The One-Slash Superman of the One Piece World

Wave after wave rippled outward, cresting into sprays of white foam.

Across the boundless ocean, the Oro Jackson sailed slowly forward, leaving a long, white wake in its path.

On deck, the crew of the Roger Pirates had gathered. Tables were heaped with food and fine liquor. Amid clinking cups and boisterous cheers, the pirates draped their arms around each other's shoulders, roaring songs into the salty breeze. The lively atmosphere transformed this stretch of once-tranquil sea into a place bursting with merriment.

This was the pirates' feast.

"Captain Roger, this time we've secured the Road Poneglyph from Zou, plus the one we got earlier on Fish-Man Island."

"That means we've already got two Road Poneglyphs."

"Just two more, and we'll finally be able to reach the Last Island!"

"Congratulations, Captain!"

On deck, Langram raised his cup high, offering a toast to Captain Roger, his face radiant with excitement. According to legend, the Last Island held treasures beyond imagination a dream all pirates pursued.

"Hahahaha!"

"It's too soon to celebrate, Langram."

"When Linlin left the Rocks Pirates years ago, she took with her the Poneglyph that Rocks himself possessed. I did manage to snatch a rubbing from her, but it got soaked in seawater and became blurred."

"This time, I plan to have Oden translate it directly."

"But stealing anything from Linlin is no simple task."

"Hahahaha!"

Roger burst out laughing, raising his bottle toward Langram in a silent salute, then drained the rest of his drink in one gulp.

Yet after the laughter faded and he lowered his bottle, a faint shadow crossed Roger's face. Though the crew was celebrating with wild enthusiasm, Roger's own mood seemed heavy. He only forced smiles whenever the others toasted him.

"What's on your mind, Roger?"

Silvers Rayleigh, seated beside Roger with a cup of sake, picked up on his captain's subdued demeanor and asked quietly. Rayleigh had been Roger's very first companion at sea. While everyone else addressed him as Captain, only Rayleigh called him simply "Roger," with an easy familiarity.

"We already know where the last two Road Poneglyphs are. It's only a matter of time before we get them."

"Besides the one in Linlin's hands, the final Road Poneglyph is in Oden's homeland, Wano."

"But there's something that's been gnawing at me."

"I learned from Oden that the Poneglyphs were crafted by the ancestors of the Kozuki Clan in Wano. They're indestructible stone tablets."

"There are two kinds. One records routes, leading the way to the Last Island. Those are the red Road Poneglyphs."

"And the other kind records the history of the Void Century the Information Poneglyphs. There are twenty-six of those."

"I've already gathered eighteen of the Information Poneglyphs. I want to uncover the truth of that missing century. I want to know why the World Government has tried so hard to erase that part of history."

"There's a world-shaking secret hidden there. And only by collecting all the Poneglyphs can we reveal it."

"But… I still have no clue where the remaining eight Information Poneglyphs might be."

"Rayleigh, time is running out."

Roger's words carried an urgency that could not be missed. He was clearly dissatisfied with how slow their search for the Poneglyphs was progressing.

Roger knew he was terminally ill. His time left in this world was growing short. Before he died, he was determined to discover the truth of history, to fulfill his dream of circumnavigating the globe, and to finally reach the Last Island.

That dream of sailing the world was nearly complete. Only the Last Island remained unvisited. And as for the hidden century erased from history, he'd only managed to lift a corner of the curtain.

Even the tiny glimpse of that history left Roger deeply shaken. For all his vast knowledge and experience, the secrets hidden in those stone tablets still sent chills down his spine.

"…"

"Don't overthink it, Roger."

"Let's finish what's in front of us first. We can worry about the rest later."

"Maybe as we keep moving, new clues about the missing Poneglyphs will turn up."

Rayleigh fell silent for a moment, then spoke gently, trying to ease Roger's burden.

Everyone on the ship knew of Roger's illness, but apart from Rayleigh, no one dared to offer him words of comfort. Roger himself rarely dwelled on his own life or death. His sole concern was achieving the dream that remained unfinished.

"Captain Roger, why do you look so gloomy?"

"Let me cheer you up with a special trick!"

While Roger and Rayleigh were speaking, a red-nosed boy, around twelve or thirteen years old, noticed Roger's somber mood. Putting down his cup, he squeezed through the crowd and planted himself in front of Roger, grinning as he spoke.

Before Roger could reply, the boy was already rummaging among the feast's remains. He snatched up five apples and began juggling them in an impressive spinning arc.

"You idiot, Buggy!"

"Captain Roger doesn't want to watch your lame tricks. Quit blocking him from drinking and eating."

