"Roger, are you here to die? Taste my cannonballs!"
A buzzing sound echoed as Garp continuously picked up round cannonballs from the deck, using his immense arm strength to hurl them toward Roger's ship.
The cannonballs whistled through the air, then descended like a storm, densely raining down on the Oro Jackson.
"I'll handle this."
For the Roger Pirates, who had faced Garp's tactics countless times, everyone except Buggy and Shanks knew Garp's habits well.
The most familiar was the "Dark King" Silvers Rayleigh.
Gripping the long sword at his waist, he lightly stepped on the deck and soared into the air, flying toward the incoming cannonballs.
Watching Rayleigh leap up, Garp cursed inwardly: 'Idiot Roger, I've made it so obvious! Why aren't you taking the hint? Why aren't you leaving?'
As if hearing Garp's thoughts, Roger flashed a foolish grin at him.
A tremendous explosion erupted in the sky as Rayleigh drew his sword.
The blade, coated with Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, was swung with immense force, unleashing a powerful hurricane mixed with Rayleigh's Sword Beams.
Combined, they formed a tornado-like attack—hollow inside, with sharp Sword Beams swirling on the outside.
Garp had thrown over a hundred cannonballs in one go, and before they could fall, Rayleigh had locked onto them.
The round projectiles were instantly slashed and shredded by countless Sword Beams within the tornado he created.
All of Garp's cannonballs detonated simultaneously mid-air, their combined power staggering.
Vast clouds of smoke, interspersed with flames, filled the sky.
Orange-red fireballs flickered within the haze, dyeing the entire sky crimson.
Roger's expression remained unchanged.
He knew perfectly well whether Rayleigh could handle Garp's assault.
Over the years, they had developed a tacit understanding with Garp, and they were long accustomed to his cannonball barrages.
As long as the cannonballs didn't hit the pirate ship, there was no need to worry about any sudden crises at sea.
The moment Rayleigh's feet touched the deck, a creaking sound echoed.
He looked up to see the mast of the Oro Jackson tilting sharply backward.
The pirate flag, which Roger had painstakingly commissioned, hung from that mast—originally meant to be displayed proudly.
A puzzled expression crossed Rayleigh's face; he had never encountered such a situation before.
Roger turned his head and shouted loudly:
"Bullet, use your Devil Fruit ability to repair the mast! Prepare for battle at any moment. We don't know when we'll engage Garp in combat."
Jabba, who was steering the helm, yelled:
"Bullet, you need to fix the mast quickly! Time is already running short."
Whoosh—
The howling wind seemed to appear out of nowhere, forcefully propelling the Oro Jackson forward.
"Spencer, just maintain the ship's stability for now."
"No matter where this wind comes from, even if it's escaping from the Marines, there's always a chance to survive against all odds."
Christian Raleigh was confident because he judged the gap in personnel quality between the two sides.
Even with the same lineup, there would still be one-on-one kills and being killed.
"Garp, I'm not in the mood to fight you today, but I must take Shiki's body with me. No matter what, Shiki has been someone I've known for many years."
"If he's dead, he should naturally be buried where he wanted to go."
Roger shouted with complete seriousness.
He had been a big liar from the very beginning—just as he set out, he had already swindled a ship along with fruits and vegetables.
'Who are those two behind Garp? Judging by their aura, they're just two young men in their twenties, and they're already Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals at Headquarters?' Roger pondered, assessing the new threats.
Raleigh didn't bother taunting the Roger Pirates because there was no need.
However, if they came to cause trouble, it would undoubtedly be a provocation against the Marines' justice and a trampling of the Marines' dignity.
After hearing this, Douglas Bullet's already bulging muscles swelled to an inhuman degree.
Silvers Rayleigh, after hearing the news, switched from holding his sword with one hand to both hands, and he had a group of exceptionally skilled comrades.
The sea breeze had grown much stronger compared to just moments before.
Raleigh stepped out from behind Garp, holding a massive dark green wind sphere in his hand, as if he had grabbed it bare-handed.
"Pirates will always be scum, and the Marines will never agree to a pirate's terms."
The reason he had been gathering energy behind Garp for so long was for the move he now held in his hand.
"Go, Boundless Wind Domain!"
Raleigh fiercely hurled the Boundless Wind Domain in his hand toward the distant Roger Pirates.
A tsunami over ten meters high surged across the sea, though it was currently erupting in uninhabited or remote waters.
So, the pirates didn't pay it much mind—in their view, how powerful could a Vice Admiral's attack be?
From the moment Raleigh threw it, the dark green wind sphere began to expand, expand, and expand again in the air.
The continuously swelling wind sphere finally revealed its true form—it was a miniature tornado.
The terrifying storm swept up seawater and dark clouds, flying toward the heads of the Roger Pirates' members, as if intending to recreate the earlier scene.
"This seems like an ability to control air."
"No, I feel it's more like controlling the wind."
"Maybe it's a hurricane."
"Regardless, we can't let this thing get near our ship, Rayleigh."
Roger shouted loudly, then charged into the sky first, raising his sword Ace high and yelling.
Upon hearing Roger's words, Silvers Rayleigh immediately knew what to do.
He followed Roger into the sky, and after the two exchanged glances, they nodded at each other.
A smug smile appeared at the corner of Roger's lips, while Silvers Rayleigh beside him also revealed a faint grin.
The Conqueror's Haki dancing like a serpent along the blade of Roger's sword Ace resembled lightning drawn from the heavens.
"Crush them all!"
Roger laughed wildly before charging into the tornado with Ace wrapped in Conqueror's Haki.
Silvers Rayleigh followed just half a second behind, plunging into the whirlwind as well.
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