Kregxi Island.
Within the thousand-meter-wide crater, Sakazuki slumped against the jagged pit wall. The wound across his chest was so deep it nearly split him in two—bone gleamed stark beneath torn flesh.
"Cough… cough…"
He tried to push himself upright, but the pain tore through him, sending a fresh spray of blood from his lips. He raised a hand—white bone exposed—to stifle the cough, pressing down hard.
Tap. Tap. Tap…
Footsteps echoed across the scorched earth. Roger appeared, striding forward with the supreme blade Ace in hand, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His body was a patchwork of brutal burn wounds; one side of his chest caved in slightly, ribs clearly broken beneath the skin.
He approached Sakazuki at a slow, deliberate pace.
VMMM—!
Conqueror's Haki crackled and danced along his blade, casting a dangerous, hypnotic glow.
Roger looked down at the battered Marine, voice cold and final:
"This is the end of the line, Marine brat."
Sakazuki lowered his hand, having forced the coughing under control. He met Roger's gaze, his own voice just as icy:
"You sure do talk a lot."
Roger didn't rise to the taunt. He simply shifted his grip on the sword, ready to strike.
CRACK!
A thunderous boom split the air—then the ground began to quake violently. The fractured earth heaved and buckled, scorching heat pouring up from new fissures below.
Roger steadied himself, feeling the rising heat. Every instinct screamed a warning. His eyes narrowed, and he slashed toward Sakazuki.
But Sakazuki watched the incoming attack with eerie calm. In the blink of an eye, his body liquefied into a pool of magma, sinking into the earth and vanishing from sight.
RUMBLE!!!
The entire crater erupted, magma flooding the pit and transforming it into a volcanic maw. A violent eruption followed, molten rock spewing outward in a furious tide. Ash and smoke swallowed everything in sight. Lava shot skyward, then rained down like a meteor shower, filling the sky with burning stars.
BANG!
Roger burst through a pillar of erupting magma, his body cloaked in molten rock as he broke free. The presence of Sakazuki was gone—completely.
After a moment's pause, Roger turned and made his way toward the shore.
Oro Jackson
The crew aboard the Oro Jackson stared in shock as Roger emerged from the inferno—battered, burned, and looking more ragged than ever.
As soon as he leapt aboard, everyone rushed to his side. Someone fetched the medical kit and began checking his wounds.
Roger just laughed, booming and hearty, waving off their concern.
The ship's doctor soon finished his examination: severe burns all over, two broken ribs, but nothing life-threatening. The crew finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Bandaged up, Roger tore into a hunk of meat, chatting with Rayleigh as he drank deep from a jug of wine. He let out a long, satisfied breath.
"Man, that guy was a pain in the ass."
Rayleigh raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious—there weren't many who could earn such a comment from Roger.
Catching the look, Roger explained, "Strong will, ruthless moves, and when things turned south, he ran without hesitation. That kind of brat… real trouble."
Rayleigh nodded, face grave as he recalled the volcanic eruption on the island. The image in his mind matched a name he'd seen in the papers: Marine Vice Admiral Sakazuki…
WHOOSH!
A piercing sound cut through the air.
BOOM!
A cannonball exploded on the sea, sending up a towering plume of water. Inside the cabin, Roger and Rayleigh exchanged a look.
That feeling… again.
They stepped onto the deck—just as a booming voice roared across the waves:
"ROGER!!!"
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Cannonballs shrieked through the air, detonating across the water and throwing up curtains of spray.
Roger and Rayleigh looked toward the distant warship, where a figure stood boldly at the bow. Roger grinned wide.
"Alright, boys!"
"Set sail! Time to run for it!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
"YEAAAH!!"
On the distant warship, a team of Marines wheeled out a contraption loaded with cannonballs. Garp grabbed two in each hand, glaring at the Oro Jackson.
"Try this on for size, Roger!"
Fist-Bone Meteor Swarm!!!
His biceps bulged, and he hurled the cannonballs with his bare hands. Sonic booms cracked through the air, followed by a relentless barrage.
Garp's arms blurred, the assembly line struggling to keep up as more cannonballs rolled into his grip.
"Hahahaha! After them!"
"Don't run, Roger!!"
Under the rain of cannon fire, the Oro Jackson weaved and darted like a serpent, dodging the barrage with impossible ease. The Marine warship chased close behind, refusing to give up.
Half an hour later, the volcanic crater on Kregxi Island finally calmed. Half the island was now buried under cooling magma. From its surface, a human shape slowly emerged.
Sakazuki reformed his body, standing atop the molten rock, face pale as ash. He closed his eyes, extending his Observation Haki through the magma-blanketed land.
After a moment, he opened his eyes and activated his power. The magma shifted and parted in several places, clearing open ground and safe paths for the civilians who'd sheltered underground.
The effort—combined with his injuries—left him drenched in cold sweat. He kept going until a fit of coughing forced him to stop.
That should do it… Sakazuki thought.
Then, sensing two presences racing toward him, he turned and began to walk—slow, but determined—to meet them.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
Explore More Amazing Fanfiction on My Patreon!
Unlock 30+ Advance Chapters and Enjoy Exclusive Stories Early!
��patreon.com/GoldenLong