Roger's chest heaved, the Haki enveloping his body dissipated, but he was still covered in severe burn marks. The worst was his left forearm, which was charred black, his skin almost completely carbonized.
The man known as the Pirate King was utterly shocked.
What incredible power!
Even though he had immediately swung his sword to deflect the exploding light, he still suffered a serious injury.
Roa the Calamity, truly living up to his name!
With a mere flick of his wrist, he could unleash a world-ending cataclysm!
A single strike could shatter an island to dust! Even Whitebeard couldn't do that, could he? Shiki the Golden Lion probably could, but only if he had another island to bomb.
The destructive power he showed three years ago was already impressive, but now it seemed like it was just a fledgling's cry? Now his true power has finally been unleashed!
No, I can't exchange long-range blows with him. I'll never win that way!
Roger's knees bent slightly. The next moment, his leg muscles tensed, and the bedrock, now exposed after the upper rock layers disappeared from the explosion, exploded. He shot into the sky like a cannonball, heading straight for Roa.
The instant he leaped, BOOM! A massive tsunami converged from all directions. An unimaginable amount of heavy seawater crashed together, stirring up gigantic waves hundreds of meters high!
"Roa!!"
The air was pierced. Roger's body stretched into a black line, surrounded by rings of sonic booms.
"Hahahaha! Come on!"
Roa laughed heartily, beating his wings to meet the attack.
What incredible Haki. To be so close to that explosion and only suffer this much damage?
On second thought, it wasn't that strange.
In the movies, that old man Zephyr also took a massive explosion that could destroy an island at close range and was completely fine. After passing out for a bit, Chopper saved him, and he was back on his feet in no time.
That bomb that Crocodile had in Alabasta, which could destroy a city, couldn't even kill a bird who couldn't use Haki.
The power of explosions is just for show. To truly kill someone, you need a real battle.
But, this is what I like!
Roa's laughter was wild as his sword, the Black sword, became wrapped in various elements. As he sped forward, he left a long, rainbow-like trail behind him.
Come on, Roger, this final battle of our lives must be magnificent!
The next instant, the two collided again.
The surrounding air was instantly cleared. The powerful Haki pushed everything away, creating a vacuum around the two of them.
Below, the towering waves were hit head-on, instantly creating a gigantic, 500-meter-wide crater in the water.
The near-equal forces sent both of them flying back, drawing two black lines across the sky.
"Haha! I knew that explosion wasn't completely useless!"
Roa laughed out loud. A meteorite over fifty meters in diameter suddenly appeared behind him. He landed perfectly on it, and with a push of his legs and a flap of his wings, his speed surged to its limit.
"Roger! Your power's gotten weaker!!"
On the other side, Roger, who had also been sent flying, fell slantwise toward the sea below.
He looked down at his charred left arm.
It wasn't just his skin; his muscles were also badly damaged. The power in his left arm was severely weakened.
But that was fine. Physical strength was secondary; Haki was the key!
Roger slammed into the ocean.
Winner Island had been completely shattered by the previous explosion. In this vast sea, there was no longer any ground for Roger to stand on.
But the next moment, the turbulent surface of the sea exploded again.
Roger burst out from the seabed. Like a gust of wind, he began to—run on the surface of the water!
"Whoa! Running on water!"
Roa, who was falling like a meteorite, laughed in surprise. "Did you get your series mixed up?"
But then again, if you can step on air with Moonwalk, why not water?
Did I just make things harder for myself?
Thinking this, the curve of Roa's mouth grew wider. "Tiger Devour!"
He gripped his sword with both hands and swung it down with all his might.
A gigantic tiger, composed of various elements, materialized out of thin air. It wasn't just a head like when he fought Kaido, but a fully-formed tiger with all its limbs, which roared and lunged at Roger.
"Great Manifestation!"
A crimson-black, majestic slash tore through the sky, striking the tiger's head. The two world-shattering forces collided, instantly shaking the sky and making the ocean boil.
"Roar!"
The tiger roared in fury, but it couldn't overcome the massive slash.
At that moment, a foot suddenly landed on its head, using it as a springboard to leap up again.
"Tiger's Roar!"
Roa held his sword with both hands and lunged a thrust at Roger from a distance.
The various elements and dark crimson aura that spread from the sword formed a gigantic tiger's head.
The tiger roared with its mouth open, and a huge mixed-element beam of light shot toward Roger.
