Kogesi Island.
Within the giant crater, a thousand meters in diameter, Sakaski leaned against the crater wall, his chest bearing a wound that looked as if it could cleave a person in two, revealing bone.
"Cough... cough...."
As he tried to stand, he aggravated his wound, leading to an uncontrollable cough of blood. He raised a hand, white bone exposed, to cover his mouth and suppressed it.
Tap, tap, tap, tap....
Footsteps approached. Roger's figure appeared, walking over, carrying the supreme great-grade sword "Ace," a trace of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
His body was covered in burns, and one side of his chest was slightly caved in, as if ribs were broken within. He walked slowly towards Sakaski.
Hummm—!
Conqueror's Haki flowed and coiled around the blade, emanating a dangerous and captivating glow.
Roger looked at Sakaski, who was leaning against the crater wall, and his indifferent voice echoed:
"This is the end, Marine brat."
Sakaski lowered the hand that covered his mouth, his cough suppressed. He looked at Roger's face and replied equally indifferently:
"You talk too much."
Hearing Sakaski's taunt, Roger said nothing. He rotated the hand gripping the sword hilt, ready to swing.
Crack!
Like thunder from a clear sky, a deafening roar erupted, followed by violent tremors. The cracked ground convulsed, with plates of earth rising and falling. Searing heat surged from the fissures beneath.
Roger steadied himself, feeling the intense heat. An alarm blared in his mind, stimulating his nerves. His eyes sharpened as he slashed towards Sakaski.
Sakaski watched the incoming slash, his entire body transforming into a pool of magma, melting into the ground and vanishing without a trace.
Rumble!!!
The entire thousand-meter deep crater erupted into magma, forming a volcano. It then violently spewed outwards, furious lava spreading, and an endless stream of smoke and ash encroaching on everything within sight.
The magma, reaching its zenith, scattered in the air and rained down like a meteor shower, filling the sky.
Bang!
Roger broke through the erupting lava column, charging out amidst the molten rock. He had completely lost Sakaski's presence. After a moment's thought, he turned and headed out of the island.
----------------------
The Thousand Sunny.
The crew on board looked at the charging Roger with a slight start, as he appeared quite disheveled.
As Roger leaped onto the ship, the crew quickly gathered around. Some produced medical equipment to examine him, while Roger laughed heartily, reassuring them with a full-bodied voice.
After the ship doctor's examination, it was determined he had only suffered multiple severe burns and two broken ribs, with no other major injuries. The crew finally felt at ease.
Bandaged, Roger ate meat while chatting with Rayleigh.
After taking a large gulp of sake and exhaling, Roger said:
"He's truly troublesome."
Rayleigh was curious; few people earned such a評価 from Roger.
Sensing Rayleigh's doubt, Roger said:
"Strong will, ruthless methods, and a direct retreat when the situation turns unfavorable. This brat is very troublesome."
Rayleigh nodded solemnly. Thinking of the eruption of magma on the island, and cross-referencing it with the information he had, a name from a newspaper surfaced in his mind: Vice Admiral Sakaski of the Marines...
Whoosh!
A sound of tearing through the air.
Boom!
Cannonballs exploded on the sea. Roger and Rayleigh exchanged a glance in the ship's cabin. This feeling... it was back. They walked out of the cabin to a booming roar:
"Roger!!!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!....
Several sounds of tearing through the air. Cannonballs exploded on the sea, sending up sprays of water several meters high. Roger and Rayleigh looked at the figures standing at the bow of a distant warship. Roger grinned:
"Lads!"
"Set sail! Let's run away!!!"
"Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!"
"Oooohh!!!!! "
On the distant warship, a squad of soldiers pushed a conveyor belt-like contraption, loaded with cannonballs. Garp grabbed two cannonballs and aimed at the Thousand Sunny:
"Taste this! Roger!"
"Fist Meteor Shower!!!"
Then, his biceps bulged, and he threw the cannonballs with his bare hands. As they left his hands, sonic booms erupted in the air, followed by a series of further sonic booms.
Garp's arms blurred as the conveyor belt rapidly moved, delivering cannonballs one after another. He could barely keep up with the speed of Garp's throws.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
"Chase them!"
"Don't run, Roger!!!"
Amidst the rain of cannon fire, the Thousand Sunny, like a nimble serpent, dodged the barrage of cannonballs with ease, weaving and swaying. A warship pursued relentlessly behind them...
-----------------------
Half an hour later, the massive volcano on Kogesi Island gradually subsided. Half the island was now covered in lava. Within the lava, a figure slowly solidified.
Sakaski solidified his body and stood on the lava, his face pale. He closed his eyes and used his Observation Haki to probe the areas covered by lava. After a moment, he opened his eyes and activated his ability.
The lava covering half the island began to writhe and shift in multiple places, clearing open spaces and paths. The large-scale use of his ability, combined with his severe injuries, caused cold sweat to stream down Sakaski's forehead.
He stopped when he could no longer bear it and coughed, thinking, It's almost there...
Then, he stumbled towards the direction of the two individuals he sensed in his Observation Haki, who were charging directly towards him.
-----------------------
In Stown Town.
The people who had been hiding cautiously peeked out. As more and more people stirred, they climbed out of their hidden cellars and onto the ground. Except for the area where they had hidden, everything else was covered in lava. They could only wait for rescue where they were.
Once the lava gradually cooled and hardened enough to walk on, the remaining two guard units entered the town and began rescue operations.
At night, the shaken survivors huddled around a campfire at the temporarily established camp. Their shadows danced on the tents, appearing forlorn.
Erika, the little girl who had been playing with the "Great General of the Darons Kingdom" during the day, leaned against her mother, her face filled with worry and confusion. Why hadn't her father returned yet...?
Her father was the pillar of their family. As long as he was by their side, they felt safe no matter what happened. But he still hadn't returned. Was he rescuing residents from another town...? Erika tried to comfort herself.
Just then, Green Boris, the captain of the First Guard Unit, called Erika's mother over, his expression grave.
Erika's mother seemed to sense something. She didn't show her sadness in front of her child. She gently put Erika down, said she had something to attend to, and walked away.
Erika had caught a glimpse that it was her father's friend, so she secretly followed after her mother left.
Outside the camp, Green Boris handed Erika's mother a pair of armor boots with a unique pattern. He spoke with a heavy heart:
"Mrs. Mate, this..."
"Only these boots were found at the scene. Robert has already... I'm sorry."
He then bowed deeply.
Erika's mother clutched the boots, tears flowing uncontrollably. She struggled to control her expression and tone:
"It's alright. Thank you for telling me about Robert."
The rescue mission was not yet complete. After returning his friend's belongings, Green Boris excused himself and hurried off.
After Green Boris left, Erika's mother collapsed to the ground, unable to hold back any longer, and broke down crying.
After a while, Erika's mother wiped away her tears and adjusted her demeanor, trying to appear as normal as possible. She hugged Robert's boots and walked back to the camp.
She still had a child waiting for her; she couldn't show weakness...
Returning to the camp, she concocted an excuse to appease Erika and put the boots away in a box, contemplating their future.
Erika, however, had understood everything when she followed. But to spare her mother further pain, she could only pretend to know nothing.
She secretly glanced at the box, tears gradually welling up in her eyes.
"Daddy..."