Waves crashed and rolled across the sea, tossing the warships with each violent surge. Cries for help rang out across the chaotic waters.
"Too many fell overboard!!"
"Don't let the waves sweep them away!"
The fierce wind finally blew away the lingering smoke, revealing the main warship once more.
The entire bow had been completely destroyed, exposing a mangled frame of splintered keel. It looked like it could sink at any moment.
On the deck, Sengoku and Borsalino stood in defensive stances, arms raised, palms forward. Smoke and debris whipped past them as the Marines behind staggered, trying to stay upright.
Sengoku's eyes burned red with fury as he watched the battered pirate ship vanish beyond the horizon. Clenching his fists, he cursed in frustration.
They had finally caught a golden opportunity to surround the Roger Pirates—and just like that, it slipped through their fingers.
And now, it all made sense.
That final slash from Roger wasn't Kamusari at all. That so-called technique was just for show—meant to scare Garp into backing off.
The real purpose of that swing was to delay him and Borsalino, buying precious seconds for the Oro Jackson to escape.
"Damn that bastard Roger!! He played me!!"
Garp was jumping in rage, shouting curses as he hurried aboard his dog-headed warship.
"Raise the sails! We're going after them!"
Just as the ship was about to depart, Garp suddenly seemed to remember something. He turned toward Kuzan, who was still standing on a floating chunk of ice.
"Kuzan, you coming or not?"
Kuzan's face darkened as he hesitated.
"Vice Admiral Garp... you're not gonna hit me again, are you?"
Garp gritted his teeth.
"Come if you want, don't come if you don't!!"
Perking up instantly, Kuzan flashed forward, landing neatly on the ship and casually strolling up beside Garp with a grin.
"Sengoku, I'll leave the cleanup to you. I'm going after that bastard Roger!"
Without even turning back, Garp barked the order and his ship roared to life, heading full speed toward the horizon.
A flicker of resignation crossed Sengoku's face. He opened his mouth, but said nothing.
He knew the truth—Roger's ship could launch itself several nautical miles with a single air cannon blast. Combined with its own insane speed, Garp would never catch up.
Still, if Garp wanted to try, there was no stopping him.
The most pressing issue now was rescuing the Marines who had fallen overboard and capturing any remaining Flying Pirates.
"Admiral Sengoku, I believe we must act immediately and pursue the Roger Pirates!"
At that moment, Sakazuki—his aura heavy with killing intent—strode aboard and spoke with a grim look.
Sengoku frowned and shook his head.
"Leave Roger to Garp. Our warships are badly damaged. With our speed compromised, chasing them now would be pointless."
As he spoke, a shadow passed through his eyes. In his heart, he no longer held much hope.
Since the battle at God Valley, the Marine Headquarters had launched countless large-scale hunts for the Roger Pirates.
And just Garp's personal missions alone had driven Roger and his crew to the brink on several occasions.
But somehow, always—always—when the Marines believed they had the upper hand, the Roger Pirates slipped away.
And now, it had happened again.
If not for the Marines—no, if not for Daren's intervention and the "creation" of that colossal sea storm—Roger's crew would've been utterly crushed by Shiki's Flying Fleet.
That battle should've been unwinnable.
No matter how strong Roger was, there was no way to turn that kind of hopeless situation around.
Dragon's storm had annihilated Shiki's aerial fleet.
Aside from some superficial damage to their ship, they were practically untouched.
That wasn't luck anymore.
Maybe—just maybe—some unseen force, some "destiny," was watching over Roger.
Because if you looked at it logically, based on facts and reality, there was no other way to explain this bizarre outcome.
Even the most elusive pirate should have fallen after this many attempts.
Could Roger really be stronger than Rocks?
Was the Roger Pirates' crew really more elite than Rocks's legendary lineup?
And yet, every time... nothing. No success.
A cold chill ran down Sengoku's spine. He clenched his fists without realizing it.
Hearing Sengoku's reply, Sakazuki quickly caught on. His expression darkened further.
Sengoku took a deep breath and said gravely,
"Daren and Shiki both possess powerful long-range flight capabilities. At the speed of a warship, we'd never reach them in time to provide support." ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novel-fire.net
His tone was heavy with frustration as he glanced instinctively at Borsalino.
Borsalino raised both hands.
"As for long-distance flight, that's not really in my wheelhouse either..."
A sly smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Maybe we don't need to worry too much about Vice Admiral Daren's safety."
Sakazuki narrowed his eyes, voice sharp and cold.
"Borsalino, what's that supposed to mean?"
Borsalino feigned surprise and took a couple of steps back, waving his hands.
"Whoa now, don't give me that look, Sakazuki. You're scaring me."
"I'm not implying anything. Just pointing out a fact."
He scratched at the stubble on his chin, first gesturing toward Sakazuki, then at himself.
"Back at Marineford, you, me, Kuzan, and Daren—we four couldn't even stop Shiki."
Sakazuki's arm began to glow with intense heat, wisps of black smoke curling from his skin.
"Borsalino, I'm not in the mood for your games."
"No one knows Shiki's strength better than I do. I was there at Marineford."
His eyes locked onto Borsalino, cold and full of barely contained rage.
The Navy had finally seized a once-in-a-lifetime chance—only to let the Roger Pirates slip away. He was furious.
"Precisely because I understand Shiki's power, I know Daren alone can't take him down."
"No, no... not exactly."
Borsalino's grin grew slightly wider.
"Sakazuki, do you really understand how strong Daren is now?"
Then a flicker of disbelief flashed in his eyes.
At that moment, Borsalino turned around and waved dismissively.
"The reason we couldn't stop Shiki at Marineford wasn't because the four of us couldn't beat him."
"It was because he could fly."
Sengoku's eyes lit up slightly, as if something finally clicked in his mind.
Borsalino stretched with a long yawn.
"When it comes to taking down someone like Shiki, throwing more people at him doesn't help."
He turned back, tapped his own head, and gave Sakazuki a playful, knowing smirk.
"Don't forget—Shiki's a sly and crafty bastard."
"When too many people show up... he runs."
Sengoku and Sakazuki stiffened in place as the weight of those words sank in.
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