On the azure sea, Buggy's hands suddenly began shaking violently as he held up his telescope.
"C-Captain Roger!" he shrieked, his voice cracking.
"That warship looks... looks like it's charging straight at us at full speed!"
"Hmm?" Rayleigh paused with his wine cup in hand, frowning slightly. "The Navy in the first half of the Grand Line... is that reckless?"
The laughter on deck abruptly stopped.
"Buggy, are you serious? We're the Roger Pirates!" An incredulous Shanks snatched the telescope from him.
Yet the instant he adjusted the focus, a figure standing at the warship's bow came clearly into view.
A black shirt snapped in the sea breeze, and a Justice cloak with black-trimmed cuffs billowed behind him. The Black Blade: Eight Desolations in his right hand radiated a chilling presence.
"This guy..." Cold sweat suddenly broke out on Shanks's forehead. Before he could say anything else, Buggy's voice rang out again.
"N-No!" Now that Buggy could see clearly, he suddenly leaped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"Captain Roger! That's no ordinary Navy officer! It's... it's 'Heavenquake' Gern!!"
The name exploded across the deck like a bomb.
"Heavenquake?" Roger's smile faltered for a moment.
A cold gleam flashed across Rayleigh's lenses, and even the ever-arrogant Bullet abruptly rose to his feet.
Over the years, the Navy's Heavenquake had earned a reputation that none of them dared take lightly!
"No wonder. So it's him!" Rayleigh adjusted his glasses, their lenses reflecting a cold light. "Looks like that isn't an ordinary Four Blues Patrol Warship..."
"Hahaha!" Standing at the bow with his hands on his hips, Roger laughed broadly. "Interesting! I was just thinking we could sink it to liven up the party. Who would've thought he'd charge straight at us?!"
"Heavenquake..." Rayleigh strolled forward. "Picking a