Another beautiful day at sea.
Suddenly, a sharp whistle of cutting air tore through the calm surface of the ocean.
"Enemy attack! It's Vice Admiral Garp's ship!" the lookout shouted from the mast.
Reith didn't even bother opening his eyes. He merely waved a hand lazily.
Crimson mist rose automatically at the stern of the Oro Jackson, condensing into a thin, translucent barrier.
Shhhhhh—
The special projectile—hurled personally by Garp—began to rust and crumble the instant it touched the bloody mist. The gunpowder inside didn't even have time to detonate, dissolving into reddish dust that scattered across the sea with the wind.
"Ha-ha-ha! Garp! Long time no see!" Scopper Gaban laughed loudly from the deck.
On the Marine warship, Garp didn't bother responding properly.
"Brats!"
The Oro Jackson surged forward, sails snapping in the wind, with Garp's battleship close behind. Eventually, both vessels docked at a deserted island.
Garp leapt off his ship without hesitation, using Geppo to rocket straight toward Roger's position.
Rotto was a rookie—freshly assigned to Garp's ship.
His rifle trembled in his hands.
He had always admired Vice Admiral Garp.
This was his first voyage under the Hero of the Marines, and he burned with the desire to prove himself.
The moment they landed, Rotto was about to charge after Garp when an old Marine soldier grabbed his arm.
"What are you doing?!" Rotto hissed angrily.
"Vice Admiral Garp is already fighting!"
The old Marine calmly shook his head and nodded toward the opposite side of the beach.
Rotto froze.
There members of the Roger Pirates were gathered casually.
"Bets! Bets! How long this time?"
"Three days! I'm betting three days!"
"No way. Two months at least!"
Reith strolled over with a wooden tray, utterly relaxed.
"Place your bets, gentlemen."
Rotto's face flushed red.
"You! Pirate! Are you mocking the Marines?! You insult justice itself!"
"Five hundred Berries on three days."
"A thousand. Five days."
Rotto stared in disbelief at the Marine veterans who had taken care of him since enlistment.
"But they're pirates! They killed Marine patrols! How can you—?!"
The old Marine sighed.
"Sometimes, when you lie to yourself long enough, you start believing it."
He continued calmly,
"Tell me—have you ever noticed that Roger's crew only kills the scum of the Marines? The ones who deserve it?"
Rotto clenched his fists.
"And besides," the old Marine added, patting his shoulder, "Vice Admiral Garp hasn't decided the outcome yet. Do you really think we get to join in?"
He gestured again.
"See? Roger's crew isn't moving either. This fight doesn't concern us. When and if Garp defeats Roger, then we act."
It was an unspoken rule both men followed.
Otherwise, with how often Garp chased Roger, the seas would have long drowned in blood. Neither side was composed of mindless butchers.
Scopper Gaban and Bogard exchanged a glance and silently disappeared into the forest.
Reith watched them go, smiling faintly.
A fateful pairing, he thought.
Just like Garp and Roger.
The deserted island's beach glittered beneath the blazing sun.
Garp cracked his neck, his Marine coat already in tatters.
"You won't get away so easily this time, Roger."
Roger grabbed Ace, laughing loudly.
"Ku-ha-ha-ha! You say that every time!"
They vanished simultaneously.
BOOM!
A colossal crater thirty meters wide erupted across the beach as Garp's fist collided with Roger's blade. Black-and-red arcs of Haki tore through the air, scorching nearby palm trees to ash.
Reith raised an arm to shield his eyes from the flying debris, squinting as spiderweb cracks spread beneath their feet.
"Too slow!" Garp barked, switching angles instantly.
His left fist screamed toward Roger's abdomen.
Roger twisted aside, Ace grazing Garp's arm—sparks exploded outward.
They moved too fast to follow clearly. Only constant thunderous impacts echoed.
The coastline visibly warped under their clash.
Garp slammed a fist into the sea.
A massive wave surged upward, hardened by Haki into countless water projectiles.
Roger slashed through it laughing, cleaving the wave in half. The remaining force carved a trench over a hundred meters long into the distant sea.
"Meteor Shower!"
Garp launched skyward, fists blazing as each strike streaked down like a falling star, turning the beach into an inferno.
Roger darted through the barrage, sword light weaving a deadly net.
"This time… Garp's fighting more seriously than before.
Reith counted calmly as stunned fish floated to the surface.
"Seventy-three… that should be enough for dinner."
Silence fell briefly.
Garp stood atop a shattered rock, his coat gone, scarred muscles exposed. Roger was equally battered—yet his straw hat remained pristine, his grin wider than ever.
They faced each other from fifty meters apart.
"Going serious now?" Roger asked, tilting his head.
"Obviously," Garp replied, grinning.
The island shook violently.
Two monsters.
A long time passed.
As the sunset dyed the sea crimson, the two figures finally separated.
Garp's left eye was swollen shut. Roger sported a dark bruise beneath his right.
"A draw?" Roger asked, panting.
"Dream on," Garp spat blood. "I can fight for three days and nights."
Boom!
Even as they spoke, the echoes of their battle continued to roll across the island.
Elsewhere along the coast, a completely different scene unfolded.
Gaban and Bogard returned, dragging several wild animal carcasses.
"Gentlemen!" Gaban announced cheerfully. "Let the feast begin!"
Roger Pirates and Marines sat together around a campfire, roasting meat as laughter filled the air.
"Hey, Marine brother," Gaban grinned, handing over a skewer. "This one's done. Try it."
"Th-thank you!" the young Marine bit in—and froze.
"Delicious!"
"Heh! Our secret sauce," Gaban said proudly.
Nearby, Rayleigh sat across from a Marine adjutant, playing shogi. The pieces were pinned to the board by Haki, unmoved by the sea wind.
"Check," Rayleigh said calmly, adjusting his glasses.
"W-wait! That move doesn't count—I didn't see it!"
Rayleigh chuckled. "Alright. I'll let you pass."
"Then I move here."
Rayleigh smiled.
"Checkmate. One hundred Berries."