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Chapter 45: Roger's Attempted Recruitment! Banquet Begins
In an instant,
Lotte's arm transformed into a terrifying tree spike.
It surged forward to meet the incoming slash, surrounded by converging giant trees.
In a mere moment, it formed a horrifying spear dozens of meters long,
Its tip coated in Armament Haki.
It collided head-on with the razor-sharp slash!
"How is this possible?!"
"This kid isn't a Paramecia-type Fruit user?!"
Rayleigh exclaimed in disbelief.
He had originally assumed Lotte possessed some kind of Paramecia Devil Fruit.
But the ability displayed now... was clearly a Logia-type Devil Fruit?!
Could he have already awakened it?!
What kind of monster was this!
Rayleigh instinctively swallowed hard.
Devil Fruit awakening was extremely difficult—especially for Logia types, which were far harder than ordinary Paramecia or Zoan.
Those who achieved awakening were all top-tier powerhouses without exception.
After all, unlike other types,
Logia Devil Fruits had the ability to alter local climate and weather.
Just like the Ice-Fire Island he knew from later times—where Admirals Akainu and Aokiji's battle completely changed the entire island's climate and environment.
Precisely because of this,
Logia Devil Fruit awakening conditions were so stringent.
Lotte looked so young.
For him to have already awakened a Logia Devil Fruit ability was simply too absurd!
Beside him, both Whitebeard and Roger stood up, watching the distant clash, and involuntarily sucked in cold breaths.
Roger hesitated for a moment and said,
"...Newgate, do you think we could recruit him to our ship?"
"Our captain would chop you to pieces."
Roger received the flat refusal and could only look regretfully at the distant Lotte, sighing softly.
His strength still wasn't enough yet.
Otherwise, he really would want to bring someone with such monstrous talent aboard.
After all, to fulfill his dream, strong crewmates were essential. Unfortunately, now wasn't the time to clash with Rocks.
After all, the current Roger Pirates
Weren't remotely prepared to confront the Rocks Pirates head-on.
Whitebeard also gave Roger a helpless glance.
He wasn't exaggerating.
If Lotte really got poached by Roger,
Given Captain Rocks' personality, he would definitely retaliate against the Roger Pirates. Then they would face the sea hegemon of this era.
If a real confrontation broke out,
Whitebeard—who had personally witnessed the captain's strength—felt they had no chance of victory.
Moreover, according to their speculation, the current Rocks probably hadn't revealed his true power yet, because he had never used a Devil Fruit.
Yet according to intelligence,
Rocks should possess a Devil Fruit ability.
Once Rocks combined his terrifying three-color Haki with his Devil Fruit power, even the current Fleet Admiral Steel Bone Kong probably wouldn't be his match!
Let alone the Roger Pirates, who had only just reached the New World.
Both men turned their attention back to the battlefield.
The Violent Spear Tree's explosive impact clashed continuously with the slash.
Though Rayleigh's great swordsman-level slash technique was terrifying,
Under layer after layer of towering giant trees, it was still steadily worn down.
Until finally, it completely dissipated in midair.
Boom!
Lotte finally exhaled and released the jutsu maintenance.
The giant tree spear—crafted from towering trees—had been destroyed by more than half, its fragments floating and scattering across the sea surface with the current.
He twisted his arm slightly.
A wave of exhausted numbness spread through his hand.
Lotte frowned slightly.
As expected, Pseudo Tree World Descent consumed far too much stamina.
If he encountered an Admiral pursuit in the future, it was better to use ninjutsu to escape first.
Rayleigh looked at Lotte with admiration.
He sheathed his sword, stepped forward, and said emotionally,
"This time, I lost. The younger generation really is terrifying. Lotte, your current strength is probably already enough to qualify as a cadre."
"No wonder the Marines gave you a 1 billion berry bounty."
Rayleigh conceded wholeheartedly after this clash.
Lotte's displayed strength was clearly terrifying.
He wasn't the type to be a sore loser. He could always catch up later.
Lotte waved his hand.
"I just got a bit lucky. Your swordsmanship is still far superior to mine, Rayleigh."
"If we really fought seriously, the outcome wouldn't be so clear."
Rayleigh's strength was impressive.
If not for that decisive single-move exchange,
In a prolonged battle, victory might still have been uncertain.
But even so, Lotte felt no fear—after all, he possessed Hashirama Cells, with recovery ability that absolutely crushed his opponent by several tiers!
The pirates aboard the Roger Pirates' ship
All stared wide-eyed at the scene subconsciously.
"Rayleigh-san lost?!"
"That Tree Demon Lotte is actually this strong—is there any justice left?!"
"Holy crap! Beating Rayleigh-san at such a young age—are all of Rocks' people this terrifying?!"
"No no no! That's the 1 billion berry Tree Demon Lotte!"
They immediately erupted into discussion.
After all, they usually held Rayleigh's strength in deep awe.
Precisely because of that,
They were utterly shocked that Rayleigh had been defeated by such a young Lotte.
Captain Roger stepped forward holding a sake bottle.
"Come on, come on! The fight's over—time to start drinking!"
"It's rare for you to come all this way—let us treat you to a banquet on our ship!"
"Guests can't leave empty-handed!"
Roger laughed loudly.
He tossed the sake bottle directly to Lotte.
He patted Rayleigh on the shoulder, telling him not to dwell on the loss.
Roger grinned.
"Losing to a monster like Tree Demon Lotte isn't anything shameful."
"There will be plenty more people losing to him in the future."
"You're not the only one."
Rayleigh could only laugh helplessly. What kind of consolation was that from his captain?
But he quickly adjusted his mood, turned, and led Whitebeard and Lotte aboard.
The crew members who had just witnessed everything whispered among themselves.
Roger raised an eyebrow.
"Enough spectating."
"Now hurry up and prepare the banquet—entertain our guests."
At Roger's command, everyone shut their mouths and got to work.
Though the Roger Pirates didn't have many members, each one was exceptional—a crew with immense potential.
Whitebeard and Lotte watched as the crew bustled about.
The grand banquet officially began.
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