Rayleigh's figure flickered repeatedly through the air, moving at a speed almost like teleportation as he appeared above Roldy's head. Holding his saber in one hand, he slashed down with force.
Roldy raised his arm to block. His Armament Haki—seemingly even stronger than Rayleigh's—easily withstood the sharp blade.
Rayleigh's expression didn't change. His free hand pressed against the back of his saber, forcing it down with greater strength.
"Momo—Tenfold Strength!"
Roldy roared as his power suddenly multiplied tenfold. With a violent shove of both arms, he blasted Rayleigh away. Rayleigh adjusted his body midair and landed smoothly, as elegant as ever.
"Monstrous strength. Top-tier Armament Haki. A powerful Devil Fruit ability… Kid, it seems Zephyr trained you well."
Roldy had no patience for lectures. While Rayleigh was still talking, he had already charged forward. Fists the size of a man's head rained down wildly—but Rayleigh twisted and shifted, evading each blow with ease.
Ordinary Observation Haki couldn't achieve this level of precision.
"Your Observation Haki is too weak! What's the point of speed and strength if you can't hit your opponent?"
Rayleigh's Observation Haki had clearly reached an advanced level. Coupled with his decades of combat experience, he could tell exactly where Roldy intended to strike the moment the young Marine so much as twitched.
As Rayleigh said, Observation Haki was Roldy's greatest weakness. The complete opposite of his Armament Haki talent, his aptitude for Observation was practically negligible.
For some reason, Rayleigh seemed to awaken a strange new hobby.
He talked more and more, becoming increasingly long-winded—like a true instructor. He began openly pointing out Roldy's flaws. This punch shouldn't be thrown so directly. That movement telegraphed his intention. He would even generously announce the direction he intended to dodge next—then gracefully evade anyway when Roldy attacked, claiming it was all about overcoming instinctive hesitation in battle…
"Damn it, I've had enough! Are you fighting or giving a lecture?!"
Roldy kicked a coconut off the beach. The immense force shattered it midair. With the power of the Momo Momo no Mi amplifying it tenfold, the jagged coconut shell expanded in size, its broken edges sharp as blades as it whistled toward Rayleigh.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Rayleigh casually swung his saber a few times, slicing it apart effortlessly—his mouth still running.
…
The deserted island had become the true victim.
Garp and Roger's clash alone was enough to devastate the land, not to mention the ceaseless bombardment of cannon fire.
A war of this scale could easily last for days.
As night fell, Roldy still couldn't do a thing to Rayleigh. His head felt like it was about to explode from all the lecturing.
Then—
Everything changed with the rise of the moon.
A full moon hung high in the sky, surrounded by scattered stars. Its gentle silver light washed over the battlefield. The temperature dropped. A cool breeze swept through, easing even the fatigue of battle.
"Give it up, Garp! You can't stop us! Your Marines have taken plenty of casualties!"
Roger's flamboyant captain's coat was covered in dust, and his shirt beneath was torn in several places. Yet his eyes remained sharp, and his presence hadn't weakened in the slightest.
Garp snorted.
They had fought many times before; each knew the other's strength well. Yes, the Marines had suffered losses—but the Roger Pirates hadn't emerged unscathed either.
At this level of warfare, victory depended on the outcome between the top fighters.
A cool breeze brushed against Garp's neck.
He looked up.
The full moon.
"That may not be the case, Roger."
The corners of Garp's mouth curled upward.
How had he forgotten? These past few nights had all been under a full moon. Normally, fighting at night was no different from fighting during the day.
But this time was different.
He had brought Roldy with him.
"What do you mea—"
Roger didn't even finish his sentence before a thunderous explosion erupted from the beach. From the corner of his eye, he saw smoke billowing into the sky. Within the swirling dust, faint streaks of blue lightning crackled.
A savage aura—like something awakened from three hundred years ago—burst forth.
"This is…?"
Roger's pupils shrank.
His Observation Haki had already sensed something extraordinary inside that smoke.
Across the battlefield, Marines and pirates alike slowed unconsciously. A few opportunists even seized the moment to strike, grievously wounding distracted opponents.
"ROAR!"
The deafening bellow scattered the dust.
Kneeling there was a towering figure over eight meters tall, its entire body covered in snow-white fur.
And beneath one massive hand—
A struggling figure.
"Mr. Rayleigh?!"
The sniper of the Roger Pirates cried out.
Everyone looked closer. The usually composed and elegant Rayleigh now looked utterly disheveled. His golden hair was caked with dust, most of his shirt torn away, blood spilling from his mouth and nose.
Both hands were gripping two enormous fingers, desperately pushing upward.
"This is… a Mink in Sulong form?!"
Roger's eyes widened.
Who could have imagined that this so-called "rising star" of Marine Headquarters wasn't even a full-blooded human?
This was bad.
Roger knew about the Mink Tribe—the natural-born warrior race blessed with immense physical power. Under the full moon, their strength increased geometrically, their combat power multiplying several times over.
And not all Minks were the same.
Herbivorous Minks—like sheep or cattle—retained some rationality after entering Sulong, though their strength surged.
But carnivorous Minks—lions, tigers, and the like—lost far more of their reason in exchange for even greater power.
Judging by the mane-like fur cascading around the youth's neck and the rows of razor-sharp fangs—
Roldy was unquestionably a carnivorous Mink.
This level of strength, combined with the element of surprise, had already injured Rayleigh.
They couldn't afford to drag this out any longer.
Roger might often be carefree—
But when it came to battle, he was a born monster.
A cold gleam flashed in his eyes. Conqueror's Haki surged more intensely around his supreme-grade blade, Ace.
But Garp stepped forward without hesitation, blocking his path, a triumphant grin on his face.
"I told you—this time, we're taking you in!"
As if to prove his words—
In the distance, Roldy threw back his head and roared. From his abyssal maw, saliva stretched in threads between serrated fangs.
His free left arm rose high.
Driven purely by battle instinct, Armament Haki coated his limb. At the same time, the power of the Momo Momo no Mi activated once more.
"ROAR! Momo—Tenfold Strength! Iron Fist: Bone Crusher!"
The fist came crashing down.
…
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