"Husband, is this the scenery above the sea?"
Shirahoshi's voice was soft, filled with awe as she looked around. Every word landed cleanly, without hesitation, as if this world was something she had dreamed of her entire life.
Rolan felt something shift, subtle and unwelcome. Her presence had changed. It was not just her appearance, but the way her aura carried itself now. She was no longer sheltered by distance or scale. Standing here, under the open sky, she radiated a natural femininity that drew attention without effort.
"Husband?" Shirahoshi tilted her head slightly. "Why is your face a little red?"
Rolan snapped out of it immediately, turning his gaze away. "Nothing," he said flatly. "What were you asking?"
She looked back at the horizon. "Is this the New World?"
"Yes."
Her eyes widened. "Then is this Peach Garden?"
Rolan reached out and rested his hand lightly on her head. "Not yet."
"But we already came up," she said, genuinely confused. "Isn't Peach Garden supposed to be very big?"
Rolan paused, then spoke evenly. "You've lived on Fish Man Island your whole life. You've never seen how large the world actually is."
She listened carefully.
"Peach Garden is dozens of times larger than Fish Man Island," he continued. "The New World is hundreds of times larger than Peach Garden."
Shirahoshi froze. "That big?"
"Yes."
She stared ahead, silent, trying to process it.
Rolan did not wait. "We still have a long way to go."
With a casual wave of his hand, the air around them shifted, and the two figures moved forward at high speed.
…
"Hehehe, beautiful lady, are you free tonight? How about I play a song just for you?"
The voice was oily and intrusive.
Shirahoshi turned and saw a thin, gaunt man leering at her, his eyes crawling over her body without shame. His smile was crooked, unpleasant.
"I'm sorry," she said politely. "I don't have time tonight."
The man's expression twisted instantly.
"I'm inviting you because you're pretty," he snapped. "Most people don't even get the chance to hear my music."
"I really don't have any musical talent," Shirahoshi replied, shaking her head.
That was the last straw.
"Don't be ungrateful," the man snarled, stepping closer. "You're coming whether you want to or not."
The surrounding crowd backed away at once.
"It's over."
"That's Hung Tai."
"He's a musician under a pirate crew affiliated with the Beasts Pirates."
"He's never failed to get the woman he wants."
"They're done for."
Rolan heard every word.
The Beasts Pirates. In the New World, that name alone carried weight.
Shirahoshi grabbed his cloak and pulled him closer. "Husband, I don't like this sir. He's ugly."
The man finally noticed Rolan.
A tall figure wrapped in a thick cloak, his face hidden completely in shadow.
Rolan had no intention of being recognized. His name alone would have turned this outing into a spectacle, and that was the last thing he wanted for her.
He exhaled quietly.
Then he raised his hand.
A small electromagnetic sphere shot forward and struck Hung Tai squarely.
The man convulsed violently before collapsing to the ground, twitching.
"What just happened?"
"He just fell!"
"That cloaked guy touched him."
"Is he insane? That was someone connected to the Beasts Pirates."
"We need to leave."
"Captain Kusoyaru will be here any second."
The crowd scattered in panic.
Shirahoshi looked down at the man on the ground. "Husband, what happened to him?"
"He's having a seizure," Rolan replied calmly. "Don't get close."
She stepped back quickly. "But he looks like he's in pain."
Rolan said nothing at first.
She was still too soft.
Eventually, he spoke. "He was harassing you."
"I know," she said quietly. "But he didn't do anything terrible yet."
Rolan placed his arm around her shoulders, pulling her gently but firmly to his side. "You're my woman. Anyone who looks at you with that kind of intent forfeits mercy."
Shirahoshi stiffened for a moment, then relaxed against him, her face warming. "I understand."
Before they could leave, multiple electromagnetic disturbances rippled through the area.
Rolan sighed. "As expected."
A group of men appeared, kicking up dust as they landed. At their head stood a man nearly three meters tall, skeletal limbs supporting a body with several thick rolls of fat around his waist, giving him a bizarre, wheel-like appearance.
"So that's Kusoyaru."
"It's over."
"They can't escape."
"He's called Instant Man for a reason."
Kusoyaru lifted his chin arrogantly, basking in the fear around him. Then his gaze landed on Shirahoshi, and he swallowed hard.
"Did you attack my man?"
Shirahoshi tugged at Rolan's cloak again. "Husband, I don't like this one either. He's even uglier."
Silence.
Mouths fell open.
Kusoyaru's expression twisted into rage. "You're courting death. This woman will spend the night with me. And you," he pointed at Rolan, "will kneel and lick my feet."
Rolan looked genuinely irritated.
In one smooth motion, he reached forward. A blade formed in his hand, forged entirely from condensed electromagnetic energy, glowing faintly with blue and violet light.
He vanished.
Then reappeared.
The blade dissipated.
Kusoyaru and his men collapsed simultaneously, bodies hitting the ground as if harvested.
"What just happened?"
"They're all down."
"That weapon…"
"Electromagnetic Blade."
"No way."
"Then that man is…"
"Godslayer Rolan."
"The world's strongest man."
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