"Clang!"
A piercing clang of metal exploded by Kyle's ear, making his eardrums ache.
The gleaming long saber was forcefully parried, just inches from his face.
Kyle barely opened his eyes, which were blurry from blood loss and exhaustion, and what greeted him was the back of a young man wearing a straw hat.
The style and color of that straw hat, along with that familiar profile, made a name flash through his mind instantly.
"Ace… Ace?" Kyle's murmur was dry and hoarse, filled with disbelief.
Why was he here? The timeline doesn't match!
The straw-hatted youth didn't turn back, merely flicked his wrist, and a tremendous force was transmitted through the weapon in his hand.
The Black Shark Pirates swordsman, who was already retreating steadily, felt an irresistible force surge through him, his tiger's mouth, gripping the saber, instantly split, and the long saber flew out of his hand, falling to the ground with a "clank." He himself was shaken back repeatedly, his face filled with horror.
"Hey, are you alright?" The straw-hatted man finally turned around, grinning to reveal a set of neat white teeth.
Under the sunlight, his young, chiseled face was full of confidence and vitality, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, as if they could see through people's hearts.
This smile… this gaze…
Kyle's pupils suddenly contracted!
Sorry, sir, I didn't recognize you just now!
No, it's not Ace! It's Ace… his father!
Gol D. Roger! The Pirate King in his youth!
An invisible aura quietly spread from Roger's body; it wasn't an intentional pressure, but it made the surrounding pirates, who were originally fierce, shiver, as if they had been targeted by some primeval beast, instinctively stepping back a few paces, their eyes filled with fear.
"You… who are you?" The Captain of the Black Shark Pirates, the burly man holding a ship anchor, roared, feigning bravery. He could feel that this straw-hatted kid in front of him was definitely a tough opponent.
Roger ignored him, instead looking at the disheveled Kyle and the chaotic battlefield behind him with interest: "Incredible, you took down so many pirates alone? Kid, you've got some skills!"
Just then, a hurried and uniform sound of footsteps suddenly came from the outskirts of the port.
"Marine! The Marine are here!"
"The Marine of G Branch! Run!"
The remaining pirates let out exclamations, and their already wavering formation instantly became even more chaotic.
Large numbers of Marine soldiers in standard military uniforms surged from all directions, their dark gun muzzles pointed at the chaotic area in the center of the port.
The leading officers, with lieutenant colonel ranks on their shoulders, looked grim, clearly the elite of the Dogg Town Marine G Branch.
"All pirates immediately lay down your weapons and surrender! Otherwise, you will be killed without mercy!" A Marine Lieutenant Colonel shouted loudly, his voice echoing over the port.
The appearance of the Marine made the already tense situation even more complicated. A ruthless glint flashed in the Black Shark Pirates Captain's eyes; he knew it would be impossible to escape easily today.
"Brothers! Fight them! First, kill these two troublesome brats, then break out!" He roared, swinging his huge ship anchor, and charged first towards Roger and Kyle. The remaining pirates also clamored, attempting a desperate struggle.
"Bring it on, Kuhahaha!" Roger laughed loudly, facing the incoming ship anchor and the swarming Marine soldiers, without a hint of panic on his face.
The weapon in his hand was not a famous saber, but an ordinary cutlass, yet it erupted with astonishing power in his hand.
"Swish!"
A flash of sword light, too fast for anyone to see its trajectory.
The heavy ship anchor, upon contact with the blade, was incredibly split in half as if it were rotten wood, with a cut as smooth as a mirror!
Immediately after, Roger's figure moved through the crowd like a ghost, each swing of his sword carrying an unparalleled, domineering force.
The first few pirates and Marine soldiers who charged forward couldn't even clearly see his movements before they were sent flying by the sharp sword energy, blood splattering.
His swordsmanship was broad and sweeping, seemingly simple and direct, yet it contained an indescribable rhythm and power; each strike seemed capable of splitting mountains and cracking stones.
The adrenaline-induced buff receded like a tide, replaced by endless exhaustion. Kyle leaned against the wall, enduring the sharp pain from the wound under his ribs and his body's weakness, staring intently at Roger's fight.
Is this… the future Pirate King?
So strong!
That composure and dominance in his every move, that ultimate control over power, was a realm he had never seen before.
Compared to Roger, his previous fights against those petty pirates were like children playing house.
Every swing of Roger's sword, every dodge, was deeply imprinted in Kyle's mind.
"Is this… Haki?" Kyle muttered to himself.
Although he couldn't precisely describe what it was, he could clearly feel that Roger's attacks contained something beyond mere physical strength.
Continuous fighting, blood loss, and prolonged hunger finally pushed Kyle's body to its limit.
A strong sense of dizziness washed over him like a tide; the scene before his eyes began to spin and blur, and the sounds of Roger's fighting, the Marine's shouts, and the pirates' screams all seemed to come from a distant place, becoming increasingly unreal.
"Damn it… my body… I can't move…" Kyle gritted his teeth, trying to stay conscious, but his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
Just as the Marine soldiers regrouped, narrowing Roger's space and attempting to encircle him, a golden figure, like lightning tearing through the night sky, suddenly cut into the chaotic battlefield!
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Crisp sword clangs rang out one after another, accompanied by the screams of several Marine soldiers.
The figure was as fast as a flowing light, his cutlass dancing into a dazzling golden light curtain; each flash precisely and elegantly took an enemy's life.
His swordsmanship, unlike Roger's absolute dominance, leaned more towards agility and skill, yet it was equally deadly.
"Rayleigh!" Roger saw the newcomer and laughed heartily, his offensive becoming even fiercer.
The newcomer was none other than the young Silvers Rayleigh, the future Pluton! He had golden, medium-length hair, wore small round glasses, and had a calm demeanor, but his eyes gleamed with sharp light.
Rayleigh's addition instantly changed the tide of the battle. He and Roger, one on the left and one on the right, were like two unbreakable sharp blades, easily tearing through the Marine's encirclement.
"Honestly, Roger, you always cause such a stir." Rayleigh effortlessly parried a Marine Lieutenant Colonel's slash while still having the leisure to tease.
"Kuhahaha! It was on the way!" Roger responded carelessly, sweeping away several pirates with a backhand slash.
Kyle's consciousness was already hovering on the brink of wakefulness and unconsciousness. He vaguely saw Rayleigh's figure, and his last bit of strength seemed to be drained from his body.
Young Roger… Rayleigh… This is fifty or sixty years before the main storyline!
The remaining Black Shark Pirates thugs had long been terrified by this sudden turn of events, either being casually dealt with by Roger and Rayleigh or throwing down their weapons and scattering.
Although the Marine G Branch soldiers were well-trained, they were outmatched by the two future legendary Grand Pirates, and their casualties continued to mount.
Roger and Rayleigh, one in front and one behind, shielded the nearly unconscious Kyle in the middle, back to back, facing the enemies surging from all directions.
The setting sun's afterglow stretched their three shadows long, and the port was filled with smoke and the pungent smell of blood.
This was a chaotic slaughter, and also the prelude to a legend.
An era belonging to the Pirate King seemed to quietly draw its magnificent curtain in this unremarkable port of Dogg Town, accompanied by a soul that had unexpectedly transmigrated.
Kyle's eyelids finally closed completely, his last consciousness lingering on Roger's hearty laughter and the gleaming light on Rayleigh's blade.