One Piece:Becoming the King of the World from the Rocks Era

"Finally, we've shaken off those World Government lackeys!" 

"Ah, but Daniella Henson, Frank Fontaine, and Hua Yuan Barnes were unfortunately killed!"

"Damn the World Government, we'll make them pay and avenge our fallen comrades next time!"

The crew members of the Roger Pirates breathed a sigh of relief as they left the pursuing World Government forces behind. However, their relief was tinged with sadness and anger over the loss of their comrades with whom they had shared drinks, conversations, and adventures.

"Cough, cough, cough!!"

Suddenly, Roger, who had been standing, began coughing violently, spitting out a lot of blood. He fell to one knee, barely managing to keep himself upright by gripping his sword, Ace.

"Roger, what's wrong?"

"Captain, don't scare us like that!"

"Doctor Crocus, come quickly and check on Captain Roger!"

Worried cries erupted from the crew as Roger's sudden collapse caused panic.

"Don't worry, I'll take a look!" 

Doctor Crocus rushed over with his medical kit and began examining Roger's condition.

"Get the captain up and bring him to my quarters!" 

Crocus instructed with some concern in his voice.

"We'll handle it!" 

Before the other crew members could lift Roger, Rayleigh and Jabba had already picked him up.

"Doctor Crocus, just tell me, how much time do I have left?"

Once in the medical bay, Roger asked with a faint smile despite his pale face.

"Don't worry too much. This time, it's just because you didn't take the medicine I prepared and fought continuously for several days, triggering your illness."

"Next time, take my medicine before a fight, and this won't happen."

"Of course, if possible, avoid fighting to the point of exhaustion, as it will accelerate your condition."

Crocus avoided directly answering Roger's question.

"Hahahahaha, that's good to hear. I still have dreams to fulfill. Until then, I'll rely on you, Doctor Crocus, to keep me going."

Roger forced a smile.

"Damn it, they got away!"

CP0 Chief Rangel said angrily, watching the "Oro Jackson" sail away.

He could already imagine the furious expressions of the Five Elders. Despite deploying five top combatants and numerous elite World Government forces to surround the Roger Pirates, they had still managed to escape—a complete embarrassment!

"We should report this to the Five Elders," said Army Admiral Bolton with a sigh, not expecting such an outcome.

A massive tornado had appeared at the crucial moment, aiding the Roger Pirates. Without it, they wouldn't have escaped.

He clearly remembered that the Roger Pirates didn't have anyone with Devil Fruit powers capable of creating such a tornado. Something was off.

"You report it!" 

CP0 Chief Rangel hesitated before suggesting.

"Get lost. You're the commander of this operation. Why should I report it?" 

Admiral Bolton's face darkened, realizing Rangel wanted to use him as a scapegoat.

Realizing his plan had failed, Rangel reluctantly used a Den Den Mushi to report the details to the Five Elders.

"What did you say? The Roger Pirates escaped? All three of their top fighters got away? What are you good for?"

"We gave you the best Devil Fruit, assigned four top fighters and numerous elites, and now you tell me the Roger Pirates escaped? What have I been keeping you around for all these years?"

Upon hearing Rangel's report, Saturn Saint of the Five Elders exploded with anger, yelling at Rangel for a full fifteen minutes before calming down.

"Immediately send people to track the Roger Pirates and capture them before they return to the New World!"

Saturn Saint ordered after calming down.

Capturing the Roger Pirates before they reached the New World was crucial. Once there, the cost and risk of capturing them would be significantly higher.

"Yes, Lord Saturn Saint!"

CP0 Chief Rangel replied, relieved.

Hasg Island:

Redfield and Fleet Admiral Kong had been battling on the island for seven days and nights. The fierce conflict had submerged half the island, leaving only a portion above water.

"Hahahahaha, what a fleet admiral! Today, I'll kill you and become the second person to slay a fleet admiral!" 

Redfield exclaimed excitedly, attacking Kong with his sword umbrella.

Kong, once full of arrogance and confidence, was now on the defensive, struggling against Redfield's relentless assault.

He was covered in blood, his body riddled with wounds, and his stamina was nearly depleted.

Though Redfield bore similar injuries, his fighting spirit remained undiminished, while Kong was filled with frustration and despair.

Since Rocks' death, Kong hadn't fought with his full strength, leading to a decline in his control, combat skills, reflexes, and stamina.

At over seventy years old, his body was far from its prime, and compared to the peak condition of Redfield, the difference was stark.

This disparity in physical strength and stamina had left Kong at a disadvantage, unable to keep up with Redfield's onslaught.

"Hmph, a mere pirate dares to claim you'll kill me? I was ruling the seas before you even set sail!" 

Kong retorted defiantly.

The previous fleet admiral had been killed by Rocks, a stain on the Navy's history. Kong was determined not to repeat that disgrace.

