Rune walked out of the cabin and looked down at the people on the upper deck, his expression solemn.
Elio, who was responsible for gathering information on the island, returned to the deck.
He informed everyone of the news that the Rocks Pirates were about to arrive.
"We must set sail immediately. Rocks has moved out with most of his cadres!"
"Most of them?"
"Edward Newgate, Jidao Shiki, as well as Linlin and that newcomer who joined the Rocks Pirates four years ago, Kaido, along with John, Ganzhui, and the others are all coming!"
"Make a decision! Captain!"
"That's right, we'll all listen to you. Are we fighting or running!"
The crew's eyes all converged on Roger. Although he was usually unreliable, at critical moments, his words were absolute orders.
Especially when encountering an existence even more powerful than them, like the "Rocks Pirates."
Facing the pressure, Roger looked toward Rune.
"Heh." Rune rotated his wrist and grinned, saying nothing.
This was his Captain's moment; as the first mate, it wasn't appropriate for him to speak up.
Seeing Rune's smile, Roger immediately announced loudly:
"Brothers! This is our last big riot before we head to the Final Island! It's time to teach that arrogant fellow Rocks a lesson!"
When the order was given, everyone prepared for a fierce battle.
On the sea several kilometers away from Walwick.
The Rocks Pirates' ship was sailing toward its destination.
"Rocks, that fellow Rune has become even stronger again."
"Marlon, your ability isn't suited for this kind of conflict; it's better for starting wars."
Gibeck held a Den Den Mushi, listening to the incredibly weak voice on the other end.
When he heard Marlon's voice, he had already analyzed that Marlon had been defeated.
Although he was a user of the Shiro Shiro no Mi, meeting the Roger Pirates alone gave him no advantage at all.
"Rocks, let's just discard the weaklings." Hearing Rocks and Marlon's chatter, Jidao Shiki immediately interjected sarcastically.
"Shut up, Shiki." Behind Rocks, a man holding a large blade about seven or eight meters tall shouted at him:
"Even you would find it difficult to contend with Roger and his crew alone!"
Shiki didn't deny it at all, yet still stubbornly replied: "Newgate, at least I wouldn't be defeated so quickly!"
"Stop arguing, we're about to reach the destination." On Whitebeard's shoulder, a blonde, glamorous woman came out to advise:
"The most important thing right now is how to stop Roger and the others from escaping, isn't it?"
Her name was Buckingham Stussy, currently identified as Whitebeard's lover.
"Hmph, I just can't stand Newgate's 'boss' attitude!" Shiki's face was full of disdain for Whitebeard, but he chose to shut up.
Rocks ignored the bickering of his companions behind him and instead stared at the looming horizon ahead.
A ship was rapidly sailing toward them; he frowned seriously.
"This time, I will definitely defeat Roger and Rune!"
The nineteen-year-old Kaido stood behind Charlotte Linlin, his face full of determination and the hot-blooded arrogance of youth.
"I'm telling you all now, everyone, that fellow Rune can only be left to me." Linlin had an expectant smile on her face, hands on her hips as she stared at the sea ahead:
"This time I must get my hands on his powerful genes!!"
"You really treat having children like a game, Linlin." Stussy looked at Linlin: "Take it easy, if you keep giving birth like this, your beautiful face and figure will go out of shape."
"Ma-ma~!" Linlin laughed: "I don't care! I'm going to build a special kingdom!"
"If you become ugly, Rune might... stop liking you, then what?" Stussy covered her small mouth, revealing a trace of a sinister smile as she added:
"A man like him wouldn't look at an ugly woman. After all, the women he's been involved with are all of extraordinary figure and appearance, even their identities are special."
As soon as these words were spoken, the smile on Linlin's face instantly froze, and she subconsciously touched her own face.
White as snow, it was still beautiful.
"All of you shut up!!!" John stepped forward, his whole body emitting a terrifying magnetic force:
"A ship is approaching ahead!"
"That decoration, there's no mistake!" Ganzhui picked his nose, rolled the booger into a ball between his thumb and forefinger, and prepared to activate his ability.
The Rocks Pirates members watched the horizon ahead. A ship with a mermaid figurehead and a large amount of gold decoration on the front was approaching their course.
"The oro jackson." After Rocks saw the ship clearly, a ferocious and coarse laugh broke out on his face as he slowly drew the sword at his waist:
"Roger and the others are here! Their courage is worth praising! They didn't run this time!"
"Roger..." Whitebeard stared ahead, glancing at Rocks who seemed very restless:
"Rocks, are you going in?"
"Of course!" Rocks replied loudly: "Marlon is my subordinate. If I don't avenge him, it won't just affect him! Even my reputation will be affected!"
"Rocks!!!" At the front of the oro jackson, Roger jumped onto the bow, standing at the head of the ship, and shouted at Rocks across the sea:
"Long time no see! Has your swordsmanship improved?!"
Subsequently, Rune also leaped up in one step, standing behind Roger with a rebellious gaze, looking down upon the heroes under that black sail.
"Hahaha." Rocks held his saber and suddenly slashed through the air toward the oro jackson.
A terrifying sword qi impact, visible to the naked eye, even split the sea ahead as it rushed straight toward Roger at the front of the oro jackson.
"Roger!" Seeing this, Rune was already charging his fist: "You should know that fellow's sword qi cannot be allowed to touch our ship!"
"Of course!" Roger's Conqueror's Haki instantly erupted, converging onto the blade of the just-drawn "Ace" as he fiercely swung upward against Rocks' sword qi:
"Divine Departure!!"
A streak of Conqueror's sword qi that seemed materialized rushed out from Roger's blade, as if even space was being split open, heading straight for the sea ahead.
Almost simultaneously, it collided head-on with Rocks' sword qi on the sea.
The two forces locked together in mid-air; time seemed to stop for half a second.
Then, an explosive ripple burst out, and the entire sea surface under the two ships suddenly sank downward.
The seawater didn't splash up but was compressed into countless white foam that exploded in all directions.
The shockwave lifted the distant sailing ships directly out of the water.
Because Roger's sword qi was infused with Haoshoku, after a brief stalemate, it directly swallowed Rocks' sword qi and rushed toward Rocks' ship.
"Hahaha!" Roger looked up at the sky and laughed at the sight: "How about that, Rocks? This is my new technique!"
Seeing his sword qi being swallowed, Rocks' face darkened.
"Hah!" Seeing this, Edward Newgate condensed a white halo of energy in his hand and fiercely swung his arm against Roger's Divine Departure slash, forcibly shattering it and causing it to dissipate in the air.
"Zeus!"
"Here, Mama!"
"Hurry up, we absolutely cannot let Rune escape this time!"
Linlin leaped onto Zeus in one step, her gaze locked directly onto Rune behind Roger.
"Linlin!" Seeing Linlin rushing over mindlessly, Rune's mouth twitched: "Hey, can you be a bit more rational! Don't be like this every time you see me! You're a woman, for goodness' sake!"
"Stop fighting! Come and have children with me! Rune!!"
Upon seeing Rune, Linlin almost lost control, reaching a level of frantic madness.
"The two of us will keep! Keep! Keep giving birth! By then, we will definitely be able to rule the whole world!"