"Bzzzzzz—!"
Everything trembled.
Space warped, ripples spreading outward as the violently surging sea suddenly fell into unnatural calm.
A suffocating, tyrannical aura erupted at unimaginable speed, sweeping forward and covering a vast region ahead, expanding endlessly into the distance.
Crack—crack!
Splitting sounds rang out as fine fractures appeared across the sturdy hull of the Marine warship.
Saul, Simbu, and the surrounding officers watched in visible shock and disbelief.
They stared blankly at the boy standing before them the white Justice coat fluttering behind him unable to react.
Beyond Alex, the five pirate ships came into view.
Pirates who had been laughing wildly a moment earlier now froze, their eyes rolling back as consciousness vanished.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Bodies collapsed one after another like harvested wheat.
Even the raging wind quieted. Lightning in the heavens faded as the clouds above Alex twisted violently into a massive vortex.
"This…?!"
"Conqueror's Haki!!"
Simbu exclaimed in shock.
The Marines aboard fell silent, every gaze fixed on the young figure ahead.
Alex slowly exhaled, eyes sharp to the extreme.
Facing the endless Flying Pirate Fleet, he knew that Conqueror's Haki alone was still far from enough.
Unlike the movies, this was the real Golden Lion at his peak along with countless elite New World pirates.
Retreat remained the best option.
But against these five ships.
He had confidence.
An invisible pressure spread across the sea.
His nearly max-level Conqueror's Haki displayed terrifying power; even weaker rear-admiral-level fighters would struggle to endure it.
Yet Alex's expression darkened slightly.
On the enemy ships, more than a dozen figures remained standing.
They had resisted his Haki.
"This brat…!"
"He awakened Conqueror's Haki?!"
A pirate captain wearing a tricorne hat and wielding a sword shouted in shock.
The overwhelming pressure reminded him of Captain Shiki himself.
Around him, his crew lay unconscious.
Then,
Two immense presences suddenly surged across the battlefield, riding the sea wind.
"Boss Shiki has caught Roger," the captain muttered, gripping his blade tightly as his gaze locked onto Alex.
"This might be troublesome… but I'm no weakling either."
He waved his hand sharply.
"Kill them!"
Those still conscious were elite fighters officers capable of resisting Conqueror's Haki.
As the ships closed to within dozens of meters, both sides charged simultaneously with furious roars.
At the same time,
The Oro Jackson slowly came to a halt, its massive hull rising and falling with the waves.
"Roger, this is bad," Rayleigh said grimly.
"The Flying Pirates have mobilized their entire force. They're determined to capture us."
"Hahahahaha!"
"Relax, Rayleigh we'll make it through just fine!"
Standing at the bow was a man wearing a captain's hat, sporting a curved mustache—Gol D. Roger.
He looked up toward the golden figure above.
"Shiki… we meet again!"
Golden Lion Shiki looked down and laughed loudly.
"Jihahahahaha!"
"Roger, join forces with me!"
"With our combined strength, the entire world could be ours!"
Roger smiled and slowly shook his head.
"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you."
"Roger!" Shiki roared.
"You don't understand your situation. You have only one choice—obey me!"
A violent aura exploded outward.
At the same instant, Roger's own presence erupted.
"My goal has always been one thing alone. I will never serve under anyone."
"Shiki, your ambition is too great."
Their gazes collided.
Their auras surged outward, splitting the sea behind them into two opposing domains.
Then,
A distant surge of Haki crashed into their clash.
Crack!
A third domain silently formed between them.
Both men turned simultaneously toward Alex's direction.
Rayleigh and Scopper Gaban showed visible surprise.
The Conqueror's Haki they sensed was no weaker than the two monsters confronting each other.
"Jihahahahaha!"
"Seems I overlooked an interesting fellow earlier!"
Shiki laughed, recalling the black-haired boy aboard the Marine ship.
"But my target has always been you, Roger!"
His eyes sharpened as he leapt downward like a diving lion.
"Then come, Shiki!!"
Roger roared and jumped upward.
Lightning split the sky as the two collided.
"Divine Departure!"
"Lion Slash!"
A catastrophic shockwave exploded outward, hurricanes roaring across the sea. The force even pressed the ocean surface downward, violently rocking nearby ships.
Someone looked up unintentionally.
"My god!"
"The sky… it split apart!"
Shock, terror, and awe filled every face.
"Jihahahahaha!"
Shiki laughed wildly.
"Only you, Roger!"
"In this era, only you are worthy of my recognition worthy to conquer!"
His twin swords, Oto and Kogarashi, clashed endlessly with Roger's blade, sparks erupting in rapid succession.
"Then I suppose I should thank you for the compliment," Roger replied with a grin.
Their battle ignited the entire sea.
Soon, their crews and officers joined the fight.
A stray slash alone carved through more than ten pirate ships, screams echoing as vessels split apart.
The scale of the battle defied imagination, its shockwaves spreading across the entire sea—
Reaching even Alex's position.
BOOM!
The Marine warship exploded as flames surged upward.
The deck groaned violently, the ship shaking under roaring winds.
Alex stared at the distant sky, now completely transformed, lightning flashing as he felt the terrifying destructive power of true top-tier monsters.
Then he looked forward.
His knees bent.
He moved.
Bang!
Like a released spring, he shot upward into the sky. Black-red Conqueror's Haki surrounded him, faint strands wrapping around his arm and gathering at his fist.
Black-red lightning crackled along his fingers.
Hummm
At the peak of his jump, Alex clenched his fist tightly.
Then he struck downward.
"Fist Bone: Meteor!!"
Black-red lightning burst forth.
-----------
Access advance 40 chapters on my patreon: [email protected]/FicNest