The Forest Emergence released by Is blocked Golden Lion Shiki's slash and destroyed the gigantic lion heads.
However, all of the trees were likewise shredded and destroyed by Shiki's attack.
"Divine Departure!"
Roger appeared at Is's flank.
Gripping his saber with both hands, veins bulged across his forehead and arms as he swung down with all his might.
A crimson slash carrying devastating power shot toward Is.
Sheets of paper separated from Is's body, gathering into a second long blade in his free hand.
Swish! Swish! Swish!!!
Imitating Shiki's swordsmanship, Is wielded both swords simultaneously.
In an instant, he unleashed countless slashes that surged toward Roger's crimson sword energy.
The attacks collided and annihilated one another.
Turning around, Is swung his blades toward the approaching Rayleigh and Gaban.
The moment their weapons clashed against Is's swords, both men felt as though they were ants attempting to shake a mighty tree.
Their strength simply could not compare to his.
With a surge of force from his arms, Is knocked them flying backward before unleashing another slash toward the other Roger Pirates officers.
No matter what tactics they employed, they simply couldn't inflict serious injuries upon him.
...
A long time later...
The expressions of the Roger Pirates had become extremely grim.
Rayleigh, Gaban, Roger, and even Shiki all wore heavy looks.
They had severely underestimated Is's strength.
Despite the number of powerful fighters they had gathered, they still couldn't defeat him.
"This is all you've got?"
"And you thought you could beat me?"
Is spoke calmly and indifferently.
Although he had been struck several times during the battle, his regeneration was astonishing.
Any wound healed almost instantly.
Because of that, even the combined efforts of Roger, Shiki, and the others could do little against him.
"He's way too strong!"
"How are we supposed to be his opponents?!"
One of the Roger Pirates cried out in terror.
Even after losing an arm to Is's sword, he had continued fighting without hesitation.
But as time passed, despair gradually consumed him.
He had come to a realization.
Is's strength far surpassed all of theirs.
No matter what they did, victory was impossible.
"Captain Roger, what do we do?"
Rayleigh tightly gripped his sword while keeping his eyes fixed on Is.
For the first time, even he felt a sense of hopelessness.
"So long as he's human, his stamina is limited."
"Eventually, we'll exhaust him."
Roger calmly analyzed the situation.
"But if we drag this out too long, the Marines will arrive, Captain."
Standing beside him, Gaban lowered his voice and offered a reminder.
"The Marines..."
At the mention of them, Roger's expression darkened.
He immediately realized that his plan was unrealistic.
If the battle lasted too long, Marine reinforcements would inevitably arrive.
Once that happened, Is joining forces with the Marines would make wiping out the Roger Pirates an easy task.
"Is, I didn't come here to steal the Pluton Battleship blueprints."
Roger suddenly attempted to negotiate.
"So you came all the way here just to get beaten up?"
Is replied with a cold laugh.
"No."
"Tom was my friend."
"Bondi World killed him."
"I only came here to avenge him."
Roger explained.
"You came here to kill Bondi World?"
"Give me a chance, Is."
"I don't want to be your enemy."
Roger nodded.
"You don't want to be my enemy?"
"That's a pretty elegant way of saying you can't beat me."
"You're the first one to phrase it like that, Roger."
Is burst out laughing.
"Is, my only goal today is Bondi World."
"Once I've killed him, we'll leave."
"We won't compete with you for the Pluton Battleship blueprints."
Roger spoke calmly and sincerely.
In Roger's view, there was only one way to defeat Is: exhaust his stamina through a prolonged battle.
But time wasn't on their side.
The longer the fight continued, the greater the chance of Marine reinforcements arriving.
If that happened, not only would he fail to avenge Tom, but the entire Roger Pirates crew might end up imprisoned.
"I can simply stall until the Marines arrive."
"At that point, every one of you will end up behind bars."
"I'll still get the Pluton Battleship blueprints."
"So tell me, Roger."
"What exactly is your bargaining chip?"
Is asked expressionlessly.
"You'll have a favor from me."
Roger's voice was solemn and sincere.
"Deal."
The corners of Is's mouth lifted slightly.
"You agree?"
Roger blinked in surprise.
He hadn't expected Is to accept so quickly.
"Of course."
"Thank you, Is."
Roger nodded gratefully.
To Is, Roger was neither a threat that absolutely had to be killed nor someone worth going out of his way to eliminate.
His current strength was already overwhelming.
Even if Roger continued to grow stronger, Is wasn't worried in the slightest.
After all, Roger wasn't the only one capable of growing stronger.
Is would continue growing as well.
Besides, obtaining a favor from one of the greatest pirates on the seas was hardly a bad deal.
He didn't know whether it would prove useful in the future.
But at the very least, it wouldn't harm him.
As for Bondi World, he was destined to die regardless.
Is didn't particularly care who delivered the final blow.
By giving Roger the opportunity, he gained a valuable favor in return.
There was no reason for him to refuse.
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