After the sky-splitting clash between Roger and York ended in a stalemate, Roger used the recoil force of the Haki explosion to execute a mid-air backflip, landing lightly on the deck of the Crimson Harvest flagship.
York did not intercept him mid-air. Instead, he used that brief window to activate his Devil Fruit Awakening.
FWOOSH!
Dark flames, acting as a celestial Hagoromo ribbon, emerged from behind York's neck. Simultaneously, his neat black hair ignited, transforming into pure, gravity-defying white flames.
Roger straightened up and turned around. The first thing he saw was York, hovering above the deck, looking exactly like a descended god.
"Oh? Is this your rumored Devil Fruit Awakening?" Roger asked, genuine curiosity showing on his scarred face. "I heard this form vaporized Water 7. But isn't your ability supposed to manipulate pleasure? Why did it change so drastically after Awakening?"
"Devil Fruits are incredibly mysterious things, Roger!" York grinned, hovering higher. "The abilities displayed before Awakening are sometimes not entirely consistent with the true nature of the fruit!"
(Just like Jewelry Bonney in the future, who went from manipulating age to becoming a secondary Nika. Or Luffy, who went from rubber to a Sun God. A fruit's true name and nature could be hidden.)
"Haha! This is truly the first time I've ever heard such a thing!" Roger gripped his cutlass, Ace, tightly with both hands, his eyes burning with intense fighting spirit. "Speaking of Water 7... is Tom the shipwright alright?! He's a good friend of mine!"
"Don't worry! Tom and the citizens evacuated long before Garp and I started fighting. He even built this ship for me!"
After answering Roger's question, York no longer hesitated. In his Light Sun God (Ra) form, he didn't use pleasure. He used absolute physics.
York raised his hand and beckoned toward Roger. An invisible, overwhelming gravitational pull instantly manifested.
Roger stumbled forward, pulled off-balance by the sudden gravity, completely unprepared for York's ability to mutate into celestial mechanics.
York seized Roger's momentary lapse. He clenched his right fist, concentrating all his power into it. The surface of his fist began to glow with a scorching, blinding white light.
It was a 6,000-degree Celsius punch—the literal surface temperature of the sun—further amplified by the double overlay of Advanced Armament (Ryuo) and Advanced Conqueror's Haki. The scorching white plasma surged like liquid fire over his knuckles, generating black and red lightning within the heat.
A sunny, terrifying smile played on York's lips as he softly asked the Pirate King: "Roger... do you know how hot the surface of the sun is?"
"What?!"
"Fist Bone: SOLAR IMPACT!!"
Having just been pulled off balance by gravity, Roger almost lost his focus. Fortunately, he was a top-tier monster, the only man to currently rival the late Rocks D. Xebec.
His Advanced Observation Haki flared. He clearly foresaw the horrific future three seconds from now, where York's plasma punch completely vaporized his upper torso.
Roger's playful expression vanished, instantly tightening into absolute survival instinct. A fraction of a second before York's sun-fist landed, Roger swung his Supreme Grade blade up to block.
KABOOM!!!
Haki lightning erupted, immediately followed by a blinding, scorching white beam of plasma that swallowed Roger whole.
Roger gripped the hilt of his saber with one hand and desperately braced the flat of the blade with the other. He continuously pumped maximum-output Armament Haki into the steel just to keep the sword from melting into slag.
Despite his monstrous defense, the sheer kinetic and thermal force sent Roger flying entirely off the Crimson Harvest, blasting him thousands of feet into the air above the Oro Jackson.
BOOOOOOM!
A massive explosion of light and heat detonated in the high sky, painting the clouds orange.
York hovered over his deck, gazing up at the miniature sun exploding in the stratosphere. He couldn't help but sigh in regret. "The sneak attack failed."
Roger slowly fell from the sky, using Geppo (Moonwalk) to step on the air and land heavily back on the deck of the Crimson Harvest.
However, he was in an extremely disheveled state.
Almost all of his iconic red captain's coat and shirt had been incinerated in the plasma explosion. Only his pants, heavily coated in Haki from the waist to the thighs, remained intact, barely preserving his dignity. His chest was smoking, his skin flushed red from first-degree burns.
Roger slowly straightened his posture, raised a hand to wipe a fresh trail of blood from the corner of his mouth, and stared at York with a deadly serious gaze.
"You really tried to kill me just now, didn't you?"
"Of course!!" York didn't deny it. "Instead, I should be asking you! Why shouldn't I kill you?!"
York's eyes narrowed. "Rocks was taken down by you and Garp working together. Furthermore, your First Mate's demeanor just now clearly showed he intended to make a move on my woman! Shouldn't I be trying to slaughter you?!"
Roger remained silent.
His mindset before York threw that plasma punch was still stuck on their brief, relatively peaceful encounter at Hachinosu Island a year ago. At that time, although he and Rayleigh had briefly clashed with York, the overall atmosphere had been harmonious. They weren't friends, but they weren't blood enemies either.
"Sorry..." Roger apologized, a pained expression crossing his face. "I overlooked the matter of God Valley."
