Roger and Raleigh disappeared without a trace after entering the dark green tornado.
But soon, the tornado underwent earth-shaking changes!
Swoosh!
Crescent-shaped Sword Beams shot out in all directions from the tornado's eye.
Roger and Raleigh had charged inside specifically to destroy it from within.
"Divine Departure!"
Roger's signature technique was unleashed once more, with the Supreme Grade sword Ace wrapped in black-red lightning recklessly tearing through the tornado's interior.
Silvers Rayleigh silently watched the scene, deciding not to take further action.
Because after he had launched his own attack earlier, Garp had deliberately positioned himself to block Rayleigh's movements.
It was clear Garp didn't want Roger to fight him here.
Though furious inside, Raleigh could do nothing—Garp outranked him, had more experience, and more importantly, the soldiers on the other two warships would unquestionably obey Garp rather than him.
Without majority support, any desperate effort from Raleigh would end like Akainu at the Summit War—bleeding in vain.
As these thoughts raced through Raleigh's mind, a terrifyingly immense pressure erupted from within the tornado.
The overwhelming force completely shattered the already damaged vortex.
Boom!
With a tremendous roar, the once-fearsome tornado vanished without a trace, leaving only churned-up seawater pouring down from the sky, drenching the entire area in a curtain of falling ocean.
The previously chaotic visibility cleared somewhat after Roger and Silvers Rayleigh dealt with the tornado, washed clean by the heavy rain.
Seawater showered over everyone's bodies.
Roger, wearing his blood-red captain's coat, adjusted his hat and gripped Ace while flashing his trademark smile.
A demonic aura burst from his body, sweeping toward the Marine forces.
"Hahaha, is this your technique, kid? Seems weaker than an old lady's fan to me!"
Roger stood laughing on the rain-swept bow of his ship.
But behind him, Silvers Rayleigh's arm trembled slightly, revealing the effort hadn't been effortless.
"Roger, we should move quickly now," Silvers Rayleigh reminded Roger in a low voice.
Their rest had been too brief, and their stamina remained severely depleted.
Delaying further risked unpredictable complications.
With seawater falling from the sky suppressing Devil Fruit Ability Users, this was their best opportunity.
The two young Marine officers opposite were clearly powerful Devil Fruit Ability Users—keeping them temporarily restrained from interference was victory enough.
The remaining one, Garp, naturally wouldn't obstruct Roger's actions.
In fact, the situation on the scene unfolded exactly as Silvers Rayleigh had planned.
The moment the tornado exploded, Raleigh and Kuzan had already leaped onto a distant warship.
Kuzan even created an ice hut to shield them from the seawater's effects.
Raleigh tucked Golden Lion's two swords into his robes and followed Kuzan into the ice shelter.
Seeing Raleigh enter, Kuzan immediately extended his hand.
"What's up, Kuzan?" Raleigh asked curiously.
"Finder's keeper's rules—though you dealt the final blow to Golden Lion, I contributed too. So I deserve half the spoils," Kuzan stated seriously.
Though he didn't particularly favor using swords, it didn't mean he couldn't.
Moreover, Golden Lion's blades were among the world's top-ranked—valuable for collection or gifting.
Hearing this, Raleigh hid the two famed blades behind his back and said, "Kuzan, these things go to the swift. Though you did help, Vice Admiral Garp and I did most of the work. At most, you can have something else."
"Besides, the greatest gain from Golden Lion's defeat isn't these swords, but the military merit."
"I'll voluntarily relinquish credit as the main force in Golden Lion's defeat. You and Vice Admiral Garp can be credited as the Marines who teamed up to defeat him. How about that?"
Raleigh had no intention of giving up either sword, preferring to trade the fame of slaying Golden Lion with Kuzan.
Kuzan shook his head. "Don't be naive, Raleigh. It's not just the three of us who know about this."
"Even if we can keep our Marine soldiers quiet, we can't silence Roger's pirates or Golden Lion's remnants. Credit should go where it's due."
"Fighting alongside Vice Admiral Garp and taking down a New World legend like Golden Lion is satisfaction enough for me."
Kuzan was pragmatic about such matters—not one obsessed with power.
Becoming a Vice Admiral or Admiral was never his initial goal, otherwise Garp wouldn't have been his idol.
His asking for spoils was mainly to bond with Raleigh through light banter, though Raleigh took it somewhat seriously.
"But I still deserve some loot—can't let me work for free, right?" Kuzan whistled while watching Raleigh.
Finally understanding, Raleigh realized Kuzan didn't treat the division of spoils as a big deal—he'd been overthinking it.
Still, Raleigh felt it better to clarify things early.
"Kuzan, I truly need these blades. As for compensation, I owe you a favor. Anytime you ask, I'll deliver."
Kuzan nodded contentedly.
For young powerhouses like them entering the world stage, incurring favors was rare—after all, a debt made at Rear Admiral rank might only be repaid at Admiral level, with far greater stakes.
However, it depends on the situation.
A favor concerning spoils of war naturally can't compare to a life-saving favor, and when it comes time to repay, it should be of equivalent value.
Just as Raleigh and Kuzan were hiding in the ice house, Roger outside had already arrived before Garp.
"Roger, I will definitely capture you and send you to Impel Down today!" Garp shouted, raising his two iron fists as he charged toward Roger.
A flash of crimson red passed through Roger's eyes, followed by his right hand wielding Ace slashing toward Garp's fist at an incredible speed.
This single sword strike even amazed the hiding Raleigh.
Having never had the chance to witness top-tier fighters in battle before, Raleigh had always held a vague understanding of their true strength.
Neither Sengoku nor Garp had ever fought at full power in front of him, and he hadn't seen the battle between Golden Lion and Roger either.
The half-hearted fight between Garp and the recently escaped Roger held no reference value whatsoever.
Even the intense battle with Golden Lion just now was essentially bullying a severely weakened opponent who couldn't even use Conqueror's Haki.