Chapter 56: Roger vs Arashi

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"I have already found my freedom!" 

"That is enough!!" Roger's smile returned to its former grandeur, and the fierce spirit and kingly aura rapidly re-emerged. 

Soon, the space around them began to ripple and distort under the evening sun. 

However, Roger expertly contained his aura in a small area, ensuring it wouldn't affect the other villagers in town.

Under the pull of this energy, Arashi's own Conqueror's Haki erupted, and in an instant, he compressed it, directing it with maximum force toward Roger. 

"Freedom, huh?" 

"You only want to be the Pirate King, nothing more than that," Arashi muttered. 

"That's right!" Roger laughed. 

"I don't have the time or energy for anything else, but without a doubt, someone like me will come along and finish what I started!" 

He burst into laughter, then suddenly looked up, his eyes locking onto Arashi. "Are you here to capture me?"

"Yes!" Arashi nodded without hesitation. 

This mission wasn't just about capturing Roger but also a huge test of his strength and improvement. 

"Hahahaha!" Roger laughed. 

"There are few Marines as ambitious as you! If you were a pirate, you might have rivalled me!"

In a flash, the long sword in Roger's hand trembled, and in an instant, he slashed. 

Fast! Too fast! Like a streak of lightning, it flashed before Arashi, the golden lightning roaring like a dragon, even letting out a faint dragon's cry.

 "If you're here to catch me!" Roger's deep voice echoed, "Be prepared to die in front of me, Marine!"

The long sword in Roger's hand had already swung down. Arashi reacted quickly, moving almost the instant Roger did. 

"Paper Art!" 

His body twisted strangely, his chest caving just enough to avoid the strike narrowly. 

"Divine Departure!" But at that moment, Roger spoke again. 

"Hum!" The air trembled as a powerful slash, wrapped in thick Conqueror's Haki, roared through the space and struck Arashi's chest directly.

"Pff!" In an instant, Arashi's chest was cut open, blood ready to splatter, and his body cracked like glass, sending him flying heavily backwards. 

"Roger!" The bullet finally moved, shouting furiously as he lunged toward Roger. 

"Bullet, it seems you've chosen a new path for yourself too!" Roger sighed as he swung his sword casually.

"Boom!" The blade didn't even touch Bullet; the slash, carried by the air, violently struck him, sending him flying like Arashi, hurtling a thousand meters away.

"Sandstorm!" In that brief moment, Crocodile, stunned by the sight of his superior and teammate being taken out, quickly gathered a sand tornado in his hand, ready to strike. 

But Roger was already in front of him in the next second, casually slashing. The sight of that strike made Crocodile's hair stand on end. 

His body turned into sand and swiftly retreated, his face showing deep shock.

"You reek of a pirate," Roger said calmly. 

"Arashi, for someone trained by Garp, you've certainly gone a bit off course!" Roger turned to the young figure striding toward him with a grim expression. 

When he saw that Arashi was unscathed, Roger's eyes narrowed slightly. 

If he remembered correctly, that close-range slash should have completely cut open Arashi's chest and abdomen, delivering a fatal wound. 

Yet here he was, unharmed and standing again.

"As Rayleigh said, you're truly immortal, right?" Roger muttered. 

Even Roger felt more focused when facing an enemy who couldn't be killed.

"Tap, tap, tap!" The sound of footsteps grew faster as Arashi picked up speed, then leapt into the sky, reaching a hundred meters high. 

"Crack!" Black and red lightning crackled, wrapping around his arms. "Fist of Thunder!" 

Arashi swung his right fist downward without hesitation, and the black and red lightning shot straight at Roger below. 

Bullet, who had just managed to get up in the distance, saw the punch and his pupils shrank in shock. 

There was no doubt—that punch could take him down instantly.

"Too reckless!" Bullet muttered, "That punch will destroy the entire town!" 

Roger shook his head as his figure suddenly disappeared. 

In the next moment, he appeared in the sky, ascending quickly. His long sword swung again.

"Buzz!" The slash instantly collided with Arashi's punch, causing space to warp and tremble. 

Roger's slash immediately deflected the distorted shockwave, shooting into the sky and disappearing instantly. 

Arashi's pupils contracted in the air, stunned by what he had just witnessed. 

This was the first time he had seen such a thing! Roger's attack had completely deflected his Conqueror's Haki-infused attack.

"Your talent is indeed remarkable. 

You already possess this level of Haki at such a young age!" 

