"Hey, hey, hey! Newgate! You attacked without even saying hello?
That's pretty dishonorable of you! At least wait until I've come ashore and we've squared off properly!
We've known each other for ages and fought plenty of times. You could say we're old acquaintances, at least.
Is this how you treat a friend?! You're hurting my feelings!"
Roger complained, but his hands moved as fast as lightning.
His sword was already drawn. The muscles in his right arm bulged as he swung. The motion looked simple, yet a tremendous force that could split the sea and rend the heavens erupted from it!
"Divine Departure!"
A deep-red slash, like blood and wrapped in black-and-red Haki, burst forth in the shape of lightning!
It raced straight toward the part of the giant wave where the Tremor Force was strongest!
Space warped in the slash's wake, and the seawater parted on its own before its invisible, razor-sharp force!
"KRA-BOOM!!!"
A world-shaking collision erupted on the sea less than a hundred meters from the bow!
The deep-red slash slammed into the white-capped giant wave, which was surging forward with shockwaves!
In an instant, blinding light flared and a deafening roar shook the air!
A wild torrent of energy swept in every direction!
The waves and shockwaves clashed with the black-and-red slash for several seconds, devouring and annihilating one another.
At last, the tsunami began to lose momentum and break apart.
But the sea was still churning violently, as if it were boiling.
Roger's slash had shattered the core shockwaves and the raging waves, but most of its own force had been spent as well, and its deep-red glow had dimmed considerably.
Even so, it hadn't run its course. Like an injured red dragon whose ferocity remained undimmed, it continued hurtling toward Whitebeard, standing on the shore!
The remnants of its Haki crackled like lightning.
Newgate's expression didn't change, though a trace of admiration flashed in his eyes.
He raised Murakumogiri once more and brought it down, meeting the remnants of "Divine Departure" head-on!
"BOOM!!!"
Murakumogiri's black blade collided fiercely with the deep-red slash!
Whitebeard stood firm as a mountain, without moving an inch!
Meanwhile, the Roger Pirates took the opportunity to come ashore.
"Dark King" Rayleigh, who had been quietly observing Luo Tian, stepped forward. He pushed up his glasses and calmly asked:
"You're the young man who sent out 'Slash Wave' and 'Thousand-Slice Valley' from this island earlier, aren't you?"
His words made Luo Tian, standing beside Shiki and also watching the Roger Pirates, pause in surprise.
Slashes? Did he mean the "Lion Threat: Slash Wave" and "Lion Threat: Thousand-Slice Valley" he'd imitated when he sparred with Shiki earlier?
Could it be... those slashes he'd sent flying toward the open sea hadn't missed completely, but had hit their ship? Or at least, they'd sensed them clearly?
So... the Roger Pirates hadn't suddenly changed course and come over by chance. They'd been drawn here?
"Ahahahaha!" Roger burst out laughing nearby, looking at Luo Tian with a teasing glint in his eyes.
"Looks like Rayleigh already gave it away. That's right, kid!
Those slashes of yours were quite the warm welcome! That 'Slash Wave' in particular nearly took the mast right off our ship!
If Rayleigh hadn't been quick, we'd have had to swim here today!"
Clearly, he was joking.
At that, Newgate and Shiki finally understood. They turned to look at Luo Tian, their expressions seeming to say, "So you're the little punk who brought these guys over."
Gaban, who had been carrying his battle-axe all this time, spoke with undisguised admiration:
"Hey, kid! For someone so young, your swordsmanship's already at this level. You even forced Rayleigh and me to step in. Not bad! You've got a bright future!
At this rate, it won't be long before you truly surpass Shiki and become the next swordsmanship legend on these seas! Hahaha!"
But as Gaban praised Luo Tian, he accidentally insulted the Golden Lion, Shiki, standing nearby.
Shiki thought, What the hell! I get hit even when I'm just standing here!
Praise the kid all you want, but you didn't have to use me as a stepping stone for comparison. Saying he'll "surpass Shiki" was out of line!
I'm the Golden Lion, Shiki, a core officer of the Rocks Pirates, and I've held the New World in awe for years. Do you think the title Flying Pirate means nothing? Don't I deserve some respect?!
Within the Rocks Pirates, Whitebeard or Luo Tian could tease him now and then. That was just "family business."
But Gaban was an outsider—a combatant from the Roger Pirates, no less. For him to say that in front of everyone changed everything!
It was a blatant provocation and humiliation!
If word got out that a rookie was "about to surpass" the Golden Lion, and that the claim had come straight from an enemy, where would that leave Shiki's reputation?!
Shiki's anger shot to its peak in an instant! He felt his dignity had been seriously challenged!
"Gaban! What kind of joke is that?!"
Shiki roared and swiftly drew the twin swords at his waist, Oto and Kogarashi. The blades hummed!
He couldn't even be bothered to waste words. He immediately activated the Float-Float Fruit, lifting his feet off the ground.
Crossing his twin swords before his chest, he became a golden streak and charged straight at Gaban on the shore!
"Hell! Is that really necessary?! I was just saying!"
Gaban had only just finished speaking when Shiki came charging at him like a lion whose tail had been stepped on. He jolted, never expecting Shiki to react so strongly.
But he was a combatant of the Roger Pirates, after all. His initial surprise gave way to fighting spirit in an instant.
"Bring it!" he growled, grabbing his giant axe and charging forward without backing down!
Shiki and Gaban—one wielding twin swords as he descended from the sky, sending golden slashes flying in every direction;
the other wielding two battle-axes, using brute force to overcome finesse as he swept upward, Haki wrapped around the blades!
"CLANG! BOOM!!"
Their bodies crossed in midair. Swords and axes collided violently, erupting in blinding sparks and a thunderous crash.
Then they used the force of the impact to launch themselves skyward and, in the blink of an eye, were fighting in the open stretch of beach in the distance.
I'd call this battle the Battle of Buggy—or perhaps...
The others watched the scene with complicated expressions, but no one stepped in to stop them.
Roger and Whitebeard were more than happy to watch the show, so they simply stood by.
For powerhouses of their caliber, a spar sparked by a "verbal spat" was a good chance to gauge an opponent's current strength and condition—as long as nobody got killed.
Just as everyone's attention had been drawn toward Shiki and Gaban's fierce fight on the beach, another voice rang out, drawing the focus straight back to Luo Tian:
"Ahahahaha! This is fun—so much fun! Kid, I like your style!"
Roger roared with laughter, his eyes shining. Right in front of Whitebeard, he boldly invited Luo Tian without a second thought:
"What's so great about sticking with the gloomy Rocks Pirates?
Why not think about joining the Roger Pirates?!
Come adventure with us and search for the truth of the world. That's what freedom and happiness are all about!"
Luo Tian was an officer of the Rocks Pirates, making the two crews enemies by all accounts.
And yet Roger had no hesitation about trying to poach him, a clear sign of just how highly he regarded Luo Tian's strength and talent.
Before you continue