"I'm sorry, my dear Vice Admiral . I'm no longer that child from back then."
"Our positions have changed… so forgive me."
Roldy looked down at the gravely wounded Vice Admiral Pol.
There was no mercy in his eyes.
He raised his fist—
a fist powerful enough to shatter mountains—
and prepared to bring it down on Pol's head.
A flicker of unwillingness passed through Pol's eyes.
But in the end, he chose to die with dignity.
He closed them.
Suddenly—
the air temperature rose sharply.
Drip.
Drip.
Something viscous and scorching hit the ground.
"You shouldn't have come."
Roldy stopped.
Not because his resolve had faltered—
but because the newcomer demanded his full attention.
If that punch fell—
Roldy had no doubt molten magma, burning at thousands of degrees, would slam into his skull.
"Why shouldn't I?"
"The fight between us was never finished."
"Pirate Roldy … today your voyage ends."
"You will pay for betraying the Marines."
The voice carried iron and blood.
Without turning around, Roldy already knew who it was.
Sakazuki.
His entire right arm was transformed into magma.
His cap shadowed his eyes.
"You once did me a favor, Sakazuki."
"I don't want to kill you."
Roldy still remembered that debt.
But Sakazuki did not care.
A man of Absolute Justice—
he attacked without hesitation.
"I don't need a pirate remembering my favors!"
"Great Eruption!"
He threw a punch.
A torrent of magma roared toward Roldy 's head.
There was no trace of mercy.
Roldy sidestepped.
The friend of his youth—
now stood as an enemy with blade drawn.
"I'll leave you alive."
Roldy spoke quietly.
Those words only deepened Sakazuki's fury.
His face flushed red.
His teeth ground together.
Behind him, it felt as though a monstrous crimson hound rose from the flames.
"I don't need your pity!"
"Let's finish what we started!"
"Hound Blaze!"
The destructive force of magma was no joke.
Even Roldy wouldn't take it head-on—
at least not in his normal state.
Pitch-black Armament Haki coated his right fist.
He met Sakazuki's magma strike directly.
Two former Marine Headquarters monsters—
now clashing to determine life or death.
"This doesn't look like a clash between Vice Admiral s at all…" Pol muttered bitterly.
Compared to these two, he felt utterly insignificant.
It wasn't that he was weak—
they were simply monsters.
For the Marines, Sakazuki's talent was a blessing.
He had the makings of a future Marine Admiral.
But—
in this exchange, he was clearly losing.
Roldy 's Armament Haki was overwhelmingly dominant.
Combined with his monstrous strength—
his massive fist forced the magma hound downward.
Magma had no life—
yet its distorted form looked almost as if it were in pain.
A future Admiral was fortunate.
But a pirate like this—
was the world's misfortune.
"Heh, I knew these two would fight the moment they met."
"Vice Admiral Roldy … you've grown even scarier. How frightening."
A tall figure appeared beside Pol.
Long legs.
Round tinted glasses.
A cigarette dangling from his lips.
Borsalino.
With the speed of the Glint-Glint Fruit, he whisked Pol and the surviving Vice Admiral away from the battlefield's center.
Then he returned—
folded his arms—
and watched as though enjoying a play.
"Interesting, isn't it?"
"Aren't you going to take a look?"
Even his casual tone carried lazy mockery.
A young man in a dark green suit approached, Marine justice coat draped over his shoulders.
Unlike Sakazuki or Borsalino—
his gaze toward Roldy held regret.
And sympathy.
Monkey D. Dragon.
Son of Garp.
The four former Marine Headquarters prodigies—
now reunited on a battlefield.
"It's hard to imagine what Roldy must have gone through…"
Roldy 's aura had changed drastically.
When he once wore the suit of justice, he looked like a thug pretending to be righteous.
Now—
bare-chested and drenched in blood—
he was unmistakably a pirate.
"So… you're all here."
Roldy 's tone was complicated.
His eyes shifted from resignation—
to cold ferocity.
His fist surged with power once more.
Sakazuki's magma arm was forced downward—
and then—
Roldy kicked.
Sakazuki failed to dodge.
He was sent flying, crashing through multiple thick trees before finally stopping.
Embedded in a shattered trunk—
he coughed up blood.
"That bastard…"
Sakazuki gritted his teeth in disbelief.
Roldy was even stronger than when he had defected.
Just as Zephyr had predicted—
each day was a transformation.
His body was still growing—
absorbing strength at an insane rate.
He was entering full adulthood.
His innate racial gifts placed him above ninety-five percent of humanity.
Sakazuki, as a human—
could not match that.
"Damn it! The gap can't be this big!"
Sakazuki roared and charged again.
Taking Roldy down alone—
was nearly impossible.
But he wasn't alone.
"You two going to keep watching?!"
"Get over here!"
Borsalino smirked—
and vanished in a flash of light.
Dragon hesitated.
A storm of dark green wind gathered in his palm.
Their positions had changed.
They were Marines.
So—
"Long time no see, Roldy ."
"Tell me… have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
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