"Masaka?! It's Rolan-sama!"
Aramaki instantly raised both hands, cold sweat running down his face. The overwhelming pressure of that Haoshoku Haki froze his body in place.
He could not even see Rolan, yet he knew.
Only Rolan could release Haoshoku Haki from such a distance and still suppress an Admiral so completely.
Before coming here, Aramaki had only thought of revenge for Akainu.
Now, under that monstrous pressure, he remembered exactly what kind of existence Rolan was.
At Marineford, Rolan had ended Akainu with a single strike.
Aramaki knew his strength was below Akainu's.
Which meant facing Rolan was no different from courting death.
A low chuckle echoed through the heavens.
"A Marine Admiral dares come to Peach Garden. Since this is your first offense, I'll let it pass. But there won't be a second time. I'm a pirate, not your stable keeper."
As Rolan's voice faded, his Haoshoku Haki withdrew.
The suffocating pressure vanished.
Crimson-black lightning scattered into nothingness.
The paralysis on Aramaki's body disappeared, and he dropped heavily to one knee.
Though free again, his body felt hollow, his strength drained.
He looked around.
Every Marine on the warship had collapsed unconscious across the deck.
Only he remained awake.
"This... this is the power of the world's strongest…"
His face twitched.
"Terrifying."
He looked upward and muttered under his breath.
"Akainu... vengeance will have to wait."
Forcing himself up, he shouted,
"Retreat. We return to Marineford!"
The Marines aboard looked stunned at first.
Then relief flooded their faces.
Failure meant humiliation.
But surviving meant everything.
They had all felt that Haki.
Even though it was not aimed directly at them, it had felt like death pressing down from the sky.
Their uniforms were soaked with sweat.
They had thought Peach Garden would be their grave.
Thankfully, Aramaki was not foolish enough to persist.
One Vice Admiral muttered bitterly,
"Hmph, Aramaki is far beneath Akainu, scared off by Rolan alone."
No one answered him.
Because no one disagreed with the retreat.
As Rolan's Haki vanished, the sea returned to normal.
Compared to Shanks using Haoshoku Haki to intimidate Green Bull in Wano, Rolan's control was even more terrifying.
Precise.
Absolute.
Untouchable.
The guards nearby had not been harmed.
But all of them had felt it.
An aura that seemed to stand above the world itself.
Their eyes burned with reverence.
"This is our King."
"The strongest in the world."
"So powerful."
"With a King like this, the world can be taken."
No one even cared who Rolan had just repelled.
That no longer mattered.
Rolan sensed the Marine fleet retreating and smirked.
Green Bull really did live up to his reputation.
Still, only those who had faced Admirals understood their level.
Aramaki was not weak.
The Yonko were simply monsters.
Even in Wano, if Shanks had not intervened, Aramaki still would have been dangerous.
But against Rolan, danger meant nothing.
His Haoshoku Haki had surpassed ordinary limits long ago.
Even if Kuzan or Akainu stood there instead, he could still force them to their knees.
Because this was a completely different dimension.
Then he thought of something.
Aramaki was Akainu's loyal follower.
Coming here was probably not just reckless revenge.
There had to be another motive.
But that was Kuzan's problem.
Not his.
Rolan had no interest in babysitting Marines.
He signed several autographs for the nearby guards before leaving.
The guards nearly exploded with excitement.
"Rolan-sama's autograph!"
"I'm so jealous of the Shandora brothers."
"They can see Lord Kuro and Admiral Issho every day."
"Then work harder. Captain Wyper might assign you to Lungan someday."
Peach Garden stretched across dozens of islands, spanning nearly a third of the New World.
Its territory was so vast many residents would never see all of it in their lives.
Some had never even seen Rolan.
Which only made his appearance feel legendary.
Rolan disappeared without another word.
Nonchalant as ever.
Like an Emperor swatting away a fly.
---
Marineford.
Aramaki returned with his fleet, visibly drained.
The moment he docked, he was summoned to Fleet Admiral Kuzan's office.
Walking inside, Aramaki paused.
The entire top brass was there.
Kuzan.
Kizaru.
Brown Pig.
Tsuru.
Even Sengoku and Garp.
The room's atmosphere was heavy.
Kuzan pointed at a seat.
"Sit."
Aramaki frowned and sat.
"What's with these faces?"
Kuzan folded his hands.
"Since everyone is here, it's time to discuss Marine's path forward."
Aramaki and Saleh exchanged confused looks.
Marine's path?
What did that even mean?
Kuzan's gaze sharpened.
"Marine is no longer the World Government's Marine."
Silence.
Then shock.
"Nani?!"
Aramaki's eyes widened.
"What are you saying?"
Kuzan exhaled.
"The current Marine belongs to the people."
A pause.
Then his voice grew heavier.
"And to Peach Garden."
Those words hit like thunder.
Aramaki and Saleh were frozen.
Even after joining Marine, they had never imagined this.
Marine... aligned with pirates?
No.
With Rolan.
Aramaki's expression hardened.
"Fleet Admiral... explain."
Kuzan leaned back.
"This world is changing."
"The World Government is rotting."
"The Celestial Dragons have become parasites."
"And Marine can no longer serve chains."
His eyes narrowed.
"We choose our own justice now."
The room remained silent.
Even Kizaru had lost his usual lazy expression.
Aramaki's fists clenched.
His mind was chaotic.
He had come back humiliated by Rolan.
And now he was being told Marine stood under Peach Garden's shadow.
This was madness.
Or perhaps...
inevitable.
Kuzan looked around the room.
"What happens next will decide whether Marine survives the new era."
His gaze stopped on Aramaki.
"And whether you stand with us."
The room grew deathly still.
Outside, waves crashed against Marineford's walls.