The savage fighting style before him left Roldy momentarily stunned.
Scalding magma pierced through pirate after pirate with terrifying ease. The blood they spat out was boiling. As the killing reached its peak, the man drew his saber. A layer of jet-black Armament Haki coated the blade, and after being baked by the magma's heat, the sword turned red-hot. Every swing sent waves of scorching air rolling outward.
This Marine Rear Admiral, who looked no more than twenty years old, was monstrously strong.
Roldy watched with burning eyes. He envied that kind of power. He wanted it for himself. Yet even he didn't realize something far more disturbing—he was excited by the scene. His eyes locked onto the image of blades slicing through throats. The sound of arms punching through flesh captivated him. Even the acrid stench of blood in the air seemed strangely sweet.
However, not all of the Golden Lion's subordinates were useless fools.
Just as Sakazuki was reveling in the slaughter, a fierce gust of wind suddenly struck.
A strange man, less than 1.6 meters tall with arms hanging all the way down to his knees, charged at Sakazuki. His hands gleamed with a black metallic sheen, his fingernails sharp as blades. His face was covered in thick hair—he looked like a living long-armed ape.
And his speed was absurd.
Sakazuki barely had time to react. At only twenty years old, he already possessed both Observation Haki and Armament Haki, as well as the destructive Mag-Mag Fruit. But he was still just a Rear Admiral at Marine Headquarters.
Claws pierced into the flesh of his back. In the face of Armament Haki, elemental intangibility was meaningless.
Sakazuki's body stiffened—but countless brushes with life and death honed his instincts. He immediately retreated.
Feeling the pain radiating from his back, Sakazuki's expression grew darker.
"A combatant of the Rocks Pirates' Second Division, bounty 62 million Berries—'Long-Armed Ape' Yerud!"
This was clearly an elite pirate with a bounty. In any of the Four Blues, someone of his strength would already be considered top-tier.
Even for Sakazuki, this was a troublesome opponent.
"The monster from the North Blue… a twenty-year-old Rear Admiral, Sakazuki. We can't let you keep killing, or our captain will be furious!"
Yerud let out a strange laugh. As he spoke, three more figures appeared.
"'Quickshot' Fahua!"
"'Demon Butcher' Relno!"
"'Fistmaster' Jaren!"
Sakazuki's situation instantly grew dire. All four were elite pirates with bounties exceeding 50 million Berries.
"A rising Marine star is going to die here today. Just thinking about it is exciting!"
"How much do you think his head is worth? If he dies here, those hypocrites in the Marines will have a headache for years!"
"Why waste time talking? I'm going first!"
Jaren was hot-tempered. He rushed forward, wielding his greatest weapon—his fists. Both were coated in Armament Haki, proof that this attack was no joke. Quite a few Marine field officers had already died under those fists.
He charged in fast.
He flew out even faster.
His entire body shot backward like a cannonball, crashing into the mast behind him. The thick timber shuddered, a crack splitting across its surface.
"Did you forget something?"
The earlier solemnity had vanished from Sakazuki's face. The magma around him churned even more violently. The intense heat melted the saber in his hand.
A Logia-type Devil Fruit was already one of the most troublesome powers on the seas. In his past missions, Sakazuki had relied primarily on his Mag-Mag Fruit to subdue enemies. The overwhelming force of the fruit made most battles straightforward.
But one must not forget—before he ever gained a Devil Fruit, he was already a prodigy in the Marines.
How could his physical combat skills possibly be weak?
"Damn it! Together!"
Yerud roared as the four charged in unison.
But none of them could match Sakazuki's speed. Quickshot's bullets were easily evaded. Relno's butcher's blade swung down but failed to break through Sakazuki's Armament Haki defense.
"In speed, strength, and attack power—you're completely outclassed!"
A troublesome opponent only exists when the enemy is strong enough. If these men truly united, Sakazuki would have been in real danger. But pirates like them could never truly work together.
Even if someone told them that sacrificing one arm could heavily injure Sakazuki, none would do it.
After all, who would cripple themselves and expect to survive within a pirate crew?
"Jaren! Are you dead or what?! Get over here and help!"
…
All four attacked at once, yet Sakazuki handled them with ease.
From a distance, the Golden Lion and Sengoku—locked in fierce combat—noticed what was happening.
The Golden Lion's expression darkened.
This was the greatest flaw of his Second Division. Aside from him, there was no true pillar holding it up. That even a young Marine could push them into such a sorry state—was there anything more humiliating?
Yes.
More than one thing.
He clearly saw Sakazuki catch Jaren's punch with ease, then grab his arm and hurl him straight at Yerud. The two were sent flying—and immediately seemed to start arguing mid-battle.
"You idiot! Focus during a fight!"
"Damn it! Setting aside the facts, don't you bear any responsibility at all?!"
Veins bulged on the Golden Lion's forehead.
But when his gaze shifted to Roldy, who was watching the battle from the sidelines, his mood improved considerably.
It's fine.
As long as this boy remains, sooner or later, he'll gain a powerful right-hand man.
But he had overlooked one thing.
As a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, Sengoku carried the title of "The Strategist."