Roger's voice echoed as his figure flashed, suddenly appearing in front of Arashi, his long sword pointing straight at Arashi's forehead.

"Your technique is too poor!" Upon hearing this, Arashi's heart shook. 

He flashed and vanished, reappearing behind Roger in an instant. 

However, Roger had already turned to face him again, with his long sword still pointing directly at him. 

Observation Haki! Arashi's eyes sharpened as he shifted positions repeatedly, but no matter from which angle he attacked, Roger could predict and counter his every move with perfect precision.

This realization made Arashi's heart sink. Roger's Observation Haki had completely read him! 

But after just a brief pause, he charged again, undeterred. He would break through with sheer strength since there were no flaws to exploit. 

"Fist of Thunder!" Black and red lightning crackled violently as an overwhelming surge of Conqueror's Haki burst toward the sky. 

The once-clear skies darkened with thick clouds as thunder rumbled overhead.

"Deep Water Bomb!" Arashi combined Iron Body and Armament Haki on his right fist, his Seastone gloves creaking under the strain. 

Roger, however, only smiled lightly, swinging his long sword. 

"Boom!" The force of Arashi's punch rippled out in the sky, turning into a wild windstorm that radiated across the island. 

The thunderous roar from the heavens caused everyone on the island to believe a storm was coming, and they hurried into their homes to take cover.

"It seems there's still much for you to learn, young man," Roger said calmly. Arashi's gaze grew serious. 

At that moment, he realized something. 

From Garp, he had learned how to wield a devastatingly heavy and powerful Iron Fist, capable of crushing anything in its path. 

However, his lack of proficiency in observation of Haki was a fatal flaw in his ability to evade attacks. 

During his brief clash with Roger, he witnessed the pinnacle of technique—how it could be smooth, fluid, sharp, and overwhelmingly powerful.

"If you want to catch me, you'd better notify Marine Headquarters. Let Garp and Sengoku come after me!" Roger said with a casual smile. 

His long sword moved swiftly, slashing toward Arashi's arm.

"Slash!" Arashi's expression changed. Below, Crocodile and Bullet both widened their eyes in shock. 

One of Arashi's arms, dripping with blood, fell to the ground. The air seemed to freeze at that moment as everything fell quiet. 

Both Bullet and Crocodile stared at the severed arm on the ground, then looked up at the two figures in the sky. 

For some reason, a deep sense of fear stirred in their hearts.

"As expected, you're strong!" Arashi muttered as he locked eyes with Roger. Slowly, he descended to the ground, landing with a heavy thud. 

Looking down at his bloodied arm, a grin suddenly spread across his face. "I'm feeling more excited than ever!"

Then, to everyone's shock, he raised his remaining arm, clenched his fist, and, without hesitation, slammed it into his head. 

"Boom!" His skull shattered like a watermelon in an instant. 

The sight caused Roger's pupils to contract, shivering through Crocodile and Bullet. 

Had Arashi gone mad? After losing an arm, he had chosen to blow his head off.

But in the next second, something occurred that nearly stopped the hearts of everyone present. 

The severed arm, the spilt blood, and the shattered head—were all gone. 

A completely unharmed Arashi stood in their place, fully intact and as good as new.

"He... he revived?" Crocodile exclaimed in disbelief. He had never realized this powerful Marine officer was also a Devil Fruit user. 

No, that couldn't be it! Arashi still wore Seastone gloves on his fists, which meant he wasn't a Devil Fruit user. 

But then, what was the explanation for this bizarre, undying phenomenon? 

Crocodile, Bullet, and Roger were stunned, unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed.

"You do possess an extraordinary bloodline!" Roger remarked gravely as he landed on the ground. 

He had come to understand just how troublesome this young Marine truly was. 

Not only was Arashi unkillable, but even when injured, he could restore himself through the most drastic measures. 

This meant that Arashi was naturally invincible. With such a body and overwhelming power, Arashi could defeat almost any enemy.

Arashi smiled and cracked his neck with a loud pop. He flexed his fists, feeling the strength surging through his fingers. 

"I can do this all day!"

His eyes gleamed with excitement. There was no doubt that each time Roger "killed" him, his body, strength, and reflexes grew stronger. 

However, it was equally clear that as he became more powerful, his rate of improvement slowed down. 

It was like a parabolic curve—once it peaked, it would decline.

"Let's have a real fight, Roger!" Arashi declared, his eyes burning with anticipation. 

Roger gazed at him seriously for a moment before a relaxed expression appeared. 

"Let's change the venue." 

