Roger grinned, greeting Sakazuki with no regard.
Sakazuki did not respond, his grip tightening. Roger, seeing this, his smile faded slightly as he matched the force.
*Hum—!*
An endless white light erupted.
*Boom!!!*
A massive explosion radiated from the two, destroying everything on the ground and sweeping outward. When the light receded, only a barren plain remained.
And the two men, standing a hundred meters apart.
Sakazuki activated his ability, his skin turning crimson with faint lava flows. A dazzling golden light blazed from his eyes, and intense heat billowed from his body. Crimson Lotus Mode activated.
He twirled his long blade, then gripped the hilt with both hands. He stomped his foot, a powerful surge erupting from his back as he charged at Roger.
The hundred meters closed in an instant.
He swung his long blade down, simultaneously forming several vents on his shoulder and elbow. Endless heat gushed out, borrowing power to deliver a fierce strike.
*Clang!*
*Clang!*
*Clang! Clang! Clang!....*
The sounds of clashing blades were ceaseless. Their swords blurred, colliding fiercely.
Streams of sword energy were unleashed from their clashing weapons, their destinations unknown. Only the endless, crisscrossing trenches on the ground testified to their fierce battle.
Unlike Sakazuki's stoic expression, Roger maintained his usual jovial demeanor.
*Clang!*
Another collision. Roger spoke with a hint of mockery:
"Don't go dying on me, Marine."
"Kami-uchi!"
Roger gripped his blade with both hands, his biceps bulging, straining his clothes. The supreme great sword pulsed with Conqueror's Haki in a spiral pattern as he swung it towards Sakazuki.
Sakazuki remained unfazed, raising his blade to meet the attack.
*Clang!*
A tremendously destructive force surged, quickly shattering the Armament Haki on his magma blade. In a moment,
*Crack!*
A crisp cracking sound echoed. A black sword energy, shattering the magma blade, hurtled towards him. Sakazuki's pupils constricted.
*Boom!*
The black sword energy sliced through the sky like a meteor, destroying everything in its path. It struck a distant mountain, directly shearing off half of its peak.
Roger held his blade with his right hand, its back resting on his shoulder. He glanced around:
"He dodged, huh."
He didn't seem to mind, grinning broadly and looking towards the direction outside the town.
There lay a newly arrived army from the Kingdom of Darlons.
He took a step in that direction. As his foot landed, it sank into the ground. Then, centered on Roger, the land within a hundred-meter radius began to writhe and shift.
Lava continuously surged from the ground, rapidly boiling.
*Boom!*
Like a volcanic eruption, a hundred-meter diameter magma pillar, wreathed in thick black smoke, burst from the earth, soaring towards the sky. The ground itself seemed unable to withstand the eruption, cracking open.
The magma, reaching the clouds, exploded in the mist-shrouded sky, scattering like a fiery rain onto the town.
At that moment, the entire island seemed to witness a flash of light, as if it were an illusion.
Only Sakazuki, merged within the lava, knew it was no illusion. A streak of light had sliced through, bisecting the towering magma column.
Roger stood there, only his clothes slightly torn. He then pointed his blade tip downwards, gripping it with both hands and plunging it into the magma.
*Rumble!*
The earth split in half, creating a fissure of unknown depth that stretched to the horizon. The magma beneath was thoroughly churned, its eruption quelled.
Underground, Sakazuki, still merged within the lava, activated his abilities.
By now, the town was completely submerged in lava, resembling a molten hellscape. Under Sakazuki's control, the lava spun rapidly, converging on Roger.
Lava tornadoes formed, one after another, attempting to ensnare Roger in their midst.
Roger dealt with these lava tornadoes effortlessly, dispelling them with a single slash. However, their continuous formation was vexing.
After cutting down several lava tornadoes, Roger's patience wore thin. A hint of ferocity flashed in his eyes. He aimed at the Darlons Kingdom's guard force outside the town, his voice raging:
"Kami-uchi!!"
A black crescent sword energy, over three hundred meters long, slashed horizontally towards the guard force outside the town.
The lava churned, Sakazuki's form solidified, and he appeared before the sword energy, pressing his hands against the ground:
"Cliffsword."
A colossal magma sword, also three hundred meters long, erupted from the ground, coated in Armament Haki, and directly met the underside of Roger's slashing sword energy.
*Boom!!!*
A colossal surge of energy erupted at the intersection of magma and sword energy, blasting outward and destroying everything around. Sakazuki, however, remained standing.
He allowed the explosive energy to buffet his body, instantly repaired by the surging lava. It wasn't immobility, but rather...
Roger appeared not far away, his Conqueror's Haki locking onto Sakazuki.
His long blade, wreathed in Conqueror's Haki, was ready to swing. His eyes held savagery, his face demonic, as he looked at Sakazuki:
"Finally not dodging, huh, Marine brat."
Sakazuki looked at Roger and mocked:
"Only swing at the weak, huh? Sea scum."