With Raleigh being fresh and well-rested, plus having another top-tier fighter like Garp joining in, there naturally weren't any issues.
But the current Roger was different—Golden Lion's death had clearly provoked him.
Moreover, Garp wasn't holding back like before either. The intensity of their fight was gradually escalating.
Just like that sword strike Roger had just unleashed—while it didn't contain his full power, the technique remained flawless.
Whether it was the timing, the swiftness of the attack, or the overwhelmingly domineering aura.
All of it left Raleigh unable to fully describe the brilliance of Roger's sword technique.
If Raleigh were facing Roger right now, he might be wounded by this single strike.
If he didn't use elementalization to evade, Raleigh would likely be killed within ten exchanges with Roger.
This wasn't baseless speculation—it was simply Roger's true capability.
He was a technically superior top-tier fighter, with no Devil Fruit abilities to exploit.
Mastery of all three types of Haki combined with world-class swordsmanship made him impossible for Vice Admirals to contend with.
Even elite Vice Admirals could only last a few more moves.
Just like Oden—despite possessing immense physical strength and powerful swordsmanship, he was instantly defeated by Roger's Divine Departure.
Roger's sword strike didn't just surprise Raleigh and Kuzan—even Garp, who was about to clash with it head-on, was thoroughly shocked.
"When did Roger's strength improve again?"
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the pitch-black iron-like fist finally met Roger's blade.
Clang!
Garp successfully blocked Ace's sharp edge, but simultaneously, his upper garment suddenly split open.
The Armament Haki covering his body was cut through, leaving a shallow wound on his chest.
"Damn you, Roger!"
Roger lifted his face, revealing a triumphant smile.
"Divine Departure!"
Garp's figure was forced back five full steps before he could steady himself.
During this process, Roger didn't press his attack against Garp.
"Hah, this bastard's ability..."
Garp let out a rough breath, unable to suppress his cursing.
Roger's Conqueror's Haki infusion was among the finest in the world.
To counter his Divine Departure, Garp had been tirelessly honing his own Armament Haki day and night.
This is why others struck by Divine Departure would be sent flying if they couldn't clash with Conqueror's Haki infusion.
Yet Garp, relying on Armament Haki trained deep into his bones, stubbornly withstood it.
Garp tore off his Marine uniform from the upper body, revealing a torso full of muscles and scars, his eyes fixed intently on Roger before him.
"Roger, let's begin!"
"Just what I had in mind!"
With two furious roars, Garp and Roger's figures collided mid-air once again.
Boom.
The clash between two of the world's top fighters transformed the calm sea.
Unnoticed by anyone, the sky had become completely shrouded in dark clouds.
Electric dragons writhed among the clouds, their blinding flashes continuously illuminating the cloud layer.
Kuzan and Raleigh watched the intense battle, not daring to speak, even holding their breath lightly, solely focused on observing the fight between these powerhouses.
Of all present, aside from Scopper Gaban who had retrieved Golden Lion's body, no one else made any move to intervene.
Even as Golden Lion's corpse was taken away, they remained motionless.
In the sky, two equally terrifying auras continuously swept out in all directions.
All Marine soldiers and pirates held their breath, anticipating the outcome of this earth-shattering battle.
The red figure was Roger, unleashing his Conqueror's Haki at full power, his sword Ace now completely transformed into black-red lightning.
Facing him was Garp, bare-chested, his fists coated with incredibly dense Armament Haki.
"Galaxy Impact!!"
"Divine Departure!!"
Both attacks landed simultaneously, colliding with each other.
A dazzling light erupted from the point of impact, followed by two seconds of absolute silence in the world.
BOOM!!!
A visible energy wave appeared where they clashed, spreading at speeds invisible to the naked eye.
The black-red lightning around Roger continuously surged and vanished, like a demon god emerging from hell.
Only at this moment did the sound fully propagate.
The nearest Marine soldiers, unprepared for protection, suffered temporary deafness, while the Roger Pirates had long made preparations and were less affected.
The explosive shockwaves swept from the sky to the sea, lifting the already turbulent waves over ten meters high, crashing heavily against the warships and pirate vessels.
The warships could only struggle to maintain balance under this assault, distancing themselves from these waters.
Few Marine personnel remained standing now.
On Raleigh's warship, only Enel and a few officers of Lieutenant Colonel rank or higher remained upright.
Most others were pressed against the deck, desperately resisting Roger's fully unleashed Conqueror's Haki.
Even the exceptionally skilled Raleigh and Kuzan felt shocked by the aura Roger was emitting.
They had heard Roger possessed the world's strongest Conqueror's Haki but never witnessed it firsthand.
Experiencing his full-powered Conqueror's Haki up close, they could only say it lived up to its reputation.
Standing at the ship's bow, though their bodies strained against this terrifying pressure, they kept their eyes fixed on every detail of the aerial battle, afraid to miss even a moment.
Raleigh and Kuzan exchanged glances, their eyes filled with thirst for power and burning fighting spirit.
This is an unimaginable intensity of combat.
The suffocating impact of Conqueror's Haki was merely the aftermath of Roger and Garp's clash, with Roger's most ferocious attacks being fully borne by Garp in their duel.
In the eyes of Raleigh and Kuzan, the entire sea trembled violently from the battle between Roger and Garp.
Even space itself continuously warped and distorted.
This was the power of the world's top-tier fighters!
'This is the man I want to become!'
Raleigh's heart swelled with lofty ambitions.
He didn't need to put in excessive effort because he had the System, and sooner or later, he would reach the pinnacle of the world.
But before witnessing the battle between Garp and Roger, he couldn't truly grasp the gap between them.
It was like someone with only a small fortune couldn't imagine the life of a billionaire worth hundreds of billions.
Though his face paled slightly under the pressure of their imposing aura, his eyes grew increasingly bright.
Just as Raleigh was lost in thought, the clash between Roger and Garp reached its climax.
The confrontation between iron fists and a famed blade was finally about to determine a victor.
With the final punch thrown, Garp clearly sensed that Roger on the opposite side was running out of stamina.
He abruptly increased his punching speed by ten percent, aiming a heavy blow at Roger's chest.
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