A Little Guy Not to Be Underestimated

Moments later, the ship ahead came into view.

"Garp!"

"You really do make things difficult for me!"

"To think I'd run into you again on this vast sea!"

Laughter rang out from the other ship, stirring the sea breeze.

Xia Le focused his gaze.

It was a man wearing a captain's hat, his face brimming with smiles and confidence.

The man now known as Gol D. Roger.

The future Pirate King, Gol D. Roger!

A little fellow not to be underestimated

"Bogard, full speed ahead! Don't let this guy run away again!"

Garp shouted.

Bogard obeyed, and the warship picked up speed once more, racing across the sea toward the Oro Jackson ahead.

The distance between the two ships shrank visibly.

"Is he insane? He's bringing a bunch of Marine recruits to fight us?"

Rayleigh, with his short golden hair, looked at the young faces aboard the warship and spoke in surprise.

"Hahahaha! We both know Garp, don't we?"

"That's just the kind of man he is!"

"Even if he were alone, he'd still chase us all over the place."

Roger laughed heartily, his eyes fixed on the rapidly approaching warship as his right hand settled on the sword hilt at his waist.

"Every time I run into this guy, it gets my blood boiling!"

A gleam of fighting spirit appeared in Roger's eyes, and his aura steadily grew stronger.

Silvers Rayleigh slowly drew the Cane Sword at his waist, narrowing his eyes.

Behind him, Gaban, Scopper, Sambel, and the others likewise drew their weapons.

Douglas Bullet stared at the figure ahead, hesitation flickering in his eyes before he finally clenched his fists.

Roger!

With that terminal illness, can you still stand against him?

The sea breeze suddenly strengthened, sweeping overhead and stirring their hair.

In the blink of an eye, the Dog-Head Warship came within four or five hundred meters of them. For ordinary warships and vessels, that distance might have exceeded the range of standard cannons, but for the World's Strongest...

Four or five hundred meters could be crossed in an instant.

And so, at that very moment—

"Vmmm!"

Roger abruptly drew the long sword at his waist. His aura surged forth in an instant, rushing toward the warship with frenzied force.

Black lightning seemed to burst from the very air.

Above the calm sea, beneath the warm sunlight, the air was suddenly filled with a suffocating, oppressive aura of dominance.

That vast aura swept forward like a gale, like lightning, reaching the warship in an instant.

"Hahahahaha!"

Garp burst out laughing and tore off his white Justice Cloak, revealing the black shirt beneath, which looked ready to burst under his muscles.

"Conqueror's Haki! Conqueror's Haki again!"

Behind him, Sakazuki gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with both anger and fear.

He didn't know whether he could withstand that overbearing, violent aura.

The other Marine officers on deck were just as tense and frightened.

Suddenly, the air around them seemed to freeze. Then an aura no weaker than the one charging toward them rose up, surging forward with fearless, magnificent force.

"Vmmm!"

The two auras collided. Streaks of lightning appeared in the air, and both the sky and the sea split into two distinct regions.

Sakazuki froze, then looked up at the figure ahead wearing a white Justice Cloak.

"Xia Le!"

Kuzan smiled and drew the Military Saber at his waist.

At that moment, the black-haired youth standing to Garp's left had brilliant light shining in his eyes. His aura was even more domineering, terrifying enough to inspire awe.

This guy's spirit can actually stand against one of the world's Great Pirates!

Shocked, Sakazuki clenched his fists.

The sudden turn of events also startled the pirates aboard the Oro Jackson.

"Hahahaha!"

"Looks like we can't afford to underestimate our enemies at all!"

Roger laughed heartily.

The black-haired youth at the warship's bow had undoubtedly surprised them, because not one of them recognized him.

Both ships advanced swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, only three hundred meters remained between them.

At that very moment, Garp suddenly leaped high into the air.

Xia Le looked up and saw him soaring at an astonishing speed, his silhouette dazzling against the sun.

"How many times have we fought now?"

"Garp!"

Almost in the next second, another figure shot into the air, drawing rapidly closer to Garp amid ringing laughter.

"Who knows?"

"There's no point counting something like that!"

Garp laughed.

The two seemed to hang in midair, a full three hundred meters above the sea, while everyone aboard the ships looked up.

Then, a second later, they saw Garp swing his fist as Roger swung his long sword.

Lightning!

Dense streaks of lightning erupted with terrifying force, and an unimaginable gale swept over everyone's heads.

"Fist Bone: Clash!"

"Divine Departure!"

There were still more than ten meters between them, but neither hesitated to strike.

Fist and blade collided. Black-red and golden lightning blazed blindingly, and an intangible pressure froze the air overhead, radiating in every direction.

Everything seemed to come to a standstill at that moment.

Time seemed to stop for two or three seconds.

"BOOM!"

Only then did the deafening crash ring out. Invisible ripples spread high above, and the distorted space refracted the sunlight into seven colors. The gale and overwhelming pressure made every heart race.

Xia Le looked up at the sky. Beneath the dazzling light, he realized that Garp had somehow already returned to his side.

At the same time, Roger landed on the bow of the Oro Jackson.

"Roger, that slash of yours wasn't what it used to be!"

Garp shouted.

As his longtime opponent, he had keenly detected something wrong with that strike.

"Hahahaha!"

Roger laughed heartily but gave no reply.

Then he turned around and nodded to his crew.

"Let's go. We don't have time to deal with this madman."

Rayleigh nodded.

After glancing at the warship behind them, the other crew members quickly sprang into action.

Only Bullet remained, his fists clenched as he stared hard at Roger.

Are you still the strongest man in this world?

Roger!

But in the end, he never voiced the question.

"What's wrong, Bullet?"

As though sensing something, Roger turned and asked with a smile.

"Nothing!"

Bullet unclenched his fists and answered in a low voice.

Roger smiled faintly, then looked at the two youngsters nearby. "Buggy, Shanks, don't just stand there, you two! Go help Rayleigh!"

"Yes, Captain!"

The two immediately answered at the top of their lungs.

Almost instantly, the Oro Jackson accelerated to its limit, shooting forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.

"They're running!"

"After them, Bogard!"

Seeing this, Garp roared.

He grabbed the cannonballs piled beside him and hurled them forward, alternating hands.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

In an instant, the cannonballs formed a deadly rain, flying at unbelievable speed far beyond the range of ordinary cannons and blanketing the sky above the Oro Jackson.

Roger drew his sword and effortlessly sliced the cannonballs apart as he laughed.

Rayleigh, Bullet, and the others all joined in.

"Even alone, Garp's a tough one to deal with!"

Gaban said with a sigh.

No one disagreed. Having fought him many times, they knew the enemy pursuing them all too well.

"Xia Le, you join in too!"

"We absolutely cannot let Roger get away!"

Garp called out.

Xia Le paused, then immediately moved. "Yes!"

Then, copying Garp's movements, he grabbed a cannonball and hurled it with all his strength.

The cannonball shot forward, but it was much slower than Garp's.

"No, you need to put your strength into it like this!"