The flaming blade, scorching and violent like a raging tempest, descended from the skies and struck the Marines in an instant.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A series of deafening explosions rang out as the once-tranquil sea roared to life under the intense heat. Steam billowed into the air, shrouding everything in a thick, white mist.
"Help!"
"It's all burning!"
"Everyone, into the sea, now!"
The panicked cries of high-ranking Marines echoed across the battlefield. Their faces were pale, stricken with fear and disbelief. No one had imagined that a single strike from Rojen could unleash such overwhelming destruction.
Five Vice Admirals stood present, and yet not one of them could withstand that tremendous blow.
The flaming slash, stretching over a thousand meters, was like divine retribution— unstoppable, untouchable.
It carved through the sea and slammed into the fleet like a guillotine from the sky.
In a flash, eight warships were cleaved in half, consumed by towering flames. It was only a single strike. Just one. And the fighting force of thousands of Marines was wiped out.
As the cold, mechanical voice of the Possession System echoed in his mind, Rojen allowed himself a faint smile. He stepped forward and vanished, his figure dissolving into the horizon.
Nearly six hours had passed since Jason and the others had departed. Compared to the Marine-heavy waters near Baterilla Island, the surrounding sea zones were sparsely patrolled. That meant Jason and the crew should be relatively safe— at least for the moment.
Rojen let out a quiet sigh of relief and pulled out a Den Den Mushi from his pocket.
"Bruubruubruu."
The soft ringing echoed in the still air. Five long breaths passed—
Rojen's brows furrowed.
No answer.
The Den Den Mushi, on the other end, remained eerily silent.
"Did something happen to Jason?"
His eyes flashed with urgency. A cold edge crept into his expression as he launched into the sky, flying in the direction he remembered from the sea chart he'd given Jason. He had a rough idea of their route.
Just as Rojen disappeared from view, a blinding golden light erupted from the island wreathed in fire. A majestic figure slowly emerged, walking through the scorched earth until he stood before the blazing ruins.
"Admiral Kizaru!"
"It's Kizaru!"
"He's alive!"
The panicked Marines lifted their heads toward the shimmering figure in the air, their faces lighting up with hope and relief.
"Yasakani no Magatama."
A calm, unhurried voice descended from above. Thousands of light particles rained down like a celestial shower, piercing the inferno engulfing the fleet.
Within three breaths, the flames began to recede. The screaming stopped. Only the sound of sizzling embers remained.
Kizaru landed silently on one of the few remaining warships. The five Vice Admirals gathered solemnly before him.
"Did Rojen escape?" The question hung in the air, half a statement, half disbelief.
"He was too strong," Noas said grimly. "We had no time to respond before the ships were ablaze. We couldn't even begin to pursue him."
"The intel underestimated him," Kizaru said, his usual laziness gone, replaced by rare seriousness. "If I hadn't broken through in that last moment, even I would've been in real danger."
A heavy silence followed.
"What do we do now?" Noas asked, unable to hide the apprehension in his voice.
Anyone who had witnessed Rojen's earlier attack wouldn't blame him. A Marine Admiral was nearly cut down in a single blow?
What kind of monster were they dealing with?
"Contact Kuzan and tell him to proceed with caution."
Kizaru narrowed his eyes as he issued the order without hesitation.
Though he and Kuzan were close in age and roughly equal in strength, Kizaru held a slightly higher rank due to seniority. Still, even he had nearly fallen to Rojen's blade and had only survived thanks to a last-minute breakthrough in power.
If Kuzan ran into Rojen unprepared... he might not be so lucky.
"Understood!"
A Vice Admiral responded instantly, pulling out a Den Den Mushi and initiating the call.
"Bruubruubruu..."
The snail-phone rang for six full breaths before a drowsy voice finally answered.
"Mushimushi..." Kuzan's reply was sluggish, filled with annoyance— like someone dragged out of bed far too early.
"Kuzan, what are you doing?!" The Vice Admiral raised his voice, barely restraining his frustration.
"Ran into something. Hanging up." Kuzan's tone was as indifferent as ever. Before the Vice Admiral could ask anything else, the line went dead.
The Vice Admiral stood frozen for a second, blinking slowly. His lips twitch, fists clenching tightly. If Kuzan had been standing in front of him right now, he would've gladly smashed the rum bottle Kuzan had emptied the night before over his lazy head.
Kizaru's expression darkened.
"Track Kuzan's location. We're moving to assist him immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
The Marines sprang into action without hesitation.
Locating Kuzan wasn't difficult. He was notoriously lazy when it came to communication, but his subordinates would never dare ignore a direct order from HQ.
Over the vast sea, seagulls glided across the sky, their sharp cries echoing faintly above the waves. Below, a school of fish leapt briefly into the air before vanishing again with soft splashes.
Just as the fish slipped back into the sea, a pair of icy feet touched down on the surface.
Each step radiated an intense chill. The seawater beneath instantly froze, forming a path of ice nearly a meter wide.
"Dá Dá Dá..."
The figure moved step by step along the frozen trail. His pace appeared leisurely, yet somehow, he advanced with surreal speed, so fast it made the eye dizzy. In a blink, he was already a kilometer ahead, his silhouette fading into the distance.
Behind him, the long ribbon of ice slowly melted back into the ocean, leaving no trace but shimmering water.
"Found you."
His gaze sharpened as he locked onto a small wooden boat sailing quietly against the wind.
The sail was plain— no insignia, no flags. It didn't belong to any merchant fleet or pirate crew. Just a common vessel drifting through the sea.
And yet, as he looked at it, something flickered across his face. His expression turned complicated, though his steps didn't slow. He continued forward.
"That her...? The one Garp-sensei ordered me to pursue?" He murmured to himself. In a flash, he crossed another three hundred meters.
Roughly ten kilometers behind him, on a mid-sized Marine warship, a group of Commodores were scrambling around a Den Den Mushi, trying desperately to get through.
"Hello! Commodore Grand of the South Blue branch here—"
"I don't care who the hell you are. Just tell my father exactly where that slacker Kuzan went!" A sharp, commanding voice blasted through the receiver, cutting Grand off mid-sentence. The tone carried authority and irritation, leaving Grand momentarily stunned.
'Who was this person— so aggressive?'
"That's a Vice Admiral!" A subordinate leaned in, whispering urgently into his ear.
Grand's entire posture changed in an instant. He stood at full attention.
"Yes, sir! Mad, sir, reporting!"
"Talk!" The voice snapped again.
"Rear Admiral Kuzan is currently pursuing a vessel!"
"Pursuing a ship?!"
(End of Chapter)
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