Yoriichi's slashes stirred monstrous waves across the ocean. A wall of water over ten meters high slammed against the side of the warship, rocking it hard.

"Whoosh!"

A sharp sound sliced through the air as Yoriichi landed lightly on the bow, crouched, and peered down toward the sea below.

Issho arrived behind him swiftly, his Observation Haki probing deep into the water. Mihawk, meanwhile, quietly sheathed Yoru on his back. He wasn't interested in continuing the battle. He'd merely wanted to gauge for himself the power of the so-called Pirate King.

Roger was, after all, a swordsman. Mihawk had no desire to gang up on a fellow swordsman. He'd much prefer a one-on-one duel. But it was clear Yoriichi and Issho weren't interested in such honor-bound theatrics.

"Issho, incoming!"

Just as the waves settled, Yoriichi sensed Roger's aura swiftly rising through the water. His face sharpened with focus as he gave Issho a quiet warning.

"BOOM!"

A black shadow exploded from the sea and rocketed toward the ship, crashing down on the deck with a sonic boom. It shot straight toward Yoriichi.

The figure, drenched but brimming with spirit, was none other than Roger himself, who had just been driven into the ocean.

"Hahahahaha!"

"Kid, you've gotten strong!"

Roger's booming laughter echoed across the deck as his blade, Ace, came down toward Yoriichi's chest. But Yoriichi had sensed it before the attack even came. His arms came up, blade crossing to block.

"CLANG!"

A high-pitched ring of steel-on-steel filled the air. Roger's blade was halted.

"Been a while, hasn't it?"

Grinning, Roger stared down at the young Marine like greeting an old friend. There was no malice in his voice, only cheer, as if they were comrades reunited.

Yoriichi didn't respond. His expression remained calm, focused entirely on holding back Roger's tremendous strength. The man's raw power and Haki were overwhelming. Yoriichi had to give everything just to block the strike, and even then, he wasn't sure Roger was using his full strength.

Was it because Roger couldn't go all out... or because he wouldn't?

"Not even going to say hello? I came all the way here just to see you!"

Roger spoke with mock offense, chuckling as he steadily increased the pressure behind his blade. Yoriichi twisted his sword, shifting his stance to redirect the force. But Roger anticipated it. The moment Yoriichi moved, Roger pulled back and swung from another angle.

Yoriichi vanished from the bow in an instant, just before the slash passed through where he'd stood. The wave it generated rose tall, crashing violently into the sea again.

"Fast!"

"Not just your Conqueror's Haki, you've gotten sharper with Observation too!"

When Yoriichi reappeared on the deck, Roger turned and looked down from the bow. His grin widened as he took in the sight of Yoriichi, Issho, and Mihawk standing together.

"Don't hold back now."

"Come at me all at once."

"It's been a while since I felt this alive!"

Roger twirled his blade lightly, a suffocating aura radiating from his body.

Yoriichi strode forward, his own Conqueror's Haki wrapping around his sword.

"Issho, I'll take point. You cover me."

He didn't call on Mihawk. Yoriichi already understood him, Mihawk wouldn't move unless he wanted to. He couldn't be ordered around. At best, Yoriichi could ask him to back off, but commanding him outright was a lost cause.

"That brat's not joining?" Roger asked, glancing at Mihawk. Receiving no reply, he laughed. "Well, so be it."

"The two of you are plenty enough to make this fun."

Yoriichi leapt, his blade engulfed in red flames, slashing straight toward Roger.

"A frontal attack? Kid, you think your Haki is stronger than mine?"

Roger grinned and met the attack head-on. Their blades stopped ten centimeters apart, not from lack of strength, but because the sheer pressure of their clashing Conqueror's Haki distorted the space between them.

Unable to break through Roger's guard, Yoriichi vanished into the air.

At that moment, Issho struck.

Gravity Blade!

Roger's sword was forced downward by a crushing weight. He stumbled a step back, and in that moment, Yoriichi reappeared above him, sword descending in a lethal thrust.

The coordination was seamless.

