Chapter 98: Roger vs Shiki (2)

Shanks stared at Carl in disbelief. "Who are you… a Marine?!"

Buggy, who had been kicked to the ground, scrambled to his feet. The moment he got a clear look at Carl's face, his body trembled violently. He pointed with a shaking finger and stammered,

"B-Big… Admiral candidate… Black Dragon!"

"What?!"

Shanks took a step back in shock.

Before either of them could react further, Carl suddenly swung his hand, and a black sword appeared in his grip.

The motion alone made Shanks and Buggy tense up.

Just then, a golden slash of energy descended from the sky.

A sharp collision rang out, followed by a powerful shockwave.

Shanks and Buggy were knocked off their feet, landing hard on the deck. When they looked up again, they froze in place.

Carl, standing firm, had raised his sword with one hand, blocking the massive golden slash with ease.

His Navy cloak billowed in the wind.

The attack had obviously come from the Golden Lion.

Moments earlier, he had followed Roger's gaze and spotted Carl's sudden appearance. Seeing the Marine uniform, he had attacked without hesitation.

What he hadn't expected was for his attack to be so effortlessly stopped.

Even Roger looked mildly surprised.

For a moment, the battle paused.

Roger studied Carl's face carefully before laughing. "So it's him… Looks like the Navy wasn't bluffing."

Golden Lion frowned. "Roger, what are you talking about? Do you know that Marine?"

"Haha, he's Carl, the one the Navy listed as an Admiral candidate a year ago. Code name: Black Dragon."

Golden Lion squinted, searching his memory. A moment later, realization dawned.

"I remember now… The so-called leader of the Navy Supernova. Fought Newgate once, didn't he?"

While they talked, the black sword in Carl's hand vibrated slightly, dispersing the golden energy. Then, without a word, Carl twisted his body and vanished.

Both Roger and Golden Lion stiffened, scanning the battlefield, but Carl was nowhere to be found.

Roger raised an eyebrow. "That ability is bizarre… Where did he go?"

Golden Lion scowled and attacked again, but Roger dodged with his superior Observation Haki, glaring at him.

"Shiki! The Navy is here. Do you really still want to fight?"

Golden Lion sneered. "What Navy? Just a little Marine brat? Forget the Admiral candidate—even if a real Admiral came, they couldn't interfere in our battle!"

"You're insane."

"Hahaha! Compared to Captain Rocks back then, I'm nothing!"

---

Carl reappeared on the warship. The moment Garp saw him, he rushed over anxiously.

"Carl! How's Roger doing?"

Sengoku frowned at Garp's tone. The question sounded less like a Marine worried about a pirate and more like an old friend concerned for another.

Carl glanced up at the darkening sky. "Roger's crew is losing. By the time we get there, the battle will probably be over."

Garp tensed. Without another word, he threw off his cloak, preparing to use Geppo to rush ahead.

Sengoku grabbed him. "What are you trying to do? Wouldn't it be better for the Navy and the world if either Roger or Golden Lion was taken down?"

Garp stiffened, then fell silent.

Sengoku let go of him and turned to Carl. "Can you teleport directly to the battlefield?"

Carl nodded. "I marked the spatial coordinates when I was there. I can return instantly."

Sengoku considered this, then said, "Alright, but don't engage directly. Just observe. If things go south, retreat immediately. We just need to know the outcome."

Carl smirked. "Don't worry, Admiral Sengoku. I know what I'm doing."

The warship continued forward. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

Carl stood at the bow, eyes narrowing. He whispered, "It's time."

Then, he disappeared into the darkness once more.

---

The battle raged on.

Roger and the Golden Lion clashed fiercely, their overwhelming strength shaking the entire battlefield. More than one ship had already been destroyed—unsurprisingly, all belonged to the Flying Pirates.

Roger, with only the Oro Jackson, relied on Rayleigh and his crew to keep the ship afloat. But the sheer number of enemies was proving overwhelming.

Surrounded by Flying Pirates, Roger's crew was backed into a corner.

Golden Lion fought with both swords drawn, his laughter ringing out. "Roger! Looks like this is the end for your crew!"

Roger remained silent. He knew panicking was useless. The only way out of this situation was to take Shiki down first. Without him, the rest of the Flying Pirates wouldn't matter.

But Roger wasn't Luffy from the movie, and Golden Lion wasn't the crippled version of Shiki. This was the real deal. Their strengths were evenly matched, making a quick resolution impossible.

Golden Lion sneered and slashed forward. "Chop the waves!"

A massive golden slash sent Roger skidding backward onto the Oro Jackson.

Then, Golden Lion sheathed his swords and raised his hands. The ocean responded.

Towering waves—over a hundred meters high—rose from the sea, morphing into enormous lion heads.

"Lion's Might: Imperial Scroll!"

The water lions roared as they charged toward the Oro Jackson.

Roger's crew was too occupied fighting off enemies to intercept them. Rayleigh was battling multiple opponents at once, unable to assist.

Roger unleashed sword energy repeatedly, trying to block the oncoming attacks, but the sea was endless—every wave he cut down was instantly replaced by another.

Then, in the midst of the chaos, Roger made a slight mistake.

A wave slipped through.

The Oro Jackson shuddered violently under the impact.

Golden Lion's grin widened. He was so focused on his advantage that he failed to notice something.

The sky above was getting darker.