"This new ship boasts three operating systems: wind-powered sails, steam power, and electrical energy!"
"In terms of speed, no one will ever surpass it!"
"I guarantee, on the open sea, the Marines won't even catch a glimpse of your stern lights!"
Mr. Tom spat enthusiastically, his excitement growing with each word.
Rojen remained silent, glancing at the ship's stern. Sure enough, two stern lights had been installed.
Am I destined to become the 'Mount Akina Ship God' of the Grand Line?
Next, Mr. Tom enthusiastically detailed the ship's various capabilities, even handing Rojen a manual titled New Pluton Operating Guide. The mere sight of it made Rojen's scalp tingle with apprehension.
He had no idea how to operate a ship like this.
"I need a shipwright," He muttered.
Shaking his head, Rojen knew he couldn't rush things. His next step was to recall his scattered companions from across the world.
Deva Path Doro silently leaped aboard the new ship, inspecting every corner.
"Does this new ship have a name?" Mr. Tom asked.
"[The Logan]," Rojen answered without hesitation.
"Good," Mr. Tom nodded. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he slapped his forehead.
"Oh! I just remembered something!"
"Hmm?" Rojen glanced at Tom.
"Last year, a strange cat came to Water 7 and gave me a Vivre Card."
"A strange cat?" Rojen's pupils constricted as he whirled to face Tom.
"Where is it?!"
"It's already gone," Tom said, puzzled. "But what struck me as odd was that it could speak, and it seemed quite anxious. After throwing me a Vivre Card, it hurried off."
"Did it say anything?" Rojen pressed urgently.
He was now certain this cat was likely Lordling!
"It was begging for help," Tom explained. "It said if I saw your companions, or you, to give you this Vivre Card and tell you to hurry and assist it!"
"Where's the Vivre Card?" Rojen demanded, his voice low and serious.
Tom pulled it from his pocket and handed it to Rojen. "I've been carrying it with me. Here you go."
After examining the Vivre Card carefully, Rojen let out a soft sigh of relief. The Vivre Card showed no signs of damage, indicating Lordling was still safe. Among his companions, Lordling was the weakest, so Rojen always worried about her the most.
What puzzled him was that, given the circumstances of their departure, the group should have been together. Yet, judging by the current situation, it seemed they had separated.
"Mr. Tom, I must leave now."
"Very well!"
Sensing Rojen's urgency, Tom naturally wouldn't try to stop him.
Tom had already stocked The Logan with food, daily necessities, and everything Rojen needed. All Rojen had to do now was board the ship.
After bidding farewell to Mr. Tom, Rojen prepared to set off.
Hōng lóng!
With a thunderous roar, The Logan sprang to life as Deva Path Doro had already started the engines.
Rojen and No. 8 quickly boarded, and The Logan instantly accelerated, slicing through the waves and heading out to sea. Meanwhile, at Water 7 harbor, the Marines on the warship Rojen and No. 8 had boarded leaped with joy.
"Reinforcements have arrived! It's Vice Admiral Momonga, stationed in the nearby sea region. He's capable of slaying Sea Kings!"
The Marines' spirits soared as they watched three warships rapidly approaching.
"Where are Rojen and his crew?" Vice Admiral Momonga asked, his expression grim. He was well aware of their strength, and his mission was merely to stall them until an Admiral could arrive for the real battle. He had already reported Rojen's movements to Headquarters, and reinforcements were likely on their way.
"They... they entered the island. We didn't dare pursue them," A Marine stammered awkwardly.
Momonga understood their hesitation and said nothing, merely instructing his men to remain vigilant. About five minutes later, a ship shot out from the island at breakneck speed. In the blink of an eye, it had already reached the open sea.
"It's Rojen!"
Momonga's eyes narrowed, and he barked orders for the warships to accelerate and give chase.
He didn't issue an attack order, instead trailing behind the enemy at a distance to maintain visual contact.
"Rojen, Marines are approaching."
At the same moment, the two aboard The Logan also noticed the Marines approaching from behind.
"Deva Path!" Rojen barked coldly.
"Understood. I'll plunge them into darkness."
"Enlightening the masses is my specialty!"
Deva Path raised one hand to his chest, his voice icy. With a few swift strides, he leaped off The Logan.
"Vice Admiral, someone's approaching!" A Marine soldier shouted, spotting Doro.
"I see him!"
Momonga hefted his door-sized greatsword from his back, his expression grim as he prepared to engage.
But the next moment, his pupils contracted sharply, then narrowed in disbelief.
He couldn't believe his eyes: the figure was sprinting across the sea surface at breakneck speed.
After leaping off The Logan, Deva Path had lowered his arms behind him, leaned forward, and began pounding his feet against the water's surface. He transformed into a streak of light, hurtling forward with astonishing speed.
Each stride carried him over thirty feet, the surging sea feeling as flat as solid ground beneath his feet.
He covered the several-kilometer distance in less than ten seconds.
In the blink of an eye, the distance between the two sides had closed to a hair's breadth.
"He's coming!"
Suddenly, Deva Path bent his knees on the water's surface, using the water as a springboard to launch himself skyward. To everyone's astonishment, he actually managed to gain leverage from the soft water, an impossible feat.
In an instant, Deva Path Doro had soared onto the warship.
"How dare you expose a weakness before me! Don't you know I, Momonga, have slain Sea Kings before?!" Momonga roared, raising his greatsword in both hands and unleashing a powerful strike.
"Airsplitting Blade!"
The slash cleaved through the very air, sending a slash wave hurtling toward Deva Path.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Deva Path's expression remained unchanged as a spherical barrier of light erupted around his vertically descending form.
When the Slash Wave struck the barrier of light, it shattered instantly, dissipating into nothingness.
By this time, Deva Path had already descended directly above Momonga.
With another thunderous roar, Momonga swung his blade upward into the air.
Standing at a towering 3.5 meters tall, his sweeping strike covered an immense area. The residual force of the slash crashed into the sea, creating a deep crater in its wake.
A Vice Admiral-level combatant could casually shatter skyscrapers with a single strike.
Yet, Deva Path, hovering in the air, simply twisted his body. In the next instant, his feet landed firmly on Momonga's blade as it reached the apex of its swing.
The blade was as large as a door panel, allowing Deva Path to stand effortlessly upon it.
"Damn it!"
Seeing his attack evaded with such ease, Momonga flew into a rage, ready to raise his blade again.
But at that moment, Deva Path, still perched on the blade with a cold expression, suddenly stood upright and pointed his right hand at Momonga.
"Sink into darkness, fool!"
"Banshō Ten'in!"
(End Of This Chapter)
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