Admiral Akainu's voice carried unmistakable hatred.
Part of it came from the injury Rolan had inflicted on him the last time they met. But deeper than that was Akainu's innate loathing for pirates themselves. In his eyes, pirates were the embodiment of evil, and Rolan stood at the very peak of that evil.
This time, Akainu's purpose in coming to Durutol Island was simple.
Arrest Rolan.
Even without the incident involving the Celestial Dragons, the moment Akainu learned that Rolan had appeared in Paradise, he would have come without hesitation.
"You really are on Durutol Island, Rolan," Akainu said coldly.
Behind him, the Marine soldiers stiffened.
Just Rolan standing there was enough to suffocate them. An invisible pressure weighed down on their chests, making it difficult to breathe. Fighting him felt like an impossible task.
The title of World's Strongest Man was not an exaggeration.
Fear spread uncontrollably, and several soldiers unconsciously stepped back.
Rolan glanced over Akainu from head to toe, then shifted his gaze to the open sea behind him.
A faint look of confusion crossed his face.
"Only you?" Rolan asked calmly. "Are the Marines that short on manpower?"
There was open disdain in his tone.
In the past, Kizaru would have been the first to arrive. Why was it Akainu this time?
From what Rolan remembered, Akainu had never been particularly loyal to the World Government itself. He followed his own sense of justice, not the whims of Celestial Dragons.
That made this appearance… unexpected.
Akainu's expression tightened for a split second. Sengoku had told him Kizaru was supposed to stall Rolan. Logically, Kizaru should have arrived long ago.
Yet he was nowhere to be seen.
So be it.
In the end, others were unreliable. Justice could only be enforced by one's own hands.
"Hmph," Akainu snorted. "Even if it's only me, it's enough. For Absolute Justice, I will arrest you today. Your voyage ends here."
Rolan looked at him with faint amusement.
"Who gave you that confidence?" he asked. "Looks like the lesson I taught you last time wasn't painful enough."
Akainu's jaw tightened.
That previous battle had left a shadow in his heart. The crushing gap in strength had been undeniable. And after all this time, Rolan had only grown stronger.
The distance between them was wider than ever.
Yet Akainu did not retreat.
He never would.
"No matter how strong you are," Akainu roared, "I am a Marine Admiral. If I retreat before a pirate, then who will uphold justice in the world of One Piece?"
Rolan watched him quietly.
Despite everything, he could not deny that Akainu was a capable Marine. Fanatical, merciless, and extreme, but unwavering.
His justice allowed no gray areas.
Ohara proved that. Civilians, comrades, even innocents were acceptable losses if it meant erasing potential evil.
Rolan suspected that pirates had destroyed everything Akainu once held dear. That kind of hatred did not form without blood.
He was the complete opposite of Kuzan, whose justice still carried traces of humanity.
Rolan shook his head slightly.
"I was going to let you go," he said flatly. "But it seems there's nothing left to say."
Akainu laughed harshly. "Arrogant pirate. Do you really think you've cornered me?"
He stopped wasting words.
His right arm transformed into seething magma as he threw a punch straight toward Rolan's face.
Rolan vanished.
In an instant, he reappeared behind Akainu using electromagnetic teleportation. The magma fist tore through empty air, heat distorting the atmosphere as seawater below began to boil.
Rolan lifted his leg and kicked.
His foot, coated in Armament Haki, passed cleanly through Akainu's back, blasting away nearly half his body.
"Admiral!"
"Admiral Akainu!"
The Marines screamed in horror.
Half of Akainu's body turned into magma midair and splashed into the sea.
Sizzle. Sizzle.
White steam erupted violently.
Lava surged from the remaining half of Akainu's body as he stabilized himself.
Rolan's eyes gleamed with interest. "Elementalization in advance. As expected of an Admiral. Troublesome."
Akainu turned slowly, fury blazing in his eyes. "That speed…"
His body fully regenerated in seconds.
Armament Haki surged around his right fist, compressed to the extreme, its color deepening as he charged forward again.
Rolan met him head on.
Bang.
Their fists collided.
Black lightning crackled violently as the shockwave exploded outward. The deck fractured beneath their feet, and nearby Marines were slammed to the ground by the sheer force.
For a brief moment, the two were locked together.
Rolan narrowed his eyes.
Advanced Armament Haki, Ryuo.
Impressive.
Unlike Rolan's relaxed posture, Akainu's expression was twisted with effort. He was using everything he had.
And still, he could not push Rolan back.
Cold dread crept into his heart.
"You've improved," Rolan said calmly. "But that's as far as it goes."
He applied just a bit more force.
Akainu was blasted backward, his body streaking across the deck.
"Nani?!"
"Admiral!"
The Marines stared in disbelief.
An Admiral, a godlike existence in their eyes, had been sent flying by a single punch.
Spears were raised instinctively, all pointed at Rolan.
He shook his head.
Pathetic.
A crimson gleam flashed in his eyes.
Conqueror's Haki erupted outward like a tidal wave.
With the exception of two Vice Admirals, every Marine collapsed instantly, eyes rolled back, consciousness extinguished.
Akainu skidded several hundred meters before nearly falling into the sea. He used Moonwalk repeatedly and landed back on the deck.
He glanced at the unconscious soldiers without a hint of concern.
Sacrifices were necessary for justice.
Rolan saw that look.
Any lingering respect vanished.
He reached into the air, and a Tang style horizontal saber formed in his grip, humming with power.
"Draw Sword. Slash."
Rolan disappeared.
A flash of light appeared behind Akainu.
An arm, charred black by lightning, spun through the air.
"Tch," Rolan muttered. "He dodged."
The strike had been aimed at Akainu's neck, but he had shifted at the last instant.
There was no pause.
Rolan reappeared in front of him and grabbed Akainu by the throat.
"Cough… cough…" Blood spilled from Akainu's mouth. "Damned pirate. Justice will judge you."
Rolan's grip tightened slightly.
"Not all pirates are the same," he said coldly. "But someone like you would never understand."
"Next life, choose your enemy more carefully."
His fingers began to twist.
___
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