One Piece: I'm not Roger

The moment Momousagi was defeated and carried in Aether's arms, Tokikake's eyes instantly turned bloodshot.

The ordinary-looking Marine endured the agony tearing through his body and forced himself to stand. Even when a man knew he could not win, there were still moments when he had to step forward. After years of silently chasing after Gion, he could not simply watch her fall into enemy hands without doing anything.

Unfortunately for him, a golden chain suddenly shot out from the void and wrapped tightly around his body.

Tokikake immediately lost balance and rolled across the ground like a restrained caterpillar. Only after seeing Aether gently place Momousagi on the ground did he stop struggling so violently.

Panting heavily, Tokikake stared at Aether and asked through gritted teeth,

"Roger, what are you planning to do with us?"

Aether glanced at him casually before answering with a faint smile.

"Relax, I have no intention of killing either of you. You two are still useful to me. I can exchange you for quite a few things from the World Government."

Hearing that, Tokikake finally let out a long breath.

As humiliating as the situation was, at least Gion's life was not in danger.

The Marine Vice Admiral looked utterly dejected, like a middle-aged gambler who had lost everything overnight. He had not suffered such a crushing defeat in many years.

After remaining silent for a moment, Tokikake spoke again.

"I am not worth much. If your demands are too excessive, Headquarters won't agree to them."

Then his expression darkened slightly.

"And don't touch Gion. I've heard plenty about your private life."

"..."

Aether's smile stiffened slightly.

This shameless Marine actually had the nerve to call him a womanizer.

Coming from a man notorious for gambling and visiting red-light districts, the accusation sounded especially ridiculous.

With a single thought from Aether, the Chain of Heaven immediately sealed Tokikake's mouth shut and suspended him upside down in midair.

"Mmph! Mmph!"

Tokikake struggled furiously in an awkward posture while Aether completely ignored him.

After dealing with the two Admiral Candidates, Aether finally shifted his attention toward the true target of this operation.

Tesoro.

The owner of Gran Tesoro looked incredibly grim. He already understood his situation perfectly. Whether the Marines or Aether emerged victorious, neither side would let him walk away freely.

As expected, Aether soon spoke.

"Tesoro, submit or die. Pick one."

Tesoro clenched his fists so tightly that veins bulged across his forehead. Rage and humiliation twisted together inside him, emotions he had not experienced in years.

Yet under the pressure of Aether's overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, he gradually regained a shred of rationality.

"If I submit to you," Tesoro asked darkly, "what happens to me and Gran Tesoro?"

Aether did not bother hiding his intentions.

"You will become a subordinate crew under my command. You may continue operating your businesses as usual, but Gran Tesoro and every asset within it will belong to me."

"You bastard..."

Tesoro nearly bit through his own teeth.

The other party was not only taking his wealth and freedom, but also planned to keep him alive as a tool to continue generating profit.

Ever since escaping Mary Geoise, Tesoro had sworn never to lose his freedom again.

However, he still possessed leverage.

"As long as you let me leave safely, I will hand over everything willingly."

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Otherwise, I would rather sink Gran Tesoro to the bottom of the sea."

Aether looked at him strangely before speaking with almost pitying amusement.

"Tesoro, there is something you should know."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Baccarat is my woman. By now, she should already be inside the control room."

The news struck Tesoro like a thunderbolt.

His pupils shrank violently.

He had never imagined that one of his most trusted executives had been a spy all along. Worse, he had personally promoted her into a high-ranking position without noticing anything suspicious.

Unwilling to believe it, Tesoro immediately grabbed a Den Den Mushi and contacted the control room.

Soon, Baccarat's apologetic voice came through.

"Sorry, Boss. Right now, I'm the only one in the control room."

Tesoro exploded in rage.

"Baccarat! You dare betray me?! I treated you well and trusted you!"

Baccarat sighed softly.

"You did treat me well, Boss, and I truly appreciate it."

Then her tone became more resolute.

"But today, you're destined to lose. I don't intend to go down with you. Besides, my man is already here, so all I can say is sorry."

"You bitch!"

Click.

The call ended immediately.

Tesoro's eyes turned completely bloodshot as he glared at Aether with murderous fury. His expression looked as though he wanted to tear him apart alive.

However, just before losing control completely, Tesoro forcibly suppressed his emotions.

He still had one final card to play.

"Without the control key, you can't move Gran Tesoro."

Tesoro sneered coldly.

"And you'll never find the treasure I've hidden."

Aether naturally knew where Tesoro's hidden wealth was located. After all, most of it rested beneath the ship itself.

As for the control key, it truly was necessary to operate Gran Tesoro properly.

Fortunately, Aether had already prepared for that as well.

He calmly took out another Den Den Mushi.

"Carina, did you find it?"

The Den Den Mushi instantly mimicked Carina's smug expression.

"Of course. I'm the greatest thief on the seas."

Her voice sounded extremely proud.

"I already found the control key hidden inside a secret chamber. It even has a beautiful ruby embedded into it."

Tesoro's face completely froze.

Every detail she described perfectly matched the real key.

"You...you..."

Overcome with rage, Tesoro suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood.

His already battered body worsened further from sheer fury.

Aether genuinely wondered whether Tesoro might simply collapse dead from anger before the battle even continued.

But just as Tesoro prepared to fight desperately one last time, Aether's expression suddenly shifted.

Without warning, he turned sharply and swung Ace toward the suspended Tokikake.

A massive crimson slash tore across the battlefield, carving a scar hundreds of meters long through the city.

However, the attack failed to land.

A streak of golden light appeared first and rescued Tokikake at the critical moment.

The same light even attempted to seize the unconscious Momousagi as well.

Naturally, Aether would not allow that.

Boom!

The ground beneath his feet shattered as his figure disappeared instantly.

Ace, coated in terrifying Advanced Conqueror's Haki, struck into the golden light like a crimson thunderbolt.

The impact blasted the light backward over a hundred meters and destroyed several nearby buildings.

As smoke and debris scattered through the air, a tall figure slowly emerged.

Kizaru.

He held Tokikake with one hand while lightly touching the bleeding wound on his chest with the other.

Even he had failed to avoid Aether's attack completely.

Looking at Aether standing protectively before Momousagi, Kizaru adjusted his sunglasses and spoke with rare seriousness.

"How scary, Roger. You're truly a terrifying man."

His lazy tone remained unchanged, but his eyes had grown noticeably sharper.

"How about letting me take these two away? I really don't want to fight you if possible."

Aether rested Ace against his shoulder and smiled pleasantly.

"I don't think a monster like you should be calling other people terrifying, Kizaru."

Then he slowly raised his blade and pointed it directly at the Admiral.

"But if you think you can take them from me, feel free to try."

The next instant, overwhelming Conqueror's Haki erupted from Aether's body.

Boom!

The terrifying pressure surged into the heavens, causing the sky itself to tremble as black lightning split across the clouds.

===

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