Marco carefully observed the people behind Roa. Mercury Bullet and King, the Devil's Descendant. These two top executives under Roa were powerful without question. Although their bounties hadn't been updated for a long time, they must have grown even stronger during this period, serving as Roa's most trusted right-hand men.
Then there was Bloody Hand Dylan, a man who had been following Roa since the Rocks Pirates era and the head butler of the Calamity Company, also a strong monster!
Next were some guys whose names he didn't know. They all looked very young, most of them not even teenagers, but children. It was hard to imagine the power the Calamity Company would wield when these guys grew up! It might truly rival the old Rocks Pirates! Especially now that Roa had gained the power of the giants of Elbaf!
Marco looked at the young giant standing directly behind Roa! He had two horns on his head, looked like a human boy in his early teens, but was almost thirty meters tall. According to his father, he inherited the bloodline of the ancient giants and was a true monster by birth! Marco still found it hard to believe what kind of deal that legendary Giant King, Harald, whom even Rocks considered a confidant, had made with Roa to hand over his own son. It couldn't be just because Harald saw Rocks in Roa, could it?
Finally, Marco's gaze fell on the two giants behind Loki, who were a head shorter than him. Unlike the Giant Prince, they were adult giants. One held a battle-ax, and the other a greatsword. One was thin, the other was fat. Hmm? Why did they look a little familiar?
While Marco was still wondering, an exclamation came from beside him. It was Vista. He was also looking at the two giants but had already recognized them.
"Although they're much older and fatter than their wanted posters, these two giants are definitely the captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates that once roamed the seas seventy years ago, Blue Ogre Dorry and Red Ogre Brogy!!"
"The Giant Warrior Pirates?"
Marco finally remembered why he felt they looked familiar! It was the two captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates! The legends of the sea from seventy years ago!! What kind of joke was this? It was one thing that they hadn't died, but why were they standing behind Roa? Did Elbaf trust Roa that much? What kind of power had this guy Roa gathered?!
Whitebeard's expression didn't change much upon hearing this, but his brow furrowed a little more.
"Roa!"
He raised his voice. "Are you planning to start a war with me here?"
Below, on the still-trembling coastline, atop the snail's head. Roa raised the corners of his mouth and spread his arms. "Isn't it obvious? How can another sleep soundly with a tiger on their doorstep? Old Man Whitebeard, you're too dangerous."
"So, to deal with you, I've brought all my main fighting forces!"
Behind him, from the palace on the snail's back, black figures shot out. They scattered like a swarm of bees, spreading across the coastline and guarding their king.
"Oh! This is!"
Loki sized up these creatures, which were mostly unrecognizable as human except for their faces. Their postures were bizarre, their bodies twisted, and they looked terrifyingly monstrous.
"Those things from eight years ago!"
He had a very deep impression of them. Roa had beaten him up twice eight years ago, and the first time was by controlling these inhuman, ghostly things!
"They're all my chang ghost."
Roa said with a smile. "Quite interesting, right?"
Speaking of which, the chang ghost army hadn't had a large-scale increase in members for a long time. The number was still less than two hundred. However, these guys were gradually becoming less useful. Although there were some Navy Vice Admirals and even a master like Chinjao among them, the mass-producible Calamity Knights and the newly acquired giant army were still much stronger than them. But of course, the chang ghost army had an advantage. As long as Roa didn't care about quality, their size could expand almost infinitely.
"The ghosts you control? Can you control so many at once?"
Loki laughed heartily. "No wonder you just sent out the giant warriors! You had more in reserve!"
"..."
Whitebeard glanced at the monsters that had completely broken away from the human form. Back in the Rocks Pirates, he had seen Roa turn humans into Oni under his control several times. This was Roa's disgusting ability. Human suffering was his food, and even humans themselves would become weapons under his control! Now, among the various pirate forces in the New World, no one had more power in their hands than Roa, right? Even that bastard Shiki's Golden Lion Pirate Fleet couldn't compare to Roa's Calamity Company!
Whitebeard slowly let out a sigh of relief. If the Golden Lion Pirate Fleet was like this, their Whitebeard Pirates were even weaker. The executives didn't even have the qualifications to fight them! The only advantage they had was himself!
"Roa!"
Whitebeard slammed the handle of his Murakumogiri on the ground. "If you want to fight, I'll see you to the end!"
Boom!
The sea here immediately began to undulate like waves, and the rock and soil shattered. Behind them, the real sea was even more turbulent, with waves dozens of meters high, as if they were going to swallow the entire world.
Oh? His attitude was surprisingly aggressive? It made one feel that something was off. Roa had a smile on his face.
"Haha! Hey, is that the crescent-mustache guy's ability?"
