Sengoku and Zephyr were left dumbfounded by Garp's shout. What was this guy up to? He had already caught up but then suddenly turned back.
But trusting Garp's instincts, they turned around to take a look. And just one glance was enough to make their eyes widen in disbelief. They instantly flew into a rage and shouted,
"Damn you, Roger! We'll let you go this time, but sooner or later, we will catch you!"
Without hesitation, the two of them gave up chasing Roger and sprinted back at full speed.
If those meteors really hit the Marine fleet, the consequences would be unimaginable.
They didn't even think twice about it they turned back immediately to intercept the meteors.
The CP0 agents, who had been chasing Roger, paused in confusion when they saw the Marines retreat.
They turned around to look, and when they spotted the three massive meteors in the sky, they understood why the Marines had abandoned the pursuit.
But the CP0 didn't care about the Marines' survival. Their focus was solely on their mission. If they failed, they'd face severe punishment upon their return.
The CP0 leader confronted Sengoku furiously, shouting, "Sengoku, you fool! The most important thing now is to capture Roger! What do you think you're doing?"
Sengoku shot him a cold glare and ignored him, continuing to rush back.
As the CP0 leader himself had said earlier, they were equals in rank. CP0 wasn't his superior, so they had no authority to command him, a Marine Admiral. Sengoku didn't need their approval to decide his course of action.
One of the CP0 agents turned to the leader, asking hesitantly, "There's no way we can take down the Roger Pirates on our own. Should we keep chasing them or not?"
The leader was silent for a moment before responding, "We'll keep chasing, but only symbolically. Don't engage too deeply. When we return, we'll just pin the blame on the Marines!"
The other four CP0 agents nodded in agreement. As long as they didn't have to risk their lives or take the fall, they didn't care what happened.
With that, they started launching long-range attacks at Roger's ship from a distance, but all their attacks were blocked by Roger and his crew.
The Roger Pirates onboard were bewildered. The CP0 agents had every chance to catch up earlier, but now they were just hurling attacks from afar.
Kozuki Oden, visibly annoyed, shouted, "What's with these cowards? Chasing us so relentlessly but not daring to come close? What's their deal?"
Rayleigh adjusted his glasses and speculated, "I think they've given up on catching us. They're just putting on a show now so they can report something when they get back."
After a while, just as Rayleigh had guessed, the CP0 stopped chasing and gave up entirely.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
At that moment, explosions erupted in the direction of the Marine fleet. Even though they were over a kilometer away, the sounds were deafening, and the shockwaves could still be felt clearly.
On Roger's ship, all eyes were on Reno. Everyone wore the same expression one of utter disbelief. The question on everyone's mind was the same: What on earth was with those meteors?
Reno, noticing the stares, rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and said sheepishly, "Why are you all staring at me like that? You're making me blush!"
Rayleigh, recognizing Reno's act, responded in a sarcastic tone, "Blush? You? I find that hard to believe."
Unable to keep up the act any longer, Reno dropped the pretense and struck a smug pose. "Fine, I admit it. I wanted to keep a low profile, but since you've figured me out, I won't pretend anymore..."
SMACK!
"Ouch! Who hit me?!"
Reno was in the middle of his dramatic monologue when a hand came down on his head, almost knocking him over.
Turning angrily, Reno yelled at Rayleigh, "Damn it, Rayleigh! Why'd you hit me? Can't you see I'm trying to act cool here?"
Rayleigh, unfazed by Reno's outburst, asked coldly, "Cut the crap. Just answer me were those three giant meteors your doing?"
Reno had been dodging their questions for a while now, spinning tales to distract them. He had even managed to fool most of the crew, leaving them in awe. If it weren't for Rayleigh, who knew his personality too well, they might have believed him.
Seeing no way out, Reno finally admitted, albeit reluctantly, "I told you before I'd throw some rocks at the Marine fleet before taking off. It's not my fault you didn't believe me!"
The crew froze for a moment before erupting in outrage.
Rayleigh, veins popping on his forehead, shouted, "You call those massive meteors rocks? Who taught you to talk like that?!"
The rest of the crew nodded in agreement, their expressions matching Rayleigh's exasperation. When the meteors had pierced through the clouds earlier, they had been so shocked they couldn't even form complete sentences.
Even the senior officers, who were usually composed, had broken into cold sweats. The regular crew members? They were practically frozen with terror.
Roger, after learning the meteors were Reno's doing, turned to him and asked, "So this power of yours it's part of your ability?"
Reno nodded. "That's right."
Roger, satisfied with the answer, didn't press further. Instead, he changed the subject, saying,
"Take a good rest today. Tomorrow, I'll teach you more about training."
Turning to the crew, Roger ordered, "Alright, show's over. Everyone, back to your posts. Don't just stand around here."
Although the crew was still curious about Reno's powers, they reluctantly dispersed, knowing they'd have more chances to learn about them in the future.
After flying the ship some distance away, Reno set it down and returned to his cabin to rest.
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