Chapter 41 - 41: Retreat: The Future Power of the “King’s Crew”

After retreating several meters, Yoriichi Tsugikuni stood still, and Rayleigh, for his part, made no move to pursue. Only then did Buggy and Shanks, who had narrowly escaped Yoriichi's blade, begin to grasp how close they had come to death. Cold sweat streamed down their foreheads as the realization set in. Had Rayleigh not intervened at the crucial moment, the two of them might very well be lying lifeless on the ground right now. "Whew… that was way too close." Buggy patted his chest, visibly shaken. Shanks stood beside him in silence, gripping the short sword in his hand with pale knuckles. "The Navy, huh… It's really gone downhill," Rayleigh said, casting a contemplative glance at Yoriichi's youthful face. His tone was tinged with regret—as if disappointed, not just in the institution, but in Garp himself. "Even kids like you are being sent to the frontlines now. Garp, that old fool... really disappointing." "Tch! Rayleigh, what nonsense are you spouting?!" A booming voice echoed from behind Yoriichi before he could respond. "You've got two brats by your side, on the battlefield no less! What right do you have to criticize the Navy?!" Yoriichi turned his head just in time to see Vice Admiral Garp, clothes disheveled, soaked through with seawater, stride confidently to his side. With one hand, Garp placed a firm grip on Yoriichi's shoulder, his gaze directed sharply at Rayleigh. Despite his untidy appearance, Garp looked completely unharmed—voice full of vigor, body steady and unscathed. Only his uniform, drenched and wrinkled, showed signs of the earlier confrontation. "Vice Admiral Garp?!" Yoriichi exclaimed in surprise. Has his fight with Roger already ended? That quickly? If Garp's back, then does that mean Roger- "Garp, you're the one talking nonsense!" Roger's voice cut in suddenly, lighthearted yet pointed. "We're pirates, remember? Isn't it perfectly normal to have young apprentices aboard?" Roger laughed as he appeared behind Shanks and Buggy, placing a hand on each of their heads. "But you Marines… sending minors out to war? That's your version of justice? Hah!" So much for Yoriichi's suspicions. Roger was completely unharmed as well like Garp, only his seawater-soaked clothes hinted at any exertion. No blood, no wounds, no weakness. It became clear to Yoriichi that the fearsome clash that had just shaken the battlefield between Garp and Roger had been nothing more than a warm-up for them. But Yoriichi's sharp perception, his gift of transparent time told him something deeper. Roger's muscles and organs overflowed with an overwhelming vitality. All except his lungs. They were... different. Where the rest of his body raged with volcanic strength, his lungs were lifeless, a dead sea in contrast to the erupting fire around them. Pulmonary disease? Yoriichi's thoughts churned. So even a man who ruled the seas… doesn't have long to live. Yet Roger gave no indication of weakness. Laughing and trading jabs with Garp, he seemed utterly unfazed. Garp snorted at Roger's words and patted Yoriichi's shoulder again, a rare trace of pride in his expression. "If you pirates can bring young men out to sea, why can't the Navy do the same?" "Heh heh heh!" "When it comes to the next generation, the Navy has the edge!" "Roger, this kid right here—he's got the potential to become a pillar of the Navy. And one day, he'll throw the lot of you pirates into Impel Down, one by one!" Garp's eyes swept briefly over Shanks and Buggy as he spoke, before curling into a toothy grin. Even during his heated battle with Roger, Garp had kept his Observation Haki attuned to this side of the battlefield. He hadn't cared when the Roger Pirates clashed with the Marines, but the moment Rayleigh moved against Yoriichi, Garp had immediately broken off and returned. Roger, in contrast, had remained fully engaged in the fight. Not because he didn't care about his young crewmates—but because he trusted Rayleigh. He knew Rayleigh would protect the crew. That faith gave him the freedom to go all-out against Garp. Still, once Garp pulled away, Roger returned quickly, concerned that Garp might make a move against his people after all. Unlike elite-only pirate crews, Roger's ship was home to a broad spectrum of members: children like Shanks and Buggy, non-combatants like the ship's doctor and carpenter, even Oden's family, three utterly powerless civilians. Of course, the crew also boasted pure combat monsters like Rayleigh and Bullet. But among them, only Rayleigh and Bullet could even hope to hold off Garp. If Garp truly went on a rampage, the Roger Pirates would suffer heavy losses. Roger, for all his bravado, wasn't without caution when it came to Garp. And the same could be said for Garp. For all his bluster about tossing the lot of them into Impel Down, this meeting wasn't really about eliminating the Roger Pirates. If that were the case, the Navy wouldn't have sent just Garp. At the very least, Garp's ship