Seeing Rayleigh's smile—along with the blood still dripping from his body—Roger felt a deep unease, mixed with confusion.
Just what kind of opponent could have injured Rayleigh this badly in such a short time?
Roger slowly reached out his slightly trembling hand and gently turned Rayleigh around.
The moment he saw the long, gruesome wound across his body, his brows furrowed tightly.
"Call the ship's doctor—now!"
"Yes, Captain Roger!"
"Roger, it's just a scratch."
Rayleigh smiled faintly, as if he wasn't the one injured, speaking as casually as ever.
Roger patted his shoulder and said calmly,
"Leave the rest to me. I'll deal with him."
Rayleigh knew Roger's personality all too well. Once he said something like that, there was no changing his mind.
"…Alright. Then I'll take a break for once."
"But Roger—be careful. That long-haired guy in the suit… his techniques are unlike anything we've ever seen."
Roger grinned.
"Just wait on the ship. I'll bring back some top-quality liquor for you myself."
As he spoke, Roger had already drawn the sword at his waist, Armament Haki instantly coating the blade.
Before he could move—
"Whoosh!"
Madara charged forward, scythe in hand.
But just as he closed in, a figure flashed in front of Roger.
With both hands gripping an axe, the man blocked Madara's strike.
"That one's mine, Roger," Scopper Gaban said without turning his head.
"…."
Roger had originally planned to settle the score for Rayleigh, but since Gaban had stepped in first, there was nothing more he could say.
In the next instant, Roger dashed straight toward Is, blade in hand.
Facing such a powerful opponent, Is immediately focused.
With a wave of his hand, countless flaming paper blades shot toward Roger like a storm.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Roger's blade moved at incredible speed—deflecting, dodging—while steadily closing the distance.
Seeing this, Is stopped the barrage.
With another motion, the paper gathered into a long spear, instantly coated in Armament Haki.
"Clang!"
Spear and sword collided.
A violent shockwave swept across the surroundings.
Crack!
Is's feet sank straight into the deck beneath him.
As expected of the man who would one day conquer the Grand Line—even at this stage, he was monstrously powerful.
"Ha!"
Is roared, veins bulging on his forehead as he pushed more strength into the clash.
"Crackle…!"
Black lightning sparked violently around them from the collision.
Just as Is began to regain a bit of ground, Roger increased his strength again.
Crack!
Is's feet sank even deeper.
"I have to admit… you're strong, Roger," Is said in a low voice.
"You're not bad yourself. I've heard plenty about Celestial Dragons—how they rely entirely on the World Government. But today… looks like there's an exception."
Roger grinned and pushed harder.
But Is had no intention of brute-forcing this—he had no chance of winning that way.
"Crack—crack—!"
Sheets of paper peeled off from his body.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
They fired out like bullets.
Roger froze for a split second, clearly not expecting it.
Taking advantage of that brief opening, Is shifted the momentum and finally pushed the clash back.
Meanwhile, inside the World Government ship—
All the maids were visibly anxious about the situation outside.
"No… I'm going out to help."
Tatsumaki took a step forward—
—but a man in a black suit immediately blocked her path.
"L-Lady Tatsumaki… Lord Is has already given orders. Your responsibility is to protect the maids. You're not to interfere outside."
Tatsumaki clenched her teeth in frustration.
She wanted to fight—but she still had to listen to Is.
"…Hmph!"
A green glow flared around her body.
In the next second, the man in the black suit was lifted into the air and slammed repeatedly—into the floor, the ceiling—several times.
Only then did her anger subside a little.
At the same time—
After receiving the report, the Five Elders immediately contacted Marine Headquarters.
"Karp, you're not part of this mission."
Sengoku frowned as he spotted Karp sneaking onto the ship.
That's right—the mission this time was to rescue a Celestial Dragon.
And given Karp's reckless nature, Sengoku and Kong had deliberately excluded him to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Under normal circumstances, Karp wouldn't even bother going.
Even if invited, he'd probably pass it off to Sengoku.
But—
The moment he heard Roger was involved, all thoughts of Celestial Dragons went straight out the window.
"I don't want any credit. You can take it all."
Since he'd already been caught, Karp simply straightened up and stopped hiding.
"Is this about credit?! Do you even understand what this mission is about?" Sengoku snapped.
"Relax, I won't cause you any trouble—HAHAHA!"
Karp laughed loudly as he walked off.
Sengoku sighed, exasperated.
"We went out of our way to avoid him… and he still found out."
Tsuru shook her head slightly.
"Get on the ship. This mission is urgent—we don't have time to worry about him."
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