A flash of golden light burst behind Roldy 's head. The moment Borsalino's words reached his ears, the light-speed kick had already arrived.
"Speed is weight. You let your guard down, Roldy ."
The kick struck his head solidly. Empowered by the Pika Pika no Mi, Borsalino's attack carried terrifying force. Roldy felt a tremendous impact explode at his skull, his massive six-meter frame staggering violently, nearly sent flying.
The display of strength caught Roldy off guard. Clearly, he wasn't the only one who had grown stronger during their time apart.
Yet the one even more shocked was Borsalino himself. No one understood the power of that kick better than he did—it was strong enough to blow apart a warship.
And it had only made Roldy stumble?
"Ooh… how scary."
His tone remained as teasing and ambiguous as ever, but a trace of seriousness flickered in his eyes.
"Take this—Hound Blaze!"
Sakazuki unleashed one of his signature techniques. Blazing magma surged forth, taking the shape of a massive crimson hound as the full power of the Magu Magu no Mi erupted. With everything he had, he hurled it straight at Roldy 's head.
This time, the attack hit dead-on.
Yet Sakazuki frowned.
Something felt wrong.
"Sakazuki, move!"
"Watch out, Roldy !"
A green tempest in Dragon's right hand suddenly swelled. The howling wind roared, its powerful suction dragging countless unlucky souls into its vortex. Then, with a fierce motion, Dragon hurled the storm toward Roldy .
The gale raged like a dragon's fury.
Sakazuki quickly leapt aside, but Roldy —standing at the center—made no move to resist. He allowed himself to be swallowed whole.
Hidden within the tempest were countless dark-green wind blades, slashing at every inch of his body. Those dragged into the storm had already been shredded into pieces. The blades seemed alive, automatically locking onto any living target inside.
Yet from within came only a series of sharp metallic clangs.
The sound made everyone uneasy.
"Captain Roldy !"
"That's despicable! Three against one?!"
"You dare gang up on our captain?!"
The pirates' morale plummeted. In contrast, the Marines erupted into cheers. What could be more exhilarating than eliminating an enemy commander before everyone's eyes?
So what if he was a Division Commander of the Rocks Pirates? That was all he amounted to.
The tempest gradually slowed.
Dragon, Borsalino, and Sakazuki stared intently. Their thoughts differed—but deep down, Dragon could not deny that he did not want Roldy to die here.
This was one of Dragon's strongest attacks.
Even if he refused to admit it, he knew Roldy was stronger than he was. But Roldy had just endured a three-man assault.
Dragon truly didn't know the outcome.
"You've chosen the wrong path."
A familiar voice suddenly echoed from within the storm.
Two massive hands burst outward, tearing the tempest apart by force.
"Devil Fruit powers are only tools. In this world, the most reliable strength is Haki—and one's own body."
His entire body jet-black, coated in Armament Haki, Roldy stepped out of the dissipating storm completely unharmed.
After enduring a full round of attacks from the three of them, not a single wound could be seen on him. His dense Armament Haki had formed the ultimate armor, blocking every strike. The sheer dominance of it sent another wave of shock through the battlefield.
"You three rely too heavily on your Devil Fruits! Only your own Haki and physical strength determine victory!"
His Armament Haki had reached such a level that merely looking at him crushed the will to fight. His pale skin—and even the fur at his neck—had turned pitch black beneath the coating.
The remaining wind blades continued to slash at him, but all they produced were sparks.
"Spare me the preaching!"
Unlike the others, Sakazuki found Roldy 's words deeply insulting.
What did he mean? That Sakazuki's path was wrong? That all his effort had been meaningless?
Sakazuki erupted forward once more, magma blazing at full force.
But this time, Roldy changed.
He withdrew the full-body coating of Armament Haki and instead concentrated it entirely onto his right arm. His presence became calm—almost serene. A return to simplicity.
"Watch closely. This is how you truly use a Devil Fruit."
The power of the Moa Moa no Mi (Multiply-Multiply Fruit) activated.
His Observation Haki—though not exceptional—barely sufficed.
Roldy 's fist came crashing down.
"Momo: Thirtyfold Power—Black Arm Shatter!"
His punch avoided Sakazuki's incoming strike. Molten magma splashed onto Roldy 's body, bringing only a faint sting. His expression did not change.
His fist landed squarely on Sakazuki's head.
Thirtyfold amplified strength—combined with supreme Armament Haki.
Sakazuki was sent flying instantly.
His face twisted grotesquely, bones clearly shattered. He tumbled across the ground before finally stopping, propping himself up with one arm. His eyes burned with unwillingness as he stared at Roldy —
Then his head slumped to the side.
He lost consciousness.
"I told you… I still remember that favor."
Roldy muttered softly. At the final moment, he had held back.
Otherwise, with the power of his Armament Haki and the amplification of the Moa Moa no Mi (Multiply-Multiply Fruit), Sakazuki's head would not merely have been shattered—it might have exploded. At best, he would have spent over a year in recovery.
"Ooh… how terrifying…"
"Borsalino—you don't have such a favor from me."
Borsalino swallowed the rest of his habitual remark.
Even the three of them together couldn't defeat Roldy . Now only two remained. He had no intention of provoking a monster like this. With the Moa Moa no Mi (Multiply-Multiply Fruit)'s thirtyfold speed amplification, Roldy could briefly rival even him in speed.
If caught, it would not end well.
"Dragon, step aside. I have other matters to attend to."
Roldy 's tone softened.
Under countless watching eyes, Dragon lowered his head. After a difficult internal struggle, he grabbed the unconscious Sakazuki and swiftly withdrew from the battlefield.
Somewhere—
Someone finally let out a breath of relief.
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