Let's go back in time a little.
On the edge of the floating island.
"Boss, I wish you victory in battle."
Dylan said with a smile.
"Well then,"
Roa stood on the edge of the clouds, his back to his subordinates.
"Roa is heading out."
Taking a step forward, his body was instantly captured by gravity, plummeting downward with a roar.
He had finally waited for this day!
Roa couldn't suppress the smile on his lips.
He could clearly feel it now—Roger's presence was below!
Whether he could defeat him in this battle or not, the dawn of the Great Pirate Era was right around the corner!
Good times are coming!
How exciting!
The wind whistled past his ears as his body pierced through the white clouds.
But Roa had no intention of spreading his wings or using Moonwalk to stay airborne.
He just smiled and free-fell.
Soon, the clouds were broken through, and Roa could clearly see the island below.
Going down a little further, he could even see Roger, who was barbecuing on a pillar in the center of the island.
Roa couldn't help but raise his voice, "Hahaha! Roger, do you mind a third person for your BBQ?"
Below, Roger stood up.
The long sword at his waist was instantly drawn. As black and red lightning crackled, a magnificent flying slash surged upward, tearing through the air!
The sky seemed to be split in two.
"Woah, are you that protective of your food? It's just a piece of grilled meat, is it really necessary?"
Roa casually tapped the air, and the Haki surging from his hand pushed him to the side.
Having avoided Roger's attack perfectly, he flipped over in the air and stomped on the air.
With a muffled bang, a gust of wind scattered from under his foot. The force of his fall was directly nullified, and Roa landed lightly on a nearby rock pillar.
Hm, this entrance is very cool.
He had originally wanted to imitate Big Brother Kaido and just crash into the ground in a free-fall.
With his current physical strength, it would be simple. At most, his hair would be a bit messy.
But that wouldn't be very aesthetically pleasing.
For a handsome young man like himself, it should be a bit cooler.
"It's been a year. I thought we should catch up properly."
Roa and Roger looked at each other from a distance. He said with some melancholy, "Why do we have to resort to swords right away?"
"Roa..."
Roger was not in a hurry to attack. He grabbed the grilled meat, which was cooked just right and smelled delicious. Without minding that it was still hot, he took a big bite.
This kid's strength was definitely extraordinary, so he needed to fill his stomach first.
While gnawing on the meat, Roger spoke indifferently, "What do you want to turn this world into before you're satisfied?"
"Oh?"
Roa raised an eyebrow.
Why so cold?
Is this how old friends should be when they reunite?
His eyes instantly shifted from black to white, and Roger's emotions were laid bare.
He's very angry.
And he's angry at me.
Did he see something in this sea?
Interesting.
So, I'm the one who angered Roger?
"Seriously, Roger, has your terminal illness made you senile?"
Roa laughed with interest. "Didn't I tell you when we met two years ago on Fish-Man Island?"
"What I desire is freedom!"
The young man raised his right hand and slowly clenched it, as if holding the entire world in his grasp. "To break free from the shackles of the World Government and let everyone be truly unrestricted! Everyone can have true freedom!"
"True freedom?"
Roger almost laughed out loud. He was eating the meat with a flushed face, but it didn't stop the sarcasm in his tone. "Roa, is your so-called freedom letting pirates ravage this sea, even forcing nations in this sea to fight each other to pay your exorbitant taxes?"
"I said it, everyone can get true freedom!"
Roa didn't care. He just smiled and replied, "Of course I am also free. I can freely do whatever I want, and no order or rule can bind me!"
"If anyone feels that I am hindering their freedom, then they can come and stop me."
At this point, Roa's smile became a little ironic. "Just like you, Roger, aren't you here for this?"
"As a pirate, are you here to deliver justice to me because you think I'm a heinous criminal? Don't be funny. Aren't you also here because of a surge of anger and your own freedom?"
Roger was slightly taken aback.
Then he gently nodded. "You're right, Roa. It's simply because your freedom annoys me. Your freedom is hindering the freedom I want to see!"
"No more words are needed. Draw your sword."
Within a few sentences, the meat in Roger's hand was completely gone, leaving only a bone.
He casually threw the bone away, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and black and red lightning crackled on the sword of his sword.
There was no need for more words.
Roa might be a madman, but he was a madman with a conviction far beyond ordinary people!
Words couldn't change anything. For a guy like this, only a sword could make him change!
"Aren't you going to let your food settle?"
Roa pointed at Roger's slightly bulging belly and laughed. "It's not good for your health to do strenuous exercise right after eating."
"Less talk!"
