At that moment, the entire Fish-Man Island fell into a dead silence.
The sea of clouds suddenly parted.
A black cursed sword hung high in the sky, its diameter as large as a mid-sized ship, its length stretching endlessly into the heavens.
The sharp, menacing tip pointed straight down, aimed directly at the Oro Jackson.
Even though it hovered motionless in the sky, a boundless sense of dread radiated from it, casting an overwhelming terror over everyone below.
"This... this..."
Neptune, King of Ryugu Castle, raised his head in horror, staring at the unbelievable sight, his heart seemingly stopping.
And it wasn't just him.
Across the entire Fish-Man Island, millions of Fish-Men were plunged into unimaginable panic.
They recognized it...
Everyone recognized it!
It was the cursed blade that had once pierced through Shiki's floating island at Marineford, the Marine Headquarters!
"It's over..."
Neptune swallowed hard, fear gripping him as his hands trembled uncontrollably around the golden trident.
What if... What if this cursed sword really struck down...
A terrifying image flashed through his mind.
The entire Fish-Man Island would be pierced straight through!
The protective bubble membrane would shatter, seawater would flood in... and it would be a massacre!
"Shoot them, Enma."
A cold, emotionless voice, like a divine pronouncement of final judgment, echoed down.
Sizzle, sizzle...
Streams of blue arcs of electricity, visible to the naked eye, coiled and danced along Enma's massive blade.
A heavy rumble sounded, and the cursed sword, propelled by a violent, almost boiling magnetic field, hurtled toward the Oro Jackson at an astonishing speed...
It fell madly!
At such a terrifying velocity, friction with the air ignited a bright red glow, quickly flaring into visible blazing flames.
A sword strike like a blow from the gods!
A sword strike that brought absolute despair!
"Wahahahaha! Daren, you actually managed to unleash such a powerful move!"
At that moment, a hearty, unrestrained laugh rang out from the Oro Jackson.
Boom!
A surging crimson storm burst forth from that figure, with streams of black and red Raitei intertwining and spreading, forming a web that blotted out the sky.
Amid the fierce Haki storm, a crimson figure leaped from the deck like a ghostly god.
His burning, focused gaze locked onto the giant sword falling from the sky, his face filled with unyielding resolve and determination!
Gripping a long sword surging with black and red lightning in both hands, he bit down hard, laughing boldly as he slashed upward!
Compared to the descending Enma, Roger's figure seemed pitifully small, like a moth rushing into flames from afar.
Yet in the eyes of everyone, the brilliant, overwhelming force bursting from Roger at that moment seemed to overshadow even that colossal blade of judgment, dazzling them all!
In the next instant, Roger, sword in hand, collided head-on with the black giant sword.
Boom!
A massive shockwave exploded outward in rippling waves, sweeping across every corner of Fish-Man Island, sending sand and debris flying.
Everyone was thrown to the ground, their faces frozen in terror.
The momentum of Enma's fall suddenly stalled.
"I've got it!"
Roger gripped his sword with both hands and laughed loudly.
But in the next instant, his expression froze.
"No, I didn't hold it!"
An overwhelming force, far beyond what a human could resist, surged from Enma's massive blade, like a crashing tidal wave, slamming into Roger's small figure and forcing him backward.
However, Roger's interception caused Enma's trajectory to shift slightly, and its force weakened by more than half.
The cursed sword, which would have pierced straight through the Oro Jackson, instead scraped past the ship's hull, tearing huge chunks of wood and decking apart. The coating shook violently, on the verge of shattering, leaving the Roger Pirates in horror.
"Now!"
Rayleigh roared, his eyes bloodshot.
"It's coming!"
Gaban shouted.
Everyone immediately grabbed hold of whatever they could on the deck, clinging tightly.
A massive cannon barrel extended from the stern... Blinding white light gathered and surged.
A rope suddenly flew high across the deck, neatly looping around Roger's neck and tightening before he could react!
Boom!
The air cannon fired, launching the Oro Jackson upward at high speed. The ship blasted through the shattered gate of Fish-Man Island and plunged into the deep sea beyond.
At the same time, Enma's giant blade crashed into the ground behind them, causing another earth-shattering tremor, with dust and debris billowing out.
...
Deep sea.
The stunningly beautiful Fish-Man Island quickly shrank into the distance behind them, while before them stretched a dark and endless abyss.
The ship gradually stabilized as it sailed deeper into the sea.
"Wahahahaha! We made it again!"
Roger dropped onto the deck, tore the rope from his neck, and laughed heartily.
The rush of dancing between life and death filled him with excitement, reminding him vividly that he was still alive!
The others were gasping for breath, sprawling on the deck with no care for appearance, looking every bit like survivors of a disaster.
It had been too close...
Thinking back to the terrifying sword strike earlier, a shadow of helplessness and dread crossed their faces again.
If Captain Roger hadn't stepped in at the critical moment to deflect that cursed sword, the Oro Jackson would have been shattered instantly.
Without their ship, they would have been stranded on Fish-Man Island.
And when the Marines arrived, there would have been no escape.
"I never want to meet that Marine again... He's even scarier than Garp!"
Buggy crouched on the deck, clutching his head with trembling hands, his whole body shaking, terror written all over his face.
Facing other enemies was one thing, but against that Marine... every attack was meant to kill!
There was no holding back at all!
Next to him, Shanks pressed his cracked lips tightly together, remaining silent.
"Oden, what's wrong?"
Rayleigh suddenly sensed something amiss and turned to look at Kozuki Oden.
Everyone froze.
They saw Kozuki Oden, gravely injured, slumped on the deck, his face deathly pale and his eyes filled with anguish.
His fists were clenched tightly.
"My sword... Ame no Habakiri..."
Everyone was stunned.
They saw it clearly—Oden's sword sheath was empty.
Could it have been lost in the chaos just now...
But before they could offer any words of comfort, Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban's expressions shifted sharply, a glint of scarlet flashing deep in their pupils.
They turned simultaneously.
In the deep sea ahead on the left, a beam of intense searchlight suddenly pierced the darkness.
Moments later, a coated dog-headed warship broke through the swirling currents and shadows with a fierce momentum.
Standing proudly on the warship's bow, arms crossed, cape fluttering, was a towering figure radiating a deep, ferocious aura.
"Bwahahaha! Roger! I finally caught you!"
The hero of the Marines... "Iron Fist" Garp!
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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