Roger Pirates

All in all, aside from the initial friction, life with the Cook Pirates had been quite comfortable.

Whenever he had nothing to do, Bai would spar with Red-Leg Zeff. At night, they would hold banquets and eat and drink to their hearts' content. Of course, Nangong Yan was not used to freeloading, and every pirate had a huge appetite. Food was consumed quickly, so Nangong Yan took out one million Beli for living expenses.

Besides training, sparring, and holding banquets, Nangong Yan also sought cooking lessons from the chefs of the Cook Pirates, with a focus on grilling. Nangong Yan loved barbecue. Compared to other cooking methods, grilling was also the easiest for him to learn, since controlling the heat was something Nangong Yan excelled at.

Happy days were always short. Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and the Cook Pirates carried Nangong Yan to an island near the Edd War waters called Orange Island.

The island was covered in densely packed orange trees. Its unique climate made every orange glossy and enticing, sweet and refreshing. Orange Island's oranges were very famous in the New World.

Once they arrived, Nangong Yan disembarked and parted ways with the Cook Pirates. There was no tearful farewell. They were all men, strong and independent, and besides, their friendship had not reached that point.

Orange Island's location was somewhat special. It lay at the border between Golden Lion's and Whitebeard's territories. Although the island flew neither side's flag, it had been quietly drifting toward Golden Lion. Barring any surprises, it would not be long before it became part of Golden Lion's territory.

It was not that Whitebeard lacked the strength to compete, but it was simply his nature. He had little desire for territory. As long as there was enough to sustain his pirate crew, that was enough.

Nangong Yan set foot on Orange Island and headed toward its town. Lush grass carpeted the road, orange trees stretched out in groves, and everything was a sea of green. The distinctive fragrance of orange trees drifted on the breeze, refreshing his mind.

Nangong Yan's appearance drew the attention of many of Orange Island's residents and visiting pirates. But once they got a good look at him, they could no longer look away, greed undisguised in their eyes.

What did a bounty of one billion Beli mean? Katakuri had yet to make a name for himself. In terms of bounty, Nangong Yan was second only to the rising New World stars Kaido and Big Mom, as well as the already famous legendary pirates.

To put it bluntly, Nangong Yan's current strength did not match his enormous one-billion-Beli bounty. It could not deter anyone at all. As a result, there were countless people eyeing his head.

An ordinary Devil Fruit was worth around one hundred million Beli. A fortune as massive as one billion Beli was enough to drive most people in the world mad, whether civilians, pirates, bounty hunters, or Marines.

Thus, once they recognized Nangong Yan, some of the bolder locals on the island, pirate crews that had come to Orange Island for supplies, and bounty hunters all deliberately or casually closed in on him. There were nearly a hundred of them, and an oppressive atmosphere began to spread.

Seeing this, Nangong Yan smiled helplessly, though there was no fear in his heart. He had been mentally prepared ever since he pulled off that job involving the Celestial Dragons.

Unless Nangong Yan truly became renowned across the seas through his strength, this sort of thing would happen wherever he went.

Anyone who could survive in the New World had some skill. Even civilians knew a little basic hand-to-hand combat.

He drew the Supreme Grade Blade Eastern Emperor from his waist. Under the sun, its snow-bright blade gleamed with a chilling light. Myriad beasts appeared upon the blade, seeming to come alive and bare their fangs and claws as the sunlight shifted.

Nangong Yan could not be bothered to waste words on people who wanted his life. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. He licked his lips bloodthirstily and charged at the crowd that was about to surround him.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Crisp sounds like popping beans rang out. Pirates and bounty hunters holding firearms pulled their triggers. Long guns and pistols fired together, bullets instantly becoming as dense as rain, flying at him from the front, behind, and both sides.

Nangong Yan immediately accelerated. His figure flickered as he dodged most of the bullets, while Eastern Emperor danced in his hand. Pale blade light flashed, splitting bullet after bullet in half.

Against this bunch of trash, Nangong Yan could not even be bothered to use the Mangekyo Sharingan's abilities. Unless his opponents possessed the strength of a vice admiral, using the Mangekyo Sharingan would be overkill. After all, it consumed a tremendous amount of stamina.

Sword Secret Art, Crescent Moon!

True Fire Energy Bullet!

Kicking Art, Meteor Crash!

A sword aura as cold as the moon slashed across the sky. Its sharp force was unstoppable, instantly shattering the bullets before him.

After releasing the sword aura, the pale golden sphere in Nangong Yan's left hand also reached its limit. The energy bullet, containing incomparably violent power, blasted toward the crowd whose hearts had been blinded by greed.

