Under the tense gazes of the Roger Pirates, the Flying Battleship slowly came to a halt diagonally above them, blocking out the sun.
Against the blinding backlight, silhouettes appeared at the bow, making it difficult for Roger's crew to see the monsters radiating violent auras.
"wahaha!!!"
"Three users of Haoshoku, not bad, not bad!!"
As a loud laugh rang out, the Roger Pirates' ship and the entire sea surface, even the air itself, began to vibrate.
The terrifying sense of pressure made the expressions of Roger's crew extremely grave.
After the laughter, the members of the Rocks Pirates made their formal debut one by one!
Rocks, the Overlord of the New World, stepped on the figurehead at the bow and laughed exaggeratedly, looking down at the Roger Pirates below while unscrupulously releasing his Conquer's Haki.
Beside Rocks, Great Demon Venerable Gu Yue Fang Huo floated with his arms crossed, his eyes shining as he looked at Gol D. Roger as if he were looking at delicious prey.
The luck radiating from Roger, the child of destiny and the child of the era, made Fang Huo's [Fortune Equal to Heaven Gu] restless.
Soul Queen Charlotte Linlin did not take the number three position on Rocks' other side, which would represent a right-hand man; instead, she clung to Fang Huo's side, stepping on Thunder Cloud Zeus and also floating in the air.
After giving the Roger Pirates an indifferent glance, she continued to look tenderly at the man she loved.
Whitebeard Newgate held the supreme grade meito: murakumo cutter and stood beside Rocks, his tiger-like eyes quickly scanning the trio of gold, silver, and copper.
Stepping onto Roger's presence, he felt the sensation of a fated rival.
This made his gaze very heated; it seemed another monster of the same level had appeared.
Redfield stood coldly beside Newgate, seemingly unconcerned with the Roger Pirates.
Bolo Gram and Fūgetsu Kisaburō each stood on one side.
Meanwhile, Kiel Bastard floated in the air, even bringing out his own Ghostly Divine Disk to show off.
He wanted to display his divinity properly in front of these newcomers who were about to join the ship.
In his eyes, with Captain Rocks and Vice Captain Fang Huo taking action, the Roger Pirates were already in the palm of their hands.
Rocks' tyrannical Conqueror's Haki forced Roger, Rayleigh, and Gabban to grip their weapons tightly, while the other crew members had already begun to tremble.
They were newcomers who hadn't even been to the New World.
As a result, they were personally sought out by the world's strongest pirate group so soon.
They didn't know whether this was bad luck or an honor!
"Gol D. Roger, join the Rocks Pirates!!"
Rocks grinned and directly extended an invitation, his eyes filled with a greedy determination to obtain these three who had awakened Haoshoku.
"Recruitment by the world's strongest pirate group... sounds pretty good..."
"But, I refuse!!"
Roger grinned and boldly drew his long sword, pointing it at Rocks. His Haoshoku erupted frantically, filled with an aura of determination and freedom.
Seeing Captain Roger draw his blade, Rayleigh, the Vice Captain, also directly drew his longsword. The wariness and worry in his eyes instantly transformed into a gaze of determination and sharpness.
Since the Captain wanted to strike, they would fight to the death!
Even if they died at sea, they would have no regrets!
From the day they set sail, they had entrusted their lives to the ocean.
Gabban likewise raised his twin axes; the words 'fear of death' were not in his [Dictionary of Love's Preaching].
Infected by the momentum of the three core members—Gold, Silver, and Copper—the partners and crew of the Roger Pirates, who shared life and death, roared one after another, drawing weapons and raising flintlocks, their eyes filled with a fearless desire for slaughter.
The bravery of daring to draw blades against the world's strongest pirate group caused the entire Roger Pirates to erupt with an unimaginable aura!
"wahaha! What a powerful pirate group!"
"But I like it even more now!"
Seeing the Roger Pirates erupt with battle frenzy, Rocks wanted even more to take these subordinates with infinite potential under his wing.
"Roger, you draw your blade against us. Does this mean you intend to challenge us?"
"If you lose, you must join my command."
Rocks looked at the battle-hungry Roger and his crew with interest. The momentum of the entire crew's unified spirit was strong, but Rocks still didn't take these guys seriously.
"No! It means we are going to crush you!!"
Feeling the trust and will of his partners, Roger actually shouted a classic line that even Fang Huo admired.
The current Straw Hat Roger was probably just as stubborn and full of confidence as the future Straw Hat Luffy.
Straw Hat Luffy had felt deep despair at the hands of Aokiji Kuzan and Bartholomew Kuma, shouting the desperate cry of 'Run!' at the Sabaody Archipelago.
But the current Roger had clearly not yet suffered a critical blow of despair from a top-tier powerhouse.
Roger's arrogant words didn't just startle Rocks' group; even Rayleigh, the mastermind of the Roger Pirates, was stunned for a moment.
If they had to fight, they'd fight; if they had to risk it, they'd risk it. Why use trash talk to provoke the monster-like Rocks Pirates?
"wahaha! Crush us?"
"Arrogant enough! Brazen enough!"
Rocks laughed out of sheer anger; even the entire Marineford wouldn't dare to say such a thing.
Yet the Roger Pirates, a rookie crew of only a dozen or twenty people who hadn't even been to the New World, actually had the audacity to claim they would crush the world's strongest pirate group!
Whitebeard Newgate and Redfield both raised an eyebrow; this newcomer was exceptionally arrogant!
Never mind Rocks, even they could defeat this fellow.
"Go! My boys!!"
Roger was the first to move, running quickly across the deck. He stepped onto the ship's figurehead ram, leapt up, and boldly slashed toward the low-flying Sword of Xebec.
Rayleigh and Gabban roared one after another to bolster their courage and followed Roger in the charge, unafraid of death.
"Just as Fang Huo said, reckless enough! Not afraid of death enough!"
"However, on this sea, confidence and a loud voice aren't enough to defeat an enemy!"
Rocks sneered, quickly drew his sword—the Gibeck's Sword—and slashed downward.
"Divine Departure!!" Roger held his sword with both hands and slashed with all his might. Even his blade bent slightly under the extreme force.
"Cannon Roar: Hell's Howl!!" Rocks swung with one hand, and black-red lightning infused with Conqueror's Haki crackled and sprayed.
"BOOM!!"
In a brief, explosive roar, the imagined collision and stalemate did not occur.
The aggressive and overconfident Roger was instantly blasted into the sea by Rocks' single Conquerors Haki Coating strike, creating a white mushroom-shaped splash.
This speed of defeat was even faster than the 'Fifth Emperor' Straw Hat Luffy being one-shot by Four Emperors Beast Kaido.
The current Straw Hat Roger was not yet a match for the 'Fifth Emperor' Straw Hat Luffy, and the current Rocks was even stronger than the Four Emperors Beast Kaido.
Rayleigh and Gabban, who were mid-charge, instantly froze.
Roger was one-shot!
Their Captain was one-shot in an instant!
Rayleigh, coming to his senses, immediately dove into the sea, racing to salvage Roger, who was sinking into the deep ocean.
At this moment, Roger's eyes were rolled back, and he had completely lost consciousness... Blood leaked from his nose and mouth as he sank, leaving a few trails of red in the seawater...