At Garp's command, the three ships sailing at full speed immediately changed course toward Roya.
Roya, too, had noticed the presence of the Marines—especially the dog-headed warship among the three vessels, which he recognized as Garp's personal flagship.
"Ship ahead, halt immediately and submit to inspection!" The three warships repeatedly broadcasted the order through the Amplifying Den Den Mushi.
Hearing their demands, Roya tugged his cloak lower. "Now's not the time to play games with you."
With only two days left before the check-in time at Verge Island, Roya deduced that Golden Lion Shiki had likely already arrived there—perhaps even activated his Devil Fruit powers to lift the island into the sky.
He had no intention of letting these Marines waste his time. Not even Garp could stop him.
With that thought, Roya's hand rested on his sword hilt, slowly drawing Flowing Blade Like Raging Fire.
"All Things in the Universe, Turn to Ashes, Flowing Blade Like Fire!!!"
As Roya's voice rang out, the ancient blade ignited with eerie flames, distorting the air with its scorching heat.
With the surge of Spirit Pressure, an overwhelming aura akin to Conqueror's Haki erupted!
Every Marine soldier who felt this pressure was instantly knocked unconscious.
A fierce gale howled, and the waves churned violently!
Dark clouds gathered overhead, blotting out the sky!
Even Garp's pupils constricted sharply. "This guy's Conqueror's Haki is this powerful?!"
No sooner had Garp spoken than Roya swung Flowing Blade Like Raging Fire in a horizontal slash through the air.
Flames erupted like a crushing weight, slamming into the sea and sending towering waves surging.
The resulting turbulence propelled Roya's ship forward at even greater speed while drastically slowing the three Marine warships.
At the same time, a blazing wall of fire erupted between Roya and the Marine fleet.
This fiery barrier raged across the ocean, stretching for miles—an unbroken expanse of flame that blocked the path between Roya and the warships, leaving Garp no choice but to abandon pursuit."That guy! Don't let me catch you! Or I'll definitely give you a good beating!"
Garp clenched his massive fist and shouted at Roya in the distance.
But Roya had already ridden the waves far away, completely out of earshot.
Garp's brows furrowed deeply. Compared to the wall of flames, he noticed Roya was heading straight in the direction of Golden Lion.
Realizing this, Garp immediately took out his Den Den Mushi to report to Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
Garp: "Sengoku, I encountered that mysterious guy."
Sengoku: "Mysterious guy! Did you catch him? Did you see what he looks like?"
Garp: "No to both. We were blocked by his flame barrier. Most importantly, he's heading straight toward Golden Lion's location. I suspect this prison break might be connected to him. If these two join forces, another powerful force will emerge on these seas!"
Hearing this, Sengoku's heart sank. "Understood. I'll personally lead reinforcements. No matter what, you must delay them."
Garp grinned widely. "Leave it to me, Sengoku. But you'd better hurry!"
After hanging up, Garp looked toward Roya's departing direction and laughed loudly. "Whoever you are, there's no escape for you this time!!"
——
Unaware of the Marines' movements, Roya was adjusting his course across the sea while studying the simple nautical chart Olvia had drawn for him.
As the deadline approached, Roya found himself growing calmer.
On the final day before his check-in window closed, Roya finally spotted the island of Verge.
But before he could land to complete his check-in, an overwhelming stench of blood wafted from the island.
The metallic odor was so thick it made Roya involuntarily wrinkle his nose.
"Such intense bloodshed... How many people had to die to create this?"
Docking his ship nearby, Roya stepped onto the island just as the system's electronic voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations on successful check-in. Reward obtained: Zodiac Talisman - Rooster Talisman! This talisman grants the holder levitation and telekinetic abilities similar to Golden Lion's Float-Float Fruit.]
Retrieving the Rooster Talisman from his system space, Roya gripped it tightly and concentrated on floating.
A brief blue glow enveloped his body before vanishing, leaving Roya hovering in midair.
"So this is what floating feels like."
Roya quickly mastered the talisman's functions, maneuvering effortlessly through the air.
When he ascended high enough, the source of the bloodshed became horrifyingly clear.
Below lay Verge's jungle village - a hellscape of corpses and rivers of blood, crisscrossed with sword marks.
Controlling his descent, Roya entered the village without touching the blood-soaked ground, suspended above the carnage.The sword marks extended endlessly into the rainforest, where a bearded man with long golden hair dragging on the ground was relentlessly slaughtering with the twin swords beneath his feet!
Sword energy danced wildly, wreaking havoc through the air.
Every slash claimed vibrant lives.
"Kyaha ha ha! This is a world where the strong prey on the weak. Those without power can only be slaughtered at will. I've taken a liking to this island now, so you lot shall disappear from it!"
Golden Lion Shiki's eyes were bloodshot with crimson veins, a hint of madness seeping through.
Having just escaped from Impel Down, though he'd lost both legs, he'd replaced them with the famed swords "Sakura Ten" and "Kogarashi," attaching them to his stumps as prosthetic limbs.
But they were still new and unfamiliar, so Golden Lion decided to use the people of Weatheria as practice.
He would hone his skills with bloodshed, restoring his strength in the shortest time possible!
Moreover, he'd taken a fancy to this island, especially its IQ plants.
Perfect timing to slaughter everyone here and claim the island as his own.
With this island as his base, he'd gather other pirates.
Golden Lion could already envision his name resurfacing across the seas in the near future.
Yet at this very moment, Golden Lion suddenly whirled around, glaring at the nearby jungle...