It was not over yet. After unleashing those two moves, Nangong Yan twisted his body and lightly stepped off the ground, rapidly rising into the air. Blazing Solar True Flame erupted from his right foot, and his right leg flashed with dazzling golden light as his body spun through the air. He brought his foot crashing down onto the verdant ground. Several huge cracks appeared across the earth, and pale golden flames burst from them like volcanic lava.

"Ah..." Miserable screams rang out. The agony of being engulfed in flames made some pirates shriek like vicious ghosts. Nangong Yan's triple attack covered nearly all the enemies directly ahead. Sword aura, explosions, and blazing fire wiped out thirty or forty of them, leaving only a few barely alive. Even those survivors were wounded, with almost no fighting strength left.

Nangong Yan was about to finish off the survivors when he suddenly sensed a chilling killing intent behind him. His black pupils instantly changed into the Mangekyo Sharingan.

At that moment, a middle-aged bald man wearing a black headband transformed both arms into blades. Jet-black Armament Haki coated the blades as he viciously slashed at Nangong Yan's waist, his powerful strike carrying fierce wind pressure.

Seeing that the fat sheep before him seemed completely unaware, the bald man could not help curling his lips into a smug grin. This one billion is far too easy to earn.

The next instant, the bald man's smile abruptly froze. There was no wonderful sound of blades tearing through flesh, nor were there the enemy's screams that would make his blood boil. It was as though the man before him did not exist at all—his body had passed straight through him.

The bizarre situation left the bald man stunned.

But Nangong Yan did not hesitate. Eastern Emperor came crashing down toward the bald man's back.

Before the blade even arrived, goosebumps had already risen all over the bald man's body. Terror filled his heart. He silently cursed himself for losing focus while desperately mobilizing all the Armament Haki he could to cover his back.

Splat! Even with Armament Haki protecting him, the amount he had managed to mobilize in such a short time was not enough to withstand the terrifying edge of a Supreme Grade Blade. Deep wounds opened across the bald man's back, exposing crimson flesh as blood poured out.

Strike while he was down and take his life!

Nangong Yan seized the chance to beat the drowning dog. His left fist clenched, and he threw a punch. A pale golden pillar of fire carrying terrifying heat blasted toward the bald man's back.

The bald man was scared out of his wits, cold sweat streaming down his face. He awkwardly rolled across the ground and narrowly dodged the attack.

Nangong Yan was about to attack again when he sensed bullets incoming and pirates charging him with blades drawn. He frowned, veins bulging on his forehead in irritation.

He stomped hard on the ground, sheathed Eastern Emperor, and transformed his arms into gorgeous wings burning with Solar True Flame, soaring into the sky. With killing intent blazing in his eyes, he looked down at the pirates, civilians, and bounty hunters who did not know their place.

Golden Crow Breath!

Nangong Yan opened his mouth and drew in a deep breath. His chest swelled before he fiercely spewed out a stream of golden Solar True Flame. The incomparably pure Solar True Flame poured downward, twisting the air. Grass and orange trees rapidly withered into scorched yellow before bursting into crimson flames.

Golden Solar True Flame streamed endlessly from Nangong Yan's body, turning into a terrifying pillar of fire that swept and ravaged the ground. Within several hundred meters, the area rapidly became a sea of fire, with flames shooting dozens of meters into the sky.

As the saying went, water and fire showed no mercy. The sea of fire caused by Nangong Yan's Solar True Flame trapped everyone within it. Even pirates who had not caught fire could not endure the terrifying temperature, their bodies rapidly losing water.

Screams, wails, pleas for mercy, the crackling of flames, and the sizzling of roasting flesh intertwined. A peculiar scent of cooked meat drifted into the distance. This area spanning several hundred meters was like a living hell.

Nangong Yan stopped breathing fire and looked coldly at everything below. He watched a pirate burn to death before his eyes, reduced to ash by the Solar True Flame. He ignored the countless pleas, curses, and shrieks of hatred from below.

Far out on the sea beyond Orange Island, an enormous pirate ship sailed toward the island. Nangong Yan sensed it and turned his head. Because of the distance, he had no choice but to activate the Mangekyo Sharingan.

The moment he saw the pirate flag flying from that ship, Nangong Yan's pupils suddenly shrank. Two curled mustaches stood proudly above a ghastly white skull.

Any devoted fan of Pirate King would immediately recognize that symbol. Whose pirate flag was it? Whose pirate crew was it?

Roger Pirates!