Loki laughed excitedly. "This guy seems super powerful! My Boss, can you handle it?"
"I won't win, but I won't lose either."
Roa answered casually. Leaving out that group of people on Mary Geoise , the forty-four-year-old Whitebeard was definitely one of the strongest people on the sea. In a one-on-one fight, he would still be a little short. But as long as he didn't want to die, Whitebeard wouldn't even be able to hurt him.
"Hahaha! That's good!"
Loki chuckled. "I don't want to be inexplicably killed like this!"
"Who is the most powerful guy under that moon-mustache guy? Let me take him on!"
Bullet suddenly turned and looked at Loki with an annoyed expression. Not only was this bastard's attitude in front of the Boss casual and arrogant, but he also wanted to replace his position!
"Oh?"
Roa also turned back and looked at Loki. "Suit yourself." He had to admit, it was quite a good match. Loki could really fight Marco. His strength was probably even greater than Marco's, after all, the Phoenix Fruit didn't provide a huge boost to physical strength. And on the defensive end, the fifteen-year-old Marco's Haki couldn't be that strong. Loki could completely rely on his thick skin to withstand it. Of course, Loki would definitely have no way to deal with the cheating recovery ability of the Phoenix Fruit. Although there were stats, there was really no clear mechanism to explain it.
"Hehe, what are we waiting for!"
Loki couldn't wait. Behind him, Dorry and Brogy were on high alert. Although they didn't know what the Whitebeard Pirates represented in this era, they had heard with their own ears that Roa said he couldn't win against the man with the crescent mustache. This group of people was probably not simple! They had to protect Loki!
"Then, come on!"
Roa raised his voice with a smile. "Whitebeard, let's fight!"
So, Whitebeard, what are you planning? It's time to speak up. I don't want to fight, and you must feel the same way.
"Then you better be ready, you bastard brat!"
Whitebeard's voice spread out mightily, accompanied by intense vibrations, like a thunderclap. "Be ready to come here with a group of people and leave all alone!"
"Oh?"
Roa raised the corners of his mouth, and said with interest. "So you're threatening me now?"
"I know you don't care about the lives of your subordinates,"
Whitebeard said. "But if you think it's worth it for this country to exchange for the subordinates you've painstakingly gathered, then come on!"
"Huh? This is really interesting!"
Roa couldn't help but laugh. "I'm the only one who threatens people!" This was a complete role reversal.
"Then Old Man Whitebeard, aren't you afraid that I'll kill all your children?"
Roa said with a smile. "Hmm, I can even sink this entire country into the sea while I'm at it."
"Do you think we, who can appear here, would be afraid of death?"
Marco shouted angrily. "Roa! Even if we die, we'll make you pay a sufficient price!" Without the determination to break the bank, how could they fight this monster!
"Whoa! That's scary!"
Loki instantly shrank back, clicking his tongue. "I regret it. Let someone else deal with this guy!"
"This is indeed a headache."
Roa raised his hand and rubbed his chin. It was indeed a little not worth it. This country was almost useless to him except for gaining some black aura. Even if he could defeat the Whitebeard Pirates, if the price was heavy losses among his subordinates and the only gain was this island, it was a huge loss no matter how he looked at it.
So, from the very beginning, he didn't think there would be a fight this time, which was why he didn't care about sending out all the giant warriors. It was impossible for Whitebeard to want to fight him, and Roa also felt that the losses would be significant if they went to war.
However, the situation of this country was not as good as Whitebeard thought.
"Whitebeard, why go to such great lengths? Can't you just obediently get out of this sea area?"
Roa sighed. "If you leave now, at least you'll still have some dignity."
"Do you think I'm joking with you, you bastard!"
Whitebeard's eyes suddenly widened, and an invisible aura surged out. With this surging Armament Haki, the land, the sky, the sea, the snail, and everything in this area began to tremble!
"Wow! I'm shaking!!"
Enel suddenly screamed. His body was directly shaken into lightning, constantly switching between solid and elemental forms.
"What is this!"
Doflamingo screamed in disbelief. "The sky, the ground, and even we are trembling!"
"It's Awakening!"
King's expression was solemn as he cried out. "Has Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit Awakened?" The ability to directly affect the outside world was indeed a manifestation of an awakened Paramecia-type Devil Fruit!
Roa raised an eyebrow. Sympathetic vibration? It seemed a little more troublesome than he had imagined. The single-point destructive power might not be greatly enhanced, but the area-of-effect damage was definitely maxed out. Oh boy, if they were to start a war now, he really didn't know how many of his executives would survive, assuming Whitebeard would be ruthless towards his subordinates.
"Fighting, no way!"
