"Conqueror's Haki?!"
"Vice Admiral Roldy actually possesses that kind of spirit?!"
"As expected of the future star of our Marines!"
The Marine soldiers erupted in excited cheers.
The burst of that aura shocked everyone on the battlefield. Among the pirates, aside from Roger, every powerhouse wore a grim expression.
A Marine who wielded Conqueror's Haki?
The odds of that were absurdly low.
Even within Marine Headquarters, only two possessed it—Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the Vice Admiral before them, Monkey D. Garp. Both were unquestionably top-tier monsters of the era.
And now, another had appeared.
A prodigy like Roldy , no less.
It wasn't hard to imagine what kind of terrifying enemy they would face in the future.
"Wahahaha! As expected of my proudest disciple!"
Garp's earlier fury vanished as he burst into laughter.
The kid's talent was already monstrous—he had every chance of becoming the next Garp. But now Garp was certain: if Roldy truly matured, his future achievements might surpass even his own.
A generational pillar of the Marines.
When they returned, that old geezer Zephyr would definitely have to treat him to a proper drink.
Hmm… that bottle of sherry he'd been saving for ten years would do nicely!
"Roger, we have to withdraw!"
Scopper Gaban suddenly appeared beside Roger, pointing toward the rear of the battlefield.
Their ship's doctor had just pulled Silvers Rayleigh out of the crater. His condition was terrible—he needed immediate treatment.
That brat clearly hadn't lost his fighting capability, and now that he had awakened Conqueror's Haki, Marine morale had skyrocketed.
The situation held no advantage for them.
"Running off with our tails between our legs again? Roger, I'm not done fighting yet!"
Garp cracked his knuckles, his aura terrifyingly strong.
Marine soldiers had already carried the heavily injured Bogard away for treatment. The fact that he had managed to stall Gaban for so long was already remarkable.
"Thirty-second clash. Thirty-second defeat…"
Bogard gritted his teeth as he looked at Gaban, clearly unwilling to accept it.
"Cut the crap, Garp! Pirates running from Marines—isn't that only natural? This time, you win!"
Roger spoke reluctantly.
If he were alone, he would absolutely fight Garp for three days and nights.
But he wasn't alone.
He was the captain.
He couldn't allow his crew to fall into danger.
"Men! Retreat! I'll hold them off!"
The captain's order rang out.
The crew didn't hesitate, disengaging at top speed. Roger moved in the opposite direction of his men.
That was the captain's duty.
Marines and pirates clashed once more, fighting from the island to the sea. The leading figures continued their battle, while Roldy led the remaining Marines aboard warships to pursue the Roger Pirates, temporarily led by Gaban.
From cannon bombardments to brutal boarding combat like a meat grinder—
Ordinarily, the Marine warships, equipped with their unique propulsion systems, would never lose to a pirate ship at sea.
But fate seemed to favor the Roger Pirates.
A rare gale suddenly swept across the ocean. The lighter Oro Jackson gained tremendous momentum, leaving the Marines' heavier warships far behind in the blink of an eye.
"Roger, move!"
Gaban shouted from the ship.
Roger disengaged swiftly—clearly not the first time he'd done this. His movements were practiced.
"Trying to run? Not that easy!"
Roldy grabbed a cannonball from beside him, swung his arm in a full arc, and hurled it toward the Oro Jackson.
"Moa Moa— Tenfold Strength!"
Under the intense amplification, the cannonball's power skyrocketed. It struck the stern of the Oro Jackson directly.
The ship's speed visibly dropped.
Onshore, Garp—who had been about to stop—saw hope.
"Damn it! One section of the propulsion system's damaged!"
"There's no time! They're about to catch up!"
"Use our trump card!"
An ominous feeling rose in Roldy 's heart.
He watched as Roger stepped onto the ship, stood at the stern, and flashed him a wide grin.
"Kid, we'll meet again. And I don't think that day will be far off!"
"Next time, I'll definitely take you down!"
Roldy tried provoking him, hoping to shake his composure—but the tactic was far too crude.
"Then I'll be looking forward to it!"
Roger gave him a deep look.
The next moment—
A blinding white light ignited at the stern of the Oro Jackson.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion rang out.
When Roldy next saw the Oro Jackson—
He froze.
"The ship… it's flying…"
…
Seawater blasted from the air cannons, drenching Roldy completely. A wave of intense discomfort hit him. Combined with his exhaustion and injuries, he collapsed onto the deck with a thud.
"Roger…"
He forced the name through clenched teeth—
Then his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
"Vice Admiral Roldy !"
"Doctor! Where's the doctor?!"
"You can't die on us!"
The soldiers rushed forward.
Garp had just boarded and saw the scene. Without hesitation, he dashed over.
Then—
"Guh… guh…"
A massive snot bubble inflated and deflated rhythmically from Roldy 's nose as he slept soundly.
Silence.
"HE'S JUST ASLEEP?!"
Everyone fell backward in unison, heads smacking against the deck, legs twitching in midair.
"This is outrageous! How can he do this?! Vice Admiral Garp, please give the order to return!"
The soldiers climbed back up, casting resentful glances at Roldy .
Silence.
"Guh… guh…"
They slowly turned their heads.
Garp was standing upright—
Also fast asleep.
A snot bubble expanding and contracting from his nose.
This time, everyone truly fell silent.
In the end, the ship's doctor delivered two heavy slaps to the unconscious Bogard.
Forcing himself to stand, Bogard looked at the two men snoring away and wore an expression of complete resignation.
"…Return to base."
Those two words nearly drained all his strength.
"One Vice Admiral Garp was already enough of a headache… and now there's Vice Admiral Roldy too…"
"What a blessing you both are…"
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