"Conqueror's Haki released through a slash?"
Rolan suddenly appeared in front of the massive crimson attack using his Electromagnetic Instant Transmission.
Without hesitation, he lifted his foot and met the incoming slash with his flip flop.
The two forces collided roughly two meters apart.
The impact exploded outward with terrifying power. Even Rolan was forced to slide back more than ten meters before finally stopping.
Sizzle.
Crack.
Crack.
Thin fractures spread outward from the point where the two attacks collided.
In an instant, the space around them looked like shattered glass that was barely holding together.
Crack.
Crack.
The cracks continued spreading rapidly.
Within only a few breaths, fractures covered the entire sky above Marineford.
The already devastated island trembled violently.
Pop.
With a sharp shattering sound, the surrounding space finally broke apart.
Rolan sensed the aura contained within the massive slash and quickly understood the principle behind the technique.
So this was how it worked.
The user condensed an extremely powerful Conqueror's Haki, then wrapped it around a flying sword slash before launching it toward the enemy.
That explained why only people like Gol D. Roger and Shanks had mastered such a technique in this world.
Using this move required far more than simply possessing Conqueror's Haki.
The user also needed extraordinary swordsmanship.
Only by perfectly combining these two powers could the technique be executed successfully.
There were many people in the world who possessed Conqueror's Haki.
Likewise, many swordsmen possessed strong sword skills.
But almost nobody could push both abilities to their absolute limits and merge them together perfectly.
A supreme sword slash combined with overwhelming Conqueror's Haki created unimaginable destructive power.
No wonder Gol D. Roger's Divine Departure once left Kozuki Oden completely stunned.
Shanks had also used the same technique to instantly defeat Eustass Kid and his entire pirate crew.
Rolan sighed quietly.
Unfortunately, mastering that technique would be almost impossible for him.
His Conqueror's Haki was stronger than Shanks, stronger than Saint Jalande, perhaps even stronger than Roger himself.
But when it came to swordsmanship, he was still far behind those monsters.
Because of that, such a cool technique could only remain a distant idea in his mind.
Rolan shook his head slightly.
"Hmph."
With a cold snort, he increased the power in his hand.
The immense force directly shattered the crimson slash.
The attack scattered into fragments like drifting cherry blossoms.
Then the true aftermath arrived.
A massive earthquake shook Marineford.
The entire island began shifting violently, tilting to one side as if it could collapse into the sea at any moment.
At the same time, the few remaining Image Den Den Mushi recording the battlefield suddenly stopped working.
The live broadcast transmitted across the world abruptly went dark.
Across countless islands, people stared at their screens in confusion.
"Why can't I see anything anymore?"
"What just happened?"
"Why did the broadcast suddenly go black?"
Panic and confusion spread everywhere.
Meanwhile, far away in the New World.
Peach Garden.
Shirahoshi stared at the suddenly dark screen, worry filling her beautiful face.
"What happened? Why can't I see my husband anymore?"
Vivi stood beside her, equally anxious.
"What happened to Rolan and the others? Are Hancock and the others safe?"
Issho remained silent. Although he trusted Rolan's strength, he still looked concerned.
At that moment, Shanks' voice sounded nearby.
"Haha, relax. The Conqueror's Haki just now probably knocked out the Image Den Den Mushi."
Shirahoshi turned toward him, her voice trembling slightly.
"Lord Shanks, then... my husband... are they safe?"
Shanks scratched his head casually.
"There shouldn't be any problem. That guy is a complete monster."
He nodded confidently.
"There is probably no one in this world who can truly harm him."
However, Shanks kept some thoughts to himself.
He knew the World Government still possessed terrifying hidden power.
If Imu personally intervened, even someone like Rolan would face serious trouble.
But those words would only increase Shirahoshi and Vivi's worries.
Besides, he currently had another problem to deal with.
Kaido and Big Mom were still nearby. If those two lunatics decided to move, he would have to intercept them immediately.
"Is that so?"
Shirahoshi looked back at the dark screen, her worry still clearly visible.
Meanwhile, in East Blue.
Windmill Village.
The moment the broadcast disappeared, everyone in the bar became confused.
They had no idea what had happened.
"What's going on? Why is there no image anymore?" asked a burly man wearing a dress, his thick leg hair visible beneath it.
A tall, thin red haired pirate walked toward the Image Den Den Mushi.
"Maybe the Den Den Mushi is hungry."
He turned and shouted toward the bar.
"Makino, bring some ramen and feed it."
"Idiot, it must be thirsty. Give it some beer."
Another man wearing a short sleeved shirt walked over while holding a mug of beer, ready to pour it into the Den Den Mushi's mouth.
"Stop!"
A loud voice interrupted them.
Everyone turned around and saw the Village Chief slowly standing up.
He raised his hand to stop the man.
"This is clearly because the broadcast from Marineford was interrupted."
The crowd looked confused.
"What does that mean?"
Makino stepped forward and explained calmly.
"It probably means the Image Den Den Mushi responsible for broadcasting the battle was damaged."
"Then what do we do now?"
"That means we can't see what is happening on the battlefield anymore."
"Does that mean we don't know if Luffy escaped safely?"
Makino bent down and pulled two bottles of rum from beneath the counter.
"There won't be any problem while Rolan is there."
She said the words calmly.
Makino often read the newspapers. She understood very well that although Rolan was widely recognized as the strongest man in the world, the World Government had ruled the world for more than eight hundred years.
They were definitely not easy opponents.
Still, she spoke confidently.
She only wanted to calm the people worrying about Luffy and Ace.
As for how the war would change the world, Makino did not care.
She simply hoped Rolan and the others could leave Marineford safely.
After hearing her words, everyone relaxed again.
"That's right. Rolan is Luffy and Ace's master, and the strongest man alive."
"With him there, there's nothing to worry about."
"Cheers!"
"OH!"
Far away in the New World.
Gran Tesoro, the Golden City.
Baccarat stared at the dark screen in shock.
"Hey, what happened? Why did it suddenly go black?"
Tesoro frowned slightly.
"The Image Den Den Mushi at Marineford probably couldn't withstand the Haki and fainted."
Baccarat looked stunned.
"It fainted even though it was so far away from the battlefield?"
She shook her head slowly.
"I can't imagine how powerful that Conqueror's Haki must be to affect such a large area."
Tesoro chuckled quietly.
"In this world, the only person capable of that level of Conqueror's Haki besides Rolan is Saint Garling Figarland of the World Government."
He continued staring at the dark screen, his expression slowly growing serious.
As a former slave of the Celestial Dragons, Tesoro knew more than most people about the hidden forces ruling the world.
Figures like Saint Garling Figarland stood near the top.
At the same level was the former Fleet Admiral, Kong.
Above them were the Five Elders.
And above even the Five Elders stood the mysterious ruler of the world.
Imu.
If Saint Jalande already possessed such terrifying power, then imagining the strength of the Gorosei and Imu was almost impossible.
Even someone like Tesoro could not help feeling uneasy.
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