Barrett vs. Roger

To commemorate the enormous contribution the Roger Pirates had made to the island, its residents organized an event on their own initiative: they built a statue of Roger in the Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Mol.

Roger's standing among the islanders was now even higher than King Caesar's.

After another ten days or so, once the island's residents had fully settled in, the Roger Pirates announced that they were ready to leave.

"Are you really leaving already?" King Caesar's feelings toward Roger were conflicted. On one hand, he wanted Roger to stay and help him stabilize the kingdom. On the other, he worried Roger might threaten his position.

"Yes. We've been here for over two months, after all. It's time for us to go."

"Then I wish you a safe journey. The Kingdom of Mol will always welcome you."

"Thank you." Kaiser Lynn didn't appear at the farewell. Perhaps she didn't want to experience the feeling of parting from Shirakawa.

"Roger, fight me. Let's settle this once and for all." Just as Roger was about to board the ship, Bullet suddenly spoke up. The whole scene fell silent. King Caesar froze in place too, as if he had just heard something unbelievable.

Roger was silent for a moment, then slowly replied, "All right."

"Your Majesty, could I trouble you for one more thing? Are there any uninhabited islands nearby?"

"There are, though they're not very close. Would you like me to send someone to guide you?"

"No need. Just tell me which direction."

"Oh, all right. There's an uninhabited island to the south."

"Good. Come with me, Bullet." With that, Roger used a technique like Geppo to fly south. He didn't know the island's exact location, but he had Observation Haki.

Bullet followed. Even from far away, Shirakawa could feel the blood-pumping excitement radiating from him.

"This is going to be a great show. Let's follow them." With the Captain away, First Mate Rayleigh was now in charge of their group.

They boarded the ship and decided to sail over. After all, they had no intention of returning.

"Mr. Rayleigh, would you like us to accompany you?" King Caesar asked Rayleigh again as he prepared to set sail.

"There's no need. You've seen us off far enough. The fight that's about to begin would be too dangerous for you."

As soon as he said that, several people with keen senses felt a terrifying presence suddenly surge from the south.

"Oh, it's already started? Bullet really is impatient."

"What is that feeling? It's terrifying." King Caesar had spent a long time in a position of power, and he had a faint air of leadership about him. But after being subjected to Roger and Bullet's Conqueror's Haki, he felt like an earthworm facing a dragon.

"All right, hurry back. This place isn't safe for you anymore."

Rayleigh spoke up. His words carried a small amount of Conqueror's Haki, bringing King Caesar back to his senses.

"Thank you, Mr. Rayleigh." King Caesar thanked him gratefully, deep awe in his eyes. He had never imagined that the two men he'd interacted with so often were this terrifying.

He gazed at the island to the south with apprehension.

"Come on, First Mate, let's hurry over. The fight might be over if we take any longer." Shirakawa sounded impatient. He was especially excited—fights like this were a rare sight.

"Don't worry. Those two won't finish that quickly."

The ship sailed leisurely toward Roger and Bullet. Shirakawa was bubbling with excitement, and Shanks felt exactly the same way.

Shanks was also eager to witness the spectacular fight with his own eyes. He nudged the straw hat on his head, unable to suppress his grin.

"You two..." Rayleigh sensed how excited Shirakawa and Shanks were and sighed helplessly. He had a feeling that neither of them would ever be the quiet type.

Once they were strong enough, they would surely roam everywhere. The Grand Line would one day be filled with tales of their exploits.

After sailing for a little over an hour, they finally spotted the island where Roger and Bullet were fighting. Explosions and impacts rang out incessantly in their ears.

Shirakawa was ready to take off, but Rayleigh immediately pressed him back down.

"What are you doing, Rayleigh?" Shirakawa asked, displeased. His curiosity was about to go unsatisfied.

"You can't watch this fight up close yet. It's too soon for you." Rayleigh shook his head as he explained.

"Damn it."

Shirakawa thumped the deck in frustration. He couldn't even get close enough to watch the fight. He wasn't afraid of the clash of Conqueror's Haki, and Rayleigh knew that.

So Rayleigh's words had another meaning: one wrong move in their fight could kill Shirakawa instantly.

Rayleigh patted his shoulder to comfort him. "I'm sure you'll get stronger very soon."

"Of course." Shirakawa was confident he would grow stronger quickly.

He had an endless supply of stamina. As long as he had enough food and energy, he could go his whole life without sleeping. He had already decided to work as hard as he could.

Though he couldn't see the details of their fight, Shirakawa kept his eyes fixed on the island. Plenty of others did the same.

Those skilled in Observation Haki simply closed their eyes and sensed the two men's battle.

Before long, night had fallen, but there was no sign of the fight ending.

"Mr. Rayleigh, how's the fight going?" Shanks asked anxiously. Shirakawa wasn't the only one disappointed that he couldn't watch it with his own eyes.

"Just wait a little longer. It doesn't look like it's over yet."

A whole night passed, and at last the sounds of battle gradually died away.

"Mr. Rayleigh, is it over? Who won?"

"It's over. Roger won, of course." Bullet was strong, but he was still some distance behind Roger.

When everyone saw Roger emerge, the day-and-night battle finally came to an end.

"Set sail," Roger told the crew as soon as he boarded.

"Captain, Bullet hasn't come aboard yet," one crew member asked cautiously. The Captain had just fought Bullet, and he looked rather battered.

"He has left the Roger Pirates."

"What?" More than half the crew shouted in astonishment.

"Damn it." Exhausted, Bullet lay in the middle of the island, his eyes full of frustration. Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes.

Roger, one day I'll surpass you. You'd better not die before then.

The island was now riddled with craters and sword scars. Some of the scars still emanated violent Sword Qi. Ordinary people couldn't even set foot on the island; they could easily be torn apart by the Sword Qi spreading through the air.