Whitebeard's roar shook the heavens and the earth. "Roa, what's your answer!"
But at this moment, Roa's smile was even more brilliant. "Speaking of which, aren't you being a little too arrogant, Whitebeard?"
"What?"
Whitebeard was suddenly stunned. Arrogant? What was this kid talking about?
Roa tilted his head and asked curiously. "This country is just your hometown. You're neither the king nor do you represent the will of the people. What right do you have to make decisions for the people of this island?"
"Why don't we ask the people of this country? What if they want to join my banner and are unwilling to accept your protection?"
"Stop talking nonsense!!"
Whitebeard roared. "I don't have the patience to listen to your gibberish! Fight or leave, there are only these two options!"
"Is that so?"
Roa gestured to the side. "But it seems they don't think so."
"Old Man!"
The furious Whitebeard heard Marco's trembling voice beside him. On one side of the slope, a group of people was approaching quickly. The moment he saw that group of people, Whitebeard's expression changed.
"Lord Roa! We're here to help you!"
This was a group of heavily armed men. They were all beaming with joy, shouting at Roa down the slope. Whitebeard naturally remembered them. They were the former Sphinx rebels. The chaos in Sphinx a year ago was caused by them! Hadn't the rebellion been quelled a long time ago? Hadn't they already promised not to cause trouble?
Why were they here? Why were they here to welcome Roa!! And behind them, there was a large army! At a glance, the entire country's army was here! What in the world happened?
An unprecedented rage rose from Whitebeard's heart. He couldn't help but roar at that group of people.
"What are you fools doing! Don't you know what a crazy monster this bastard Roa is!!"
"Of course we know what kind of person Lord Roa is!"
The former leader of the rebels, the man now leading the crowd, spoke loudly. "He's here to change this country! He will make Sphinx as famous as the Germa Kingdom!"
"Whoa."
Hearing this, Roa couldn't help but whistle. What did Morgans's subordinates tell these people? He had reported the situation of this country to Roa, saying that their hidden agents had developed a considerable amount of power, which was why Roa had come leisurely. Without these guys, it would have been difficult to deal with the Whitebeard Pirates. But this was too exaggerated. These guys had been fooled into being idiots.
The organization that Morgans had formed to collect intelligence now seemed to be much more effective than he had imagined.
"Fools!!"
Whitebeard's forehead was throbbing with veins. The executives behind him also had angry expressions.
"Do you think you know Roa better than I do!"
"Hmph! Stop with your empty words, Whitebeard! What right do you, the defender of the corrupt Royalty, have to judge Lord Roa!!"
The rebel leader shouted. "I'll tell you the truth. We've been waiting for this day for a long time! The so-called 'that's enough' and 'reconciliation' were just to paralyze you!"
"How could we possibly reconcile with the corrupt Royalty that hinders the progress of this country?"
"This country needs change, and now is the time for change! Whitebeard, if you're really for the good of this country, then stop getting in the way!"
"Hoho,"
Roa's laughter rang out. "It seems this country doesn't need your protection after all, Whitebeard."
"Shut up!"
Whitebeard's emotions were a little out of control. After glaring at Roa, he looked at the rebels with an angry face.
"Fools! What change! How could Roa possibly care about you and the fate of this country! He's a monster who feeds on human suffering!"
"No matter what you say, it won't change our minds! Whitebeard!"
The rebel leader sneered. "You've been back in Sphinx for almost a year now, but has this country changed at all in that year? Oh, the number of pirates attacking has increased. They're all your enemies! Do you think we'll thank you for repelling these pirates?"
"This country is still as poor and dilapidated as ever! If this continues, this country will not develop even in a hundred years!"
"The corrupt Royalty has hindered the country's development! And you're an accomplice!"
"It's no use, Old Man,"
Marco said with a bitter smile. "They've gone crazy!"
Whitebeard gritted his teeth. He should use his Conqueror's Haki to knock these guys out so they wouldn't cause any trouble!
But.
"But it's a good thing! The corrupt Royalty can no longer hinder this country!"
Upon hearing this, Whitebeard paused. His eyes gradually widened, and his tone became increasingly solemn. "What did you do?"
"Hahahaha! Whitebeard! Do you think we've been doing nothing but waiting patiently for the past year?"
The man laughed maniacally. "We've been preparing for this day! Secretly developing our forces, gathering allies, and at the same time, constantly sending people to join the army, and even directly inciting officers. The entire army has been under our control for a long time!"
"Everything was for this day!"
He reached into the bag hanging from his waist and took out a head.
"The king is dead! The army is under our control! The people support us! Whitebeard! Now you are the enemy of this country!"
Looking at the head with its eyes wide open in death, Whitebeard's body suddenly trembled. How could this be?
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