Roa sparred with Dylan.
Although he could continuously grow stronger just by relying on the black aura, that only increased his basic stats. If he wanted to learn how to fight, he still had to study it himself.
So, despite usually having nothing to do, Roa set aside enough time every day to hone his skills and Haki.
Clang, clang, clang!
His Haki-wreathed scabbard repeatedly clashed with Dylan's blackened palm blades, ringing out like the clatter of colliding metal.
As for why he used the scabbard instead of drawing his sword, that was naturally because Tiger Soul had become far too sharp after evolving to its utmost limits. Even Dylan's Armament Haki could not withstand its edge.
He would be drained dry.
"Let's end the warm-up here. Give it everything you've got, Dylan."
While casually parrying Dylan's attacks, Roa spoke nonchalantly.
His strength was far greater than Dylan's, and Dylan's advantage in Haki could not make up the difference.
"Yes, Lord Roa!"
Dylan raised his right hand.
An invisible ripple suddenly began to surface around his pitch-black hand.
This was a technique that circulated the Haki throughout the rest of the body, gathered it in one place, and unleashed an attack.
Compared with simple hardening, this technique possessed far greater explosive power, as well as the ability to project Haki outward and form a shockwave.
Roa did not know much about this kind of Haki. He had merely repeated to Dylan the theory that the leopard-headed old man had taught Luffy in the original story, yet he had still managed to help Dylan master the technique.
However, Dylan was still far from the higher realm of internal destruction.
The power of flowing Armament Haki was astonishing. When Dylan attacked again, Roa had to get serious as well.
While Roa and Dylan fought furiously with a constant clanging, Doflamingo watched from the shadows at the side of the deck.
This man called Roa was only four years older than him, yet he was a monster beyond Doflamingo's imagination!
That so-called puppet that had left him utterly helpless—there were more than a hundred others like it on the ship!
Just how powerful was this force? The mere thought of it made Doflamingo's scalp prickle.
As for Roa himself, Doflamingo did not even dare think about him.
The fear he had felt in that instant was still unforgettable. That despair and terror, like a tsunami, remained carved into the deepest part of his body, making him tremble all over whenever he recalled it.
He could not resist Roa.
After gaining power and recovering the arrogance of a Celestial Dragon, Doflamingo dejectedly admitted this fact.
Just imagining resisting Roa was enough to make him break out in a cold sweat.
Before that monster, he was far too insignificant.
"What are you spacing out for?"
A merciless fist flew straight into his face, sending Doflamingo flying and crashing heavily into the cabin.
"Ugh!"
His body was in excruciating pain, but Doflamingo only dared to grunt. He immediately got back up, silently picked up the dumbbell on the ground, and began training.
"Remember this!"
Bullet snorted coldly. "Since Lord Roa allowed you to join, you absolutely cannot make him lose face! Even if you have to train until you die, you must temper yourself into a strong warrior! If you can't do it, I'll strangle you myself!"
This guy was far too weak!
Although he was an ability user and had awakened Conqueror's Haki, his physical fitness was inferior even to the boy soldiers his age in the Land of Endless War!
Without physical strength to support him, his abilities and Haki were nothing but castles in the air.
There was only one thing this guy needed to do now: train! He had to train to the death with the determination to keep going as long as he did not die from it!
Facing Bullet's bullying, Doflamingo remained silent.
This man was another powerhouse he could not resist at all!
Just wait!
Wait until I become strong enough! Just you all wait! Roa... Bullet! Just wait for me!
Doflamingo secretly swore this in his heart.
The ship was bustling with activity today.
Several days later, in the North Blue, Kingdom of Samir, at the royal capital, the war had reached its climax.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Cannon fire thundered, and the earth shook.
The sturdy city walls swayed precariously beneath the successive bombardments.
However, before the walls collapsed, the city gates were blasted into the sky with a tremendous boom.
The soldiers finally surged into the city like a tidal wave.
In an instant, gunshots rang out everywhere, and the defenders inside the city retreated step by step.
With the fall of the city gates, the entire city descended into chaos.
Some civilians hid in their homes, the whole family huddled together as they silently prayed to the gods.
Others fled in panic with their families in tow, only to despair when they discovered that the roads were packed solid with people who had the same goal.
"It feels like coming home!"
Roa stood atop a building outside the royal palace at the city's center, inhaling drunkenly. "It really has to be war!"
"..."
Doflamingo said nothing.
Madman!
He already knew that human suffering was Roa's food.
For that reason, Roa had even specially penned up a group of pirates in the bottom of the ship to serve as provisions during the voyage.
When he learned of this, Doflamingo could not help feeling his scalp prickle once again because of Roa.
Was he really human?
Was he some kind of monster wearing human skin?
"However, Lord Roa really did come to the right place."
Dylan carefully observed the two sides fiercely exchanging fire in the square below, with the palace's tall walls serving as the dividing line.
"The Germa Kingdom is far stronger than ordinary nations across the seas, whether in weapons and equipment or in the quality of its soldiers!"
Especially its equipment.
While this country's royal army was still using flintlocks, the invading army of the Germa Kingdom had already been outfitted with rifled muskets, along with grenade launchers, rocket launchers, and heavy machine guns.
The firepower of the two sides was on completely different levels.
"Right?"
Roa smiled. "Vinsmoke can become the cornerstone of a company. However, the soldiers and weapons aren't the main point—"
Roa looked down. "Oh! Here comes the main event!"
A tall man with wild golden hair resembling the Golden Lion's strode forward under the protection of a group of soldiers.
He wore a strange Battle Suit and held a long spear crackling with electricity.
"I'll cut off the king's head and announce Germa's revival!"
The man raised the spear in his hand, then hurled it with all his strength toward the palace gates.
Whoosh!
The Lightning Spear pierced the sky like a meteor and tore straight through the thick palace gates amid leaping arcs of electricity.
The defenders' resistance completely collapsed, and the soldiers of the Germa Kingdom swarmed into the palace.
"Anyone who doesn't want to die, put down your weapons!"
The man—the current king of the Germa Kingdom, Vinsmoke Judge—roared.
The soldiers guarding the palace finally fell into complete despair, their weapons clattering to the ground.
"Still too slow."
Judge was deeply dissatisfied.
Such a weak country had actually taken nearly a month of his time!
It still wasn't enough.
Germa's strength was still far from sufficient!
With this level of power, how could he speak of restoring his ancestors' glory and turning the North Blue into the Vinsmokes' inland sea?
The Battle Suit project still needed continued iteration. In addition, the plan to create modified humans through Lineage Factor alterations had to be moved up!
As he was thinking this, his vision suddenly blurred.
"Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Judge!"
A young man suddenly appeared before him, grasped his hand, and enthusiastically shook it up and down. "You're most welcome to join my team! From today onward, you're the head of the company's research and development department!"
Judge was bewildered.
Who was this guy?
Before you continue