Roger stood up, his face still flushed, looking drunk, but his tone was serious:
"What's wrong, Rayleigh? Plunder is the essence of piracy, isn't it? If there's something you like, just take it, right?"
Rayleigh looked incredulous.
'What? It was one thing when you tried to take Shakky back then. At least Shakky and I weren't officially together yet, so I could turn a blind eye.'
'But now, Ripley and I are married and have a child, and you still want to take her?'
'Isn't this too much?'
Just then, Gaban stepped forward and solemnly stated that Roger's actions were too much.
This touched Rayleigh deeply.
Of course, he could see that Gaban had his eyes on his wife, but he never expected that in this situation, Gaban would side with him.
"Get out of my way! I'm going to C-C-B today!"
Roger drunkenly drew his sword, Ace, and shouted.
"He's truly gone mad! Rayleigh, snap him out of it!"
Gaban drew his axe.
Rayleigh still hesitated.
But Roger had already charged with his sword, his opening move being his signature technique, Divine Departure!
Seeing that Roger was truly going mad, Rayleigh hesitated no longer and drew his sword to defend.
For a time, the three overlords of the Roger Pirates began to fight.
They completely failed to notice.
On a high wall, a Den Den Mushi was quietly watching the scene.
The three overlords of the Roger Pirates engaged in a great battle on Elbaf.
Swords flashed, shockwaves surged.
Three streams of Conqueror's Haki intertwined and collided, distorting the surrounding air and even tearing the clouds in the sky to shreds.
Because Rayleigh and Gaban thought Roger was just drunk, they held back.
But they were astonished to find that although Roger was drunk, he seemed stronger than before.
This shocked both of them.
Rayleigh couldn't understand at all. Roger's body was at its limit, with less than a year to live. How could he unleash so much power, especially while drunk?
"Don't let your guard down!"
Gaban warned Rayleigh, deflecting Roger's slash with his axe, his arm numb from the shock.
Rayleigh gritted his teeth, tightened his grip on his sword, and his expression gradually grew serious.
The battle intensified.
Roger swung his sword, and a dark red sword wave, like a roaring dragon, swept towards Rayleigh and Gaban.
Wherever the sword wave passed, the ground was gouged with a deep trench, rocks flying, dust filling the air.
Rayleigh sidestepped and countered with his own slash. A silvery-white blade of light cut through the rain, heading straight for Roger's throat.
Roger didn't dodge or evade, parrying with his backhand.
The clash of the two swords produced a deafening metallic roar, sparks flying, the shockwave spreading outward, snapping nearby trees in half.
Gaban cut in from the side, his axe cleaving towards Roger's back with the force of thunder.
As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Roger twisted his body bizarrely, barely evading the blow.
Gaban's axe hit the ground, exploding into a tens-of-meters-wide crater.
The battle between the three threw the residential area of Elbaf village into chaos.
Huge wooden buildings collapsed under the sword waves, rubble flying, dust filling the air.
Ancient stone walls were split in two by the blade light, collapsing with a roar.
The stone slabs on the ground were crushed into dust, leaving deep footprints.
Roger leaped up and swung three slashes from above.
The sword waves, like divine punishment, crashed down on Rayleigh and Gaban.
Both raised their weapons to block. With a huge bang, their feet sank deep into the ground, the surrounding earth cracking like a spiderweb.
Rayleigh gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his arms. Gaban was also under immense pressure, sweat mixing with rain dripping from his forehead.
"Is this guy... really about to die?!"
Gaban shouted in disbelief.
"I'm more concerned about what the hell is wrong with him?!"
Rayleigh responded through gritted teeth.
Ripley, holding her child, stood in the distance and shouted repeatedly, "Stop! You guys stop fighting! Stop fighting!"
For some reason, heavy rain suddenly began to fall from the sky.
The rain washed over the earth, mixing with the blood, dyeing the ground a pale red.
In the rain, three figures darted like phantoms, blade light and sword flashes flickering in the rain. Each collision produced a deafening boom.
The other giants of Elbaf, hearing the commotion, also rushed over.
"What's going on?!"
"Someone is fighting in the village!"
"It's those three from the Roger Pirates!"
The giant warriors, holding their weapons, wanted to rush up and stop them.
But Jarul raised his hand and stopped them.
"Don't go over."
"But—"
"Can't you see? Their fight is beyond our ability to interfere."
Jarul said helplessly.
The giant warriors looked at the three entangled figures, at the sword waves that tore the earth and destroyed houses, and fell silent.
They could only watch helplessly as the three overlords of the Roger Pirates threw Elbaf into chaos.
Jarul leaned on his cane, standing in the rain, looking at the three entangled figures, his face full of helplessness and confusion.