My moves have all been upgraded!
But wait, doesn't this have nothing to do with swordsmanship anymore?
Hmm, whatever. As long as I'm using a sword, it counts as swordsmanship.
Why should swordsmanship be so restrictive?
Roger suddenly refracted in mid-air. He easily dodged the attack and closed in on Roa again.
The mixed-element beam of light slammed into the ocean, silently piercing through the surface and creating a bottomless hole.
Heh!
Roa sneered, swinging the Black sword. The massive light beam, like a towering sword, moved with his swing and cleaved down toward Roger again.
"What the hell, Wheel Reincarnation Explosion!"
A red glow flickered in Roger's eyes. The future was captured by his gaze.
On the sword of his beloved sword, Ace, a bolt of black lightning instantly shot out, spreading across the sky like a spiderweb!
"Hah!"
The enormous sword of light and the tiny black sword in front of it, which looked like a toothpick, suddenly collided.
The huge light beam, a torrent of various elements, was cleanly sliced open by the black sword!
But Roger felt a great shock in his arms.
Does this kid have no limit to his stamina? How can he keep using these kinds of moves?
"Hah!"
Roger swung his sword with all his might, the roaring slash continuing to tear the light beam apart.
Roa casually sidestepped, avoiding the flying slash.
However, the flying slash was followed closely by Roger himself, who couldn't be avoided.
Then don't avoid it!
Am I supposed to shy away from his edge?
Roa laughed, swinging his sword to meet the attack.
But Roger, who could see the future, suddenly clapped his left hand on the air in front of him. With a dull thud, his body abruptly came to a stop.
Roa's sword flew past him. At that very moment, Roger surged forward again, swinging his sword at Roa's neck.
One can see the future, the other cannot. That's just not fair!
Roa subconsciously retreated, but even so, the sword tore through the incredibly tough fur on his chest, leaving a deep gash.
"Ow! It's been a long time since someone cut me!"
It had been a while since he had been injured. Roa roared in pain.
He also literally let out a roar.
The violent sound wave was mixed with a dark crimson aura and all the various elements.
The distance was too close. Even with the ability to see the future, Roger couldn't dodge in time and could only instinctively block with his sword.
Then, he was blown away by Roa's mouth cannon.
Before Roger could stabilize himself in the sky, Roa was already surging forward with a rush of wind, his wings beating rapidly.
"It seems you really want to compete in swordsmanship, Roger. I'll humor you!"
Roa swung his sword down.
Roger, stepping on the air, charged forward, swinging his sword to meet the attack.
No matter what Roa was thinking, this was an opportunity!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The two of them began to clash again and again over the surface of the sea.
Roger, with his ability to see the future, had a huge advantage.
Roa quickly accumulated one wound after another.
Even with Roa's diamond-hard body, he was no match for Roger's slashes.
But...
"The wounds... they're healing?"
Roger's pupils trembled.
The shallow wounds he had painstakingly inflicted on Roa's body were healing at a visible rate!
The earliest wounds were already completely healed!
What in the world is going on?
Roger, who had never seen this ability of Roa's before, was utterly shocked.
Powerful Haki, swordsmanship no less than his own, strength that even the ancient Giant Clan couldn't match, destructive moves like natural disasters... and on top of that, an unreasonable healing ability?
Isn't this a little too shameless, you bastard, Roa!
The ability to see the future wasn't invincible. Roa's speed and reactions were so fast that Roger couldn't inflict a fatal wound.
He had hoped to win by accumulating damage, but now that seemed utterly impossible!
"This is already slow!"
Roa laughed heartily.
The dark aura in the world was still too thin, and his injuries and stamina were recovering too slowly.
This world needed to become more delicious!
The road ahead is long, and I still have to work hard!
"Hahahahaha!"
Roa's laughter was almost insane. "Keep going! Roger, I can feel it. Observation Haki, this move is just one last step away from being completed!"
So he was just using me as a training dummy?
This arrogant bastard!
If that's the case, then come on, you brat!!
Roger roared and charged forward again.
In the sky.
"Are those two really human?"
Moriah, who was peeking from the clouds, couldn't help but exclaim. "The battle just started, and that island is completely destroyed! And even those attacks can't do anything to Roger?"
Even though his heart was filled with hatred for Roa, he had to admit that the guy's power was on another level!
