Boom!
The sky and the sea boiled.
Thunder and flames, gales and molten rock—various elements roared continuously.
The small island that had served as the battlefield was now completely sunk.
The two observers had to retreat several nautical miles away just to ensure they weren't swallowed by the rampaging natural disaster.
Yet, despite the astonishing destructive power, Patrick Redfield, who maintained altitude by continuously stepping on the air with Geppō (Moonwalk), commented:
"The power is much weaker than when he fought the Five Elders before."
The intensity and frequency back then were on an entirely different level compared to now.
Kaido didn't mind. "That brat Roa's combat power is heavily influenced by the environment. Simply put, the more people there are, the stronger he gets."
"Besides, isn't this enough?"
It was indeed enough. In the distant sky, Roa and Shiki the Golden Lion continued their fierce fight.
Roa relentlessly rained various natural disasters down upon Shiki.
He didn't expect these attacks to inflict fatal damage on Shiki. All they needed to do was delay his movement, deplete his stamina, and cause moderate injuries—that was enough!
Just like in his battle with Roger!
It was extremely effective.
Aided by these elemental attacks, Roa swung his twin swords, leaving slashes across Shiki's body.
He was, of course, also being cut bloody by Shiki, but his wounds healed rapidly, constantly maintaining a state of minor injury.
Consequently...
"Hh—Hh—Hh—"
Shiki's labored breathing sounded like an old, broken bellows, squeezing out muffled, indistinct sounds from deep within his throat.
His entire body was bleeding profusely, and his face was pale as paper. "You're... utterly shameless..."
The God's Knights' immortality could, at least, be temporarily suppressed by Conqueror's Haki to inhibit their recovery.
But the current Roa healed quickly from any attack, any injury, with no means to stop it.
Unless Shiki could defeat Roa in an extremely short amount of time, or land a fatal blow on a vital point, he couldn't imagine how he could possibly defeat this brat, Roa!
Even that mysterious Celestial Dragon woman probably didn't possess such strength, did she?
She certainly had power that surpassed Roa's, but she couldn't defeat Roa without him being able to resist.
As long as he could resist, Roa could recover and drag the fight out.
"Uncle Shiki,"
Roa also bore wounds that hadn't fully recovered. His clothes were shredded, and he was covered in blood, but his condition was far better than Shiki's.
"Isn't it time to end this?"
"Hh—Then, then come meet, my Lion's Bite!!"
Shiki's ravaged body launched a final charge. The surging Haki accompanying his sword swings and leaps became thick bolts of Haki lightning!
Then, brilliant golden light surged up, instantly transforming into a gigantic Lion's Head, crushing the air, jaws wide open, sharp fangs exposed, and biting straight towards Roa.
"Suits me perfectly!"
Roa's laugh boomed like thunder. He likewise brought down his twin swords. "Tiger Devour!"
Dark red airflow spread out like a tide, and the next moment, it also transformed into an immense Fierce Tiger!
In the next instant, the two behemoths, one gold and one crimson, violently collided.
Boom!
The atmosphere shook. The powerful shockwave instantly turned the area of the monsters' clash into a vacuum. Not only that, but the mere residual force spreading down from the sky caused the sea itself to cave in, forming a massive basin on the water's surface.
"Ugh!"
Rayleigh, who was watching, was blown away. The extremely turbulent airflow made his Geppō virtually unusable.
He quickly grabbed the cloud beneath Kaido's feet to keep from being blown into the stratosphere.
"That's so exaggerated!"
Kaido watched the lion and the tiger fiercely tearing at each other and couldn't help but sneer.
Both of these bastards were too strong!
If this was the case, Roa was completely toying with him during their last fight!
"However, it seems to finally be over."
Patrick Redfield's face was full of awe. "Roa is really going to win."
In the sky, the fight between the Lion's Head and the Destructive Tiger was nearing its end.
The Lion's Head was, after all, only a head—a peculiarly shaped Flying Slash, straightforward and unchanging.
The dark-red Destructive Tiger, though also a slash, behaved like a true savage beast—nimble and fierce. It wrapped itself around the Lion's Head, tearing with sharp claws and biting with fangs.
Finally, under the ferocious onslaught, the Golden Lion's attack shattered, dissolving into countless light specks.
Shiki's blood-blurred eyes only saw a flash of golden light, followed by a dark-red shadow suddenly crushing down on him.
His trembling hands instinctively tried to swing his swords to meet the attack.
However, the fierce tiger opened its massive mouth and swallowed him whole.
"Roar!"
