As Rolan's voice faded, multiple pirate ships emerged from the mist ahead, closing in with deliberate precision.
At the front sailed a massive cake-shaped vessel with a grotesque smiling face, its cannons jutting out like rotten teeth. It was unmistakable, Big Mom's flagship, the Queen Mama Chanter.
Standing at the bow were two towering figures.
Charlotte Linlin and Kaido.
Their presence alone warped the atmosphere, oppressive and suffocating. Behind them, three white chairs had been placed neatly on the deck. Seated upon them were three men dressed entirely in white, their expressions indifferent, their gazes cold.
Agents of the World Government.
"Mama mama, this time Rolan is mine," Big Mom laughed loudly, her voice carrying across the sea. "Kaido boy, you can wait on the side."
"Wororororo," Kaido replied lazily, taking a swig of sake. "Old hag, there are plenty of strong ones over there. Pick someone else. No need to fight me for Rolan."
Big Mom's smile twitched, veins bulging visibly on her forehead. "Mama mama… I really hate sailing with you, Kaido boy."
The three white-clothed men ignored their exchange completely.
To them, the quarrel between two Emperors was nothing more than background noise.
One of them, Kudins, calmly set his coffee cup aside and rose from his chair, adjusting his gloves with deliberate care.
"Enough," he said coolly. "Let's see whether this so-called strongest man of the lower world lives up to his name."
The other two, Wein and Qimo Ji, stood as well and stepped forward.
As the distance between the ships closed, the pressure in the air thickened like a storm about to break.
Rolan narrowed his eyes.
These five were monsters, without question.
Kaido and Big Mom were genuine Emperor-level powerhouses, and their auras felt heavier than before, sharper, more violent. The three behind them radiated strength that did not fall below that of Admirals.
What unsettled Rolan most was not their presence, but the uncertainty. He could not determine whether those three possessed Devil Fruit abilities at all.
They felt restrained, controlled, unlike pirates.
Further back stood the elites of both crews. Sweet Commanders, All-Stars, the Flying Six. Nearly all of the top combat strength of two Yonko crews had gathered here.
Rolan lifted his gaze toward the sky.
An invisible barrier sealed the surrounding sea. His electromagnetic perception stopped dead, unable to extend outward.
So that's how it is.
Some form of large-scale suppression, possibly linked to the World Government's technology.
A cage.
Nami and Hancock were the first to sense it fully, their Observation Haki sharp and alert. This was, without exaggeration, the most dangerous formation Ion Tempest had faced since its creation.
They moved to Rolan's side.
"The Den Den Mushi won't connect," Nami said quietly. "The Vivre Card is dead too."
Hancock's expression was calm but resolute. "I'll stand with you."
Vivi and the others gathered close, their stances steady, prepared for battle.
Rolan did not react emotionally. He did not tighten his grip or raise his voice.
He simply looked forward and laughed once, low and disdainful.
"Just a nest of fleas," he said. "Do they really think numbers and borrowed strength mean they can touch me?"
Kaido grinned widely. "Wororororo, good spirit, Rolan boy. Let's see if you're still laughing later."
He slammed his kanabo against the deck with a heavy thud.
Big Mom's eyes burned with malice. "Rolan brat, our grudge runs deep. Even if you tried crawling into my family, you'd still die today."
Rolan's expression twitched, then hardened.
"Shut your mouth," he snapped. "You're disgusting."
Big Mom's laughter stalled for half a second.
Kudins observed Rolan closely. Arrogant, yes, but not foolish. The calm in his eyes was not forced. It was natural, as if this situation was nothing more than an inconvenience.
So the rumors were true.
"Hehe," Qimo Ji purred, eyes lingering on Rolan. "Such a handsome little monster. I wonder how many scars he hides."
Wein frowned. "Qimo Ji, control yourself. He's a target of the World Government."
Her lips curved higher. "Then I'll capture him and keep him. Nightly entertainment sounds lovely."
Wein looked away, clearly uncomfortable. Qimo Ji's reputation even in Mary Geoise was infamous.
Kudins clicked his tongue in mild annoyance. "Focus. Do whatever you want after he's broken."
His gaze shifted toward Rolan's ship.
The crew was small.
Yet nearly every aura present was heavy, refined, dangerous.
Then his eyes paused.
Blue hair.
A girl.
Kudins' pupils narrowed slightly.
So that's the weak point.
He leaned closer to Wein and Qimo Ji, whispering a few words.
Then he stepped forward, raising his voice.
"So you're Rolan?" Kudins sneered. "Just a blond brat. Calling yourself the strongest man. Aren't you afraid of being laughed out of history?"
Rolan smiled faintly.
"And you are?" he replied calmly. "Another dog hiding behind white clothes? At least show your face before barking."
Inside, Rolan remained alert.
This man was baiting them.
Trying to provoke Hancock and the others, disrupt their focus, create openings.
Sharp mind. Dangerous.
Kudins laughed. "Did you notice the sky? Do you like the gift?"
"When you're dead," he continued, "we'll pay a visit to your territory next."
Rolan's laughter rang out, sharp and fearless.
"Parlor tricks," he said. "Against absolute strength, all schemes are worthless."
Kaido finally lost patience.
"Enough talking," he roared. "White-clothed brat, if you're scared, stay behind. People who talk too much die first."
With that, he leapt into the air, kanabo raised high.
Black and purple lightning erupted around the weapon as Conqueror's Haki surged violently.
"Thunder Bagua!"
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