Tatsuki walked out of the office, and with a flash of his body, he had already appeared at the harbor.
"Tatsuki!"
Gion was commanding soldiers in their daily drills. Seeing Tatsuki, she hurriedly came to meet him.
"Are you going somewhere? Do you need me to arrange a warship?"
"No need."
Tatsuki waved his hand and, in a great mood, pinched Gion's supple cheek.
"I'm going to the South Blue to relax a bit and, by the way, track down Roger's whereabouts. Tell Headquarters that my bonus for this year should be issued, tell them not to delay."
Sakazuki and the other two walked over, looking at Tatsuki with complex expressions. The source of that terrifying aura they had just felt was precisely this man.
"Tatsuki..." Sakazuki's Adam's apple bobbed, and finally, he couldn't help but utter two words, "Just now..."
"What? Want to try?" Tatsuki glanced at him, his lips carrying a hint of playfulness.
Sakazuki fell silent instantly.
He was a battle maniac, but he wasn't an idiot. That power just now had exceeded his cognitive dimensions.
"Keep a good eye on the house." Tatsuki patted his shoulder, leaving behind a meaningful sentence.
Then, under everyone's stunned gazes, his feet slowly left the ground, and the airflow surged around his body, forming two solid storm wings.
Whoosh!
No sonic boom, no loud noise.
His figure seemed to merge into the wind, disappearing from the spot instantly. Only a visible ring of white vapor was left behind, proving that he had once been there.
Gion and the group of Marine soldiers were already staring dumbfounded.
The three Future Admirals looked in the direction where Tatsuki had disappeared, remaining speechless for a long time.
Kuzan murmured in a voice only he could hear, "That guy... he has become a monster we can't understand again."
— — —
South Blue.
This was a sea region known for its peace, far removed from the clamor and strife of the Grand Line.
Across the vast waters, Tatsuki transformed into a storm phantom, galloping at speeds far exceeding the speed of sound.
In just a single day, he arrived at the area where intelligence suggested Roger might be hiding.
He hovered ten thousand meters in the air, looking down at the scattered uninhabited islands below.
"Roger... Heh."
A mocking curve hooked the corner of Tatsuki's lips.
"Hiding in a place like this won't change your status as the Pirate King."
The awakening of the Storm-Storm Fruit had granted his mental power a massive boost. With his Observation Haki fully unleashed, it instantly covered a radius of hundreds of nautical miles.
A few seconds later.
His gaze locked onto a small, nameless island that was vibrant with life. There, two powerful life signatures were burning quietly beside a campfire.
"So they really are here." Tatsuki murmured softly, a glint of excitement flashing in his eyes.
He slowly lowered his body and the vibrations of the storm wings grew more intense.
...
The campfire crackled and the aroma of roasted meat permeated the air.
Two men sat cross-legged by the campfire, gulping down alcohol.
One of them was tall, with an exaggerated mustache and a Captain's hat—the man who made the entire world tremble: the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger!
At this moment, his face bore none of the majesty of a king, he laughed like a child.
"Gulp, gulp... Ha! Rayleigh, the wine in the South Blue really hits the spot!"
Sitting opposite him was his first mate, Dark King Silvers Rayleigh.
Rayleigh looked at his Captain's demeanor and shook his head helplessly. "With your body in that state, can't you drink a little less?"
"Hahaha! It's precisely because my time is short that I must drink to my heart's content!"
Roger took another large swig of wine, but his gaze drifted toward the distant horizon with a hint of melancholy.
"Speaking of which, I really want to see the world twenty years from now. Will the person Joy Boy is waiting for appear? And who will find the treasure of Laugh Tale?"
Rayleigh also took a sip of wine. "Those aren't things we should worry about anymore. We have already completed our voyage."
"Yeah."
Roger smiled, preparing to say something more.
The next moment, his smile suddenly vanished.
Rayleigh's eyes became incredibly sharp at the same time.
The two of them simultaneously looked up toward the sky. The previously clear sky had, at some point, been stained an ominous dark purple.
The sea began to churn, and the calm waves turned into roaring surges.
A pressure so heavy it was suffocating poured down from high above. It was as if the entire sky was crumbling amidst the rumbling.
"Oh?"
A flash of excitement crossed Roger's eyes.
He slowly stood up and placed his hand on his sword, Ace. "It seems we won't be able to finish this drink in peace."
Rayleigh also stood up, his expression solemn.
The newcomer's aura was too strong.
Strong enough that even he felt threatened.
Rumble!
A bolt of lightning tore through the sky.
In the flash of light, a slender figure, flapping wings made of storms, descended slowly like a god coming to earth.
The visitor wore a pure white Marine Justice cloak that flapped loudly in the gale.
On that face hung a professional smile.
"Good afternoon, Roger-san."
Tatsuki hovered in mid-air, looking down at the two below with an easy and composed tone.
"Allow me to introduce myself: Marine G-5 Branch Base Commander, Tatsuki."
"Oh, a Marine brat."
Roger grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. The fighting spirit in his eyes, however, grew increasingly intense.
"I know you. You left quite an impression on me at Edd War three years ago."
"Is that so? Then it truly is my honor." Tatsuki smiled as his right hand slowly gripped the hilt of Tensa Zangetsu.
"Then, as a return gift..."
There was no further nonsense.
Ssh—
The pitch-black blade was unsheathed.
The next second, an extremely condensed black crescent-shaped slash cleaved down toward Roger.
Getsuga Tenshō!
"Please use your life to pay for this greeting gift."
Facing that terrifying slash capable of splitting the entire island in two, Roger didn't dodge. Instead, he burst into earth-shaking laughter.
"Wahahaha! Now this is more like it!"
His momentum erupted violently at this moment.
He was no longer the down-and-out middle-aged man drinking by the campfire, but the sole King who reigned over the seas.
Clang!
The famous sword 'Ace' was unsheathed. Pitch-black Conqueror's Haki instantly infused the blade like ink, bursting with countless blinding black electrical arcs.
Divine Departure!
Roger advanced instead of retreating, meeting the black crescent with a horizontal slash.
In that instant, the world lost color, and all sounds fell silent.
The two slashes frantically consumed and annihilated each other.