And Roger was fighting this monster, Roa, without falling behind!
He's a super monster too!
"That's why Boss said this isn't a battle we should get involved in," Dylan said with a sigh.
Even the strongest Bullet probably couldn't withstand a serious slash from Roger, could he?
This... this is true power!
Loki, who was usually a bit silly, looked serious now.
Watching the fight between these two made his heart pound.
Who was stronger, these two monsters or Rocks?
"Just wait quietly," Bullet said, crossing his arms, his expression calm. "Boss will never lose!"
Below.
Roger's offense was as fast as a gust of wind.
Even in the air, his speed didn't slow down at all.
Was his Moonwalk proficiency increasing rapidly during the battle?
But Roa was too lazy to think. He was constantly trying to hide his aura.
The principle of Observation Haki was to hide one's aura, preventing the opponent from using it to peer into the future.
This was a high-level technique that required the simultaneous use of Observation Haki and Conqueror's Haki.
It was difficult.
Among all the Haki techniques Roa knew, this one was the hardest.
So even a genius like Roa had yet to master it.
But now, through constant clashes with Roger and observing and adjusting himself, Roa could clearly feel it getting closer!
The completion of that move was getting closer and closer!
At the same time, Roger's face grew more solemn.
Roa's aura was becoming increasingly vague! Although he could still sense it, it was getting harder to use it to peer into the future.
This kid was getting closer and closer to Observation Haki.
If his only advantage was no longer an advantage, how could he possibly win?
Roger's attacks grew even more ferocious.
But...
"Did you notice, Roger?"
The corners of Roa's mouth turned up. Although he was forced to fend off the attack, and Roger had just left another wound on him, he didn't care at all.
"But it's too late!"
Roa once again charged toward Roger, his wings beating rapidly.
The two Supreme Grade Swords clashed intensely in the sky.
One time, two times, ten times, a hundred times—
After one collision after another, in one specific, ordinary, and unremarkable moment...
When Roa tried to hide his aura again, he succeeded.
It was just that simple. A success without any fanfare.
Roger's face changed.
He couldn't see it anymore! He could no longer see Roa's future!
"So now, let's begin Round Two!"
Roa laughed manically and swung his sword down.
At the same time, lightning rained down from the sky.
Not only that, a sudden wind surged through the sky, and the air became turbulent, causing Roger's speed to drop instantly.
The next moment their swords collided, the two figures separated. Then, the lightning struck. Unable to dodge, Roger was sent plummeting into the sea.
Roa beat his wings and pursued.
"Split for me!"
The sea obeyed his command, splitting apart to reveal a massive chasm.
Roger, who had just hit the seafloor, got up, and a submarine volcano erupted beneath his feet. At the same time, a sword infused with various elements slammed down.
BOOM!
The seafloor was blasted into a massive crater by the violent force, and deep ravines were torn into the surrounding area.
"Haha! Roger! I finally hit you!"
Roa was beside himself with glee.
At the bottom of the crater, Roger had a deep wound on his left shoulder.
With Roger no longer able to see the future, the two were now truly on equal footing.
Roa's sword could finally touch Roger.
"It's not over yet!"
Roger's expression was strained as he leaped up again.
"Then, face the calamity, Roger!"
The sea was boiling, lightning was falling, the wind was howling, and volcanoes were erupting.
Roa began to unleash his full power without any regard for stamina.
The two of them clashed beneath the sea.
The seafloor was continuously dented, eventually forming a huge underground cavern.
Until one moment, the already turbulent sea suddenly exploded.
Two black figures shot out from the depths of the sea, continuing their clashes in the sky.
This time, it was Roger who was on the defensive!
While Roa was clashing fiercely with him, the calamities he summoned, though weaker, couldn't cause serious damage to him. But they did greatly hinder Roger's offense and defense.
Now, it was Roa's turn to leave marks on Roger!
Although Roger's wild attacks allowed him to seize opportunities to leave a scar on Roa, Roa's wounds could heal quickly.
And, the sword in Roa's hand had a very peculiar property.
"Hah... hah..."
Roger's breathing became unnaturally heavy.
That sword was sucking his blood!
Every time his body was torn open, a large amount of his blood was being absorbed by it!
Could it be the legendary Supreme Grade Sword, one of the 12, the Cursed sword, Sea of Blood?
And those patterns on the sword... had Roa turned it into a Black sword?