would've carried seven or eight top-level Vice Admirals, maybe even Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru. Only then would they have a fighting chance against the full might of Roger's crew. No, Garp had come primarily to probe. To observe. To uncover the real reason behind Roger's contact with Charlotte Linlin. And, perhaps just as importantly, to let the young Kuzan and Yoriichi witness what true power looked like on the high seas. Now, with all that accomplished, Garp was more than ready to call it a day. While Roger and Garp exchanged words like old rivals catching up, the rest of the battlefield was still ablaze with chaos. "Boom!!" Not far off, Bogard was slammed into the ice once more by Oden. This time, he didn't get up. Against the might of Kozuki Oden, Bogard had lasted less than ten minutes before collapsing in defeat. Elsewhere, Kuzan was locked in combat with Scopper Gaban. Gaban's mastery of Haki and raw physical strength left Kuzan outmatched in close combat—but thanks to his Devil Fruit powers, Kuzan managed to keep things at a standstill. Neither side could gain the upper hand. Across the battlefield, the Navy was clearly on the losing end. Many Marines had been struck down by Roger's crew and lay unconscious on the ice, unable to continue fighting. Only one man among the Navy still stood out, Kyros, a new recruit who was holding his ground admirably. Even while surrounded by three members of Roger's crew, he continued to fight. Around him, the bodies of seven or eight pirates lay sprawled across the ice clearly brought down by Kyros himself. Roger fell silent when Garp boasted about how impressive the new generation of Navy recruits had become. He had to admit—the red-haired brat standing beside Garp truly was something else. Far more promising than Shanks or Buggy had been at that age. But as the tide of battle began to turn, and the fighting neared its end, a wide grin spread once again across Roger's face. "Hahahahahaha!" "Garp, your crew still has a long way to go!" "Hey! You'll never take down the Roger Pirates with a bunch of amateurs like that!" Roger turned his head and shouted toward his crew across the ice: "Yarudam! Wipe out the last of the Marines! It's time to head back—we're not wasting another second!" His booming voice reignited the morale of the pirates, sending a jolt of energy across the battlefield. The remaining Marines faltered. Surrounded and overwhelmed, even Kyros was finally knocked out cold. Within five minutes, only Kuzan remained standing. One by one, Roger's crew disengaged and regrouped in an orderly fashion, falling back to their captain's side. Gaban, despite failing to defeat Kuzan, took Roger's signal as the cue to withdraw and quickly returned as well. Kuzan watched Gaban retreat, but didn't give chase. His eyes swept across the battlefield, his expression darkening as he saw his fallen comrades scattered across the frozen ground. All the while, Garp stood firm, maintaining his distance from the fighting. His gaze never left Roger, Rayleigh, and the other heavy hitters—he had no choice but to stay on guard. Once his crew had fully regrouped, Roger turned to Garp and laughed heartily: "Hahahaha! Garp, this round goes to me!" "Next time, bring a few more heavyweights if you want to catch me! Weak opponents don't make for a fun fight!" "Chase me down again when you're ready and then we'll pick up where we left off!" "Oh, right! That red-haired brat of yours, next time, Shanks and Buggy will give him a run for his money!" "The young ones on my ship… they won't lose to the Navy!" With that, Roger waved his arm and led his crew back to their ship. Then, with two powerful slashes of his "Divine Departure," he shattered the ice beneath their feet. The Oro Jackson wasted no time, it sailed off swiftly, disappearing from Garp's view. And Garp didn't stop them. He simply stood there, watching the ship vanish into the distance. He knew all too well that he couldn't stop Roger. Not today. This skirmish between Garp and the Roger Pirates had ended in a decisive loss for the Navy. "Eh?!" Back on the ship, Nekomamushi suddenly cried out in alarm. "Oden-sama! Your swords, where are your swords?! You… you didn't get them back?!" "Get them back?" Oden tilted his head. "What are you talking about? I lost. That makes them his spoils." "Next time we meet, I'll defeat him and win them back fair and square." "Sneaking around to retrieve them? That's not the way of a samurai!" Oden's voice rang loud and proud as he hoisted the two battered swords in his hands. His expression was one of unwavering resolve. "This is my reminder, I'm still not strong enough. I have to get stronger. Much stronger!" ********* Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 300 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch! For advance chapters, please do visit and consider joining me on Patreon, it really helps me out and I'd love to have you along for the journey! p(a)treon.com/Lnee *remove () to open it