"Oh! Oh oh! Rayleigh! I can see the city!" At the bow of the oro jackson, Gol D. Roger pointed ahead in surprise.
"Most of the supplies on board are almost used up. We can finally change our diet," Rayleigh pushed up his glasses and said with a sigh of relief.
"Then let's have a feast after we land! A good… hmm?" Roger suddenly looked in one direction.
"What's wrong, Captain!" The intern Shanks asked curiously.
"Hehe, it seems there are experts here too! We've been discovered!" With his hand on Ace's hilt, Roger's eyes narrowed: "They're here!"
"What?"
A crimson sword energy arrived in an instant!
Drawing Ace, Roger's eyes turned bloodshot as he unleashed a sword energy to counteract it, and a huge splash of water shot into the sky.
"It seems there's an amazing expert on the other side!" Although he said that, a calm smile still hung on Rayleigh's lips.
"Seriously! What's going on with this country? If Rayleigh couldn't coat the ship, we'd have a hard time even crossing the border, wouldn't we?"
Buggy pulled out a few small knives, not for fighting, but to throw them to attract attention if the enemy came closer.
"Well! Rayleigh, you guys sail the ship, I'll go say hello first!" Without waiting for an answer, Roger jumped up and dashed towards the island.
"Seriously…"
…"Hmm, even if it was a casual strike, it was blocked so easily?"
Nero looked at the neutralized sword energy and became interested. A mere pirate actually had the skill of a Great Swordsman.
"After witnessing that strike, not only did he not flee, but he's actually launching an attack towards me?" A curve appeared at the corner of Nero's mouth: "Hmm, no matter what, he's a Great Swordsman, isn't he? Then I shall respond head-on!"
Hathaway's eyes widened at her words, and she reached out to stop her: "Your Majesty, wait…"
However, Nero had no intention of stopping. She pushed off the cliff with force, and her entire body leaped towards Roger.
The clouds were pushed aside, and under the pure blue sky, the two quickly met.
"Pirate! Are you lost?"
Red and white Haki gathered on the blade of Primal Fire, and Nero swung her sword at Roger without hesitation.
[Falling Petal Sky Curtain!]
Roger's heart suddenly constricted. He felt that taking this move head-on would definitely kill him!
She's such a young girl? To possess such strength at this age, what an incredible person!
However… Roger's eyes turned extremely bloodshot, and he showed a wild smile!
It's still too early!
[Kamisari!]
The intense collision created a semi-circular vacuum on the sea surface. The two stalemated for two seconds, and Nero's figure was violently flung backward.
Roger, on the other hand, took several steps in the air before stabilizing himself: "These kids nowadays are unbelievably strong!"
On the other side, Nero's feet and blade dug long furrows in the sand on the beach below the cliff before the force was dissipated.
"Hmm, such great force, I was actually sent flying?"
Nero's face still held disbelief as she drew her sword, staring at the rapidly approaching figure in the distance, and re-assumed her stance.
"Cough! Cough cough!"
Suddenly, Nero coughed up a mouthful of blood, her body swaying.
'What's going on? I should have dodged it? There's no wound, but this feeling… is it an attack on my internal organs? But, when?'
A giant pit appeared on the beach, and Roger's figure walked out of it: "Yo! Little girl, your way of greeting is quite rough, isn't it!"
"Is that so? I think for those who wreak havoc on the seas, this much is just right." Pointing her blade at Roger, Nero swallowed the blood in her mouth and said, unwilling to show weakness.
"That's true, hahahaha!" Roger stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and then burst into hearty laughter: "Pirates are indeed a bunch of troublemakers!"
"Idiot! I wasn't praising you!" Nero's eyelid twitched, feeling that this guy wasn't very bright.
"Moreover, my country doesn't welcome pirates! Don't think that just because you gained a slight advantage, you can be presumptuous in front of me!"
An invisible aura erupted, and Conqueror's Haki swept around, making the air suddenly heavy.
"Eh? Is the little girl actually the Emperor of this country?" A Conqueror's Haki no weaker than Nero's burst forth from Roger, even slightly stronger than Nero's.
"We just want to resupply on shore, don't be so stingy!"
The Haki of both sides collided, an invisible force pressing together, and seawater and sand continuously pushed outwards from the center of the two.
"I will hang your corpse on the gallows!"
"That's truly terrifying!"
Nero's figure flashed in front of Roger, her sword creating a continuous blade curtain, constantly accelerating.
Roger's swordsmanship was of the broad and sweeping type. Facing Nero's rapid attacks, he was momentarily flustered in parrying.
Observation Haki was utilized to its extreme, and the future two seconds later was reflected in the depths of Nero's eyes.
Just as she gained the upper hand and firmly suppressed Roger, she suddenly leaped backward.
It's like this again! This time it was her arm. High-level Observation Haki told her that if she hadn't dodged just now, her arm would have been injured.
Before figuring out the true nature of this ability, Nero did not rashly attack again for a while.
Moreover, through the previous battle, this man had not used his full strength; every move he made was so effortless.
So, although she was very unwilling, Nero now understood that this guy's strength was above hers!
"Oh my! What a magnificent young lady!" Rayleigh and the crew stood in the distance: "Captain, did you rush here so quickly just to play with the little girl?"
"Show some respect, pirate! Before you is Her Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of the Nicuss Empire. Seeing her face is the glory of your Issho." Livord, carrying a large hammer, and a group of ministers had also arrived at some point.
Each holding weapons, even the maids, glared fiercely at the Roger Pirates.
"Eh!!! Is this woman actually the Emperor?" Shanks pointed at Nero in surprise.
"Then she must be very rich, right?" Buggy stroked his chin, sizing up Nero.
"Less insolence, pirates!" A cross vein appeared on Livord's forehead as he roared at the two of them.
"Haha, Buggy and I are just interns!" Shanks scratched his head awkwardly, smiling brightly.
"Enough nonsense! Do you want to fight?" Bullet's fists collided, looking exceptionally irritable.
"Huh? Fight then, you trash!" General Loerke raised his greatsword and glared at Bullet.
"This is troublesome, so it seems we'll just have to fight first!" Rayleigh drew his saber.
"Where do you think this is, you despicable pirates?" Livord's eyes widened in anger as he raised his large hammer.