Strongest Possessor of One Piece

With his arms crossed, Rojen wore a faint smile that radiated both confidence and contempt. At this moment, his demeanour bore an uncanny resemblance to Bai Feng's. 

Behind him, there was a hint of fear in Reiner's eyes. The two stood side by side in silence. 

"I don't want to get involved with you anymore. Stop following me." 

Rojen's words were spoken calmly, but they sent a shiver down Reiner's spine. Clenching his fists, Reiner finally lacked the courage to attack Rojen again. 

"You brat, you're too dismissive of the Marines!" 

Suddenly, a booming voice echoed from above as a muscular figure descended from the sky, accompanied by a gust of wind, and launched a direct attack on Rojen. 

With a flash of his eyes, Rojen dodged. 

"Rankyaku!"

With a loud 'bang', the spot where Rojen had been standing shattered, splintering the deck as a figure landed heavily. 

"Soru!"

The moment he landed, Monarch let out another scream. His figure vanished in a blur, his speed far outstripping Reiner's. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Rojen. 

"Shigan!" 

His finger, as sharp as a spear, stabbed forward violently. 

Rojen's pupils shrank violently as he barely turned his head. 

'Slash! 

A streak of blood appeared on his cheek and his eyes narrowed sharply. 

His right hand clawed like an eagle's talon as his body suddenly accelerated, slashing fiercely at Monarch. 

"Tekkai!" 

"Clang! 

In the next moment, sparks flew from the impact. Rojen's heart trembled as he immediately retreated. As he retreated, Monarch raised his right leg high and unleashed a powerful blue slash. 

Swish! 

The ship's mast was instantly severed, showing that the force of the attack was immense and terrifying. 

Without pause, Monarch vanished again and reappeared in front of Rojen. His fists flew like the wind, striking swiftly and relentlessly, while his legs unleashed a steady stream of kicks at Rojen. 

The oppressive force of the attacks forced Rojen to retreat continuously. The immense pressure from Monarch was palpable. Compared to Reiner, Monarch's skill and strength were on an entirely different level. 

The two fought like the wind, crashing across the deck at incredible speed, retreating, dodging, and repositioning. 

The longer the fight went on, the more Rojen's eyes flickered. There was no doubt that Monarch's power far exceeded his own. 

His ability to barely hold his own was due to Bai Feng's 'Lightweight Merit', his quick movement, and the calm state of mind he had inherited from Ye Wen. 

However, if the battle dragged on, his strength would be exhausted and defeat would be inevitable. 

"Shigan!" 

With another loud shout, the monarch lunged forward again. 

"Thud! 

Rojen's expression changed as a bloody hole appeared in his right shoulder. Overwhelmed by Monarch's relentless attacks and suppressive power, the inexperienced Rojen had finally been injured. 

"You can't escape now, Rojen!" Monarch stood still, his muscles tense and ready for another attack. His sharp eyes fixed on Rojen. 

"Heh." A small chuckle escaped Rojen's lips. The next moment, his eyes gleamed as he soared into the sky. A faint shimmer revealed two ethereal wings behind him, and his speed suddenly tripled. 

Climbing rapidly to a height of ten metres, Rojen's gaze sharpened. Without hesitation, he dove back down, using gravity to increase his speed even further. 

"Feather Edge!" 

In an instant, Rojen was in front of Monarch, slashing fiercely with a sweeping motion. His attack resembled a predator slashing with its razor-sharp claws. 

A cold, shimmering streak of light flashed in the void. 

Monarch's eyes widened as he roared, "Tekkai!" 

'Clang!' 

The sound of metal clashing echoed as dazzling sparks erupted. Rojen's eyes flickered as a sharp pain coursed through his right hand. 

Opposite him, after using 'Tekkai', Monarch's right leg spun like a massive wheel, rising high into the air before slashing down at Rojen with force. 

"Rankyaku!" 

A faint blue slash materialized instantly, its sharp energy cutting through the air with a 'whoosh' as it hurtled toward Rojen. 

Rojen leaped like a bird, dodging the slash. He bent his legs, poised to step into the air and launch another attack. Suddenly, his expression changed dramatically. 

From his right, a figure silently emerged, attacking him unexpectedly. 

"Shigan!" 

In the blink of an eye, Rojen managed to avoid a fatal blow, but with a 'thud', a hole appeared in his abdomen, and bright red blood began to flow. 

Two seconds later, Rojen crashed heavily onto the deck, rolling ten meters before finally steadying himself in a half-crouch. 

When he raised his head, his eyes were icy cold. 

Ahead of him, Reiner stood with a cruel smirk. 

Monarch frowned as he looked at Reiner, his face full of disapproval. "Commodore Reiner, don't you think that was rather dishonorable?" 

"When dealing with criminals, what's dishonorable about it?" Reiner replied dismissively. 

Monarch's expression grew even darker. In his eyes, Rojen hadn't committed any heinous crimes. In fact, he harbored resentment toward the Marines' headquarters for issuing the order to capture Rojen. For someone like Monarch, who revered justice, punishing one person while implicating others went against his principles. 

Rojen stood painfully, taking a deep breath as he looked at the two men. Slowly, he raised his right hand to his lips and blew a sharp whistle. 

'Whistle!' 

From the skies above, the white bird circling high above let out a loud cry and began to dive toward him. 

"Quick, don't let him escape!" Reiner shouted, sprinting toward Rojen at full speed. 

Rojen, however, leaped into the air, soaring rapidly upward. His speed was astonishing, and in the blink of an eye, he had ascended twenty meters. By the time Reiner reached the spot below him, all he could do was watch Rojen rise higher and higher. 

"Monarch!" Reiner yelled to the man behind him. "Chase him!" 

Monarch glanced up at Rojen and then turned away with a look of disdain. "Sorry, but my 'Geppo' training isn't quite there yet." 

Reiner clenched his fists in frustration, glaring at the sky where Rojen now stood atop the white bird. He was seething with anger but utterly helpless. 

In the air, Rojen looked down at the scene below, then lightly tapped the bird with his foot. The massive white bird cried out and swiftly flew off in one direction, disappearing from sight in mere moments. 

On the ship below, the Marines who had been flung into the sea were now crawling back on board, either lying on the deck or sitting and gasping for breath. 

"Curse it all!" Reiner muttered furiously, his helplessness evident. 

Meanwhile, about five kilometers away on a calm stretch of ocean, a civilian vessel sat quietly. A few shadowy figures aboard the ship were observing the events in the distance. 

"How's it looking, Vice Captain? Is the Captain's younger brother safe? Should we intervene?" 

At the forefront of the group stood a middle-aged man with white hair, glasses, and a longsword at his waist. His deep gaze was accompanied by a faint smile. 

"He's already gone. Everything is secure," The man replied calmly. 

"Also, I'm no longer your Vice Captain." 

--- 

(End Of The Chapter)