At that moment, laughing heartily, Roger dashed forward and shouted:
"Wait, Rayleigh, Gaban! As your captain, I won't let you get hurt! Leave this to me!"
Rayleigh and Gaban exchanged a look, their lips twitching with exasperation. They knew their captain's obsession with combat, so they let him go without further objection.
Kōzuki Oden swung his twin blades, shouting, and unleashed his technique "Demon Imitating Slash!"
Three ordinary Roger Pirates crew members were struck down immediately, the attack surging toward Roger with terrifying force.
Roger's eyes hardened, and he roared:
"Divine Departure!"
He swung Ace, and a massive slash of black-and-red lightning tore through the air, striking Oden.
Oden had no time to evade; the strike hit him squarely. Blood spurted from his mouth as his massive body flew tens of meters, crashing through a dozen trees before coming to a stop. Yet, despite the grievous wound, he quickly stood again, undeterred, eyes blazing with battle intent.
Just as Roger prepared to trade a few more blows with Oden, a tall, imposing figure appeared before everyone.
A man with a striking white mustache held a long naginata—the future "Strongest Man in the World": Edward Newgate, Whitebeard.
His eyes were cold, filled with fury, as he swung the naginata toward Roger.
Roger reacted instantly, countering with another Divine Departure.
The two weapons clashed midair—not truly touching—but the clash of Haki and technique caused a violent shockwave, warping the surrounding air. The ground shook, trees and grass shredded instantly under the force.
Several crew members were thrown through the air, crashing heavily to the ground.
After the initial clash, Roger and Whitebeard regained their stances—equally matched.
Roger laughed heartily, his signature booming voice echoing across the island:
"Newgate! You've grown stronger! You're the toughest opponent I've faced in a long time, wahahaha!"
The laughter was filled with genuine admiration and the thrill of battle.
Whitebeard spun his naginata elegantly and said:
"Gururururu! Roger, Oden is my brother! How dare you strike him! I won't let you go unpunished!"
Roger looked confused:
"I thought you only accepted sons? Since when did you start accepting brothers?"
Whitebeard's expression stiffened. Behind him, Marco, Oden, and other crew members appeared.
"Don't worry about that. Let's fight! Our two pirate crews clash, and the loser leaves the treasure behind, gururururu!"
Behind Roger, the King's Wings, Shiro, and Bullet also appeared, unflinching.
Without further words, both sides sought opponents.
A grand, long-awaited pirate battle had begun.
On the turbulent seas of the Grand Line, pirate clashes were always dramatic.
The collision between Roger Pirates and Whitebeard Pirates carried subtlety because of the old friendship between the captains.
Amid the smoke of battle, the fighters—though facing each other with drawn swords—deliberately held back, balancing display of power with caution.
Even the renowned Roger Pirates warriors refrained from using full power against Whitebeard's still-developing captains, knowing that full-force attacks could lead to heavy casualties.
What should have been a brutal battle turned into a kind of friendly sparring.
Shiro's sharp eyes quickly scanned the battlefield, pinpointing his ideal opponent—Oden.
Within Whitebeard's crew, apart from Oden, few were on the level of Rayleigh or Gaban. Others posed little real threat.
Shiro chose Oden not just for his strength.
He had long struggled to break through a bottleneck in Advanced Armament Haki. Though close to awakening to the next level, the door remained shut.
Perhaps Rayleigh's teaching style had limitations.
Oden, from the mysterious Wano, possessed "Ryou"—Advanced Armament Haki that Shiro had long desired.
This gave him hope for a breakthrough.
With that thought, a strange wave of energy radiated from Shiro. Using his teleportation ability, he appeared before Oden, blocking his path.
Oden's eyes were fixed on Roger, still recalling the "Divine Departure" strike that had sent him flying. He frowned at the sudden obstruction, annoyed.
"Want to see if my treasured blades are sharp?"
Oden gripped Enma and Ame-no-Habakiri tightly, the sunlight gleaming off the blades with a deadly glint.
Hearing the challenge, Shiro felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
A confident smirk crossed his face. Without hesitation, he drew Tetanus Fang, meeting Oden's gaze with equal provocation:
"My blade is no less sharp!"
With that, the two radiated immense energy. An epic duel was about to unfold.
Oden's two-sword style was fearsome—blades flashing, cutting the air with overwhelming force toward Shiro.
But Shiro was equally formidable.
Trained personally by Roger and Rayleigh, his swordsmanship rivaled Oden's in skill, timing, and precision.
The two moved like lightning across the deck, swords clashing continuously. Forty or fifty exchanges passed in mere moments.
Shiro focused intensely, not only countering Oden's ferocious assaults but also observing the subtle ways he wielded Armament Haki.
He knew the key to breaking his own limit lay hidden within these movements.
Seeing his standard attacks ineffective, Oden's eyes hardened as he prepared to unleash a devastating secret technique…
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