The dark-red behemoth, after swallowing Shiki, roared triumphantly skyward like a real fierce tiger.
Roa beckoned to it. The massive creature immediately bounded towards Roa like a kitten, disintegrating in the process.
What flew into Roa's hand was only the much-more-battered Shiki.
The crimson tiger was essentially a unique slash attack, infused with vitality (blood), various elements, and then controlled by Roa's will, effectively bringing it to life.
Because it was a slash, Shiki now bore several more deep wounds.
Though he hadn't lost consciousness, he was clearly out of the fight.
Shiki struggled to open his eyes, but Roa in front of him remained somewhat blurry.
I lost.
Completely and utterly lost.
This brat has grown to a point where he can truly look down on me!
This outcome had been somewhat anticipated, but he never expected it to happen so fast!
No wonder this kid never accepted anyone's invitation to join their crew from the very beginning.
He knew all along that it wouldn't be long before he surpassed everyone.
How lucky was that bastard Rocks, to pick up the weakest version of Roa and become the only captain he ever acknowledged.
"That was a exhilarating fight, Uncle Shiki!"
Roa raised the corner of his mouth and smiled.
"You, you won,"
Shiki spoke with effort, but a strange smile spread across his blood-stained face.
"But, but Roa, it's not over yet. Just you wait and see who, who can take this world..."
The momentary confusion born from defeat was quickly overtaken by another peculiar emotion spreading through Shiki's heart.
The kid he had personally mentored since childhood had surpassed him. Amidst the unwillingness was a subtle, different feeling.
This kid is my disciple!
He didn't fail the mentorship I gave him all those years ago!
This feeling, which could be described as pride, didn't last long, replaced by another emotion.
Roger might be dead, but Roa is still here!
This guy has become stronger than Roger!
His subordinates also possess the potential to surpass the Roger Pirates!
This is great, Roa! It's fantastic that you've become this strong! It means I'm not without a target!
"I'm relieved to hear you can still talk like that, Uncle Shiki."
Roa smiled. "But if we absolutely have to settle the score, I suggest we wait until after we've taken the world."
"Jie... haha... haha..."
Shiki just laughed.
Roa laughed with him.
It seemed he had indeed replaced Roger as Uncle Shiki's primary target.
But their relationship seemed to have genuinely grown closer as well.
"You're beaten to a pulp and still thinking about competing with Roa? Who are you trying to make laugh?"
Kaido arrived, stepping on a cloud, his tone full of mocking laughter.
"I don't, want to talk, to idiots who don't even qualify to compete."
Shiki, though weak, yielded no ground in his words.
"What?"
Kaido instantly bristled. "Are you trying to die, you bastard?"
"Now, now, Brother Kaido, Uncle Shiki is injured. Don't worry about it,"
Roa smoothed things over with a smile. "Besides, we already share the same goal. There's no need to compete."
"Hmph!"
Kaido snorted, letting the matter go.
"But, have you really become this strong, Roa?"
Patrick Redfield's voice was full of amazement. "You defeated Shiki so easily. There shouldn't be anyone stronger than you among all the pirates in the world, right?"
"Correction, Patrick Redfield,"
Roa said seriously. "Though I won, it wasn't easy at all. Uncle Shiki cut me up badly! Second, don't make me repeat myself—I quit being a pirate nine years ago!"
Patrick Redfield merely smiled.
While the battle looked evenly matched on the surface, the final result suggested an almost one-sided fight.
Roa never had a reason to lose from the start.
Also, despite constantly claiming he was no longer a pirate, who on the seas didn't view Roa as one?
Thinking this, Patrick Redfield looked at Shiki again, his eyes full of schadenfreude. "How can you still think you have the ability to compete with Roa, Shiki? What will you use to compete with him? Yourself, who should be on your way to heaven right now if Roa hadn't held back, or your collection of nobody underlings?"
Oh, here we go again? Patrick Redfield, don't be so resentful.
Uncle Shiki only hunted you like a dog for a year, didn't he?
Can't you be a little more generous?
Roa cleared his throat, again trying to mediate. "Don't say that. Uncle Shiki's pirates are still quite strong. For example, uh..."
Roa suddenly trailed off.
Who are Uncle Shiki's most prominent executives right now?
He couldn't remember at all!
"Ugh-ho-ho-ho-ho!"
Kaido burst out laughing. "Strong executives don't appear out of thin air!"
This was one thing even he could mock Shiki about.
Compared to Shiki's crew of unknown executives, his subordinates, Hanefuda and Queen, were genuinely formidable!