Roger didn't bother trying to explain that Xebec had lost his mind at God Valley, nor did he explain the nuances of the World Government's trap. York viewed him and Garp as the culprits who murdered his Captain. York would naturally only adopt the attitude appropriate for a mortal enemy.
The atmosphere between the two supreme kings changed completely from this moment on. Intense, suffocating killing intent began to surge in both their eyes.
York silently dispersed the blinding plasma gathered on his fist.
The reason was simple pragmatism: the Light Form was too destructive for close-quarters naval combat. The beam of light that had just pushed Roger backward had left a charred, glowing trench directly through the adam-wood deck of his new flagship. If he continued to use it, this 360-meter fortress he had spent a fortune building would be sunk by his own hands.
So, York chose to switch gears.
His Mythical Zoan had two modes.
Switching from Light Awakening to Dark Awakening, his external form naturally underwent a subtle but terrifying shift.
The dark flame Hagoromo ribbon floating behind his head inverted, transforming into pure, blinding white flames. Conversely, his hair—which had been burning like a white star—extinguished, returning to its original, pitch-black state.
At first glance, the Dark Sun God (Apophis) Awakening had almost no physical changes compared to his base form, save for the white celestial ribbon.
However, Roger no longer dared to be careless in the slightest.
"Roger, aren't you going to attack?" York smiled, beckoning the Pirate King forward.
Roger returned a strained grin. "I'm waiting for you to finish transforming!"
"Ah, how polite! Then I really must properly repay your kindness!"
A subtle, dark aura emanated from York's body.
Roger initially thought nothing of it, but a second later, his eyes widened in absolute horror.
"This... this feeling..." Roger gasped, staggering backward. "My Armament Haki... it can't block it?!"
Under the invisible, corrupting aura of Apophis, Roger's body reacted uncontrollably. His knees weakened, and a suffocating, mind-melting wave of pure, unadulterated pleasure began to fry his nervous system.
Nervous, Roger quickly swept his Observation Haki across the battlefield, only to find that the other pirates fighting on the deck were completely unaffected.
"Don't bother looking," York's voice sounded directly in Roger's mind. "My Dark Awakening condenses the AoE corruption of my base fruit into a single-target Domain. No one else is affected. Only you."
Roger's face sank as he realized the terrifying strategic implications.
"Your ability changed from an area-of-effect to a concentrated, single-target attack..." Roger gritted his teeth, fighting the euphoria. "And as a result, the corrupting effect increased exponentially?!"
"It truly is you! To be able to see through the essence of my Awakening while actively resisting it!" York grinned viciously. "So, Roger. Are you ready to accept absolute happiness?"
Roger let out a soft, regretful sigh. "There's no other way. I originally didn't want to take it this far with you, York."
He had genuinely believed he could become friends with the young monster. Even if York had stolen the heart of the woman Rayleigh loved, among pirates, a rivalry over a woman didn't necessarily equate to an endless blood feud.
However, York was determined to kill him for God Valley. Roger naturally couldn't hold back anymore.
"YORK!!" Roger let out a low, earth-shaking roar. "Since you crave war! I SHALL GRANT YOU WAR!!"
Immense, apocalyptic Haki erupted from Roger's body. Black and red lightning swept across the deck in a massive dome, instantly knocking out hundreds more pirates.
Streaks of Conqueror's lightning didn't just coat Roger's sword—they wrapped around his entire body like a suit of armor.
York gazed intently, his eyes narrowing. The scoundrel had actually wrapped Advanced Conqueror's Haki around his entire physical form, using it as a full-body shield exactly like Armament Haki!
It was an incredibly reckless, stamina-draining move, but it perfectly isolated York's exponentially enhanced Domain of corruption. The pleasure was blocked by the absolute suppression of the Supreme King.
"The final battle at God Valley allowed me to master this unique technique!" Roger declared, his eyes flashing. "York! I'll tell you right now: Devil Fruit Awakening isn't everything! As long as a man's Haki is strong enough, NO Devil Fruit ability in the world will work on me!!"
With a sonic boom, Roger vanished, appearing directly in front of York as if teleporting.
"ARAGAMI!!"
Black and red lightning coiled around the cutlass, stabbing directly toward York's abdomen at an incredibly fast speed.
Although York's Observation Haki saw it coming, his physical body in the Apophis form couldn't quite keep up with Roger's blinding speed. Instead of dodging, York chose a brutal trade.
He wrapped Conqueror's Haki and Ryuo around his right fist, adding the concentrated, corrupting power of his Dark Awakening, and punched straight toward Roger's chest.
Because of the reach advantage of the sword, Roger's blade completely pierced through York's abdomen a fraction of a second before York's fist heavily struck Roger's chest.
BOOM!!
Haki lightning exploded in a shockwave that nearly capsized the massive flagship. Both men were sent flying backward simultaneously.
Roger violently skidded across the adam-wood deck, crashing hard into the mainmast and leaving a massive, human-shaped dent in the unbreakable timber.
York, on the other hand, was blown completely off the flagship, flying backward over the ocean and smashing into the deck of the Oro Jackson, leaving a similarly massive crater in their hull.
