Shiki crossed his twin swords and slashed down violently!
"Lion's Thousand Ravine!"
Dozens of golden slashes tore through the sky, pouncing toward Roger like a frenzied lion!
Roger laughed wildly as he drew his blade, Conqueror's Haki coiling around the steel before he unleashed a single devastating cut—
"Divine Departure!!"
"BOOM——!!!"
Black-red and golden Haki collided, the shockwave carving a massive crater into the sea itself! Both the Oro Jackson and Rocks' fleet rocked violently from the impact!
Rhett anchored himself with Conqueror's Haki: "Are these two monsters trying to split the ocean?!"
Shiki stepped on air and dove: "I can fly! What've you got against that?!"
Roger grinned, suddenly leaping up—Moon Steps carrying him briefly aloft!
"Temporary airtime's good enough for me!"
"CLANG——!!!"
Portgas D. Ace clashed fiercely with Sakazuki's Jitte and Kogarashi, sparks raining like meteors!
Current Roger vs Golden Lion? Absolute domination.
Now let's swing our view back to Gaban—
Gaban abruptly shifted tactics, abandoning brute force to weave around Linlin's flank, his axe sweeping for the back of her knees!
"Mad Axe: Current Breaker!"
"THUD!"
Linlin staggered, one knee hitting the deck—but instantly retaliated with a backhanded punch!
"Mama mama~ Cheap tricks!"
Gaban barely got his axe up in time. The impact still sent him flying a dozen meters, spine cracking against the mast!
Gotta admit, Charlotte Linlin's "Iron Balloon" is straight-up cheating. (Says the guy ambushing from fog.)
"Cough... What kind of monster strength—?!" Gaban's eyes burned brighter with excitement.
Rhett's voice echoed through the mist: "Gaban! Her ankles are weak! Target them!"
Gaban bared his teeth: "No shit?!"
He dropped low and charged, twin axes skimming the deck!
"Mad Axe: Earth Dragon!"
"SWISH—!"
Steel flashed. Sparks erupted from Linlin's ankles as she finally toppled off-balance!
"Mama?!!"
Gaban seized the moment, leaping with axes raised high: "End of the line!"
Right as the blades descended—
"Fist of the Meteor!"
A cannonball smashed dead-center into Linlin's chest, blasting her straight into the sea!
Gaban's axes cleaved empty air, nearly wrenching his back: "???"
On a distant warship, Garp roared with laughter, hands on hips: "HAHAHA! Don't thank me!"
Gaban's veins bulged: "WHO ASKED FOR HELP?!!"
"Fist of the Meteor Shower!!"
A hailstorm of pitch-black cannonballs rained down, indiscriminately bombarding both fleets!
Rhett: ??????????
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—!"
Roger and Shiki simultaneously backflipped away, glaring at the sea—
Garp's dog-headed warship plowed through the waves, the man himself picking his nose on the prow:
"HAHA! Don't mind me! Just here for the show!"
Shiki's face purpled: "GARP! YOU'RE DEAD!!"
Roger suddenly sheathed his sword, waving cheerfully: "Welp! Had enough for today!"
He shouted to Garp: "Old bastard! Drinks next time!"
Garp: "Like hell I'd drink with you! Here to arrest your ass!"
Three-way standoff broken.
Shiki ground his teeth, but one glance at his battered fleet (courtesy of Rhett's massacre—three elites distracted, Rhett going full slaughter mode) and the looming Marines made him snarl:
"Roger! Next time, I'll skin you alive myself!"
With a sharp gesture, the Rocks fleet began retreating.
Roger waved back: "Say hi to Rocks for me!"
Garp scratched his ear. "Tch, boring." His ship turned away too.
No way he'd chase Roger now—just letting Rocks swoop in?
This battle fizzled out anticlimactically. Roger scores 1v1, Gaban flops his 1v1, Rayleigh nails his, Rhett aced 1v100.
Rhett MVP—Roger, Gaban, Rayleigh just coasting. (Doge meme implied.)
Salt-kissed winds carried away the gunpowder stench. On Oro Jackson's deck, the crew lounged in post-battle bliss.
Rhett flopped like a salted fish, drenched in evaporated blood-mist (not his—no way fodder could scratch him). He'd jumped ship to wash off.
"Exhausted... Slaughtered hundreds just for Garp to steal the spotlight!"
Gaban chugged booze, rolling his eyes: "You? That bastard stole MY finishing blow on Charlotte Linlin!"
"Ohhhh I was THIS close~" Rhett mocked in a sing-song voice, fingers forming an upside-down V (.o︿o.)
"Gaban, no offense, but even my acid slashes couldn't pierce her. You really think your axe would've?" Rhett picked his nose.
Hanging with Roger normalized nose-digging. Rhett weaponized it for maximum sass damage.
Rayleigh adjusted his glasses, deadpan: "Gaban, you whiffed. Stop coping."
Gaban: "...Rayleigh. Wanna go?"
Roger belly-laughed, slinging arms around both: "KYAHAHA! What a scrap! Same old Garp—crashes parties with cannons!"
Deck sported a fresh crater.
All eyes turned to Rhett.
He sighed dramatically, hauling himself up: "Fine, fine. Devil Fruit user privileges..."
Hands pressed to wood, mist seeped out to patch the damage.
Gaban supervised: "Hey brat, your 'fog putty' gonna hold? Don't wanna sink mid-voyage."
Rhett flipped him off: "Volunteering? We crossed oceans with Oro Jackson like this. I'm basically a shipwright now."
Gaban: "...Carry on."
Rayleigh approached, clapping Rhett's shoulder: "Good work. Extra rations tonight."
Rhett perked up: "Really? Meat?!"
Rayleigh smiled: "Deducted from your 30,000 berry debt."
Rhett: "...I'll starve."
This debt's from when he borrowed money for that damn Black Tide greatsword training ship. Over a decade ago. Professional deadbeat status: achieved.
Night fell. Bonfire light danced across the deck, meat sizzling.
Roger stood on a barrel, bottle raised: "To victory—CHEERS!"
"CHEERS!!"
Mugs clashed. Booze flew.
Gaban, flushed drunk, slung an arm around Rhett: "Brat! You slaughtered fodder pretty damn stylishly today!"
Rhett preened: "Obviously! I'm 'Crimson Mist!'"
Gaban: "Still not as badass as when I—"
Rhett: "NOPE! Gaban, your drunk war stories are older than Rayleigh's wrinkles. One more 'back in my day' and I'll feed you to the next Sea King."
Gaban roared: "YOU LITTLE—! RESPECT YOUR ELDERS!"
Rayleigh sipped calmly: "Like that time you solo'd a Sea King... and it chased you for three days?"
Gaban: "...Rayleigh. Shut it."