'What the hell were these three doing?'
During the fight, Gaban kept warning Rayleigh.
"Rayleigh! On your left!"
"Rayleigh! Behind you!"
"Rayleigh! I'll block him!"
Every word expressed concern for Rayleigh.
This touched Rayleigh deeply.
He felt that although Gaban coveted his wife, he was still a good brother.
What he didn't know was that Gaban was saying this because he noticed Ripley was watching.
He wanted to use this opportunity to raise his favorability with Ripley.
Every time he shouted "Rayleigh, watch out", Gaban would glance sideways at Ripley.
Seeing the concern and gratitude in Ripley's eyes, Gaban's heartbeat quickened.
'Sorry, Rayleigh.'
'Don't blame your brother for being inhuman... blame the sister-in-law for being too tempting.'
Just then, Roger attacked again.
His body spun in mid-air, his Ace wrapped in Conqueror's Haki lightning, slashing at Rayleigh.
The power of this slash was more terrifying than any before.
The violent sword wave, like a dark red dragon, tore through the rain and crashed toward Rayleigh.
Rayleigh's Observation Haki caught the attack, but as he raised his sword to block, his body was still leaning back. The power was too great.
"Rayleigh!"
Gaban rushed forward.
He pushed Rayleigh aside and took the blow with his own body.
Gaban's body was pierced by the sword wave. Blood gushed from the wound, spraying into the rain.
He fell like a kite with a broken string, towards Ripley.
Bang!
Gaban landed heavily in front of Ripley, splashing mud and water.
His body hit the ground, creating a shallow crater, blood spreading from beneath him.
"Gaban-san!"
Ripley was shocked. She quickly crouched down, reaching out to help Gaban up.
"Are you okay?!"
Holding her child, she supported Gaban's back with one hand, her eyes full of panic.
Gaban lay in Ripley's palm, looking at her 'dining hall' so close, and the faint scent of milk wafting over—
He felt his soul was about to fly away.
"I'm fine, I'm fine..."
Gaban gave a weak smile, his voice trembling slightly.
"As long as Rayleigh is okay."
Ripley's eyes reddened.
She nodded vigorously, took the medicine handed by a companion, dipped her finger in it, and gently applied it to Gaban's wound.
"You're such a good person..."
Gaban screamed inside: 'The method Nishikawa Makoto taught really works!'
"Gaban!"
Rayleigh's voice came from afar, carrying urgency and gratitude.
"Are you okay?!"
Gaban gave Rayleigh a thumbs up.
"Watch out for Roger!"
Rayleigh nodded, gripped his sword again, and turned his gaze to Roger.
Roger stood not far away, drenched, rain dripping from his hair and chin.
His eyes were half-closed, his face still flushed with drunkenness, but his hand gripping the sword was steady as a rock.
"Roger!"
Rayleigh shouted.
"Are you really trying to kill me?"
Roger didn't answer.
He just slowly raised his Ace in his hand.
On the blade, the dark red Conqueror's Haki lightning wrapped around it again, even more intense, even more violent.
"Rayleigh! Look out!"
Jarul's voice suddenly rang out.
His Observation Haki had sensed a premonition of death.
Rayleigh's pupils shrank sharply.
He turned his head—
Roger's figure had vanished from where he stood.
The next second, he appeared behind Rayleigh.
It wasn't teleportation.
It was speed at its extreme.
Roger's Ace was raised high, the Conqueror's Haki lightning wrapped around the blade now a nearly black dark red.
Rayleigh's mind went blank in that instant.
In this battle, the strength Roger had displayed was completely beyond his imagination.
"Divine Departure."
Roger's voice was very soft.
The Supreme Grade Blade, Ace, fell.
The dark red sword wave pierced through Rayleigh's body, exiting through his chest, carrying a cloud of blood mist.
Rayleigh lowered his head, unable to believe the huge, bloody hole in his chest.
He looked up at Roger, so close.
Rayleigh's lips moved, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
He wanted to ask why.
But he couldn't speak anymore.
He never imagined that he would finally die at the hands of the person he trusted most.
And at that moment, Roger seemed to wake up as if from a dream. His pupils contracted sharply, his hand trembling uncontrollably.
He looked down at his hand holding the sword, then at the huge, bleeding wound in Rayleigh's chest, his face full of shock and bewilderment.
"Ray... Rayleigh... I..."
Roger's voice trembled, with a nearly breaking sob.
"I didn't... I didn't... what did I..."
He let go, and his sword fell to the ground with a clang.
Rain washed over his face, indistinguishable from tears.
Roger was nearly broken.
He really didn't know what was happening!
What, what had he just done?