"Roger's saber... is weaker," York coughed, reaching down to press his hand against his bleeding, pierced abdomen.
He quickly stood up, leaping back over the ocean to land on his own ship. He instantly activated his base ability, releasing countless white Holy Light tentacles into the crowd of unconscious, Haki-stunned pirates lying on the deck.
Drawing a massive influx of life force from his own fainted crew, the fatal stab wound on York's abdomen began to knit together and heal rapidly.
Just as York was regenerating, Roger pulled himself out of the dent in the mast.
The two monsters looked at each other from dozens of meters away.
"You talk a big game, Roger," York mocked, wiping blood from his chin. "But by spreading your Conqueror's Haki across your entire body to act as a shield, the Haki you have left for offense is significantly weaker!"
"At least it nullified your instant-win Awakening!" Roger grinned, popping his shoulder back into place. "Next, let's see which of us drops dead first!!"
York's gaze swept over the thousands of unconscious pirates littering the deck—a nearly infinite pool of healing batteries. He returned the smile.
"In a battle of attrition, Roger, I don't think you have a snowball's chance in hell of winning."
"Who knows without trying?!" Roger laughed. "Your Devil Fruit Awakening consumes massive stamina! You can't maintain it indefinitely!"
"Your full-body Conqueror's Haki coating drains just as much!" York countered.
After their brief war of words, both men fell silent. The air grew impossibly heavy.
Then, simultaneously, they vanished.
"DIE!!"
While York and Roger were locked in an earth-shattering battle of attrition on the main deck...
Silvers Rayleigh had very smoothly navigated the chaos, reaching the luxurious third floor of the sterncastle.
Through his Observation Haki, he easily located Shakky's presence inside the master cabin.
However, standing outside the heavy oak door, the Dark King hesitated. His hand hovered over the wood. He deliberated for a long, agonizing minute, unable to bring himself to knock.
Of course, he was the First Mate of the Roger Pirates. Despite his intense hesitation, he couldn't remain frozen forever.
Finally, Rayleigh took a breath and knocked on the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Come in."
Creak. The sound of the wooden door opening seemed deafening.
The first thing that caught his eye was a clean, meticulously tidy room. The furnishings didn't look like a standard bedroom; instead, it resembled an Emperor's war room, complete with nautical charts and intelligence files.
Shakky stood beside a massive mahogany desk, looking at him with a highly complex, sorrowful expression.
Rayleigh's expression was equally agonizing.
He swallowed the lump in his throat, asking with a slightly trembling voice, "Sha... Shakky... Is... is the invitation from back then... still valid?"
As he spoke, Rayleigh silently reached into his coat and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper.
The handwriting—"Come pick me up -- Shakky"—was still perfectly clear on the parchment. Evidently, Rayleigh had carefully preserved this tiny note near his heart for over a year.
Listening to Rayleigh's trembling words and looking at the small note he held so desperately, Shakky couldn't help but feel a sharp pang in her nose. Tears threatened to well up in her eyes.
"Ray-san..."
Shakky took a deep, shaky breath, fighting back the tears, a clear nasal sound in her voice.
"I'm sorry. But now... you and I are no longer possible."
Upon hearing this, Rayleigh's heart shattered. Unwilling to give up, he took a step forward, his voice hardening. "Did York force you?!"
Shakky gently, but firmly, shook her head.
"Ray-san. I am incredibly grateful for your affection, and for the feelings you hold for me," Shakky said softly, her eyes filled with absolute conviction. "But I am York's woman now. I love him. And I will never betray him."
Rayleigh stopped. His left fist clenched instantly, his knuckles turning white. But his right hand, gently holding the note, remained perfectly steady.
"I see..."
Rayleigh didn't become hysterical. He didn't shout. He even offered a small, deeply relieved, yet heartbreakingly sad smile.
"Since that is the case, I have no more worries about your safety. I wish you and York much happiness."
With that, Rayleigh turned around and walked out the door, not looking back.
However, the second the heavy oak door clicked shut behind him, out of Shakky's sight, Rayleigh's expression instantly warped into something incredibly grim and terrifying.
He was a man. No matter how magnanimous or honorable he was, having the woman he loved claimed by a rival was agonizing. Rayleigh's ability to remain composed and polite in front of Shakky did not mean there wasn't a raging inferno of jealousy and anger boiling within his chest.
Rayleigh casually crushed the small note he had carefully preserved for a year, crumpling it into a wrinkled ball in his palm.
He loosened his grip, letting the crushed paper float gently down to the floorboards.
Simultaneously, his right hand tightened its grip on the hilt of his sword, his knuckles popping.
"Let me vent my emotions on you..." Rayleigh whispered, his eyes entirely shadowed by his blonde hair as he turned toward the stairs leading down to the main deck. "...Crimson Harvest Pirates."
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[AUTHOR NOTE: My some fics are somewhat shadow banned by webnovel like my Naruto fic. Can you guys help me? Just try any other fic of mine and and add to your library if you like them. Have a nice day.]
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