Across the vast sea, over a dozen ships of varying sizes drifted.

The four naval warships encircled the outer perimeter, trapping the pirate vessels in the middle.

"It really is the Roger Pirates! That's the Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh! Those two exceptionally tall and burly men must be Roger's former combatants, Isaac and Sunbell! And that old man with two axes at his waist—the only one in the Roger Pirates who wielded dual axes—must be Roger's left-hand man, Scopper Gaban!" Momonga practically spat the words through gritted teeth.

"The legends… the legends have appeared! The crew of the Pirate King—weren't they all in hiding? For years, our Marine HQ has searched for them, only managing to confirm that the Dark King Rayleigh was living in Sabaody Archipelago! And that their non-combatant ship doctor stayed near the lighthouse at Reverse Mountain. Why would they suddenly emerge now, after all this time? What in the world is happening?" Yamakaji's face was filled with shock.

"Now is not the time for this!" Gion interrupted the two men, her crisp voice resolute as she declared.

"The priority is to hold them off. Vice Admiral Momonga, immediately contact Fleet Admiral Akainu via Den Den Mushi and have him deploy all available forces from headquarters. If we can take these people down here, the Marine's prestige will soar to unprecedented heights!"

Upon hearing this, Momonga and the others, who had been awestruck by Rayleigh and his companions, felt their spirits surge once more.

Exactly!

If they could eliminate the remnants of the Roger Pirates here, the Marine's recent decline in reputation would be completely reversed!

The newly emerged Beast God Pirates, though rising in fame across the New World, were still far from comparable to the crew of the Pirate King.

"Hehehehe, I'd rather not deal with those Marine Admirals. Gaban, let's get out of here quickly. The new Marine headquarters is nearby. If we hurry to Totto Land, we might even get a few days of rest beforehand. I'm still a wounded man, after all."

Rayleigh adjusted his glasses, his gaze flickering towards the warship where Gion stood.

"Then let's act. Just cut off their propulsion. We shouldn't get too entangled with the Marines."

Gaban nodded, drawing his twin axes from his waist.

Together, the two men took a single step forward!

BOOM!!

A thunderous explosion echoed across the sky as the sea around the Oro Jackson seemed to be pressed down by a gigantic hand, the water abruptly sinking dozens of meters.

Two overwhelming, cataclysmic auras erupted from the two old men in an instant, sweeping across the surroundings like a tidal wave!

Streaks of black lightning crackled through the void, tearing through the atmosphere as a tempest seemed to whip up across the sea.

From Rayleigh and Gaban erupted an awe-inspiring Conqueror's Haki, instantly overwhelming every ship in the vicinity.

Whether pirate vessel or Marine warship!

Thud. Thud.

On the pirate ships, one pirates after another collapsed, foaming at the mouth.

Aside from the slightly stronger pirates aboard, everyone else lost consciousness.

On the Marine warships, aside from the four Vice Admirals whose minds blanked for a split second, every single soldier had already fallen into unconsciousness.

"This is... Conqueror's Haki!" Gion gripped her tightly, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

The gap was far too vast!

Their opponents hadn't even attacked—merely unleashed their presence—and already, they had lost all their soldiers in an instant.

Momonga stared grimly at the Den Den Mushi in his hand, its eyes rolled back, and gritted his teeth.

"Damn it, they heard our conversation. The Den Den Mushi were targeted too, They won't be usable for a while."

"Heh, today's luck isn't bad. Not only is the Oro Jackson still worthy, but none of the Admirals are here either. After coating, I locked this ship deep beneath the roots of Sabaody Archipelago. Every now and then, I'd sneak in to maintain it when no one was around. Today, let it ride the waves of the New World once more!"

Rayleigh's face bore an excitement never seen before, as if he had suddenly regained his youth.

His eyes shimmered with nostalgia for the past.

Gaban, Isaac and Sunbell felt the same.

Even the fishman Sunbell's eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"If only Captain Roger were still here... Time has flown by too quickly."

The Oro Jackson began moving without wind, actually accelerating on its own.

With no one at the helm, it cut straight through the waves, heading directly between the two Marine warships!

"Hey! Hey! You bastards from the Roger Pirates, how dare you do this to us! Quick, wake everyone up! Before the Marines attack, we'd better charge out with them!"

The surrounding pirates hated Rayleigh and his crew to the core.

It was because of their indiscriminate Conqueror's Haki shockwave that their own pirates had all passed out, leaving no one to even steer their ships.

Thud!

A dull impact echoed from beneath the Oro Jackson's hull, accompanied by the faint sound of splintering wood.

Rayleigh's expression darkened slightly as he instantly released his Observation Haki, enveloping the entire ship and extending downward to the hull.

"Damn pirates, clinging to the bottom of the ship! Sunbell! Get down there and drag him up! This bastard is using a hammer to damage the Oro Jackson's keel!"

Rayleigh's lips trembled with rage.

To him, the Oro Jackson was even more important than his own life.

Why had he stayed on Sabaody all these years, working as a coating craftsman?

Wasn't it just so he could regularly maintain this ship, hoping that one day he could reunite with his crewmates and sail once more aboard her?

Gaban's face also darkened, while Isaac cracked his knuckles loudly.

The fish-man Sunbell immediately leaped from the ship.

His massive body moved through the water with the agility of a fish, his speed too fast for the eye to follow.

"Bastard! How dare you damage the Oro Jackson! I'll kill you!"

Sunbell gritted his sharp teeth and instantly spotted Vincent clinging to the ship's hull.

The Oro Jackson was moving too fast—Vincent could only use his hammer to chip a small crack in the hull, gripping it tightly with his hand to avoid being swept away by the current.

The ship's body, crafted from the Adam Wood, was incredibly sturdy.

Vincent had originally planned to smash through the hull and enter the ship directly.

BOOM!

Sunbell tore through the water, reaching Vincent in an instant.

His massive arms seized Vincent's legs and yanked hard, pulling the unprepared pirate free.

"What the hell?" Vincent was utterly stunned.

He never expected someone to come after him while he was holding his breath underwater.

Moreover, the strength in the other's grip was so immense it felt like his legs were being crushed together, as if he were being turned into a mermaid alive.

"Damn fish-man, let go of me!" Vincent swung his massive hammer, smashing it towards Sunbell.

The enormous hammerhead exploded through the water in a burst of white foam, striking Sunbell squarely in the head.

"Die, haha... what?"

Vincent's internal laughter died abruptly as he saw the fish-man headbutt his hammer directly.

With a thunderous crash, Vincent's specially crafted Impact Dial hammer shattered instantly against Sunbell's pitch-black forehead, leaving only its handle.

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