One Piece: I'm not Roger

Two hours later.

The port of Elizabeth Island had fallen into complete chaos. Members of the Beasts Pirates, dressed in rugged leather outfits with decorative horns mounted on their heads, rushed back and forth carrying supplies onto the fleet. Crates of weapons, food, and ammunition filled the docks, while enormous piles of gold, silver, jewels, and stolen valuables were continuously loaded aboard the ships.

The originally modest harbor had become overcrowded as nearly thirty pirate ships waited to depart.

Even though evacuation notices had been issued beforehand, many of the island's residents had refused to abandon their homes. Years of accumulated wealth had vanished overnight beneath the looting of the Beasts Pirates. The streets echoed with cries of despair as countless civilians stared helplessly at the ruins of their lives.

Unlike the celebrating pirates outside, Queen showed no excitement whatsoever. Acting as the temporary commander, he paced restlessly across the dock with an ugly expression darkening his face.

Three hours had passed since they lost contact with Kaido.

That alone was enough to make Queen uneasy.

Even during one of Kaido's drunken suicide attempts, the man always carried a specially reinforced Den Den Mushi to maintain communication. Complete silence like this was extremely abnormal.

Normally, losing contact for a short while would not matter much. But right now, they were in the middle of a war.

Queen stormed toward the logistics crew and immediately vented his frustration.

"Hurry up, you useless idiots! Are your legs broken? Move faster!"

At this point, the only option left was to sail the entire fleet toward Black Spear Swordfish Island and confirm Kaido's situation personally.

At the front of the fleet, Jack had already begun leading the vanguard out of the harbor.

Standing at the bow of the Mammoth, Jack suddenly frowned and turned toward the sea as if sensing something.

A second later, a terrifying explosion erupted.

Boom!

The gigantic Mammoth was instantly split apart by a massive slash of sword energy. The attack tore straight through the ship without losing momentum, continuing across the dock before slicing another pirate vessel in half.

The Mammoth tilted violently as screaming pirates were launched into the air before crashing into the ocean below.

Jack's furious roar echoed across the harbor.

"You bastard! I'll kill you!"

The sound of combat lasted barely ten seconds before complete silence returned.

Alarm bells immediately rang throughout the port.

"Enemy attack!"

"Battle stations!"

"It's the Aether Pirates!"

Panic rapidly spread among the crew members.

By the time Queen arrived at the scene alongside four members of the Tobiroppo, the Mammoth had already disappeared beneath the water. Another damaged ship nearby was slowly sinking despite the pirates desperately trying to save it.

Queen shoved aside the surrounding pirates with a furious expression. Planting both hands against the side of the damaged ship, he activated his immense strength. The fat across his body visibly tightened as he forcibly lifted the vessel from the water before slamming it back onto the dock.

Nearby pirate ships immediately sailed outward in search of the attacker while others rushed to rescue the drowning crew members.

Unfortunately for them, the enemy was already gone.

Or rather, above them.

Several high ranking members of the Beasts Pirates suddenly looked toward the sky at the same time.

Two dark figures came crashing down from above.

Boom!

The impact shattered the concrete dock and formed a massive crater.

Dust and rubble scattered everywhere.

As the smoke cleared, a tall figure slowly emerged from the center of the crater.

Aether casually dragged Jack across the ground with one hand gripping his head. Jack's massive body scraped against the shattered concrete like a lifeless corpse. His eyes had completely rolled back, and his body no longer showed any signs of resistance.

Aether glanced around at the gathered pirates and smiled warmly.

"You're all welcoming me so enthusiastically that I'm starting to feel embarrassed."

That bright smile instantly sent chills through countless pirates present.

No one failed to recognize him.

The man standing before them was one of the Four Emperors.

The captain of the Aether Pirates.

The same monster who rivaled legends.

"P-Pirate King Roger..."

"No... that's Aether!"

"He defeated All-Star Jack that quickly?!"

"That's impossible!"

Fear spread through the crowd as the pirates instinctively retreated several meters backward.

It was not cowardice.

It was instinct.

A terrifying pressure radiated from Aether's body. His killing intent mixed with Conqueror's Haki weighed down on everyone present like an invisible mountain, making him resemble a demon standing amidst the smoke.

After all, the Beasts Pirates had ravaged his territory.

The town behind him was still burning.

Buildings had collapsed, civilians had suffered, and reconstruction alone would cost a fortune. Anyone in his position would be furious.

Aether casually tossed Jack's unconscious body toward the Beasts Pirates.

The enormous Fish-Man crashed heavily onto the ground.

Several horrifying wounds stretched across Jack's chest, deep enough to expose bone. Blood continuously flowed from the injuries, while the metal mask covering his mouth had already shattered during the fight, revealing the sharp teeth of a Fish-Man underneath.

Only the faint sound of breathing proved he was still alive.

Aether glanced at him briefly.

Honestly, he held a fairly decent opinion of Jack.

The man might not be particularly intelligent, but his loyalty and potential were undeniable. At only twenty six years old, Jack already possessed strength comparable to a Shichibukai. In terms of raw combat power, he was definitely stronger than Gecko Moria.

If he survived long enough, he could eventually reach the level of a Yonko Commander.

Unfortunately, Jack's loyalty to Kaido was absolute.

Otherwise, Aether might have considered recruiting him.

Queen's face became uglier by the second.

If he wanted to fight someone like Aether, he and King would need to work together just to survive.

Combined with Kaido's disappearance, a horrifying possibility surfaced in Queen's mind.

Still, he forced himself to speak aggressively.

"Aether! You've got some nerve barging in here! Aren't you afraid Boss Kaido will hunt you down once he returns?! Or maybe he'll wipe out your crew instead!"

Hearing Kaido's name, Aether's smile widened even further.

He genuinely looked forward to seeing their expressions once they learned the truth.

"You people invaded my territory first, Queen the Plague. The moment you stepped onto this island, you should've prepared yourselves for complete annihilation."

Aether paused slightly.

"As for Kaido, two hours ago, he already..."

Before he could finish speaking, a blue figure suddenly leaped high into the air.

Her body twisted forward during the descent, emphasizing her explosive momentum as she launched a brutal headbutt directly toward Aether.

"Ulti-Mortar!"

Ulti attacked like a cannonball.

Aether calmly raised one hand.

Bang!

Her iron-hard skull slammed directly into his palm.

Without even using Armament Haki, Aether effortlessly stopped the attack in place. His fingers tightened around Ulti's head while his body remained perfectly motionless.

The impact was nowhere near enough to move him.

Aether looked down at the furious young woman struggling in his grip.

Even while restrained, Ulti continued glaring at him angrily without the slightest fear.

Aether chuckled softly.

"So reckless."

He tilted his head slightly while observing her.

"Is everyone in the Beasts Pirates this fearless? Charging at someone stronger even when you know you don't stand a chance."