crow's nest. Dolinger's voice sliced through the calm like a blade.
In an instant, the leisurely atmosphere vanished. Crew members snapped to battle stations, eyes narrowing, muscles tensing.
Kyle squinted toward the horizon. There, a massive fleet crested the waves. The ships were diverse in design, yet each exuded a ferocious aura. On their sails flapped the skull banner that had recently dominated the newspapers—the flag of the Rocks Pirates.
The fleet did not immediately encircle them, nor did it open fire. Instead, the lead ship advanced directly, stopping about a hundred meters from the Oro Jackson.
On its deck stood familiar, terrifying faces. Golden Lion Shiki, his posture arrogant as ever, spread his arms as if the world belonged to him. Beside him, a tall woman with flowing pink hair—her face beautiful yet imposing—was greedily devouring a massive cake.
Further along, a man clad in full-body armor carried a massive silver axe, while another flamboyantly dressed figure had twin swords at his waist. Each of them was legendary—Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, Silver Axe, Captain John—enough to make the Marines tremble with fear at their collective presence.
"Gigihaha! Roger, long time no see!" Shiki's voice rang across the water. His grin was cocky, his arrogance palpable. "Looks like your little ship hasn't fallen apart yet."
Roger, sword Ace resting on his shoulder, returned the grin. "Shiki, your head still looks like a pineapple. Last time's lesson not enough? Did you bring backup to even the score?"
"Mamamama…" Charlotte Linlin swallowed her cake in one greedy gulp, licking her lips as her gaze swept over the Oro Jackson. "Stop talking nonsense, Shiki!"
Shiki ignored her, fixing his condescending eyes on Roger. "Roger… Rocks has noticed you. He appreciates your strength. He's decided to offer you a place under his banner, to become a cornerstone of his world domination."
Silence fell like a heavy curtain over the deck.
Roger paused, letting the claim hang in the air. Then, he burst into earth-shattering laughter, booming over the waves. "Kuhahaha! Be someone's subordinate? Me? What a joke! I didn't sail the seas to take orders!"
Shiki's confident grin faltered, replaced by a shadow of gloom. "So… you refuse?"
Roger's hand tightened around Ace's hilt, the tip of the blade pointing toward the challenger. "What do you think?"
Shiki's eyes glinted with the thrill of a challenge. "Then you leave me no choice!"
In an instant, Shiki drew his twin swords, Sakura Ten and Mokogare. Beneath his feet, the sea inexplicably roared into two gigantic lion heads, each lunging toward the Oro Jackson with explosive power.
"Want to fight? Fine! I'll fight to the end!"
Roger laughed, vanishing from the deck in the blink of an eye. Seconds later, he appeared mid-air, slashing Ace imbued with Conqueror's Haki toward Shiki's blade.
"God Avoidance!"
A tremendous explosion of black and red lightning erupted, the resulting shockwave carving a deep depression into the sea.
"Little ones! Let's go!" Jabba hoisted his battle-axe with a roar, charging toward the armored Silver Axe. Rayleigh leapt gracefully over the waves, swords drawn, intercepting Captain John mid-strike in a clash so fast it left only afterimages in its wake.
In front of Kyle, the future Four Emperors, Charlotte Linlin, loomed.
"Mamamama, a mere brat dares stand before me?" Linlin sneered. Flames flickered in her left hand, while a dark storm swirled in her right.
Kyle's mind raced. This is Charlotte Linlin? The Big Mom of the future Four Emperors? Her reputation doesn't lie… but standing here, face to face…
"Mamamama… Boy, focus!" Linlin's Prometheus fireball shot toward him, the heat radiating like a furnace.
"Sorry, I was considering the difference between a bus and a private car!" Kyle retorted, firing an invisible infrared wave from his right hand to meet the oncoming fire.
The fire collided with his energy, distorting the air in a violent shimmer. Linlin roared, unleashing Zeus, a thunderbolt from her cloud.
Physics be damned! Kyle surged forward, electromagnetic waves rippling from his palm, intertwining with the lightning, canceling its destructive force.
"A bit more fun than expected!" Linlin grinned, swinging her sword Napoleon imbued with fire and lightning. Kyle allowed the blade to connect, the resulting sonic boom throwing both of them back several steps.
Meanwhile, the battle around the deck raged with equal intensity. Roger and Shiki clashed mid-air, black-and-red Haki lightning cracking through the sky. Rayleigh and Captain John dueled across the water's surface, sword strikes blindingly fast. Jabba and Silver Axe's struggle shook the Oro Jackson, the deck groaning under their immense strength.
Kyle's golden eyes scanned the battlefield. Linlin's flame and lightning attacks could annihilate steel, but his Boba Fruit powers allowed him to endure and retaliate. Yet, every strike reminded him of the gap between him and a true Haki master. Linlin's Armament Haki was condensed to near-solid form, making her nearly impervious.
Damn… this tankiness is unreal! Kyle thought, fists tightening. His Sonic Fist - Blast Punch barely moved her, the aftershock leaving her long pink hair perfectly intact.
He darted across the deck, leaving afterimages with Light Illusion Mirage, dodging with the precision of a seasoned fighter. Linlin's strikes followed relentlessly, her sheer power a constant threat.
An idea struck Kyle mid-fight. He yelled toward Jabba, who was wrestling with Silver Axe. "Jabba!"
The massive man paused mid-swing, laughing at Kyle being chased across the deck. "Ha! Kyle, are you even trying? Can't even handle a woman?"
Kyle smirked. "Then you try! Don't throw your back out!"
Fueled by Kyle's challenge, Jabba forced Silver Axe backward with a brutal swing and charged like a cannonball. Linlin, spotting the new target, roared in delight and intercepted him mid-strike.
"Boom!"
The great axe clashed with Napoleon, lightning and fire colliding violently, unleashing a shockwave several times larger than Kyle's previous skirmish.
Kyle seized the moment. Using Sonic Step - Instant, he appeared before Silver Axe. "So, you're the iron can, huh?" he taunted. "I love opening cans."
Silver Axe raised his silver axe, charging forward, each step denting the deck. Kyle didn't move. He closed his eyes, listening.
"Resonance - Collapse!"
A subtle "crunch" echoed. Spiderweb-like cracks spread across Silver Axe's armor, from breastplate to leg guards, shattering the impenetrable shell.
"How… is this possible?" Silver Axe gasped, stunned. Kyle opened his eyes, a playful glint shining. "…The melody of destruction."
With a final crash, the armor disintegrated into shards. Kyle beckoned him forward with a smirk. "Come on, Mr. Can. Let's play fair!"
Elsewhere, the clash between Roger and Shiki slowed. Shiki hovered mid-air, chest heaving. "Interesting… Roger, your crew is remarkable!"
Linlin withdrew Prometheus and Zeus, licking her lips with a hint of hunger for more battle. Jabba and Rayleigh returned to the Oro Jackson, muscles flexed, eyes shining.
"This was just a greeting," Shiki said, glancing down. "Rocks waits for the strongest at Hachinosu. Roger, consider carefully. Don't refuse too hastily; next time, it won't be so easy."
With that, the Rocks Pirates' fleet turned and sailed away, their purpose fulfilled—an exchange of power and challenge, a glimpse of the storm to come.
Roger sheathed his sword, laughing with abandon. "Kuhahaha! What an interesting bunch! The seas are finally waking up!"
The Oro Jackson rocked gently in the aftermath, sails fluttering as the crew caught their breath. A storm was approaching—not of rain or wind, but of legends colliding on a scale the world had never seen.
And the adventure was only beginning.
---Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn (Gk31)