Let us shift the perspective back to Sami.
"HANS! MAXIMUM OUTPUT ON THE Jet Dials! RIGHT NOW!!!"
Riberra Riberra Riberra Sami roared with all his strength.
Inside the helm room, Hans viciously slammed the control lever downward.
"Maximum output—ACTIVATE!!!"
HUMMMMMM——!!!!!!!
At the stern of the Flame Fang, the carefully arranged array of Jet Dials erupted simultaneously with blinding white light.
In the next instant—
visible torrents of compressed air exploded outward like the breath of some colossal beast!
The massive ship's bow dipped sharply—
then the entire vessel shot forward with utterly terrifying acceleration!
Everyone and everything not firmly secured on deck was violently hurled backward by the sudden force.
The deck instantly descended into chaos.
Almost at the exact same moment—
Garp's long-range Fist Bone: Impact barely grazed the rapidly accelerating stern of the Flame Fang before crashing into the empty sea behind it!
BOOOOOOOOOOM————!!!!!!
The ocean looked as though it had been struck by a meteor.
A gigantic wall of water dozens of meters high exploded upward before collapsing into savage currents that spread wildly in every direction.
Even the Flame Fang, already far ahead, began shaking violently from the turbulent aftershock.
"URGH—!!"
Inside the helm room, Hans gritted his teeth and clung desperately to the main wheel.
"Steady…! Hold together… HOLD TOGETHER!!!"
He roared as he struggled to stabilize the ship amidst the berserk acceleration and chaotic wake currents.
This was the very first time since the Flame Fang's completion that the Jet Dial propulsion system had been pushed to its theoretical limit.
Previously, they had only ever used at most half power.
Partly because recharging the Jet Dials was difficult—
and partly because normal sailing simply didn't require such insane speed.
Now—
they were personally experiencing the side effects of what Tom had proudly named The Wings of Flame Fang.
Ultimate speed—
brought ultimate risk of losing control.
The violent wind pressure slammed against the hull like invisible walls.
The air resistance across the deck had become so intense that opening one's eyes was difficult.
Crew members could only cling desperately to ropes, masts, and fixed structures to avoid being blown overboard.
Hans could no longer rely on sight to navigate.
They were moving too fast.
The sea ahead had blurred into streaks of color impossible to interpret with normal vision.
So he shut his eyes tightly—
and immersed his entire consciousness into Observation Haki.
He sensed the movement of waves.
The pull of hidden currents.
And then—
a ship.
Directly ahead.
Not far away at all.
Hans' heart clenched violently.
At this speed—
there was no way to perform a sharp evasive turn.
If they forced one—
the terrifying centrifugal force alone could capsize the entire vessel.
"CAPTAIN! THERE'S A SHIP AHEAD! WE CAN'T AVOID IT!!"
Hans screamed into the speaking tube with all his strength, but his voice shattered apart in the howling wind.
At nearly the same instant—
Sami's own Observation Haki detected the obstacle ahead.
That ship…
It was the Roger Pirates.
In that split second, Sami's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
He instantly understood the situation.
There was no avoiding this.
No time to slow down either.
Fighting against the wind pressure strong enough to topple a man, Riberra Riberra Riberra Sami barely turned toward the helm room and screamed with all his might:
"HANS! ACTIVATE THE FLAME FANG—RAM STRAIGHT THROUGH!!!"
Though he couldn't hear the words clearly, Hans understood the captain's mouth movements instantly.
Without hesitation—
he slammed his palm onto the red button engraved with flame patterns.
Hummmmm… CHIIIIII——!!!
Inside the giant alloy ram mounted at the bow—
the embedded Heat Dials activated simultaneously!
Dark red light burst from within the structure.
Its front rapidly turned glowing crimson, radiating terrifying temperatures capable of igniting wood on contact.
The Flame Fang—
the newborn beast of the sea—
had finally revealed its sharpest fangs.
Like a burning arrow—
it charged directly toward Roger's ship!
"RAM THROUGH THEM——!!!"
Better dead allies than dead us!
When enemies meet on a narrow road—the brave survive!
At the same time—
aboard Roger's ship.
"No, no, something's wrong…"
Roger muttered.
"Why are they charging toward us?!"
Then realization hit him.
Turning sharply toward the helmsman, he roared:
"QUICK! CHANGE COURSE AND EVADE—!!!"
But—
the Flame Fang was simply too fast.
Roger's ship had only just begun turning—
when Sami's vessel was already upon them.
Looking at the giant warship charging straight toward them with its blazing crimson bow—
Roger's playful smile finally disappeared.
"Hey, hey, hey…"
"What exactly are you trying to do to my ship?!"
He stepped forward.
His right hand rested upon the hilt of the saber at his waist—
Ace.
No flashy preparation.
No dramatic stance.
He simply swung his sword lightly toward the roaring inferno of a battleship charging at him.
"Divine Departure."
The blade flashed like a thunderbolt splitting the heavens.
A crescent slash burst forth—
compressed to such an extent it felt capable of severing space itself.
The moment the attack appeared—
every hair on Sami's body stood on end.
His Observation Haki screamed with unprecedented intensity.
Danger.
Extreme danger.
That seemingly casual slash contained enough force to cleave through steel—
perhaps even split both him and the Flame Fang in half.
He could not block it head-on.
But…
How could he not?!
If that slash struck the Flame Fang directly—
neither the newly activated Flame Fangs nor even the legendary Treasure Tree Adam hull would withstand it intact!
The ram would be shattered.
The keel might crack.
Perhaps—
this ship carrying everyone's dreams and future—
would sink beneath the sea before its true voyage had even begun.
And behind him—
stood every companion who had entrusted him with their lives.
Tom, who had poured his soul into this vessel.
The future he absolutely refused to let end here.
"ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRR——!!!!"
A beastlike howl erupted from Sami's throat.
For his crew!
For the Flame Fang!
Even if he couldn't block it—
he still had to try!
In an instant—
the muscles in his right arm swelled explosively.
Several enormous tentacles far thicker than usual burst forth and twisted together around his arm.
Tentacle Art: Heavy Hammer!!!
No technique.
No retreat.
He poured every ounce of strength—
and the resolve of a captain who must stand before all others—
into that single arm.
Then—
he swung violently toward Roger's world-cleaving Divine Departure!
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