In that moment of defiance, Redfield detected a slight mental lapse in Kong, exploiting it with his mind-reading ability.

"Bloody Hunt!"

At the moment Kong launched his attack, Redfield dodged with blinding speed.

His umbrella sword, infused with powerful Haki, struck with precision at Kong's heart in a bizarre and cunning manner.

The sudden danger shocked Kong. He hadn't expected Redfield's speed to reach such heights—a speed he hadn't shown in their seven days of battle, reserved for this critical moment.

"Thud!!!"

Kong's formidable Armament Haki protected his heart, but it couldn't withstand Redfield's full-force attack.

The sharp sword pierced Kong's Haki defense, aiming for his heart.

In a life-or-death moment, Kong twisted his body, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow, but the sword still grazed his heart's edge.

The damage to his heart momentarily halted his breathing, but Kong quickly suppressed it, unleashing all his strength to distance himself from Redfield.

The umbrella sword was forcibly withdrawn from Kong's body, blood spurting from the wound, which Kong immediately suppressed using Life Return.

Kong reacted swiftly, but Redfield was faster, once again reaching Kong with that extreme speed.

"Fatal Harvest!"

The umbrella sword crackled with blood-red lightning, its peak attack strength arriving before Kong in a flash.

Instinctively, Kong blocked with both hands, but the damaged heart, though restrained by Life Return, still flared up under the intense impact.

"Thud!!!"

Although Kong blocked the attack, the immense force sent him flying, his chest wound reopening, blood pouring from his mouth and chest.

Redfield, relentless, pursued Kong, giving him no respite.

Under Redfield's unyielding assault, Kong's suppressed injuries erupted, his chest wound bleeding profusely.

Within less than three minutes, Kong, weakened by rapid blood loss, collapsed, unable to rise.

"I..."

Kong tried to speak, but Redfield's sword gave him no chance, piercing through his forehead, Haki destroying his brain.

"A man once told me, in a peak duel, if you want to kill your opponent, show no hesitation at the end. Don't give them any chance; kill them immediately."

"I don't know why he said that, but if he did, it must be right!"

Redfield withdrew his umbrella sword, smiling at Kong's lifeless body.

He had slain a fleet admiral!

In the known history of the seas, besides Rocks, he was the second pirate to kill a fleet admiral.

"Hahahahaha, Li Yuan, not even you have achieved this. This time, I win!"

Redfield laughed, recalling his three defeats to Li Yuan, whom he considered his lifelong rival.

Though not Li Yuan's equal in strength, Redfield had killed a fleet admiral, an achievement unmatched by Li Yuan's record.

"This place isn't safe for long. Time to leave."

Redfield glanced around, spotting a nearby Navy warship. He didn't destroy it but headed back to his own ship.

He needed the Navy to report his achievement, to spread the news worldwide—Redfield, who had slain a fleet admiral!

"No way, the admiral was killed by Redfield!!"

"Quick, report to Navy Headquarters. This is a disaster—the fleet admiral has been killed!"

"Thank goodness, Redfield was too injured to attack us, or we'd be dead too!"

On the warship, the sailors were stunned by Kong's death, their mouths agape in disbelief. It took them a while to recover from the shock.

Flying Pirates:

"Jihahaha, Reinhardt, how's the battle between the Infinite Pirates and the Navy going?"

The Golden Lion asked as Reinhardt entered.

"The Infinite Pirates and the Navy have been fighting for seven days and nights. The top-tier battles remain undecided."

"However, our spies report that Li Yuan is overwhelming Garp. Li Yuan's strength has increased significantly to pressure Garp like this."

"The Infinite Pirates' officers are using a strategy of attrition to hold off Admirals Zephyr and Sengoku, preventing them from leaving."

"In terms of middle and lower-tier forces, the Infinite Pirates hold the upper hand. The Army and Navy have lost at least 800,000 men, while the Infinite Pirates have lost fewer than 100,000."

"Captain, judging by the current situation, the overall strength of the Infinite Pirates might surpass that of the Flying Pirates!"

Reinhardt said seriously.

Previously, Reinhardt only suspected the Infinite Pirates' strength, but now it was undeniable.

If the revealed strength was all they had, they were on par with the Flying Pirates.

But Reinhardt doubted they had shown their entire hand. With powerful officers like the giant Latiz and Howard not in battle, the true strength of the Infinite Pirates likely exceeded that of the Flying Pirates.

"Jihahaha, Li Yuan, who would've thought your crew would become so powerful!"

"Reinhardt, the Infinite Pirates aren't our enemies, but potential allies. There's no need to fear them; our enemy is the World Government."

"Even if we do end up fighting the Infinite Pirates, we won't lose, because we're the Flying Pirates!"

The Golden Lion declared confidently, assuring that he wouldn't lose to Li Yuan.

His confidence stemmed from years of building his crew's strength and his own formidable power!