At that instant, a red-haired boy suddenly darted out from behind Buggy and delivered a swift kick to his rear. Caught completely off guard, Buggy went sprawling face-first onto the deck, apples raining down to bounce off his head and roll away in all directions.

Roger stared in surprise as Buggy struggled to sit up in front of him. Then he suddenly burst out laughing and pointed at him.

"Hey, Buggy! You're bleeding from your nose!"

"Hahahaha!"

Buggy sat on the deck, gingerly touching his nose, only to find a smear of bright red blood. Whipping his head around toward the culprit, he let out a furious yell and sprang to his feet, lunging at the red-haired boy.

"You bastard!!!"

"Shanks, I'm going to kill you!"

Shanks, meanwhile, dodged Buggy's furious leap with ease, laughing as he tore off across the deck. Buggy chased after him in a rage, while Shanks called teasingly over his shoulder:

"Buggy, you're too slow!"

"You'll never catch me like that, hahahaha!"

Their antics sent the crew into even higher spirits. Laughter rang out, and the party atmosphere grew more boisterous. Even Roger found himself swept up in his crew's exuberance, shaking off his earlier dark thoughts and joining in the festivities with a smile.

But as the feast roared on, both Roger and Rayleigh suddenly froze mid-laugh. They exchanged a glance, and in each other's eyes, they saw the same flicker of surprise.

Moments later, the two men rose and strolled toward the bow of the ship, gazing out across the open sea.

"An old friend's come to visit… and just when we're in the middle of a party."

Roger stared at what appeared to be empty ocean, then grinned as he spoke. His movements drew the attention of the rest of the crew, who clustered around him and Rayleigh, following their gaze but all they saw was endless water.

"Captain, what are you and Uncle Rayleigh looking at?"

Even Buggy and Shanks, pausing their brawl, squeezed in close to Roger and Rayleigh, puzzled.

"Heh. Here they come."

Just as Roger finished speaking, a mast suddenly rose out of what seemed like empty water. A moment later, a Marine flag came into view, slowly emerging on the horizon.

"Marines!!!" Shanks and Buggy both gasped in unison at the sight of the distant flag.

Not long after, the distinctive profile of a dog-headed warship came into view, prompting another exclamation from both boys.

"That's Vice Admiral Garp's ship!!!"

The Marine hero, Vice Admiral Garp, was no stranger to the Roger Pirates. Over the years, they'd clashed dozens of times, though each time, the Roger Pirates had managed to escape his grasp.

Shanks and Buggy had particularly vivid memories of Garp for a very simple reason.

"Whummmmmm!"

Suddenly, standing at the bow of the Oro Jackson, Roger's eyes widened slightly. A terrifying aura exploded outward from him, sweeping across the sea toward the distant Marine ship.

Conqueror's Haki.

The calm surface of the sea rippled violently, as though struck by an invisible force.

On the dog-headed warship, Garp stood at the bow, with Kuzan, Bogart, and Yorichi Tsugikuni gathered behind him, all of them watching the distant Oro Jackson with tense expressions.

In the next instant, an overwhelming force swept across the ocean, slamming into the Marines like a physical blow. Even the air itself seemed to grow heavy and oppressive.

"Crack!"

Suddenly, the wooden railing at the bow of the warship sprouted fine fissures.

On deck, the lookouts and crewmen were utterly unable to withstand the pressure. One by one, they rolled their eyes back and collapsed, unconscious. The same scene played out below decks in the engine room.

The dog-headed warship, which had been plowing ahead at high speed, abruptly came to a halt.

Roger's Conqueror's Haki had reached across thousands of meters of ocean and overwhelmed the Marines aboard the distant warship.

Standing near Garp, Yorichi Tsugikuni hunched forward slightly, one hand gripping the hilt of his sword, like a beast on edge and ready to strike.

"Hehehe. Not bad."

"You actually held your ground."

"Yorichi, very soon, you'll get to witness the true powerhouses of this ocean."

Garp tilted his head toward Yorichi, a grin curling his lips as he spoke. Then he suddenly launched himself onto the figurehead shaped like a dog's head at the prow of the ship.

Through his Transparent World vision, Yorichi could clearly see Garp's entire musculature flexing. The Vice Admiral dropped into a low stance, one foot forward, fist cocked back. Haki gathered around Garp's right fist, while arcs of dark lightning crackled and hissed in the air.

"Roger, let me say hello!"

Garp grinned ferociously, then unleashed his punch.

A burst of black lightning erupted outward, lancing in all directions. The Haki that had coiled around Garp's fist tore free as he punched, flying across the sea like a projectile, hurtling toward the distant Oro Jackson.

Yorichi's pupils contracted sharply. He had never heard of Haki being unleashed at a distance like this without being attached to a weapon or object.