But in order to synchronize with Issho, Yoriichi had disabled his Selfless State stealth. Without it, Roger could now track his movements with Observation Haki.

Had Yoriichi kept using his stealth, Issho wouldn't have been able to track him for support. But now, Roger could anticipate every strike.

Raising his blade, Roger batted Yoriichi's sword aside, then slashed toward his chest.

Yoriichi barely managed to draw his sheath, infusing it with Conqueror's Haki, and blocked the strike. In the same motion, he swung his own sword toward Roger's arm.

"Beautiful counter!"

Roger's eyes gleamed. He stepped back, dodged the swing, then punched toward Yoriichi's chest.

Yoriichi formed an "X" with his sword and sheath, blocking the blow, but was flung backward by the impact.

He landed hard, but before Roger could catch his breath, Issho surged in and slashed. Roger parried him easily, though his eyes remained on Yoriichi.

Just as expected, Yoriichi returned, leaping forward, blade flashing.

The two struck in perfect rhythm. While Roger deflected their strikes, he danced between the blows, body weaving with practiced elegance.

The exhilaration on his face grew with every exchange.

He laughed and laughed.

To any bystander, he might've seemed like Luffy, like someone possessed by the Nika Fruit, unable to suppress joy.

Yoriichi's Haki continued draining rapidly. Though Issho's powers were mighty, Roger didn't fear them, he used Armament to block Issho's blows, saving his Conqueror's Haki for Yoriichi.

And that careful balancing, switching between Armament and Conqueror's Haki, revealed Roger's skill in battle.

Yet still, Roger was being gradually pushed back.

The sea around them boiled with pressure. Giant waves surged, visible even from the shores of Dressrosa. Civilians and soldiers gathered, wide-eyed as the sea raged.

"So that's the power of the Pirate King…"

"And Yoriichi Tsugikuni… with Issho's help, he's even pushing him back…"

Mihawk stood quietly at the bow, eyes never leaving the fight. He'd fought Yoriichi before, lost in one exchange, and even now, Yoriichi hadn't managed to bring Roger down.

"So this... is the man called the Pirate King."

Roger, too, felt the pressure mounting.

Yoriichi's control over his Haki had improved, he no longer used full Conqueror's coating in every blow. He alternated between Armament and Conqueror's Haki depending on intent: when probing, he used Armament; when seeking to wound, he used Conqueror's Haki.

It was surgical.

Roger had hoped to drag the fight long enough for Yoriichi to exhaust his Haki.

Instead, Roger found himself tiring first.

"Seems… I won't get to enjoy this much longer."

"Kid, let's end this here!"

He felt the burning in his lungs. Time was running out.

But Yoriichi wasn't about to let him off so easily.

At the end of one of Issho's slashes, Yoriichi rushed Roger's flank, blade slicing toward him.

Roger didn't block.

He stepped forward instead, into the blade, letting it tear across his ribs. At the same time, his sword turned and slashed toward Yoriichi's chest.

"SPLASH!!"

Blood flew from both sides.

Yoriichi's blade buried into Roger's side, stopped only by his ribcage. Roger's return strike cut across Yoriichi's chest, his white uniform instantly soaked in red.

Both staggered back.

Yoriichi inspected the wound through Transparent World, frowning deeply.

Roger clutched his bleeding side and, still smiling, asked:

"Can we pause… just a little?"

Yoriichi's wound was deeper. Roger's strike, sharpened by overwhelming Haki, was more brutal.

Sensing Yoriichi's faltering breath, Issho instantly stepped in front of him.

Mihawk, who had remained idle until now, quietly appeared at Yoriichi's side, blade drawn.

He wouldn't allow Roger to take Yoriichi's life.

Roger's motives remained unclear.

Breathing deeply, Yoriichi activated Life Return, controlling his muscle tissue to reduce blood loss. He didn't attack again. Though he'd hoped to wear Roger down, now he suspected pressing further would risk mutual destruction.

"Hahahaha!"

"Relax, relax!"

"I came to… surrender to the Marines."

"Hahahahahaha!"

✦✦---------------------------------------------------------------------✦✦

100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter

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