CHAPTER 48
At this point—
Charlotte Linlin had officially labeled Ayr an "actor."
Damn it—
Who would have believed Ayr possessed such overwhelming strength?
If she hadn't witnessed it herself, she would've thought it was some exaggerated fairy tale.
Good grief…
This brat had been hiding way too deep.
But now—
The battle raged on.
Ayr and Roger's blades continued to clash like roaring tempests.
Meanwhile—
Charlotte Linlin was locked in combat against Rayleigh and Jabba.
Her battle was far from easy.
---
The Intensity Escalates
Time flew by.
Half an hour had passed—
And Charlotte Linlin still held her ground against Rayleigh and Jabba.
Though she was at a disadvantage, her incredibly durable body and monstrous strength allowed her to withstand the relentless two-on-one assault.
She refused to fall.
On the other side—
The battle between Roger and Ayr had reached its peak.
This fragile island was being torn apart by their attacks.
Their clashes—
A devastating symphony of destruction.
After thirty minutes of ferocious combat—
Nearly half of the island had sunk.
And as the battle intensified—
The sheer aftershocks were claiming lives.
Several Roger Pirates—watching too closely—had been caught in the crossfire and perished instantly.
The sheer ferocity of the battle was unimaginable.
---
Roger Calls a Halt
"That's enough, Ayr!"
Roger suddenly leaped backward, creating distance.
His expression—
For the first time—
Was serious.
Ayr, who had been fully immersed in the thrill of battle, blinked.
"Hm?"
He tilted his head, slightly puzzled by Roger's words.
"If we keep this up, the entire island will be destroyed."
Roger's eyes flickered with calculation.
He could tell—
Ayr's stamina was already more than halfway drained.
If they continued fighting, Roger was certain of his victory.
But—
At what cost?
His crew was still on this island.
If the battle continued unchecked, more would die—
And for what?
Even if Roger defeated Ayr—
What would he gain?
Nothing.
But what he would lose?
His crew.
Roger wasn't willing to make that trade.
He sighed—
And sheathed his katana.
"That's enough, Ayr. Let's stop here."
Ayr studied Roger for a moment—
Then smirked.
"Fine."
He nodded without hesitation, sliding his own blade back into its scabbard.
The reason was simple.
He had been so focused on the fight that he nearly forgot—
His Kurama Chakra Mode was running on a time limit.
More than half an hour had passed—
And his experience card only had about ten minutes left.
If the battle dragged on—
And his power-up expired—
He would be completely outmatched.
At that point—
His only option would've been to run.
So in reality—
Roger's decision to stop was actually a perfectly timed escape route for Ayr.
If the fight had continued—
Ayr would've been in serious trouble.
Now, though—
He could end the battle gracefully.
And avoid having to flee in disgrace.
---
The Battle Concludes
Seeing Ayr cease his attack, Roger called out to his crew.
"Rayleigh! Jabba! That's enough!"
Rayleigh and Jabba—
Still mid-fight against Charlotte Linlin—
Exchanged glances.
"It's over?"
They took one last look at Roger—
Then lowered their weapons.
Rayleigh exhaled, his golden eyes narrowing as he turned toward Ayr.
"The cadre of the Rocks Pirates… really isn't easy to deal with."
He had felt Ayr's strength firsthand—
And it had left an unshakable impression.
But now—
Even Roger had been forced to call a truce.
This—
This was on a whole different level.
Ayr's strength was truly terrifying.
---
The Crew's Shock and Fear
"It's over…?"
"Finally… Finally, it's over!"
"Those two are complete monsters!"
The surviving members of the Roger Pirates let out sighs of relief.
Even though many had been watching from a distance, they had still felt the sheer terror of the battle.
Some were still on edge, scanning the area nervously.
"Even though I was far away… I was still scared of getting caught in their attacks."
"I've been with Captain Roger for years… but I've never seen someone fight him like that!"
"And what's even more terrifying—Ayr is YOUNGER than Roger!"
"That guy is a straight-up monster!"
A new fear settled in.
If just two members of the Rocks Pirates were this powerful—
What about the entire crew?
The thought alone sent shivers down their spines.
The decision was unanimous.
"If we ever encounter the Rocks Pirates again… RUN."
"We CAN'T fight them."
"Not if we want to survive!"
---
Ayr's Reward – The Sage Body Progress
Suddenly—
A familiar system prompt echoed in Ayr's mind.
"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for gaining 60 Sage Body progress!"
Ayr grinned.
This fight with Roger had pushed his power forward significantly.
And he was more than satisfied with the outcome.
---
A New Rivalry – Roger and Ayr's Next Battle
Roger stared at Ayr for a moment—
Then—
He grinned and unhooked the gourd of sake from his waist.
Without a word—
He tossed it to Ayr and sat cross-legged on the ground.
"I'm looking forward to the next round, Ayr."
Ayr caught the sake gourd, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Next time?"
He chuckled.
"You better watch yourself, Roger. Next time… I might just kill you."
Although—
Right now, he had only managed to keep up with Roger because of the Kurama Chakra Mode experience card—
That would soon change.
After returning to the Rocks Pirates, he'd be receiving a billion Berries reward.
With that wealth—
He could buy multiple Devil Fruits.
If he could acquire the right powers, then—
Next time, it wouldn't just be Kurama Chakra Mode.
It would be a much stronger form.
Perhaps even—
The Sage of Six Paths transformation.
And at that point—
Even Roger wouldn't be able to stop him.
"Hahaha!" Roger roared with laughter.
"Then you better work hard, kid! Don't let me kill you first!"
Ayr didn't respond—
He just took a long swig of sake and smirked.
Enemies or not—
In the world of pirates—
It wasn't just about fighting and killing.
It was about rivalry and respect.
And for now—
Ayr and Roger had both gained something from this battle.
Their next encounter would be even more intense.
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