"Hah... haha... hahahaha!"
Amidst the ruins, Roger suddenly erupted into earth-shaking laughter.
He used his Named Sword "Ace" to support himself on the ground. Even though every muscle in his body was convulsing and most of his ribs were likely broken, he stubbornly straightened his back bit by bit.
"Roger..." Rayleigh, standing beside him, gritted his teeth as he supported Roger's arm, his eyes filled with sorrow and resolve.
"It's fine... Rayleigh, I won't die."
Roger casually wiped away the blood that had blurred his vision. His eyes, once somewhat dull, now shone as if burning with the last of his vitality.
He raised his head, staring intently at the figure slowly descending from mid-air, his lips curling into an exaggerated grin.
"Navy brat... I don't know where you came from, you monster... and I don't care about your damn Justice..."
"But I am Gol D. Roger!"
Boom!!!
A wave of dark red energy erupted from Roger in a ring-like explosion!
This was the Conqueror's Haki that stood at the pinnacle of this sea!
The already glass-like ground around them cracked once more. Rubble defied gravity, floating into the air before being pulverized into dust under the terrifying pressure.
"I still have things I must do! How can I... fall here!!"
Roger gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands. Pitch-black Armament Haki flowed like water, coiling around the blade. Dark red lightning crackled wildly around his body, emitting sharp, popping sounds.
His entire aura, in this moment, surpassed any point in his life.
At this moment, he was no longer a terminally ill patient.
He was the King of the Sea, the legend who would soon usher in a new era!
"Rayleigh! One last strike!"
"Yeah... I'll go crazy with you to the end!" Rayleigh roared as well, squeezing out every last bit of Haki from his body. A brilliant silver light surged from his long sword.
Watching the red and silver pillars of energy rising from below, the composure finally vanished from Kane's face.
In its place was an unprecedented seriousness, the highest respect for a true warrior.
"Incredible."
He praised sincerely.
"In response, I will also use my strongest to see you off."
Kane gripped the hilt of Tensa Zangetsu with both hands.
Hum—!
His Conqueror's Haki poured into the blade without reservation.
The destructive power of the Storm Fruit surged madly into the sword.
His terrifying physique, reaching 90 points, provided an endless supply of power!
And, the ultimate sword intent of a peak Great Swordsman!
The unique properties of Tensa Zangetsu were pushed to their absolute limit!
The pitch-black blade began to compress to its extreme, groaning under the strain. The surrounding space twisted and collapsed, unable to withstand this immense power.
"Come on!!!"
Roger roared from below, his legs kicking off the ground with explosive force. The very foundation of the island let out a groan of protest!
He transformed into a red-black lightning bolt, shooting skyward!
This strike held no technique, only the purest form of power and will.
It was an absolute, overwhelming force that demanded everything in its path—be it man or god—to yield!
Roger Pirates' Divine Technique——
"Divine——Departure!!!!!!"
At the same time, Rayleigh's figure followed closely behind, his sword light like a galaxy cascading down, sealing off all of Kane's escape routes.
Facing the desperate counterattack of the two strongest beings in the world, Kane did not retreat but instead advanced.
The Storm Wings on his back abruptly contracted, then exploded outward, propelling him like a meteor as he descended toward Roger's blade!
The Black Blade in his hand swung down.
Getsuga... Tenshō!!!
Boom——————!!!!!
The world fell silent.
There was no explosion, no clashing of metal.
Because all sound was annihilated the moment the two energies collided.
In that instant, only two lights remained between heaven and earth.
One was a domineering crimson lightning, the other a pure black crescent of annihilation.
They frantically eroded, devoured, and compressed each other in mid-air!
Time seemed to stand still for three seconds.
Then.
Crack.
A crisp shattering sound rang out.
On Roger's Named Sword "Ace," coated with supreme-level Haki, a faint crack appeared in the crimson-black lightning.
"What?!"
Roger's pupils contracted to the size of needle points—an unprecedented shock for him.
His Haki... was being suppressed?
Not just his Haki, but also his strength, his physique, that vast, natural power akin to a calamity...
If he were at his peak, perhaps he could still fight.
But as Kane had said, he was now nothing more than a flickering candle in the wind.
"The times have changed, Mr. Roger."
Kane's icy voice pierced through the torrent of violent energy.
The next second, the pure black Getsuga Tenshō, though slightly dimmed, remained intact and continued flying toward Roger and Rayleigh with unstoppable force!
There was no time to think.
The shadow of death had already enveloped them.
"Roger!"
Rayleigh roared, instantly positioning himself in front of Roger.
Roger reacted as well, holding his Ace blade horizontally across his chest.
The two legends, in that moment, poured all their strength into defense!
Boommmmmmmmm——————!!!!!!
The delayed explosion finally thundered across the sky.
The terrifying shockwave transformed into a visible white ring of light, instantly sweeping across everything within a ten-nautical-mile radius!
The already devastated island completely disintegrated under this force, shattering into countless fragments that sank into the sea.
On the ocean's surface, the water was pressed into a massive depression hundreds of meters deep, unable to refill for a long time.
...
A long time later.
The storm subsided, and the dust cleared.
Where the island once stood, only a small reef less than a hundred square meters remained, isolated on the sea's surface.
Roger and Rayleigh lay sprawled on the reef, not a single patch of skin left intact, their blood staining the rocks beneath them.
Roger's Named Sword "Ace" was embedded nearby, its blade trembling slightly, emitting mournful cries.
Kane landed on the ruins, his chest heaving violently, the Soul Slayer Sword in his hand still faintly warm.
His Navy cloak had been completely shredded, revealing his muscular upper body, with a shallow bloodstain running across his chest—a wound grazed by the edge of "Divine Departure."
"Hah... cough, cough, cough..."
Roger gasped painfully, but as he looked at the young man, there was no resentment in his eyes, only a sense of relief.
"Hah... hah... truly... a terrifying junior..."
The outcome is decided.