The rock pillar beneath his feet immediately shattered. Roger's body stretched into a black line. It seemed his foot had just exerted force on the rock pillar, but the sword in his hand was already an inch away from Roa.
"Then let's begin!"
Roa laughed out loud.
Actually, I'm even more impatient than Roger!
Without the slightest carelessness, black fur instantly covered his entire body, and his wide wings spread out behind him.
The beloved sword, Demon sword: Shusui, was instantly drawn from his waist. The black and red aura wrapped around the sword was as thick as smoke!
Boom!
The two Supreme Grade Swords clashed in the air—
In that instant, the air twisted and screamed. A black and red singularity exploded between the two swords.
Then, countless violent black and red lightning bolts erupted from that point, tearing the world apart like living creatures.
The black lightning bolts swept across the rock pillars, causing them to break; they struck the ground, and the earth immediately split into a chasm; they shot into the clouds, and in an instant, the sky flipped over, leaving not a single cloud in the sky!
And this was merely the clash of Haki.
The true destruction had just begun with the spreading shockwave.
The rock pillars below were pulverized like dry grass, entire forests were uprooted, the earth cracked, the island shook violently, and even the sea receded, revealing the barren seabed!
Just from the first clash between the two men, the entire island was already on a countdown to destruction!
Higher in the sky, the floating island hovering ten kilometers above the ground suddenly began to shake. A violent wind surged from below, mixed with some of the Haki-infused lightning that had reached this high altitude.
"It has begun!"
Teach couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. "What the hell! This is too exaggerated! We're at least ten kilometers away from that island below!"
"It's not far enough!"
Dylan raised his voice. "Continue to ascend! We need to get even farther away! Otherwise, we will still be affected!"
Although it was only the aftershock of the battle, it was still fatal enough for this island floating in the sky.
Because this was a clash between the world's top monsters!
As the floating island ascended, the battle on Winner's Island below had just begun.
The initial collision sent both men flying backward at high speed.
Roger landed heavily, his expression grave.
A true master only needs one collision to understand their opponent's strength.
This kid has gotten a lot stronger than he was a year ago!
Which is why I have to crush him here!
The ground beneath his feet shattered again, and Roger shot out like a cannonball.
"Come on! Roger!"
Almost simultaneously, Roa spread his wings and soared. "For you, I have to go all out!"
On Roa's forehead, the patterns on his two sharp, pointed horns began to spread.
Rumble!
The sky suddenly turned gloomy. Thick dark clouds spread like ink, swallowing the entire island in a shroud of darkness.
However, in the next moment, the world was re-illuminated in an even more terrifying way!
It was a brilliant light!
Countless bolts of lightning poured down like a thunderstorm! Dazzling electricity tore through the sky, instantly swallowing everything and turning the world into a violent purgatory of lightning.
Roger's eyes reflected the sky full of lightning. He swung his sword, Ace, and a roar even louder than the thunder drowned out the sound. "Divine Departure!"
How could an attack that even the gods had to evade be stopped by mere lightning?
A magnificent black and red slash surged out, tearing through the sea of lightning with absolute power, carving out a path of vacuum.
But before he could catch his breath, a storm arrived!
A tornado that reached from the earth to the sky suddenly erupted, instantly swallowing him.
The wind pillar tore at the clouds above, swallowing the vast sea of clouds. Then, countless flashes of lightning leaped wildly within the vortex!
A thunderstorm was formed!
But this was not the end.
The lightning had not subsided, but flames had risen!
In an instant, the tornado turned into a giant pillar of thunder and fire that connected heaven and earth. The storm roared, thunder serpents danced, and flames surged. The aura of destruction crushed every inch of space.
"It's not over yet—!"
Roa fiercely waved his left hand, his voice like thunder. "Have a taste of this!"
The earth... roared with anger!
Underneath the tornado, the ground cracked, and a volcano with a crater more than a hundred meters in diameter erupted wildly!
Volcanic ash, carrying billions of tons of scorching magma, rushed into the sky with the force of a collapsing mountain, as if to pierce through the storm and the sky itself.
And at the peak of the sky, a meteor with a diameter of over five hundred meters had already condensed. With the power of a world-ender, it slowly rotated, then... it began to descend with a mighty roar!
In just a moment, this island was facing a crisis of destruction.
However, in the next second, a massive slash directly tore through the raging storm of thunder and fire, and then extended downward to rip apart the gushing volcanic ash and magma.
A black figure shot out, landing on the ground and then ricocheting like a flea, charging straight for Roa.
"Hahaha! I knew you couldn't be stopped! Come on!"