Patrick Redfield also smiled. "There aren't many strong pirates to begin with. The most unruly ones are now concentrated in Roa's waters, causing trouble. Those willing to submit to others have already chosen a side. The rest are in Impel Down. Shiki, don't delude yourself."
Huh?
Shiki, who had been annoyed by Kaido and Patrick Redfield's words, suddenly paused.
Impel Down?
Hiss!
That's right, Impel Down!
Why hadn't I thought of that before!
Roa didn't know what Shiki was thinking. He said, "Alright, we've fought alongside each other so many times, so stop with the sarcasm. Let's take Uncle Shiki to get treated first."
Almost immediately after the battle concluded, in Pangaea Castle in Mary Geoise, the Five Elders, having just endured torment, hurriedly returned to their office.
All five were disheveled, their clothes completely soaked with sweat, but they didn't dare take a moment to change.
If they were to anger Imu-sama again, no one could save them.
"I didn't expect that even with Imu-sama intervening personally, they couldn't capture Roa and his group this time,"
The blonde-haired Saint Peter spoke with worry. "Those damned pirates are becoming too powerful, especially that bastard Roa!"
At the mention of Roa, the other four Five Elders couldn't help but show expressions of lingering fear.
He had single-handedly routed all five of them. If Imu-sama hadn't personally descended, the situation would have absolutely deteriorated beyond control.
The God's Knights were indeed unkillable, but wouldn't it be easy for Roa to finish off Garp, Zephyr, and the two Marine rookies once he was free?
In that case, the Marines would be completely finished.
Thankfully, thankfully Imu-sama came, preventing the situation from escalating to that point.
But the price was that Imu-sama had been humiliated.
When their Lady was humiliated, her subordinates naturally had to atone.
"Imu-sama wants Roa dead, but given the power that bastard displayed, conventional means are absolutely impossible."
Saint Ethanbaron (Nusjuro), the bald swordsman whose sword was taken by Roa, said in a deep voice, "We have to follow the original plan and get someone close to him to cooperate with us!"
"The problem is we can't even get near anyone close to Roa!"
Saint Topman (Warcury), the bald elder with the upturned mustache, gritted his teeth. "That bastard has no fixed residence. Aside from his core executives, he's surrounded by Pacifistas (artificial humans)! His Giant Army and Mink Army are stationed in various bases! Not even Stussy can penetrate his inner circle!"
"The Seven Warlords plan must be officially launched! Wang Zhi and the others are the closest people to Roa that we can reach!"
Saint Jaygarcia (Saturn) said. "And coincidentally, Imu-sama wants more military strength."
"Agreed!"
The long-bearded Saint Marcus (Mars) nodded slightly. "Roa, Shiki, and Kaido are getting closer. Wang Zhi and the others have every reason to feel alarmed. Most importantly, our people have also investigated and found that Wang Zhi seemed to have played some role in the battle where Shiki was defeated by Roger a year ago!"
"Then let's do it!"
Warcury decisively concluded. "We'll negotiate terms with these scumbags. Anything short of the outrageous is acceptable, as long as they can help us deal with Roa! And, while we're at it, address the world that's about to explode into chaos!"
"Also, speaking of military strength,"
Peter said, "Shouldn't we make contact with Elbaf? Roa can help the Giant Kingdom establish connections with other nations, but hmpf, can he compare to us? Harald already has intentions of bringing Elbaf into the World Government, doesn't he?"
"Agreed!"
"Then let's proceed on two fronts!"
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An Important Announcement: Time to Write Our Own Novel!
Hello everyone!
Thank you all so much for your support; it truly helps me keep going!
I have some exciting news: after translating many fanfics, I've decided it's time to start writing my own Novels! I plan to begin with a new fanfic—I'm currently thinking of either the Avatar: The Last Airbender or Douluo Dalu universe, featuring a Neutral protagonist. That is exactly what I meant by Neutral Protagonist (This refers to the character's Alignment. A Neutral Protagonist is not strictly bound by concepts of absolute good or evil, nor are they necessarily tied to Law or Chaos. Their actions are generally motivated by their own survival, personal goals, or a desire for balance, operating in a morally gray area.)
Once I've written a few fanfics and gained more experience, I can then move on to developing my own original novel soon after.
If you want a direct hand in shaping the main character's destiny and giving input, be sure to join the poll!
I've launched a poll on my P@t reon page!
HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE:
1. Head over to our P@t reon page and become a member. (Don't worry, even those with a free membership can join the poll and share their input!)
2. Select any option you desire in the poll
3. Leave a comment on the poll post or send me a DM if you have any specific thoughts or ideas!
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