A cold sweat traced down Sengoku's temple as the Golden Lion's laughter thundered through the storm.
The Golden Lion… proposing an alliance with Roger?
It was madness.
These two were the Marines' greatest nightmares—their power, their reach, their audacity. And now, here they were, face to face, speaking of uniting.
But what chilled Sengoku to the core wasn't the proposal itself.
It was Roger's secret.
The Ancient Weapons.
No. That's not possible...
Sengoku's pulse pounded in his ears. He knew the truth behind that rumor—it had been fabricated, a psychological weapon the Marines had unleashed into the underworld to provoke fear, to sow chaos.
A lie.
A false lead.
It was Darren who had conceived that ploy. And yet—somehow—it had circled back to them as truth.
What the hell is going on...?
He turned sharply, eyes burning into the man beside him.
"Vice Admiral Darren! Did you know Roger held clues to the Ancient Weapons?!"
Darren raised his hands in mock innocence. "How could I, Admiral Sengoku? If even you didn't know, how could I?"
He grinned. "I was just making things up, like usual. Who knew it'd hit the mark?"
Sengoku studied him—his tone, his posture, his eyes.
No deception.
Just infuriating luck.
After a tense pause, Sengoku exhaled slowly. It... made sense. Darren was reckless, but not omniscient.
Still—
"Young Darren," he said tightly, "when are you going to order the attack? We can't let them keep negotiating. What if Roger actually accepts?"
Darren shook his head. "He won't."
Sengoku blinked. "How can you be so sure?"
Darren's smile didn't waver.
"Because it's Roger."
He stepped to the edge of the deck, arms crossed as he stared into the storm.
"Just give it a moment."
"They'll start fighting soon."
And then—
They did.
---
"Rule the world, huh...?"
Rain pelted Roger's face, streaming down his coat, soaking into his boots.
He gazed at the armada tightening around them, then up at the golden-maned pirate laughing in the sky.
"You haven't changed a bit, Shiki."
Then—he laughed.
Loud. Raw. Full of fire.
"Rule?!"
"Shiki! I've got zero interest in ruling anything!"
"What's the point of being a pirate if I can't do whatever I damn well please?!"
"Your offer... rejected!"
The storm didn't drown out the words. If anything, it carried them.
Golden Lion's smile collapsed.
A shadow fell across his eyes, and killing intent surged from him like a tidal wave.
"So, you'd rather die here."
Twin blades flashed into his hands—Oto and Kogarashi—their edges catching the storm's gleam. Water raced down the hilts, forming deadly beads that clung to the tips like venom.
Shiki's emotions swirled—resentment, rivalry, respect.
Roger had bested him too many times.
He respected the man's strength. Feared it, in some buried part of his pride. Which is why he offered this alliance—why he wanted Roger beside him, not against him.
But the damn fool had thrown it away without hesitation.
"No," Roger said, unsheathing his own blade in a single, ringing motion. The steel gleamed like drawn lightning.
"I mean I'm going to annihilate every last one of you!"
And then—
Their eyes met.
Red.
Crackling.
Crackle...!
Zzzt—
The sea between them convulsed as black and crimson lightning erupted from their bodies. A collision of wills—a Conqueror's Haki clash so massive, the sky itself warped.
The storm split open.
The wind roared.
The clouds parted in a spiral of colorless void and blood-hued fury.
Roger Pirates staggered, shielding their eyes.
Buggy and Shanks collapsed to the deck, gasping for air.
On the enemy ships, pirates fainted by the dozen—eyes rolling back, mouths foaming.
Even nature recoiled.
The world trembled.
This wasn't battle.
It was dominion.
"Hahahaha! COME ON, SHIKI!!"
Roger burst forward like a cannonball, leaping from the Oro Jackson, crimson coat billowing, his sword glowing with lightning so fierce it looked torn from the heavens.
"You're courting your own death!!" Shiki roared.
His twin blades ignited with the same black-red lightning, forming a vortex of raw destruction as he launched himself into the air.
Their roars echoed like war drums.
"ROGER!!"
"SHIKI!!"
"ROGER!!"
"SHIKI!!"
BOOM!!!
They collided.
And the sea shattered.
The explosion of force split the sky. A shockwave rippled across the ocean, hurling waves miles into the air. Ships groaned under the pressure. The very world convulsed under the fury of two titans.
A frozen silence fell.
Then—
Tidal chaos.
The Marine ships, though positioned at a distance, were rocked violently. Crests of seawater slammed against their hulls, their formation nearly breaking apart from the sheer force of the impact.
Sengoku gripped the railing, face white.
"You were right, Young Darren!!"
He gripped the railing tightly, his eyes bloodshot with urgency, and roared, "They've engaged! Order the attack now!"
To be continued...