"What a lunatic… charging at Sakazuki head-on," Rosinante muttered as he watched Jack go berserk in a one-on-one clash with the Vice Admiral. "Mammoth Fleet, hear me! You are to retreat immediately, and take the treasure ships with you. This fight is no longer one you can be part of."
The crew of the Mammoth Fleet hesitated at his order. Of course they wanted to retreat—after witnessing Sakazuki's terrifying, earth-scorching powers, they had already lost the will to fight. Though they were bloodthirsty and brutal by nature, that didn't mean they were eager to die. Yet, they also knew Jack all too well. If they ran now, Jack would surely annihilate them in the future.
"What's wrong? Do you have a problem with my order?" Rosinante's voice turned colder as his gaze swept across the hesitant pirates.
As he spoke, a domineering and suffocating aura surged toward the Mammoth Fleet like a tidal wave. Under its pressure, cold sweat poured down their faces as if Death himself had cast his eyes on them.
Ever since Rosinante had taken the throne of the Joromia Kingdom, his presence had grown stronger, refined by his newfound station. Power deepens the spirit—true to that saying, his Conqueror's Haki had matured with him. He could now exert it with deliberate control. Though his aura didn't knock the pirates unconscious, it crushed their will to resist.
"N-No, we wouldn't dare… We obey, Your Majesty!" The crew was terrified out of their minds.
"Remember," Rosinante said calmly, "if those treasures reach me safely, your lives stay intact. If they don't… well, neither will you."
"Y-Yes, sir!" The Mammoth Fleet crew scrambled in a panic to steer the ships around. Rosinante's tone was light, but in their ears, it sounded like the devil's whisper, a sound that made their blood run cold and left no room for defiance.
"Don't even think about escaping—Lava Surge: Great Eruption!" Sakazuki's fist, transformed into a surging volcanic torrent, exploded toward Rosinante and the retreating Mammoth Fleet.
Whoosh! Rosinante's figure vanished, blinking into the sky right in front of the massive molten hand.
"Silence: Heat Suppression. Silence: Power Nullification." He raised his palm calmly and pressed it forward. The infernal lava surged forth like a volcanic arm, massive and overwhelming—but right in front of it, Rosinante's hand looked like a leaf before a tidal wave.
And yet… it stopped.
The searing flood halted completely before that seemingly fragile palm. The collision was silent, but its impact resounded in the hearts of all watching.
"I can't let you destroy my fleet, Admiral," Rosinante said with a smile. "Those ships are carrying treasures I very much need."
Sakazuki's eyes darkened as he glared at Rosinante. His molten fist continued to surge, pumping lava forward in a relentless tide. Rosinante stood firm, nullifying the heat and impact with his silent force, holding the line.
"Let's see how long you can keep this up. Leave one ship behind—the rest of you, pursue the pirates!" Sakazuki barked over his shoulder.
"Yes, sir! Target: Jack Pirates. Commence pursuit!" the Vice Admiral second-in-command bellowed.
"You bastard! Don't ignore me!" Jack roared as he sprang up from where he'd been sent flying. Blood trickled from his lips, and his eyes burned with madness as he hurled himself at Sakazuki again.
The battle had wounded more than just Jack's body—it had shattered his pride. He might've been strong enough to stand toe-to-toe with an average Vice Admiral, but Sakazuki was different. With power nearing that of an Admiral, wielding the terrifying Magma-Magma Fruit, Sakazuki overwhelmed Jack in Haki, combat experience, and Devil Fruit mastery.
Jack had been struck multiple times. Without Rosinante's Silent Recovery Seal on him, he would've already collapsed from fatal injuries. Now, driven half-mad by the one-sided thrashing, he charged once more.
"Hmph. I had no time for you before, but if you insist on dying—so be it." Sakazuki's voice was cold as he swept his molten arm wide.
"Lava Surge: Great Eruption!"
A torrent of magma, like a volcanic explosion incarnate, engulfed Jack in an instant.
"No!" Rosinante's expression changed drastically.
This wasn't just a punch—it was a volcanic cataclysm. Sakazuki's lava didn't just burn—it erased. The surging wave surrounded Jack, searing through his Armament Haki and igniting his flesh. Even with his immense resilience, Jack couldn't endure this unscathed.
"Soul-Severing Slash!" Rosinante drew his blade.
Faster than anyone could react, the sword flashed silently—so fast that there wasn't even a glint of steel. The next moment, the volcanic arm that had just incinerated Jack… was cleaved clean off.
"His arm! He cut off Sakazuki's arm!"
"That… that's the slash that injured Borsalino?!"
Sakazuki looked at the stump of his missing arm with no hint of panic. "So, that's your famed Soul-Severing Slash… Quiet, invisible, formless, and faster than lightning."
As he spoke, magma oozed from his severed shoulder, quickly reforming the arm. In mere moments, his body was whole again.
The truth was, Sakazuki had reacted in time. At the moment of the strike, he had elementalized his body, avoiding a fatal injury—as only a seasoned Logia user could.
"No blade light, no sound, and speed beyond belief… Truly worthy of the name Soul-Severing." Sakazuki's tone was low and menacing as his gaze fixed on Rosinante.
"You flatter me," Rosinante chuckled. "If I were really that good, your arm wouldn't be back on you right now."
"You're still lacking, that's true," Sakazuki admitted grimly. "But that only means I can't allow you to grow any further. If left unchecked, you'll be an even greater threat than Roger."
"Oh dear, don't say that," Rosinante smiled. "Those kinds of compliments are heavy enough to kill someone."
"BASTARD!!" Jack's roar echoed from the lava storm as Sakazuki's eruption finally ceased. The wounded beast emerged, body charred, breath ragged, barely able to stand.
Despite his monstrous durability and decent Armament Haki, the searing lava had burned through to his skin. Scorch marks marred his hulking frame, and pain wracked his every step.
He's hurt, Rosinante observed silently. Looks like Jack's stamina is nearly gone. Sakazuki really is a future Admiral-level powerhouse. His growth, especially as a Logia user, is leagues ahead of most at this stage. It's time to retreat.
"He's still alive?" Sakazuki glanced at Jack, but didn't pay him much mind. His attention remained locked on Rosinante. Jack wasn't yet a threat worthy of focus.
"Mind if I take him?" Rosinante asked with a grin. "He's the first underling I've ever accepted. The guy's got potential—I can't let you burn him to ash just yet."
"Both of you are staying here today," Sakazuki growled, eyes murderous.
"Let's not be hasty now," Rosinante replied.
As he spoke, he vanished like a bolt of lightning—only to reappear right before Sakazuki, his blade already sweeping in a silent arc toward the Vice Admiral's neck.