The appearance of a child on that ship—one who had broken free from his chains yet was still wearing shackles—was already strange enough. Add to that the fact that the Golden Lion kept glancing toward the boy from time to time, and Sengoku's sharp instincts immediately sensed something was off.
"Sakazuki! Get that boy out of there!"
Seeing Sakazuki crush four wanted pirates with overwhelming force, Sengoku suddenly roared the order.
He knew Sakazuki's temperament well. If that boy were a pirate, he would already be dead. Yet he was still alive and unharmed. That meant he wasn't a pirate.
And if he wasn't a pirate, yet still wore shackles…
Then he could only be a slave.
But how could a slave move around freely?
No matter how one looked at it, something was very wrong.
Sakazuki acted without hesitation.
His strength far surpassed Roldy's. He moved so fast that Roldy didn't even understand what was happening—why was that imposing Marine officer looking at him? Before he could react, someone seized him by the back of the collar. The next instant, he felt weightless.
The young Marine wearing a justice coat was stepping on the air itself, carrying him into the sky.
Flight.
It was unbelievably cool.
"Bastards! How dare you!"
This time, every loss in the operation was acceptable—
Except that boy.
The Golden Lion flew into a rage, like a dragon whose reverse scale had been touched. Oto and Kogarashi fully revealed their sharpness. Sword slashes blanketed the sky, cutting indiscriminately in all directions.
One pirate ship and four merchant vessels were torn apart. On the Marine side, a warship lost power and sank beneath the sea.
"Lion's Majesty: Thousand Slice Valley!"
Facing a Golden Lion fighting at full power, Sengoku felt the pressure spike sharply. Yet he was certain that this decision was absolutely correct—and might even bring unexpected gains.
The Buddha's body expanded once more, golden light radiating brilliantly. He thrust his palms forward again and again, leaving afterimages in midair. Wave after wave of shockwaves neutralized the incoming slashes.
During this exchange, Sakazuki relied on his formidable physical prowess to carry Roldy safely back to the nearest Marine warship.
Roldy was tossed onto the deck. Rubbing his sore backside, he looked up—only to witness a scene that resembled the end of the world.
Sword slashes and shockwaves collided, clashed, and exploded in the sky. Pirates and Marines caught in the aftermath were pale with fear.
Only Roldy's cheeks flushed with a sickly red.
"So beautiful…"
Sakazuki shot him a strange look, unsure why the boy would say such a thing.
Then his gaze fell upon the shackles still hanging from Roldy's wrists.
His brow furrowed.
Without a word, he hardened his hand with Armament Haki and crushed the restraints into pieces.
"Those bastards deserve to die."
That was all he said.
…
High above, the battle between the two titans intensified.
Sengoku gradually began to feel the strain. The Golden Lion was releasing his Haki without restraint, fighting like a madman.
"You absolutely cannot take that brat! He's mine!"
"Who says so? That child isn't a pirate—he's a trafficked slave! You have no right to drag him into the abyss!"
"This world is an abyss! When he was trafficked, where were your Marines then? Don't preach that self-righteous nonsense to me!"
Judging by their posture, the two were prepared to fight for a long time.
But this wasn't the New World.
This wasn't a pirate's paradise.
Three Marine warships appeared on the distant horizon, advancing at high speed.
"Reinforcements have arrived!"
A Marine soldier let out a relieved shout.
Roldy looked toward the horizon.
Three large warships.
On the lead ship was a massive letter: "Z."
A figure suddenly leapt into the sky from its deck. He moved as if running through the air itself, and even from afar, explosive bursts echoed across the sea.
"Sengoku, are you getting old?!"
A hearty laugh rang out.
A powerfully built man in a purple suit and a Marine Vice Admiral's coat appeared. His method of attack was simple—brutal. No strange abilities, no Devil Fruit powers.
He merely clenched his fist.
Yet that fist gave Roldy the unmistakable feeling of indestructibility.
"Zephyr!"
The Golden Lion hastily crossed his swords to block—
But the punch sent him flying.
His Haki reserves were heavily drained. Now facing another opponent of equal standing—one reputed to possess some of the strongest Armament Haki in the Marines—there was no way he could come out unscathed.
"Golden Lion, today is your end!"
Sengoku and Zephyr formed a pincer, trapping him.
The Golden Lion nearly ground his teeth to dust. He glared at the two monsters whose strength rivaled his own—then turned his gaze toward Roldy on the warship.
Their eyes met.
Roldy saw intense unwillingness… and reluctance.
"Hmph. You think you can keep me? With just the two of you? Try again in a hundred years!"
Indeed, restraining someone of the Golden Lion's caliber was no easy feat. And with the Float-Float Fruit granting him long-distance flight, even Sengoku and Zephyr working together could only force him to retreat.
"I'll remember this debt!"
He withdrew swiftly. Before leaving, he used his ability to lift the last intact pirate ship into the sky with him. The rest he abandoned—he had neither the strength nor the will to care anymore.
The wind howled past his ears as he flew.
The Golden Lion's heart sank.
For some reason, Roldy's words echoed in his mind—
"I will never forget your kindness."
"Brat… I hope you truly remember it."
…