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"Then here, let's begin our battle."
Ayr lightly leapt down and landed on the shores of the Marine base.
The gathered Marines instinctively backed away the moment Ayr touched down. His mere presence carried a suffocating pressure.
Behind him, Rocks D. Xebec followed calmly.
The two advanced side by side, ignoring the many Marines surrounding them. To Ayr and Rocks, the crowd was insignificant—fleeting wisps in a larger storm.
They had no interest in meaningless slaughter.
What they sought now… was a proper duel.
"Luckily for us, these two monsters don't seem to care about us," Momousagi said with a heavy exhale, relief washing over her.
No one needed to explain just how terrifying Ayr and Rocks were.
The combined might of these two alone could topple the entire current Navy's upper echelon!
"To think they're about to clash… here of all places?"
"That battle might flatten the entire Marine base!"
"But better the base than our lives," someone muttered grimly.
"Whatever they intend to do, at least it seems we're safe—for now. Then again, the moment they glance our way, we're dead men."
There was no escape.
Not from Ayr. Not from Rocks.
Trying to flee under the watchful eyes of those two was like trying to walk on air with one foot—impossible!
"Report this to Marshal Kong," Kizaru said quietly to Mole.
The sudden return of Rocks—dead for over a decade—was a revelation that shook the foundations of the world. Headquarters had to be notified immediately.
"Understood."
Without hesitation, Mole slipped away and raced toward the command building.
Meanwhile, Ayr and Rocks arrived at an open clearing.
"Here's your sword, Rocks."
Ayr unfastened the supreme-grade blade from his waist and tossed it to Rocks.
Since Rocks' death at the Valley of the Gods, Ayr had kept his captain's sword.
But now that they were about to clash, it was only right to return it.
After all, Ayr believed that even wielding a common blade, his power alone could defeat Rocks.
Rocks caught the sword by its hilt with practiced ease. A grin formed at the corner of his mouth.
"Then show me just how strong you've become, Ayr."
Before the Battle of the Valley of the Gods, they'd fought once.
That time, Ayr had barely begun to master the entanglement of Conqueror's Haki.
Even though that brief clash had impressed Rocks… at the time, Ayr's strength had still been far below his.
Now, after more than ten years, the two stood as equals again.
Rocks was genuinely curious—how powerful had Ayr become?
"Come, Rocks."
As those words fell, Ayr charged, sword in hand—Demon Slayer—wreathed in a violent surge of black and crimson energy: Armament Haki interwoven with Conqueror's infusion.
Rocks responded immediately, both Armament and Conqueror's Haki flaring as he dashed forward, sword at the ready.
Their forms blurred—lightning-fast.
Just before their blades met—
BOOM!!!
A titanic shockwave erupted as their Haki clashed.
The blades hadn't even touched, yet the unleashed willpower sent out an invisible impact that shook the entire Marine base.
The heavens roared.
Dark clouds instantly devoured the once-clear sky.
Howling winds surged from the clash, turning the battlefield into a violent tempest.
Kizaru and the others watching from afar stumbled back, overwhelmed by the wave of raw power.
"S-so powerful! This is the strength of Rocks and Ayr?" Chadou gasped.
He had heard the legends countless times.
But seeing it—feeling it—was something else entirely.
This was his first time witnessing a battle on such a scale!
"One ruled the seas in the old era… the other dominates the world now. Who would've thought I'd live to see them face off?" Ghost Spider's voice trembled, though his eyes glinted with awe.
"Even if I don't want to admit it…" Mole murmured as he returned, gaze locked on the two figures at the center of the storm, "I fear these two surpass anyone we have in the current Navy."
Even Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Tsuru—despite having been trained under the Five Elders and reaching formidable levels—couldn't match this overwhelming presence.
Rocks' aura alone made it clear.
Even now—decades after his prime—he stood above them all.
And if not for expending his stamina in a brutal duel against Fleet Admiral Brownie during the Battle of the Valley of the Gods… perhaps he would've slain the entire Roger Pirates crew that day.
"Hahaha… Not bad, Ayr. Your Armament Haki, your Conqueror's, your swordsmanship—you're no longer inferior to me."
Rocks grinned as he felt the power behind Ayr's strike. It was invigorating.
Yes, this was the man he had placed his faith in—his successor.
Even during the long years of Rocks' absence, Ayr had lived up to expectations and become the world's strongest pirate.
Now, their powers stood evenly matched.
"You haven't declined in the slightest, Rocks," Ayr replied, his voice calm.
In fact… the current Rocks felt stronger than he had back during the Valley of the Gods battle.
Ayr narrowed his eyes slightly. Could it be because of the Edo Tensei—the forbidden reincarnation technique, augmented by an outsider's system?
If so, perhaps this new version of Rocks was not only restored… but subtly enhanced.
Even if his time in this world was limited, his power seemed more refined.
"All thanks to you," Rocks laughed. "My injuries are gone. I've returned to my peak."
He raised his blade once more.
"Now come! Let us fight to our heart's content!"
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