"Unknown fleet ahead! Their flag... a golden lion head?"
Roger poked his head out of the cabin, his straw hat tilted to the side. "Huh? A new pirate crew?"
Rayleigh set down the newspaper he was holding, frowning slightly. "Never heard of them."
Gaban rested his axe on his shoulder as he walked to the bow, squinting into the distance. "Looks like trouble."
On the horizon, five warships spread out in formation. Standing proudly at the helm of the flagship was a golden-haired man, two swords crossed over his shoulders. His wild, unrestrained smile radiated unmistakable ambition.
"Kuhahaha!" His laughter carried across the waves. "So that's the so-called 'Roger Pirates' on that sorry excuse for a ship, huh?"
Is that you, Shiki?
Roger wasn't annoyed. Instead, he waved cheerfully. "Yo! Newcomer? Want to throw a feast?"
Shiki—Shiki, who hadn't yet joined the Rocks Pirates, was a rising star who had already made a name for himself in the South Sea despite being new to the pirate world. He stood on the ship's railing, looking down at Roger with disdain.
"Cut the act! Today, I'm going to step on your head and let the world know—I, Shiki 'the Golden Lion,' am the new king of the pirate world!"
Roger blinked. "Huh? New king? Go ahead, I'm not stopping you."
"Kuhahaha!" Gaban laughed heartily. "Captain, this guy's got some nerve!"
Rayleigh adjusted his glasses. "Bounty of 280 million, user of the Float-Float Fruit, recently destroyed three Marine bases... he's got some skills."
Fight it is.
Crimson mist spread, engulfing the enemy ship in an instant. The pirates on the deck realized in horror—
Their voices were gone.
Not that they couldn't hear, but they couldn't make a sound at all. The mist seeped into their nostrils, coiled around their skin, like countless tiny serpents, slowly corroding their flesh and breaking their will.
"Guh...!" A pirate officer with a bounty of 70 million widened his eyes as he watched his hand rot away in the mist, flesh peeling off to reveal white bone.
He tried to scream, but only coughed up blood.
Rhett's figure emerged from the mist, his black tide sword dragging behind him, the tip scraping against the deck with a grating sound.
His movements were slow—so slow that every enemy could see his footsteps, the way his long black hair swayed in the mist, and the gentle smile on his lips.
Yet, no one could touch him.
A sniper pulled the trigger. "Damn it, you're just putting on a show. Eat this!"
The bullet did hit Rhett, but it only passed through a misty afterimage.
This was Rhett's twisted habit. He left afterimages along his path—he was long gone by the time the bullet arrived.
A pirate with the Bird-Bird Fruit transformed into a giant bird, trying to blow away the mist with a gust of wind from its wings. The mist didn't budge.
"Mist Sword Style: Life's End." The Bird-Bird Fruit user fell asleep on the spot, his Armament Haki fading as he lay in Rhett's mist. And that sleep lasted a lifetime.
"A... a monster..." Finally, someone broke, dropping their weapon and fleeing.
Rhett raised his hand lightly.
"Mist Erosion: Heart Piercer."
The mist condensed into threads as fine as hair, piercing through the fleeing pirate's back and exiting through his chest. The man staggered, looked down at the sudden hole in his chest, and slowly collapsed.
When the last enemy fell, Rhett stood in the center of the blood-soaked deck, his black tide sword still spotless. The mist began to recede, flowing back into his body like a retreating tide, revealing the clear sky.
In just a few seconds, Shiki's crew was nearly wiped out. Only Shiki remained.
Shiki's pupils contracted sharply, his golden hair whipping wildly in the wind. His twin swords, Sakura Jū and Kogarashi, were drawn in an instant, their blades wrapped in raging Haki. The deck beneath his feet cracked under his fury.
"You bastard—!!!"
His roar shattered the surrounding waves.
He leapt into the air, the flagship beneath him rising with the power of the Float-Float Fruit. The ship twisted and deformed, turning into a storm of sharp metal fragments raining down on the Roger Pirates!
"Lion's Thousand Ravine!!!"
Golden slashes roared like a lion, tearing through the air. Each slash was powerful enough to split a battleship, blanketing the Oro Jackson in a barrage of destruction.
But—
"Hey now, no need to get so worked up."
Roger's figure suddenly appeared in mid-air, his straw hat flapping in the wind. He grinned, his famed sword Portgas D. Ace wrapped in black Armament Haki, and swung it down!
"Divine Departure!!!"
BOOM—!!!
Two Conqueror's Haki clashed, splitting the sky with a black fissure. The sea was forced downward by the shockwave, forming a massive crater as the surrounding water surged in, creating towering waves.
Shiki's slashes were obliterated, his body flung back dozens of meters. His feet created sonic booms as he struggled to stabilize himself. His eyes widened in disbelief—Roger had effortlessly deflected his full-power attack?!
"Kuhahaha... interesting!" Shiki sneered, but his smile now carried a hint of madness. "Roger! You're not just all talk!"
Damn, the gears of fate are turning. Gotta admit, our captain's got charisma. Got this kid dreaming for a lifetime, huh? Hehehe.
Roger landed back on the deck, still smiling, but his eyes were serious. "Shiki, your ambition's commendable, but don't rush to your death."
"My death?!" Shiki's rage flared again. He raised his hand, and the remaining two ships rose into the air, hurtling toward the Oro Jackson.
"Today, I'll show you—who the true king is!!!"
As Shiki prepared to launch his next attack, Roger appeared behind him like a ghost.
"Young man, don't get too cocky."
Shiki turned sharply, but it was too late—
Ssssh—!!!
Blood sprayed as a deep gash opened across Shiki's chest. He grunted, his body plummeting like a cannonball into the sea, sending up a massive splash.
The sea calmed, leaving only floating wreckage and the unconscious Shiki.
Roger sighed, scratching his head. "Ah, maybe I went a bit too hard."
Rhett stood at the stern, watching Shiki float in the distance, a slight smile on his lips. "Tch, lost just like that? What's gonna happen to his family status now?"
Roger laughed heartily, waving his hand. "Let's go! Our adventure continues!"
The Oro Jackson sailed away, leaving Shiki floating on the surface, his golden hair spread out, rising and falling with the waves. His fingers twitched slightly, his eyes burning with unwilling rage.
"Roger... and that brat with the mist... I'll get you..."
"Roger, I... will... surpass you!!!"