"Sorry—but I refuse."
Whitebeard's answer was clear and absolute.
Marco opened his mouth as if to speak, but remembering where he stood, he forced himself to stop. All he could do was cast Roldy an apologetic look.
"Oh? You mean that samurai?"
Roldy naturally knew who Whitebeard was referring to—
Kozuki Oden, samurai of Wano, Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. A man whose bounty was second only to Whitebeard's within the crew.
No wonder he hadn't seen that irritatingly bold face today.
So Oden had boarded Roger's ship?
Roldy didn't bother questioning why Whitebeard would lend a subordinate to his rival. What mattered was the refusal.
And Roldy did not enjoy being refused.
"Newgate-san, I can't guarantee that the samurai named Kozuki Oden will come out of my pursuit unharmed."
If Whitebeard wouldn't speak, fine.
Roldy had already narrowed down several possible routes the Roger Pirates might take. With additional intelligence from the underworld, catching up to them was only a matter of time.
The world would not side with Roger forever.
Among the men he had brought, the only one Roldy truly cared about was Sheen. The rest were expendable. And with Sheen's current strength, very few within the Roger Pirates could prevent his escape if necessary.
"That won't do, brat. No matter what, he's still my foolish little brother."
Whitebeard's tone grew firmer.
"That makes things difficult."
Roldy's aura began to rise.
The monster with a bounty of 3,096,000,000 Berries stared at Whitebeard, eyes bloodshot, hostility thick in the air.
Whitebeard stepped forward without yielding an inch.
"Gurararara! If it's difficult—then don't do it!"
As if by mutual understanding—
Both vanished.
When the surrounding pirates realized what had happened, the two titans were already a thousand meters in the sky.
Whitebeard gripped his naginata with both hands, Advanced Conqueror's Haki Coating crackling in black and red.
Opposite him, Roldy hurled a punch—
His own Conqueror's Haki surged no less violently.
Then—
Fist and blade collided.
They did not physically touch.
Between them, their Conqueror's Haki clashed.
BOOM!
A visible shockwave exploded outward, like a tsunami ripping across the battlefield. The pressure was hellish—even veteran pirates struggled to endure it.
Several inexperienced Whitebeard Pirates collapsed one after another.
Marco, teeth clenched, dropped to one knee but remained conscious.
On Roldy's side, the situation was worse.
Aside from Sheen—
Only four pirates remained standing.
Their numbers had instantly fallen into a disadvantage.
But what did that matter?
"Why not just tell us where the Roger Pirates went?"
Sheen tilted his head, his tone carrying a subtle threat.
"And if we refuse?"
The one who answered was the current First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates—
Whitey Bay, the Ice Witch.
One of the few prominent female powerhouses of the seas, she carried herself with calm authority.
"Then we'll just beat it out of you."
Sheen smiled lightly.
Dense Armament Haki coated both his fists.
In the next instant—
He vanished.
Before the Whitebeard Pirates could react, his fist crashed toward Whitey Bay.
"Then we'll see if you can!"
She drew the slender blue blade at her waist, blocking the punch with precision—
But the force behind it shocked her.
She had always regarded Sheen as a background figure beside Roldy.
His bounty was only 95,000,000 Berries.
Were the Marines insane?!
That punch was easily on par with veteran Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals!
Perhaps just shy of the elite among them—but still!
Ninety-five million?!
Since when had Berries become so cheap?
As Sheen attacked, the remaining four pirates under Roldy hesitated—but the Whitebeard Pirates did not.
With furious roars, they drew their weapons and surged forward.
The four were quickly swallowed by a sea of enemies.
They were strong by ordinary standards—
But against Whitebeard's elites?
They were outmatched.
Still—
This battle would never be decided by the crews.
Sky Above
"Your strength's grown, brat! Looks like you haven't wasted your meals!"
Whitebeard was genuinely surprised.
In raw physical power—
Roldy was not inferior to him.
In fact, his fist even showed signs of suppressing Whitebeard's swing.
What the hell was this?
And Roldy hadn't even used his Devil Fruit yet.
What Whitebeard overlooked was simple—
Roldy had long since awakened his Devil Fruit.
And he was still young.
His body had not yet reached its peak.
"Of course. But Newgate-san, your strength disappoints me. All these years, is this all you've gained? Just a crew of sons?"
Whitebeard's natural talent was monstrous—though perhaps not the greatest in the world. If he had devoted himself solely to training, he might have been even stronger.
But compared to power—
He valued his sons more.
"Brat, everyone seeks something different."
Whitebeard shook his head.
Then his gaze sharpened.
"Don't get cocky too soon! Eat another hundred years' worth of meals before you talk big!"
The power in his naginata surged.
Crack—
A distinct shattering sound echoed.
The power of the Gura Gura no Mi.
The Tremor-Tremor Fruit awakened.
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