After absorbing my blood, this guy's slashes have grown even more powerful!
At this rate, I'm sure to lose!
"What a joke!!"
A violent aura instantly shot into the sky. Roger's pale face was now strangely flushed. His condition, which should have been much worse, suddenly exploded with a speed that surpassed his previous peak!
"Hahahaha! Good! Now that's what I'm talking about!"
Roa's smile widened.
Willpower!
His incredible willpower was starting to drive his body!
In other words, he was getting a power-up!
It would be strange if a man like Roger was defeated so easily!
"Then come on!"
Roa was not afraid. So what if it's willpower?
It's not like he couldn't do the same.
The two clashed again, their swords clashing and making the entire sky and sea tremble.
Roger's attacks became even more unrestrained. He began to trade blows with Roa without a second thought.
Roa, naturally, couldn't care less. The dark aura in the world, though thin, was enough for him to recover from his injuries.
"Roa!"
Ace tore through Roa's abdomen.
"Hahaha! Roger!"
The Black sword pierced through Roger's right shoulder.
At that moment, the blood pump started working again.
But...
"You're just a sword! My blood, get back here!"
With a roar from Roger, the blood that was pouring toward the Black sword actually stopped!
"Oh! Life Return?"
Roa laughed heartily. "Incredible! To be able to unconsciously use your willpower to this extent!"
"I don't need your praise!"
Roger grabbed Roa's arm and headbutted him.
Roa, not to be outdone, met the headbutt.
The two heads collided from a distance, and Haki lightning exploded.
"Your existence is too dangerous. Give you a little more time, and maybe even Imu won't be as dangerous as you!" Roger gritted his teeth.
"You think so too, don't you! Hahaha, Imu isn't a good person, but I never expected him to be so bad at being a villain! So, I can only go and teach that great villain a lesson myself!" Roa laughed.
If Imu had been a little more on his game, why would I have to go through all this trouble?
I could've just lain down and enjoyed eating the dark aura!
It's all Imu's fault!
"I'm going to defeat you here!"
Roger swung his sword.
"You can't do that!"
Roa let out a roar, and the sound waves, condensed into a light beam, sent Roger flying.
But at the same time, a flying slash shot out and left another wound on Roa's waist.
"Come on! Come on! Come on! Roger! Let's fight to the death!"
As Roa laughed, a great mass of dark aura surged toward him.
The wounds on his body were healing at a visible rate.
"Roa!"
Roger charged again.
The fight continued.
The two fought like madmen, completely disregarding their bodies, just wildly attacking each other.
The razor-sharp swords constantly tore at each other's bodies, but no one seemed to care.
This fierce battle lasted for over an hour.
By the end, Roa felt that all the blood in his body had been replaced.
Even though his wounds could heal, the blood that had flowed out couldn't go back. All it could do was let the Black sword eat it to increase its slashing power.
But Roger was in an even worse state.
His wounds couldn't heal.
His body was covered in countless wounds, big and small. There was barely a piece of good skin left on him.
If not for his strong willpower, he would have bled out a long time ago.
This was a battle that was unfair from the very beginning.
No matter how strong his willpower was, as his body's condition deteriorated, the power behind Roger's swings grew weaker and weaker.
"It seems... this is where it ends," Roa said, gasping for breath.
The constant cycle of being wounded and healing, of expending and replenishing stamina, had also made him mentally exhausted.
But the victor was decided!
"Roa!!"
He couldn't even stand steadily on the air anymore. Roger stumbled toward Roa. "Divine Avoidance!"
Even though he swung his sword with all his might, his trembling hands couldn't unleash much power. A thin crescent-shaped slash flew out.
"Divine Avoidance? I won't avoid it!"
Roa tightly gripped the Black sword's hilt with both hands.
"There's no better move to end this fight with!"
The various elements on the sword instantly disappeared. Even the bloody aura vanished, leaving only powerful Haki wrapped around the sword.
"Be defeated! Roger! You've tried hard enough!"
Roa swung his sword.
The surging Haki turned into a giant cannon!
The invisible Haki cannon directly crushed the weak flying slash, shattering the air with an unstoppable force, and slammed heavily into Roger's body.
"Ugh!"
His limbs twisted, his bones screamed. Roger's broken body flew out like a cannonball.
In the moment before his consciousness faded, a thought crossed his mind.
Oh, that's Rocks' move...
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