"Then let the Holy Light judge you!"
Roy let out a casual chuckle. His blood surged with excitement.
There was no denying it—a pirate with a 30-million-Berries bounty wasn't just talk. But just before entering the Repentance state, Roy had clearly seen hesitation and fear in Fiers' eyes.
And the way he reacted to the mention of Roger?
That meant one thing: they had crossed paths.
Anyone who had tangled with Roger couldn't be weak… and yet, Fiers was clearly afraid of something.
Shing!
A golden slash of sword light tore across Fiers' right cheek, sending blood spraying.
Roy now held a massive two-meter-long broadsword—its blade gleaming white, hilt crimson, and in the center, a golden orb embedded where the steel should be.
This was the legendary Ashbringer, rated among the Supreme Grade Meito, and known for once slicing the infamous "Frostmourne" in half. A divine weapon, gifted by his system.
"Captain!"
Several of the pirate crew cried out, rushing forward.
Roy kicked Fiers backward with a heavy blow—and then, a 20-meter-wide golden storm of Holy Light exploded outward from him.
"Divine Storm!"
Shhk-shhk-shhk—!
Blades of light and Holy energy sliced through the air. One pirate after another collapsed.
Even Fiers' tough black bear hide was left riddled with wounds.
Roy had to admit—this guy was a Zoan-type.
Bear-Bear Fruit, Model: Black Bear.
That hide was insanely tough. Definitely top-tier endurance.
Fiers took a step back and grabbed his lance, then suddenly snapped it in two.
They weren't lances at all—they were dual swords.
"Breaking weapons like chopsticks? Turns out this guy's a Berserker."
"HAAH!!"
Fiers roared and slashed. The blade moved with shocking speed, digging deep into Roy's neck.
The pirates around them cheered—
But the next moment, their grins froze.
Roy's head hadn't fully fallen off, but it was dangling backward, almost severed. And yet—he was smiling.
And then… he laughed.
The pirates standing behind him trembled.
The nearly-decapitated head… was laughing.
His facial muscles twitched, his lips curled into a grin—he wasn't dead.
How is that possible!?
Still, these pirates weren't rookies. They served a man worth 30 million. Shock wore off quickly, and they started speculating.
There could be only one answer: Devil Fruit powers.
Then, a pillar of Holy Light descended from the sky and enveloped Roy.
Within two seconds, his head was completely reattached. Not even a scar remained.
Roy raised his greatsword. With a roar, he brought it down—
"Crusader Strike!"
The attack was overwhelming.
Fiers quickly raised both swords over his head to block.
Clang!!
The sheer force of Roy's strike blasted Fiers straight through the deck, slamming him into the lower hold. A five-meter-wide hole was left in the floor, wood chips flying everywhere.
But Roy didn't stop.
He leapt into the lower deck, swinging Ashbringer once more.
"Help the Captain!"
One of the pirates shouted, and the remaining crew rushed down, weapons drawn.
Roy didn't bother with fancy moves or evasive maneuvers.
He sidestepped the first attack, grabbed Ashbringer with one hand and brought it down toward Fiers.
With the other hand, he summoned:
"Spear of Holy Light!"
He hurled the glowing spear straight at the charging pirate's head.
Shhk!
The spear pierced through the man's skull. One down.
Fiers knocked Roy's blade aside with both swords and immediately counterattacked—
A sword plunged into Roy's throat.
He yanked it free. Blood sprayed across his face.
For a second, it looked like the battle was over.
But then, Roy raised Ashbringer with both hands and swung straight for Fiers' bear head.
"May the Holy Light bless you!"
Roy laughed maniacally, even as blood gurgled in his throat.
Fiers twisted to avoid the blow, but the slash still caught his right shoulder.
A massive gash opened from his shoulder down to his side. He stumbled back, barely keeping his footing.
"Not bad. Most Zoans wouldn't still be standing after a full-powered Crusader Strike. Respect."
Just then, Roy sensed a killing intent aimed at the back of his head.
"Oh no you don't. If you take my head, I'll lose consciousness. And then I'd have to corpse-run—what a pain."
He turned and slashed. A cross-shaped shockwave flew out.
"Blade of Purity!"
Swish.
A pirate's head flew into the air. His body split in half. Another one down.
"HRAAAAH!!"
Fiers charged again.
Roy met him head-on, single-handedly lifting Ashbringer. The two clashed—sparks flew as blade met blade.
"Tch…"
Roy punched at Fiers' gut. Fiers blocked with his knee, gritting his teeth.
"Damn, this kid's strength is insane!"
He looked small and lean, but the power behind his blows was monstrous.
Suddenly, Roy let go of the force behind Ashbringer.
Fiers, still applying pressure, stumbled forward from the unexpected release of tension.
Roy calmly sidestepped.
"Got you."
He raised his left hand.
Another Holy Spear materialized.
"Spear of Holy Light!"
Shhk!
The spear shot into Fiers' back, pinning him to the wall.
It pierced straight through his chest—right through his heart.
"Before you die, answer me one thing—why didn't you go to the Grand Line?"
"Roger… Roger… I'm afraid of him…"
Fiers barely got the words out before the spear dissolved into particles of light.
His body slid down the wall and hit the floor.
He didn't get back up.
—
[Enemy Defeated: Martney Fiers
Holy Light Points Gained: 1
Skill Points Gained: 10]
[Paladin Power Level: 50%]
[Awakener Level: 51 (EXP: 10%)]
[Weapon Mastery – Ashbringer: 30%]
[Haste (affects all speed-related stats): 110%]
These were the four main development categories Roy was currently focusing on.
His Awakener Level was 51. He needed 24 more levels to reach the second awakening: Prophet.
Since he had already maxed out all available skills, Roy converted his Holy Light Points into EXP.
[Awakener Level: 51 (EXP: 11%)]
"Ten skill points for just 1% EXP? What a rip-off."
As for the new Holy Light Point, Roy put it all into Haste.
[Haste: 110.1%]
---
After this battle, Roy found himself reflecting deeply on the world.
He recalled something Golden Lion Shiki had once said:
"Only Whitebeard and Roger are worthy of my acknowledgment. The rest of these so-called pirates… they're just playing games."
And today, Roy finally understood what that meant.
In this era, a bounty of 30 to 50 million was enough to thrive in the first half of the Grand Line.
Yet Fiers had been beaten back by Roger, fleeing to the North Blue to play king of a forgotten island.
It was the tragedy of a dreamless era.
A time when most pirates were just worthless thugs.
Roger would go on to upend the Grand Line and the New World, setting off the Golden Age of Pirates.
After becoming Pirate King, it was his final words that ignited the full-blown Great Pirate Era.
But now that Roy was here…
He had a feeling this world was about to get even more insane.