The moment those two vastly different hands clasped together—
The world fell silent.
Vice Admiral Garp shut his eyes in pain, his trembling hands never moving forward to stop it.
Dragon's lips turned pale, his worldview shaken to its core. Even his pupils seemed unfocused.
The surrounding Marines stood frozen.
Some even forgot they were still at war.
What they witnessed—
Was beyond nightmare.
Who could have believed this?
The brightest rising star of Marine Headquarters.
The prodigy jointly cultivated by the highest-ranking officers.
A man of unwavering justice.
Relentless toward criminals.
Gentle toward his subordinates.
Respected.
Admired.
Even the World Economy News Paper had once published glowing praise about him.
And now—
He had become a pirate.
Clang.
A saber fell from a Marine's hand.
A soldier dropped to his knees, eyes vacant.
As one of Roldy 's admirers, he desperately wished this was an illusion.
"Vice Admiral Roldy … left the Marines…"
"That's impossible…"
"This can't be real…"
"Does the Marine future even have hope anymore?"
"What exactly did the World Government do to drive him to this…?"
At this moment, Roldy 's departure struck Marine morale like a catastrophic blow.
Some were confused.
Some were despairing.
Some turned toward their highest commander present—Vice Admiral Garp—
Only to see the same anguish in his expression.
In stark contrast—
The pirates erupted in deafening cheers.
"Incredible! Boss Shiki actually recruited the Marines' future star!"
"Hahaha! That's the right choice! Serving the World Government's trash is a waste of life!"
"Listen to those hypocrites crying! Isn't this the result of your own masters' actions?"
Pirates were simple creatures.
Strength ruled everything.
If your fists were big enough—
Even if you liked eating dirt—
They'd shovel it onto a silver platter.
"Jihahaha! I've waited a long time for this!"
Golden Lion Shiki lifted a slab of rock.
Roldy stepped onto it.
The two rose into the sky.
Roldy 's white suit was now soaked in blood.
Dark clouds gathered overhead as if answering the moment.
The once-pure white symbol of justice now carried a chilling, murderous aura.
"Shiki-san…"
"I haven't forgotten your kindness."
"I hope what you said earlier was true."
His voice was hoarse.
What he meant was clear—
Opposition to the World Government.
His rage burned with the desire to destroy everything tied to it.
And yet—
Shame gnawed at him.
Memories of Marine Headquarters stabbed like blades into his mind.
All he could do was turn away—
Refusing to look at the despair on the faces of his former comrades.
"Of course it's true!"
"Our captain, Rocks, will welcome you!"
"You've come at the perfect time. The Rocks Pirates are recruiting new blood."
"With your strength, you could easily claim a Division Commander seat!"
Shiki was clever.
He understood something important—
Roldy had not joined him.
He had joined piracy.
The debt of gratitude between them was real—
But limited.
Trying to forcibly bind a Conqueror's Haki wielder beneath him would only backfire.
No need to rush.
With time—
He could draw Roldy closer.
For now, this was enough.
Shiki glanced at the demoralized Marines.
For a moment, he considered dropping islands onto them—
But Roldy had only just defected.
And Garp was still present.
Entangling himself further wasn't wise.
The Celestial Dragon was dead.
The World Government would erupt in fury.
Marine reinforcements had to be on the way.
"Men—retreat!"
Shiki waved his hand.
The floating pirate ship shifted.
Roldy stepped onto the very deck he had destroyed countless times before.
The pirates surged toward him like a tide—
Laughing.
Cheering.
Blades raised high.
The air smelled of sin.
His first instinct—
Kill them all.
But then came the bitter realization.
He was one of them now.
A pirate.
One of the very people he once despised.
Would he regret it?
Probably.
Would he turn back?
Never.
The ship began to rise higher.
Roldy never looked back.
But just before they could depart—
A voice thundered across the sky.
"Shiki! You're not escaping!"
Two figures tore through the air like cannonballs.
Both broad-shouldered.
Both cloaked in Marine Admiral coats.
Their presence alone made the pirates pale.
"Damn it! It's Admiral Sengoku and Admiral Zephyr!"
"They arrived fast!"
"With Garp here too, that's three Admiral-level fighters!"
"Even the boss can't handle that alone!"
Even Golden Lion felt a drop of sweat roll down his temple.
He was arrogant—
But not suicidal.
Facing three Admiral-level opponents—
Even with Garp injured—
Was no small matter.
Sengoku and Zephyr descended like divine judgment.
Their auras towered—
Until—
They saw Roldy standing on the pirate ship.
And in that instant—
Their momentum faltered.
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