Wasn't Haki supposed to be used to strengthen one's body or blade for attack and defense? He had never imagined it could separate from the body and become a tangible, ranged attack.

"Boom!"

A muffled explosion rang out as Garp's Haki blast hurtled toward the pirate ship.

On the deck of the Oro Jackson, Roger sensed Garp's incoming attack. Without hesitation, he drew his longsword from his waist, vaulted forward, and landed at the ship's prow. With a low shout, he swung his blade toward the Marine warship.

"Divine Departure!"

A crescent-shaped slash of black energy, crackling with dense arcs of dark lightning, surged forth from Roger's blade, streaking straight at Garp's flying Haki blast.

"Whummmm!"

The two torrents of Haki collided in midair between the two ships. A deep vibration echoed through the surrounding sea as if reality itself had groaned under the impact.

The ocean's surface within hundreds of meters buckled inward, forming a giant basin, while the clouds overhead were split apart, revealing a vivid blue ribbon of sky amidst the white canopy.

In the blink of an eye, enormous waves exploded outward from the collision, crashing toward both the dog-headed warship and the Oro Jackson.

"Splash—"

Walls of water slammed into both vessels, shoving each ship back over a hundred meters.

"Dammit, Garp found us again!"

"Yarrrrh, the party's over!"

"Time to start… running away!"

Having neutralized Garp's attack with his Divine Departure, Roger leapt back to the deck and brandished his sword, swiftly barking out orders.

The aftershocks of his and Garp's clash were still raging across the waves, churning up massive swells. It was the perfect moment to flee.

As for battling Garp and the Marines head-on, Roger had no intention of even considering it. Beating Garp outright was not something he ever planned on.

His time was precious. He couldn't afford to waste it in a drawn-out battle with Garp.

Roger knew exactly how strong Garp was. If the two of them started fighting in earnest, there would be no end to it. Regardless of victory or defeat, it would cost him far too much time.

And time was a luxury Roger could not spare.

"I don't have time to waste on the Marines. I need every moment I can get… to keep living!"

Roger's sights were fixed on the Poneglyphs, on circumnavigating the world, and on reaching the Last Island. Not on the Marines.

Taking advantage of the chaos, the Oro Jackson surged forward, swiftly fleeing the battlefield. Though it was a sailing vessel, it was the masterpiece of Tom, the legendary shipwright from Water 7. Its speed and power were second to none, rivaling even the Navy's warships.

In the blink of an eye, the Oro Jackson had put several hundred meters between itself and the dog-headed warship, its sails filled with wind, about to vanish beyond the Marines' line of sight.

On the dog-headed warship, Garp watched the pirate ship racing away. A grin slowly spread across his face. Without a word, he shrugged off the cloak of Justice draped over his shoulders and, without hesitation, leapt overboard.

"Boom!"

Moments later, a dull roar echoed up from beneath the waves.

"Swooooosh—"

The next instant, an enormous column of water rose from directly beneath the dog-headed warship, lifting the entire vessel dozens of meters into the air. The gigantic wave kept rising, still carrying the ship higher.

"Boom!"

Another massive impact rippled through the ocean, and the rising wave seemed to surge forward as though someone had physically pushed it.

Swept up by the roaring water, the dog-headed warship rocketed toward the distant Oro Jackson.

"!"

Yorichi gripped the railings of the ship with both hands, knuckles white, struggling to keep from being hurled overboard. His eyes were wide with disbelief as he tried to process what he was seeing.

His Observation Haki clearly sensed how it had happened. After plunging into the ocean, Garp had dived dozens of meters underwater, then delivered a single devastating punch to the seabed. The tremendous wave that had suddenly lifted the entire warship was entirely Garp's doing.

Moments later, Garp had shot back to the surface and punched the towering wave itself, sending it surging forward like a living battering ram.

This impossible feat had been accomplished by Garp with nothing but two punches!

By the time Garp returned, he was already using Geppo to spring back aboard the deck. Grabbing a railing with one hand, he roared with laughter as he bellowed to his crew:

"Hold on tight!"

"We're going in!!!"

The monstrous wave carried the warship forward, hurtling toward the Oro Jackson.

On the pirate ship, Roger and his crew, who had just begun to pull away, quickly noticed the terrifying phenomenon behind them.

"Wh-what the hell!!!!"

"H-how is that warship… moving like that?"

Buggy gaped at the sight of the warship surging toward them atop a massive wave, his jaw nearly unhinged in shock. All around him, the rest of Roger's crew stared wide-eyed at the onrushing wall of water and the unstoppable Marine ship.

Even Roger himself blinked in astonishment, pressing a hand to his forehead as he muttered:

"That Garp… he's completely insane."

"A guy like that… being stuck in the Marines is a waste of talent."