Above the Ed War Sea, dark clouds gathered, and strong winds howled.
Golden Lion's Flying Sky Pirates grand fleet, like a dark cloud pressing down, several warships fanned out, completely surrounding the Oro Jackson, which was sailing into a pocket trap according to its route.
Cannons bristled ominously, at least thirty different New World pirate flags flapped in the wind, and a murderous aura permeated the entire sea.
Shiki stood on the deck of the Flying Lion flagship, his golden, mane-like hair wildly dancing in the wind.
He grinned, cigar in mouth, and his voice boomed like thunder: "Roger!!"
At the bow of the Oro Jackson, Roger stood with his arms crossed, looking at his old rival.
Behind him, Rayleigh, Jabba, Bullet, and others stood ready, while Shanks and Buggy gripped their weapons, their expressions solemn.
"Oh! Long time no see, Shiki!" Roger laughed, then continued, "What? You brought so many people to welcome me today?" As he spoke, Roger glanced at the lineup, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.
"Not just an early interception, but an all-out assault!"
"Hehehe!" Hearing this, Golden Lion sneered, arrogantly spread his arms, his wooden clogs stepping on the ship's rail as he looked down at Roger from above.
"Roger! Don't play dumb!
I'm giving you one last chance... Join me, become my right-hand man!"
His voice exploded like thunder, making the sea churn.
"With your strength and knowledge of those weapons' whereabouts, plus my fleet, if we combine forces, the entire world will be ours!!"
Golden Lion's words echoed, and Roger's smile gradually faded, replaced by a cold sternness.
He slowly looked up, his gaze like a torch: "Shiki, I'm sorry..."
The next second, his voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable Haki: "I'm going to refuse you once again!
Because I have no interest in ruling the world at all!!"
Hearing Roger still refuse him in this situation, Golden Lion unconsciously gritted his teeth, his tone icy.
"Roger, do you know what the situation is right now?!"
"I know."
"You know the situation, and you still decide to refuse me?"
"Precisely because I know, that's why..." Roger's expression was serious as he took a slight step forward, his hand subtly tightening on Ace.
"I don't want to kill you here, Shiki!!!"
"Kill me?" Golden Lion's eyes suddenly darkened, and a twisted grin spread across his lips.
"Hahahaha! Are you saying...
You can kill me anytime, Roger!!!"
Before he finished speaking—"Boom!!"
Two terrifying Conqueror's Haki clashed violently!
Roger's dark red Haki swept out like an angry tide, while Golden Lion's Haki roared like a mad lion!
In an instant, the sky was torn apart, dark clouds rolled, and lightning exploded!
The Oro Jackson and Golden Lion's flagship shook violently, crew members on deck grabbed onto fixed objects, and those with weaker strength directly fainted!
"Attack!!!" Golden Lion roared, drawing his sakura ten and pointing it sharply.
"Kill!!!" The Flying Sky Pirates roared as they charged, cannons firing in unison, swords and blades clashing!
In an instant, Roger's Ace, wrapped in Haki, leaped forward, heading straight for Golden Lion!
"God Avoidance!!"
Golden Lion grinned menacingly, his twin blades wrapped in Haki, and his Float-Float Fruit ability activated, sending him soaring into the air!
"Lion: Thousand Cut Valley!!!"
Countless golden slashes poured down like a torrential rain, crashing against Roger's sword light!
"Boom!!!"
The sea exploded, and giant waves surged!
The decisive battle between the two legends officially began!
...
Above the Ed War Sea, the dark clouds were ripped apart by two surges of Conqueror's Haki, creating a massive rift.
Sunlight pierced through like sharp swords, casting dappled light and shadow on the sea.
On the deck of the reconnaissance ship, Gern and Kizaru stood at the top of the crow's nest, watching from afar this peak duel that would surely go down in history.
"Roger's Conqueror's Haki is as exaggerated as ever...
He truly is an existence who reached the pinnacle through Haki alone!" Gern squinted, feeling the oppressive force washing over him; even several nautical miles away, the pressure still made his skin tingle.