Roa laughed wildly, spreading his wings. Lightning, fire, strong winds, and magma wreathed the sword in his hand, along with the black and red aura formed by the fusion of blood and Haki.
"Six Paths of Reincarnation!"
"Fierce Soul!"
The two monsters clashed in the sky!
But in that instant of collision, Roger's body suddenly shifted to the side. As if foreknowing the future, he avoided Roa's attack and landed a powerful slash on Roa's body.
He saw Roa's future.
But Roa couldn't see his future.
Future Sight Haki, huh?
But this technique was never invincible!
A wild wind rose again, but this time it didn't swallow Roger. This storm, which had almost turned into swords, rose from nowhere, giving Roger no space to dodge.
Then, it caused his body to shift slightly.
Roger's face sank.
If he couldn't dodge Roa's attack, then he could only—
Boom!
The two swords collided with a deafening crash.
Lightning burst, flames surged, the wind raged, and magma splattered!
This one attack from Roa was a thunderstorm, a firestorm, a tornado, and a volcanic eruption!
Its power was earth-shattering.
But Roger still blocked it, and it didn't seem to be very difficult for him.
The strength of the two was truly very close.
The two figures shot out to opposite sides.
And in the direction Roger was flying, the giant meteor was about to land.
"Come on!"
Roa didn't even bother to stabilize himself. He suddenly grabbed at the meteor with his left hand.
"Chibaku Tensei!"
Rumble!
The giant meteor immediately began to collapse at a shocking speed.
By the time Roger had just stabilized himself, the falling meteor had shrunk into a black sphere.
A powerful gravitational force immediately began to wreak havoc.
The ground below shattered, and large chunks of rock shot up into the sky.
Even the air was pulled in, forming a gale that rushed toward the black sphere.
Roger, who had not yet landed, was also caught by the gravity. No matter how powerful his Haki was, it could not bypass the laws of nature!
Roger was sucked toward the black sphere.
He can even control gravity?
This guy!
Roger simply stopped dodging. He stomped on a rock that had been pulled up and launched himself toward the black sphere, the very cause of the destruction.
I have to destroy that thing—
"Hm?"
Roger's body suddenly stiffened.
Light!
An incredibly intense light bloomed above the black sphere!
It was a small point of light that had formed out of thin air.
But Roger could smell the scent of death from it.
"You came over on your own, Roger!"
The corners of Roa's mouth curled up.
It takes some time to form that point of light, so I have to use Chibaku Tensei to restrict Roger's movement first.
Then comes the next step.
"Art is an explosion."
Roa made a hand gesture with his left hand and pointed his fingers at his chest. "Hah!"
Almost simultaneously, Roger, his pupils constricted, gripped his sword with both hands and slashed with all his might.
BOOM!!!
A destructive blast of light suddenly expanded, instantly swallowing up nearly one-third of the entire island.
A gigantic ball of light stood on the sea, like a sun that had escaped from the abyss, bringing a pure and violent will to the world.
Everything touched by its light—rock, coast, forest—was completely turned into nothingness.
Not collapsing, not melting, but a complete obliteration of existence.
The sea was instantly vaporized, leaving a huge, suffocatingly deep void. Not a single wisp of steam escaped, as if that space itself had been completely hollowed out.
And the wave of destruction had just begun.
The subsequent shockwave turned into a tangible wall of destruction, crushing the rest of the world with pure force.
The remaining two-thirds of the island's cries of agony were drowned out by the massive roar. It was as if it had been brutally crushed by the hand of a god, turning into countless fragments that splattered and dissipated in the gale.
In just an instant, Winner's Island, which was not very big to begin with... was no more.
The sea let out a painful roar, pushed back by an indescribable force, and receded wildly. The exposed seabed was torn into countless pieces by the continuous violent tremors, a face of a dying planet shattered with ravines.
"Huff—"
Roa himself was blown far away by the violent shockwave.
He slowly gasped for air.
An explosion of this magnitude was a heavy burden even for him.
But thankfully, this world had changed more than a year ago!
The thin black mist in the air was immediately drawn in by Roa's breathing, rushing toward him.
Although it was thin, the effect was still significant. His physical strength was recovering quite quickly.
"I've taken away your foothold as well,"
Roa looked at the giant light sphere that was quickly disappearing, the corners of his mouth upturned. "How are you going to fight me now, Roger!"
Time to practice Future Sight Haki!
Roa spread his wings and flew out.
At the same time, the seawater that had been pushed back began to recede.
A world-ending tsunami surged back in.
And in the center of the giant depression on the seabed, a figure covered in black looked up.
"It's not over yet!!"