"Since you want a proper battle!" Arashi didn't hesitate and nodded in agreement.

"There's a dense forest near the shore, northwest of here," Roger said. The two men took off running, their speed instantly reaching its peak. 

Moments later, Arashi arrived at the forest Roger had mentioned. He slowly lifted his head, looking at Roger, who stood opposite him. 

Their gazes locked, and sparks were crackling in the air between them. 

Almost simultaneously, the two charged at each other, colliding instantly.

Sword light flashed brilliantly, its momentum like a fierce gale, shaking the surrounding trees. 

The dark clouds above followed their movement, with lightning flickering unpredictably, accompanied by the rumbling of thunder. 

Crocodile and Bullet stood nearby as spectators to this intense battle, their faces tense. 

From the moment the fight started, it had already reached a climactic intensity, fierce beyond measure. 

Roger's sword was fast, precise, and relentless. It shifted unpredictably, always able to pinpoint Arashi's exact location.

In just the first breath, Roger's blade had already pierced Arashi's neck. But that didn't stop Arashi. 

He swung his fist with the same ferocity he had once used in his battles with Rayleigh. However, this approach seemed ineffective against Roger. 

His opponent was too fast. The moment Arashi threw a punch, Roger had already vanished and launched another attack.

The immense pressure weighed heavily on Arashi, and he quickly realized one thing—he was still a long way from reaching the level of a world-class fighter like Roger. 

Haki, speed, experience, technique—Roger was a perfect, well-rounded warrior with no weaknesses. 

From the very start of the battle, he had entered his peak state, showing no sign of illness, and every swing of his sword struck fear into the hearts of those watching.

But there was an upside: constant death. Like an unrelenting storm, Arashi faced death again and again. 

Roger's overwhelming might crushed him repeatedly, increasing the points on Arashi's system panel each time.

By the third hour, Arashi had maxed out his Armament Haki. 

His entire body could be covered, and he could effortlessly use the advanced Flowing Haki technique. 

By the seventh hour, he had maxed out "Shave," moving at such speed that it was close to teleportation, covering distances up to five kilometres. 

The two of them battled for ten continuous hours, perfectly confining the range of destruction to a small forested area.

Arashi's eyes shone brightly. Through countless deaths, he grew more familiar with Roger's fighting style. 

His experience and technique were improving rapidly. Despite dying again and again, he was evolving fast.

"Is this kid a monster?" Roger was deeply shocked. 

He fully understood what Rayleigh had described earlier—that death wouldn't kill Arashi but would make him stronger. 

Time passed quickly, and the two continued fighting into the night. By dawn the next day, the fierce winds howled through the forest. 

In addition to Crocodile and Bullet, more spectators, including T-Bone, Rosinante, and Ivankov, gathered to witness the battle.

"So strong!" Arashi thought, deeply impressed by Roger's strength. 

He had lost count of how many times he had died throughout the night, yet Roger had managed to avoid taking any injury. 

Arashi hadn't been able to land a single blow. He couldn't break through Roger's flawless Observation Haki. 

No matter what he tried, he couldn't leave so much as a scratch on Roger.

This power was far beyond Rayleigh's, and an insurmountable gap existed between them. 

Throughout the night, Arashi had maxed out "Shave," "Tempest Kick," and "Finger Pistol," achieving full mastery of the Six Powers. 

Their power had reached a qualitative change, but he still couldn't harm Roger. 

It was as if Roger had perfect evasion and could foresee the future, making him impossible to hit.

The fight continued. Arashi was fully immersed in this unprecedented battle. 

Another day and night passed, during which Arashi gained enough points to max out "Iron Body," "Moonwalk," and "Paper Art."

"You're incredibly resilient, kid!" Roger praised, but his spirit was still high. 

The battle continued, stretching into the early morning of the fourth day. Suddenly, Roger's movements faltered.

"Cough!" Blood suddenly spurted from his mouth. The powerful aura he had exuded and his intense fighting state vanished instantly. 

His entire body wavered, his face growing pale. Arashi paused, halting his attack just as he was about to strike.

"Cough, cough!" Roger chuckled weakly. "In the end, I'm getting old." He sighed with a trace of regret in his eyes, which quickly faded as he smiled again.

"Hey, kid," Roger said with a grin. 

"Do you want to learn the way of the sword? I don't have much time left, but I can pass on everything I know to you." He paused, then laughed heartily. 

"I can sense it—the burning ambition in your heart! You need strength, don't you?"

<End Chapter>

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