In a flash, Kyle's expression shifted from horror to resolute determination. He gritted his teeth, his right hand reaching behind him, and a pitch-black, ancient-looking naginata instantly appeared in his grasp.
"VMMMM—!"
He pushed his Wave-Wave Fruit's ability to its limit. In addition to a coating of Armament Haki, the naginata's blade was also enveloped in a layer of high-frequency vibrating waves. The very air around the blade let out a mournful groan, unable to bear the strain.
"Come on, you old geezer!" Kyle roared, gripping the naginata with both hands and charging toward the deadly black meteors—not retreating, but advancing. "Sound Slash: Exploding Phoenix Cry!"
He didn't use the move as a single, massive strike, but instead unleashed the technique in a continuous, flowing series of slashes.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The naginata danced in mid-air, creating a dazzling array of afterimages, each strike precisely hitting an incoming cannonball. The blade fiercely collided with the Haki-coated shells, erupting in blinding sparks and deafening metallic roars. Even stranger, each strike wasn't just a simple cut; the high-frequency sound waves Kyle had imbued into the blade violently exploded the moment they made contact.
BOOM—!
The first cannonball, less than ten meters from Kyle, was shattered by the shockwave from his blade. The violent impact transformed into a circular air current that spread outwards. Kyle used the recoil to deftly spin his body in the air, dodging the aftermath of the explosion as his naginata smoothly traced a graceful arc to meet the second cannonball.
RUMBLE—!
The second cannonball exploded, blooming like a flower of fire and black smoke in the sky.
The new crew members on the deck below were completely dumbfounded. Miller Pine's mouth hung open, and the wine barrel in his hand clattered to the ground. Colonel Mu Gulian's cigar had gone out at some point, and he stared intently at the one-sided "fireworks show" in the sky, his eyes filled with shock. That wasn't mere swordsmanship, nor was it a simple Devil Fruit ability—it was a perfect combination of the two. Each strike contained explosive power; it was precise, splendid, and full of a wild, violent beauty.
Spencer's elegant composure had long vanished, replaced by a dazed expression, as if he were seeing something beyond his comprehension.
"This is… our 'senior' on the ship?" Nozdon muttered to himself, his pointy head shaking back and forth. "A-amazing!"
In the sky, Kyle had already sliced through the third and fourth cannonballs. The air currents and shockwaves from the explosions became his new footholds. Each blast propelled him to a new position, allowing him to meet the next cannonball from an even more unpredictable angle. It was a perfect combination of offense and defense.
BOOM—!!
The last cannonball was sliced apart at the closest point to him, and the enormous explosion almost completely engulfed his figure.
"Kyle!" the Roger Pirates crew couldn't help but exclaim, their hearts tightening. Only veterans like Roger and Rayleigh 1 remained with their arms crossed, their smiles growing even wider as their eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Kuhahaha! Not bad!"
The firelight dispersed. Kyle's figure reappeared in the sky. The hand holding the naginata was trembling slightly and his clothes were torn in several places, but his eyes were still fixed on the Marine battleship below, full of unyielding defiance. At that moment, the new crew members looked at the figure suspended in mid-air—not tall, yet seemingly capable of holding up the sky—and all hints of their previous disdain vanished. It turned out that "Senior Little Kyle," who always smiled and seemed more like a butler than a combatant, was truly… a monster. A true monster, capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with the Captain and Vice-Captain2.
The moment the words "old geezer" left his mouth, the atmosphere on Garp's Marine battleship suddenly solidified.
Garp himself was initially stunned, then he grinned, his smile becoming more dangerous. "You brat! I'm only in my twenties! It seems my 'Fist of Love' wasn't enough to teach you a lesson!"
Kyle knew he was playing with fire, but he couldn't back down now. He took a deep breath, pressing down on his trembling right hand as the power of the Wave-Wave Fruit surged through him again. Now, it's my turn!
He spun the naginata rapidly in front of him, the swirling air creating a sharp whistle that extended down into the sea below. "Vortex: Azure Dragon Twister!"
A massive column of water was forcibly drawn up by an invisible force, coiling around Kyle's spinning naginata. The vibration of the air and the vortex of the water combined, forming a terrifying tornado that connected the sky and the sea, like a coiling azure dragon. The tornado let out a piercing roar as it swept towards the Marine fleet3. Kyle deliberately controlled the power; its core was not overwhelmingly destructive, but its immense pulling force was unparalleled.
