Rogge threw a punch, but the Black Vortex in Blackbeard's hand absorbed his Devil Fruit power.
"Zehahahaha..." Blackbeard closed his hand around Rogge's fist and laughed. He was much larger than Rogge.
"Heh heh!" Rogge flashed a broad grin too. Even with his power nullified, he was still smiling.
The sight of that grin enraged Blackbeard. "What are you laughing at?"
"I'm just smiling. Is that not allowed?" Rogge grinned and raised his other fist. This time, it was coated not in Devil Fruit power, but in Haki.
"Hmph!"
Blackbeard snorted. Rogge's laughter irritated him, and he raised his own fist in response. Unfortunately, he did not have the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. The Float-Float Fruit was certainly destructive, but how could it compare to the Tremor-Tremor Fruit in close combat?
One could even say that the Float-Float Fruit had no real close-combat abilities. Shiki was a master swordsman who used Two-Sword Style. The people of that era had truly been powerful. After Rocks was gone, the former members of the Rocks Pirates had ruled these seas.
Rogge had never seen Captain John or the others. They had died early, before their strength reached its peak. Only Shiki, Whitebeard, Kaido, and Charlotte Linlin had truly reached theirs. Roger had not belonged to the Rocks Pirates, but he had joined forces with Garp to defeat Rocks.
The Float-Float Fruit was powerful, but even back then, Shiki had not been the strongest man on the seas. Shiki himself had admitted that after Roger died, the seas belonged to Whitebeard. It was an acknowledgment of Whitebeard's strength.
Shiki's only mistake had been fastening his two swords to his legs. Rogge had never understood why such a powerful man would do that.
In truth, it had been a matter of dignity. Even though he could fly,