The White Dove took off again, with a new member on board: Enel.
Encouraged by the crowd, Enel ate the Cloud-Cloud Fruit that Roy had given him.
The moment the fruit entered his mouth, the indescribable taste made his face scrunch up, but then a strange sensation began to develop within him.
He subconsciously reached out his hand, and with a slight thought, a soft, white Island Cloud appeared out of thin air in his palm, changing shape according to his will.
"Wow!" Enel looked at his hands in surprise, feeling the intimate connection between himself and the surrounding sea of clouds.
He tried to shape the clouds into the form of a small animal. Although he was still a bit clumsy, it already showed that he had a preliminary grasp of his abilities.
The combination of the Cloud-Cloud Fruit's power and Tesoro's Rumble-Rumble Fruit should produce some pleasant surprises.
Roy thought to himself, and then, urged on by Bullet and Hawk Eyes, he sped up and flew towards Angel Island Upper Yard.
Upper Yard, the ruins of the Golden Bell in Shandora.
The campfire roared, with wild beasts captured from who-knows-where strung on top. The Roger Pirates were gathered in twos and threes around the fire, feasting. Laughter, playful banter, and toasts mingled together, creating a lively atmosphere.
"Hahaha! You lost again! Drink!"
"Damn it! Again!!"
Roger, his face flushed, raised his glass and slapped his companion's back forcefully.
Rayleigh sat on a boulder a little further away, smiling as he watched his laughing and joking companions, holding a relatively small wine glass in his hand and slowly sipping his drink.
Gaban and Spencer were arm wrestling, surrounded by a group of cheering crew members.
The two interns, Buggy and Shanks, huddled together, whispering and plotting something, occasionally letting out sly laughs.
However, at that moment, Buggy, who was stuffing a piece of gold into his pocket, inadvertently looked up at the sky.
"A ship... Captain! There's a ship flying towards us from the sky!"
Buggy's shout immediately silenced the noisy banquet, and everyone looked in the direction Buggy was pointing.
The White Dove was flying towards them at an astonishing speed.
A ship that can fly in the sky?! This iconic ability instantly reminded all the veteran members of Roger Pirates of a formidable opponent.
"It's that bastard Golden Lion!"
Gaban released his grip on Spencer's hand, stood up, and his eyes sharpened.
" Shiki's ship isn't like that."
"Moreover, three of them felt very familiar to me!"
Rayleigh put down his glass, a smile appearing on his lips.
Roger stood up, shaking off his drunkenness, and looked up at the approaching ship with an interested expression.
"Hmm? If it's not that Shiki guy, then who could it be? Flying over so blatantly, he's got some nerve!"
Just as Roger and the others were speculating about the identity of the newcomers, Roy, standing at the bow of the ship, also noticed them.
The spaceship suddenly slowed down and then came to a steady stop in an open space, separated from the Roger Pirates only by a forest path.
Before the boat had even come to a complete stop, several figures had already leaped off the boat and landed on the soft grass.
Roy stood at the forefront, his long golden hair flowing, the hem of his black cloak fluttering in the wind, a smile on his face as he looked toward the campfire, where he met Roger and Rayleigh, who were also looking toward him.
"Buzz~"
Roy unleashed a destructive burst of Conqueror's Haki, engulfing Roger and his group in front of him, and cracks appeared in the trees around them as the Conqueror's Haki swept through.
"Conqueror's Haki... Conqueror's Haki?!"
Buggy immediately grabbed Shanks beside him and cried out in terror, while Shanks carefully sensed the pressure.
This Conqueror's Haki's Haki is powerful yet destructive, completely different from that of Captain Roger and Rayleigh.
Almost simultaneously, a black and red Inazuma erupted from Roger's body, his wild, violent, and kingly Conqueror's Haki colliding fiercely with Roy's Conqueror's Haki!
"Boom--!"
The two Conqueror's Haki met in mid-air, and after only a brief stalemate, Roy's Conqueror's Haki slowly contracted under Roger's pressure, only able to maintain a position a dozen meters in front of him.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Roy's face. As expected, Roger was indeed a top-tier fighter on the high seas; his Conqueror's Haki was not something he could contend with now.
Just as Roy's Conqueror's Haki was failing, Bullet stepped forward, unleashing a burst of Demonic Aura Conqueror's Haki from his body, and the two of them simultaneously resisted Roger's pressure.
Tesoro and the others couldn't help but retreat; facing such a level of Conqueror's Haki for the first time, they couldn't withstand it either.
Only Hawk Eyes remained in place, carefully sensing the pressure of Conqueror's Haki.
There was no earth-shattering explosion, but after Bullet joined the fray, the clash of Conqueror's Haki made the entire space tremble!
An invisible pressure filled the air, almost extinguishing the flames of the campfire.
The clouds in the sky seemed to be stirred by a giant hand, spreading outwards from the center of the clash of Conqueror's Haki.
Dark red and invisible Mental Shock intertwined, collided, and annihilated in the air, bursting forth with streaks of black and red Inazuma.
This sudden exchange lasted for several seconds before gradually subsiding.
Roy's gaze swept over the Roger Pirates, who were on high alert, and finally settled on Rayleigh beside Roger.
"Mr. Rayleigh, Sashiberdana."
"Huh!?"
Buggy looked surprised when he heard Roy greet his first mate.
Rayleigh looked at Roy, then at the group of young men behind him, each with a distinct temperament but none weak, their eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit. A knowing and appreciative smile appeared on his face as well.
" Roy, it seems you've come here specifically to find us. What's this? After all these years, you're unleashing your Conqueror's Haki right away. That's not very polite."
Haha~ Is there any more effective way to greet someone than this!?
Roy stepped forward, his fighting spirit surging. The others behind him also prepared for battle, their eyes fixed on Roger.
"Let's save the reminiscing for later. We've heard so much about the Roger Pirates; let's start with a proper greeting from the pirates!"
Roger grinned broadly and slapped his thigh.
"Hahaha! Rayleigh, we've been underestimated!"
"What arrogant brats! Men, get your spirits up and teach these youngsters a lesson."
"I couldn't be more eager! I've been itching to get my hands on it for ages!"
"It seems the banquet will have to be temporarily suspended."
Gaban cracked his neck, and Rayleigh pushed up his glasses.
Buggy and Shanks were both nervous and excited as they looked at the Roger Pirates.
Roy glanced around at his teammates and said in a deep voice, " Bullet, the one with the axe, is yours! Mihawk, Rayleigh is a Great Swordsman! Tesoro, Stella, Savi, Enel, you find your own opponents and experience the gap between yourselves and the world's best! Pea, provide support!"
"I can't wait any longer!" Bullet stepped forward, transforming into his beast form, a pair of steel brass knuckles materializing on his tiger claws, and wisps of wind blades gathering around his body.
Hawk Eyes remained silent, his Black Blade Yoru already in hand, his sharp gaze locked onto Rayleigh.