"Oh my~" Kizaru pushed up his sunglasses, cold sweat beading on his forehead, his signature lazy smile still on his lips.
"Is this the strength of a 'legend'? How terrifying~"
On the sea, Roger and Golden Lion's figures had already transformed into two streaks of light, each collision triggering an earth-shattering explosion.
Roger's Ace was wreathed in dark red lightning, each strike carrying the momentum of cleaving heaven and earth.
Golden Lion's twin swords were like a lion's sharp claws, golden sword energy crisscrossing, slicing the sea into shattered pieces.
"Bang!!"
Another collision, and the shockwave spread in a ring, the seawater within a thousand-meter radius being forcibly pressed into a huge depression, the exposed seabed covered in spiderweb-like cracks.
"Is this... a true King-level battle?" Gern's pupils slightly constricted, his fingers unconsciously tightening on the hilt of black blade eight desolations.
Unlike his previous encounter with Roger, Roger was clearly holding nothing back now, each strike carrying destructive power.
Gern suddenly realized that when Roger fought him back then, he couldn't even withstand a single strike like this, yet Golden Lion was handling it with ease.
"The gap... it's actually this huge..." Gern murmured, a giant stone seemingly pressing on his chest.
"Hey, hey, don't space out." Kizaru suddenly patted his shoulder, pointing to another side of the battlefield, "Look over there."
Following Kizaru's refer to direction, Gern saw Rayleigh being besieged by three Flying Sky Pirates executives.
One was covered in steel-like scales, another's hands had transformed into giant cannons, and the third floated in mid-air, dark wings spread behind him.
"Is that... 'Iron Scale' Groot, 'Gunner' Ballista, and 'Black Wing' Morris?" Gern recognized these infamous great pirates from the New World.
"All of them are monsters with bounties over a billion..."
"Not just them~" Kizaru whistled, "Look at Jabba's side."
Jabba was swinging his twin axes, fiercely battling a colossal Fishman.
That Fishman was covered in deep blue scales, his fangs exposed, and each punch could stir up monstrous waves.
"It's 'Deep Sea Tyrant' Doge, a former Royal Guard Captain who defected from Fish-Man Island, bounty seven hundred thirty million." Gern's brows furrowed deeper.
"The Flying Sky Pirates have brought out their entire fortune..."
The battle situation was extremely unfavorable for the Roger Pirates.
Although Rayleigh, Jabba, and others were powerful, the Flying Sky Pirates' numerical advantage was too obvious.
Almost every member of the Roger Pirates had to face several times their number of enemies.
Bullet was surrounded by five executive members, and even with his monstrous physique, he was starting to show signs of fatigue.
The young Shanks and Buggy fought back to back, already wounded.
Even Crocus, the ship's doctor, was participating in the battle with a trident.
"The Roger Pirates... are going to lose." Kizaru suddenly said, his tone unusually serious.
Gern turned to look at him: "Why do you say that? Roger and Golden Lion are still evenly matched..."
"Because war isn't a one-on-one fight, Gern." Kizaru interrupted him, his gaze behind his sunglasses sharp as a knife.
"Roger might be able to go toe-to-toe with Golden Lion, but his crew won't last much longer."
As if to confirm Kizaru's words, a scream came from afar.
A Roger Pirates crew member was directly hit by a cannonball from "Gunner" Ballista.
"The first one." Kizaru said softly.
Then came the second, the third... Roger Pirates crew members fell one after another, wounded, their blood staining the deck of the Oro Jackson.
"Bastard!!!" Roger roared, trying to go back to assist, but Golden Lion held him tightly.
"Hahaha! Roger!" Golden Lion laughed wildly, his twin swords dancing with golden light.
"Now do you know the price of refusing me?!"
Roger's eyes became incredibly cold, and the Haki on Ace suddenly surged: "Shiki... you're asking for death!!!"
"God Avoidance!!!"
The dark red sword light tore through heaven and earth, Golden Lion hastily blocked.
He was sent flying hundreds of meters, crashing heavily into the cabin of his flagship, the Flying Lion.