The New World.
A certain island.
Towering trees dozens of meters high covered the ground, and the jungle was thick with vegetation.
"Bang!"
Roger casually tossed the severely injured Rear Admiral onto the ground and laughed lightly,
"If you want to capture me, bring Garp and Sengoku along."
Blood poured from the Rear Admiral's chest wound as he gasped for breath, surrounded by his subordinates sprawled all over the ground. Not far off, their warships had already sunk beneath the waves.
"Damn it... Don't think you'll stay arrogant for long," he growled, glaring at the Roger Pirates with gritted teeth.
"We don't even need Vice Admiral Garp and Admiral Sengoku. Vice Admiral Daren alone can wipe you all out."
With those words, he passed out.
"Tch! That damn Marine brat again!"
Roger snorted in annoyance.
"Ever since they took down Shiki, that Marine brat's name just keeps getting louder..."
As he spoke, he unconsciously touched the belt around his waist. The plastic feel of the buckle oddly gave him a sense of security.
Seeing his small movement, Rayleigh and the others simply smiled and shook their heads.
"Well, it was the Golden Lion... That kid took down Shiki — it's the most glorious achievement the Marines have had since God Valley," Rayleigh said, a bit wistfully.
After all, Shiki had been from the same era as Roger and Rayleigh. Even though they had been enemies, and Roger had nearly been killed in the Battle of Edd War, Shiki's death still left Rayleigh feeling a complicated sense of regret.
Gaban frowned and added,
"Especially with that brat swearing he'd push into the New World... Now the Marines' morale around here is through the roof. Otherwise, there's no way a mere Rear Admiral would have dared to mess with us."
"And with the government and Marines making big moves lately, even Bullet's joined the newly established Shichibukai."
Rayleigh joked,
"So now Bullet's one of our enemies too?"
As they bantered, Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban's faces suddenly changed. The lightness in their eyes vanished, replaced by a sharpness, and a strange red glint flickered deep within their pupils.
"Captain! Something's coming this way really fast!!"
Buggy's trembling voice called out.
He was standing atop a large rock, clutching a spyglass tightly and staring toward the distant coast.
"It's fast! It's a person! A samurai!!"
A samurai!?
The Roger Pirates' eyes lit up instantly.
They knew well — they had come to this island precisely to find that legendary samurai!
"He's finally here..."
Roger burst out laughing, his sharp, Haki-infused gaze locking onto the figure sprinting through the jungle.
Bright almond-shaped eyes, thick eyebrows, wild black hair gathered into a large, round shape atop his head…
He wore an orange kimono with a crescent moon on the chest, and massive purple-and-white sacred ropes tied around his shoulders and waist — unmistakably the attire of the legendary samurai!
But what puzzled Roger was that the samurai only had one arm.
"You must be Roger!! I'm Kozuki Oden, Whitebeard's sworn brother!!"
Among the mountains and dense forest, Kozuki Oden bellowed with laughter, his fighting spirit surging as his Observation Haki locked firmly onto the figure in the red captain's coat.
Though he had been weighed down for some time by the troubling news about the Marines, in this moment, all his depression was swept away.
At last, he was facing Roger — the man recognized and praised even by Whitebeard himself!
Every bit of doubt and gloom was gone, leaving only an endless, burning fighting spirit!
He had never forgotten: when he set out from Wano, his greatest dream was to challenge the strongest on the seas!
And the man called Gol D. Roger might just be the one standing at the very summit of this world!
Not to mention — Roger was also a master swordsman!
At the thought of fighting the world's strongest pirate, Kozuki Oden trembled with excitement, his face flushing bright red.
"Come on! Let's fight!"
Clang!
Kozuki Oden roared with fighting spirit and drew one of the 21 Great Grade Blades, a sword crafted by a master from Wano Country.
Ame no Habakiri!
He leapt into the air.
Oden Nitōryū, Sword Drawing Technique!
Purple-black Ryuo swiftly wrapped around the blade of Ame no Habakiri. The moment his feet touched the ground, he shot forward like an arrow, racing straight toward Roger!
"Wahahaha! Come on!"
Roger laughed with joy instead of anger and took a step forward.
Sizzle, sizzle...
Black and red lightning crackled and wrapped tightly around the long sword in his hand. He swung it fiercely!
"Kamusari!"
A burst of black and red blade light exploded, slicing through everything and forcing even demons and gods to retreat!
Kozuki Oden's pupils shrank. He had no time to react before a gaping wound split open across his chest, and blood gushed out.
His entire body flew backward at a speed far faster than when he had charged forward, crashing through over a dozen towering trees before finally embedding himself into the wall of a mountain range, his face stunned and confused.
Debris scattered everywhere, and Kozuki Oden spat out a mouthful of blood, his face filled with disbelief.
That guy's sword hadn't even touched him... yet the sword light had slashed through his body!
This... was simply unbelievable!
He gritted his teeth, refusing to give in, and tried to move again.
But a towering, burly figure suddenly leapt up behind him.
A wide white captain's coat flared out behind him, and golden hair like a crown danced wildly in the air. In one hand, he gripped a naginata, crackling with the same eerie black and red lightning.
"The strongest man in the world"... Whitebeard Edward Newgate!
"Wahaha, you're here, Newgate!"
Roger's eyes blazed with excitement, and he burst into a run, laughing loudly.
Neither of them had the ability to fly, but relying on their incredible physical strength, they tore through the mountains at extreme speeds, rapidly closing the distance!
At that moment, their eyes locked. Sparks seemed to fly from the void itself, and in their gaze, there was no one else.
They attacked simultaneously!
"Newgate!"
"Roger!"
"Newgate!"
"Roger!"
Dragging their lightning-charged weapons, they swung at each other!
Boom!
A shockwave erupted, shaking the heavens and the earth, spreading across the entire island.
A dazzling white light engulfed everything in sight.
The earth shook, and the mountains trembled.
...
Three days later.
The battle between Roger's pirate crew and Whitebeard's pirate crew, which had raged for three days and three nights, finally drew to a close.
Now, the crew members of both sides were gathered around a huge bonfire, holding a lively party.
They stuffed themselves with steaming grilled meat, wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders, and drank themselves silly, roaring with laughter—no trace left of the fierce battle they had fought.
However, Buggy looked a little distracted.
He held a roasted chicken leg in his hand, quietly walked over to Shanks, poked him in the waist, and whispered,
"Hey, Shanks, look at that guy with the hat."
"Hm?"
Shanks frowned and followed Buggy's gaze.
There sat a boy, about fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a brown leather hat. His skin was dark, and he was currently hunched over, carefully wiping a sharp iron claw.
"He didn't seem to sleep at all during the truces yesterday and the day before!"
Buggy sounded surprised.
"Hm? Why?"
Shanks grew curious.
"How should I know? I just get this weird feeling that something's not right about him."
Buggy's eyes were filled with unease as he muttered,
"Anyway, if we ever run into that guy again, be careful. I just have this feeling... he's dangerous."
Shanks smiled casually.
"You're overthinking it, Buggy. He's just an apprentice under Captain Whitebeard... Besides, no matter how dangerous he is, could he possibly be more dangerous than that Marine?"
That Marine...
Buggy shuddered as if recalling a terrible memory.
"Yeah, that's true... but I still can't believe it. That powerful samurai had his arm cut off by that Marine too... Wait, why did I say 'too'?"
Shanks: "..."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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