Watching the Oro Jackson vanish into the distance, Golden Lion Shiki's eyes burned with unwillingness.
Beside him, black killing intent seemed to radiate from Roldy's body.
Before the raging storm, the crew scrambled for shelter. Only these two stood in the howling wind, eyes dark, thoughts unreadable.
"What rotten luck… this damned storm."
In the end, even Shiki could only sigh.
Even with the Float-Float Fruit, he dared not continue the pursuit. He patted Roldy on the shoulder.
"Relax, kid. This time the heavens sided with them. But they won't always be so lucky. We've been fighting nonstop—go get some rest."
Roldy did not move.
Shiki knew his temperament well.
Roldy repaid kindness with kindness—and grudges with blood.
This would not end here.
"Those bastards…"
Roldy nearly ground his teeth to dust. Veins bulged across his forehead; saliva slipped from the corner of his mouth as black-red lightning flickered around him.
His Conqueror's Haki erupted skyward in a furious roar, tearing apart part of the storm clouds—
Only for the chaotic New World weather to swallow the gap again.
The surge of will spread outward.
Even two kilometers away, the Roger Pirates faintly heard the echoing roar.
To them, it was merely a cry of frustration.
Even Shiki thought so.
Yet—
Within the raging storm, drifting debris across the sea was crushed by that surge of power.
Among it…
A rusted ship's helm.
The storm raged for three days and three nights.
During that time, Roldy remained in his quarters. Only Shiki and Sheen dared enter. His temper had grown dangerously volatile—though who wouldn't be?
They had held every advantage.
Yet the sea—the beautiful woman Roldy admired—had played a cruel joke.
This time, she stood with his enemy.
He roared at her.
It changed nothing.
Meanwhile, the Roger Pirates kept an unusually low profile. After leaving Golden Lion territory, they vanished into the vastness of the New World. No matter how hard Roldy searched, he found only vague, useless intelligence.
Time passed quietly.
Roldy trained relentlessly, pushing himself to brutal limits. Sheen followed, occasionally assisting in suppressing troublesome pirates encroaching on Golden Lion territory.
Life became monotonous.
The only surprise—
Was Sheen.
To Roldy's astonishment, though fish-men were naturally suited for physical strength and Armament Haki, Sheen's Observation Haki developed at an astonishing rate.
So fast that Roldy once remarked—
It was already one-third the pace of his own Armament Haki growth.
Shifting Tides of the New World
The balance of power continued to shift.
Golden Lion Shiki grew increasingly aggressive—seizing territory, amassing wealth, expanding influence.
Because of Roldy's interference, fate had changed.
The ship's helm that should have embedded itself in Shiki's skull never did.
Now, this tyrant of the New World was terrifyingly strong.
Roldy was certain—
In the current era, counting every publicly known powerhouse, not a single one could defeat Shiki in a one-on-one battle.
His Dual Sword Style had already reached its peak—
And yet he had broken through further.
The Marines Rise
The Marines developed even faster.
The World Government poured massive funding into Marine Headquarters. In return, more and more member nations sought Marine protection.
A virtuous cycle formed:
More funding → stronger Marines → more member nations → skyrocketing Heavenly Tribute → even greater funding.
Kong rose to become Supreme Commander of the World Government Armed Forces.
Sengoku ascended to the position of Marine Admiral.
But there was one problem.
With Sengoku's promotion, Marine Headquarters' top-tier combat strength thinned. Zephyr had already stepped back. Only Garp remained holding the line—and he was still just a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral.
Several promising officers were pushed forward.
There had been four primary Admiral candidates.
Beyond the trio Roldy already knew—
A newcomer emerged.
Kuzan.
A monster-like talent who seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Though Roldy had never fought him, the fact that Kuzan had already reached Vice Admiral rank spoke volumes.
He was undoubtedly a prodigy rivaling Sakazuki and the others.
Then—
Just as the Marines seemed unstoppable—
Five months later, shocking news erupted across the world.
The most promising and "perfect" Admiral candidate—
The son of the Marine Hero—
Monkey D. Dragon—
Defected.
The world trembled.
Before the shock faded, two months later, another bombshell exploded:
The Whitebeard Pirates and the Roger Pirates had clashed violently.
The world had suddenly grown chaotic.
But for Roldy—
Only one piece of news mattered.
When he held the freshly printed newspaper—still warm—
At the Golden Lion Pirates' New World headquarters—
A warship-like pirate vessel set sail.
Its flag snapped high in the wind.
Its design radiated aggression.
Golden Lion Pirates Vice Captain.
Former Marine.
"Rampaging" Fitt Roldy.
Bounty: 3,096,000,000 Berries.
He departed with fewer than one hundred men.
His destination—
The site where the Roger Pirates and Whitebeard Pirates had clashed.
Golden Lion Headquarters – New World
"Captain… the Vice Captain set sail with less than a hundred men. Is that really wise?"
Indigo, Shiki's other right-hand man, looked worried.
Before him—
Shiki sat cloaked in shadow, downing strong whiskey straight from the bottle.
At Indigo's question, Shiki suddenly smashed the bottle onto the table.
The crash startled him.
Shiki's eyes were bloodshot, violence barely restrained beneath his composure. He lit a cigar, forcing himself calm—
Then he snapped.
Grabbing Indigo by the collar, he roared face-to-face:
"What do you expect me to do?! Chain him here?! Are you insane?!"
"That brat belongs to the sea! The whole world will fear him one day! His ambition is greater than mine—I knew that from the start!"
After venting, Shiki finally released him.
He sank into his seat, clutching his head.
"I can't hold him back. Once that kid sets his mind on something, he never stops."
"He's loyal as hell… damn it."
"I knew this day would come."
"I swore I wouldn't cry."
But tears wouldn't stop.
On the table lay an opened letter.
His proudest right-hand man.
The one who had fought at his side—
Had grown up.
The time they had agreed upon—
Had arrived.
As a pirate, Shiki could break promises.
As a man—
He could not.
"…Go soar, Roldy."
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