One Piece: I'm not Roger

The giant forced Momousagi backward with a single punch, and Tesoro's furious roar echoed from within.

"Damn Marines, I, the Gold Emperor Gild Tesoro, will not be pushed around. Golden Divine Fire!"

A blazing laser burst from the golden giant's eyes, but Momousagi dodged effortlessly. Her pitch-black blade flashed through the air and instantly severed the giant's arm. However, the massive construct quickly absorbed nearby gold and regenerated.

The battle intensified as both sides exchanged attacks relentlessly, yet Tesoro was steadily falling into a disadvantage. Although the golden giant's overwhelming swings looked imposing and forced Momousagi to evade repeatedly, the reality was clear, he was no match for her.

As Aether patiently waited for the right opportunity, the battlefield suddenly shifted.

Dice, the muscular masochist, collapsed onto the ground with an ecstatic smile on his face. At the same time, Tokikake moved in to assist Momousagi, joining forces to corner Tesoro. Against two Admiral Candidates working together, Tesoro's resistance rapidly crumbled.

Seeing the opening he had been waiting for, Aether drew Ace and leaped down from the tall building. At the same time, he released his Conqueror's Haki infused Observation Killing, preventing the two Marines from using Future Sight.

The moment Momousagi and Tokikake shattered the golden giant and heavily wounded Tesoro, Momousagi's expression suddenly changed.

"Kake, behind you!"

Aether had already appeared behind Tokikake.

Tokikake had been the main force suppressing Tesoro and had just exhausted the momentum of his attack. Dressed entirely in black, Aether blended perfectly into the darkness. Only the dark crimson flames burning along Ace's blade and his scarlet eyes stood out beneath the night sky.

Without giving his opponent a chance to react, Aether swung his blade directly toward Tokikake's vitals.

"Divine Departure!"

Faced with the terrifying slash coated in Advanced Conqueror's Haki, Tokikake could only harden his body with Armament Haki and endure the attack head-on.

Tokikake's Armament Haki was torn apart instantly. Dark crimson sword energy ripped through his body and sent the Admiral Candidate crashing into the distance.

"Kake!"

Momousagi immediately abandoned Tesoro and rushed toward Tokikake. Although he remained conscious, his injuries were severe. A horrifying wound stretched across his chest so deeply that bone was visible beneath the blood.

One Admiral Candidate was effectively removed from the battle.

Momousagi turned toward the attacker with a furious expression. As the moonlight pierced through the clouds and illuminated Aether's figure, both she and Tokikake lost color in their faces.

Momousagi clenched her teeth.

"So it's you again... Roger."

Standing beneath the moonlight, Aether revealed a gentle smile.

"Long time no see, Vice Admiral Momousagi, and Vice Admiral Tokikake, whom I accidentally injured."

"..."

Tokikake, who had just stabilized his breathing, immediately coughed up blood from anger.

Aether's appearance also caused Tesoro's face to darken. He instantly realized that in the eyes of countless people, he had become nothing more than prey waiting to be devoured. His inflated ambition could not accept such humiliation.

"I am not some lamb waiting for slaughter. Only money is true power!"

Tesoro slammed his fist into the ground in fury.

A cold sea breeze swept through the battlefield and scattered the dust into the night sky.

Momousagi gripped her blade tightly and stared at Aether with extreme caution, not daring to lower her guard in the slightest. With Tokikake temporarily unable to fight, she alone had to face the pressure of the Pirate King.

Without turning around, she spoke quietly.

"Kake, contact Headquarters. We failed."

"Yeah..."

As Tokikake painfully took out a Den Den Mushi, Aether overheard most of their conversation.

So the Marines had truly planned to seize Tesoro's wealth for themselves.

In that case, he absolutely could not allow them to succeed. If the Marines recovered their strength too quickly, it would become troublesome for him later.

With every step Aether took forward, his aura intensified.

By the time he stood before Momousagi, the sheer pressure of his Conqueror's Haki caused her shoulders to tremble involuntarily.

Then Aether moved.

His figure vanished instantly before appearing directly in front of her. Gripping Ace, he brought the blade down with overwhelming force.

Momousagi could only raise Konpira to block.

Boom!

The terrifying impact forced her onto one knee as the ground beneath her collapsed several meters deep.

Crack... crack...

The pressure crushing down on her body felt unbearable. Every muscle in her body screamed in pain as the back of Konpira slowly pressed into her shoulder, tearing the skin and leaving behind a bloody wound.

Momousagi looked up at Aether in disbelief.

"How can your strength be this overwhelming? You actually became even stronger?"

Even though Armament Haki was naturally disadvantaged against Advanced Conqueror's Haki, the gap should not have been this hopeless.

Aether's physical strength was the greatest she had ever encountered.

Even Kaido and Big Mom felt inferior to him in this moment.

Aether looked at her indifferently.

"Unexpected, isn't it, Vice Admiral Momousagi? I thought you would be a decent opponent, but it seems I overestimated you."

Momousagi bit her lip tightly.

She knew he was deliberately provoking her, yet she could not ignore such humiliation.

"Don't look down on me, Roger!"

Using her technique to redirect the force, Momousagi escaped backward and retreated to a safer distance. However, the fabric around her shoulder had already torn apart, exposing pale skin and a heavily swollen bruise beneath it.

Her condition was far from optimistic.

And Aether had no intention of giving her time to recover.

Ace descended like a relentless storm.

Momousagi could only desperately block each slash. Every collision numbed her hands and tore at the skin between her fingers. Her slender figure was forced backward continuously under the overwhelming pressure.

Aether swung his blade with one hand as if he were merely playing around. The dark crimson sword energy illuminated the night while carrying terrifying destructive power.

On the edge of the battlefield, Tokikake struggled to rise.

In only a few minutes, he had already recovered enough to move, proving his monstrous endurance. Unfortunately, the opponent they faced was a monster among monsters.

Tokikake clenched his fists in frustration.

If he had been more careful earlier, things would not have turned out this way. Now he could only watch the woman he loved fight alone against an impossible enemy.

Momousagi was already drenched in sweat.

He knew she would lose soon.

All he could do now was pray for reinforcements to arrive in time.

"Hurry... if you don't get here soon, Gion and I are finished."

Clang!

The violent collision of sword energy echoed across the battlefield.

Then suddenly, the battle stopped.

Momousagi's face instantly turned pale.

Konpira had shattered.

The treasured blade she had nurtured into a semi-black blade had finally broken apart after enduring repeated clashes against Ace.

Before she could react, Aether reversed his grip and struck her with the back of his blade.

Bang!

Momousagi instantly lost consciousness.

Aether caught her effortlessly before she could collapse onto the rubble. Holding the unconscious woman in one arm, he gently placed her onto the ground with surprising care.

After all, Aether considered himself someone who appreciated women.

Besides, these two prisoners still had their uses.