"Waaahhh—!"
The Marine fleet instantly fell into disarray. Marines were swept off the decks and flung into the sea, and the ships rocked violently, their formations shattered.
"You damn brat!" Garp roared, finally unable to stand by. He stomped his feet, and the deck beneath him cracked as he launched himself into the sky like a cannonball. "Fist Bone: Meteor!"
In mid-air, Garp's right fist was completely covered in pitch-black Armament Haki, the extremely condensed power distorting the very light around it. His fist seemed to transform into a black meteor, striking directly at Kyle with an oppressive force that threatened to destroy everything.
In that instant, all the hairs on Kyle's body stood on end. Only one thought remained in his mind: I'm going to die! I'm really going to die!
"Senior Little Kyle," who had been so defiant just a second ago, decisively abandoned all pretense. He used all his strength to let out a heart-wrenching cry that echoed across the entire sea: "Captain, save me—!!!"
On the Roger Pirates' ship, the newcomers' expressions shifted from shock to daze, and then from daze to utter bewilderment. Where had their incredibly cool, monstrously strong senior gone?
"Kuhahahahaha!" Responding to Kyle was Roger's signature, hearty laugh. Just as Garp's iron fist was about to connect, a figure appeared between the two like a ghost. It was Roger, his red Captain's coat flapping in the wind, one hand pressing down on his straw hat.
"Divine Departure!"
He drew his sword, "Ace," in a simple horizontal swing. Deep crimson Conqueror's Haki lightning wrapped around the blade, not touching Garp's fist, but striking through the air. The shockwaves generated by Garp's "Fist Bone: Meteor" and Roger's "Divine Departure" silently annihilated each other. An indescribable, terrifying wind pressure erupted from the point of impact, pressing a giant depression hundreds of meters in diameter into the sea below and tearing a huge hole in the clouds above.
"Yo, Garp, long time no see! Still as energetic as ever!" Roger grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.
"Roger!" Garp landed steadily on the mast of another warship, clenching his fist and laughing just as unrestrainedly. "You bastard, where are you trying to run off to this time?!"
The battle that followed was fierce, shaking the very island. But as the setting sun dyed the sky and sea a warm orange-red, the scene had completely changed. On the beach, huge bonfires now burned, and the aroma of roasted meat mixed with the mellow fragrance of rum. The deafening shouts of battle had turned into joyous laughter and the clinking of glasses. Pirates and Marines sat on opposite sides of the bonfires, but the atmosphere was strangely harmonious.
Roger was arm-in-arm with Garp, each gnawing on a huge roasted leg while arguing loudly. Rayleigh was elegantly clinking glasses with a Marine Lieutenant Commander, discussing fine wine. The newcomers from both sides, however, were completely bewildered.
"Aren't we… fighting the Marines?" Nozdon asked quietly.
On the other side, a young Marine watched his idol, Vice Admiral Garp, chatting happily with the infamous pirate Roger4, his worldview teetering on the brink of collapse.
"You'll get used to it," an old Marine veteran patted his shoulder. "Mr. Garp and that Roger, they have this kind of relationship. Every time they meet, they have to fight. If they don't sink a few of each other's ships, it's not considered a proper greeting."
"Fighting… as a greeting?" the young Marine asked tremblingly.
"Yes, and after the fight, they'll have a banquet together like this," the old veteran said.
On the pirate side, Spencer was also explaining to the new crew members. "The Captain and Mr. Garp are sworn rivals, and in a sense… soulmates. Of course, this is only because neither side is determined to kill the other." He paused, then glanced at Kyle, who was being held in a headlock by Garp and forced to drink juice. "And, as long as Kyle is around, Mr. Garp's attacks always seem to hold back a little."
"Why?" Nozdon asked.
"Who knows?" Spencer shrugged. "Perhaps Mr. Garp truly believes that our ship has a future Admiral of the Marines mixed in."
"Brat! I'm telling you! The Marines are a man's romance! You have a great future, come with me to uphold justice!" Garp laughed loudly, patting Kyle's back vigorously.
"Cough… cough! I refuse! Are you trying to pat me to death so you can inherit my treasures?!" Kyle coughed, his face flushed.
Looking at this absurd yet harmonious scene, the newcomers exchanged glances. Finally, a young Marine gathered his courage, picked up a piece of roasted meat, and carefully offered it to a pirate on the opposite side. The pirate was startled for a moment, then grinned, and picked up his own cup to clink it in return.