The South Sea, Batirira Island.
As a number of slightly dilapidated ships docked.
A manic look appeared on the faces of people with bloodshot eyes.
They hadn't slept since the moment they boarded the ship...
Taking out the kingdom's issued notice.
Comparing the map on the notice with the port and the distant mountains.
The sound of rapid breaths came from the mouths of the crowd.
"Is this it! Is this it!"
"It's here!!!!!"
"Revenge! Revenge!"
"Damn butcher!!!"
"You never thought this day would come!!!"
"Hahahahaha!!!"
"A sinful bloodline should not exist in this world!!!"
"Kill him!!!"
"Charge!!!"
The frenzied residents of Klogsi Island, brandishing knives, charged towards the distant mountain.
Viewed from high in the sky, a continuous stream of ships converged on Batirira Island.
The people who started from the coast, along with those who kept coming afterwards,
formed a long dragon that passed through the town and rushed towards the place that harbored the sinful bloodline.
The people of Batirira Island watched these frenzied individuals with extreme fear.
"Quick, hide!"
"Are they pirates?"
"What's happening."
"Doesn't seem like it."
"They're rushing towards that mountain."
"Really."
Some bolder individuals secretly watched the charge of these frenzied people, not understanding what was happening.
Batirira Island, on the mountain, in a villa.
Rouge, who was napping, suddenly felt uneasy for no reason and woke up abruptly.
The unease in her heart grew stronger.
Taking the handkerchief handed to her by the maid, she wiped the sweat from her forehead:
"What's going on..."
Clutching her chest, the palpitations grew more intense.
Suddenly, a sound of shouting and killing echoed from a distance and entered the house.
The maid ran in in a panic:
"It's bad, Madam!"
"Pirates are breaking in outside!"
With bloodshot eyes and frenzied expressions, the people were holding various iron tools.
Naturally, the maid mistook them for pirates.
Rouge got up abruptly and looked outside, understanding the cause of her unease.
Taking a few deep breaths, she calmed herself down.
Picking up some things, she and the maid fled towards the back door.
Not long after.
The frenzied people stormed into the courtyard.
They trashed the place but found no one. Suddenly, someone shouted:
"Look!"
A resident found a photo of Roger and Rouge in a drawer.
The crowd passed it around:
"That's right!"
"This is the place!"
"Search for them!!!"
"They're over there!!!!!"
A resident who had gone out the back door spotted the two women who had just run off a short distance.
"Hahahahaha!!!"
"Charge!!!!!"
"Kill them!!!!!"
A heartfelt shout echoed, and the surging crowd, like hungry wolves, set their sights on them.
In a short while, the two were caught up.
Rouge, looking at the people rushing towards her like demons from behind, suppressed her panic and thought of a plan.
At this moment, a beam of sword light shot into the sky.
Boom—
The sword light cut through the ground, leaving a deep trench.
A sword mark thousands of meters long stood between Rouge and the crowd.
Rayleigh, dressed in black with golden hair, panted slightly:
"Those who cross the line—die!!!"
Conqueror's Haki erupted with killing intent, blasting towards the crowd ahead, its sound reverberating across the entire island.
The people in front fell like wheat in a harvest, row after row.
But the people arriving from behind surged forward, replacing them.
However, Rayleigh's advanced Conqueror's Haki, with its emitted pressure, was something they could not withstand.
They could no longer step beyond the line drawn by the sword mark.
They could only stare hatefully at that woman and her slightly bulging belly.
In the distance.
Barrett, wearing a cloak made of materials that blocked Observation Haki, looked at Sakazuki.
Sakazuki, also wearing a cloak, said indifferently:
"Go."
"From the moment he generated killing intent, he has been unforgivable."
Barrett nodded and was about to tear off his cloak and charge out.
Suddenly, a person wearing a crown emerged from the crowd and stood at the front.
The two were slightly taken aback and decided to wait a moment longer.
At the front of the crowd.
The King of the Darons Kingdom stood before everyone:
"Are you the legendary Pluto Rayleigh?"
Rayleigh, seeing that there was finally someone he could speak with, replied:
"May I ask who you are?"
The King of the Darons Kingdom said:
"I am the King of the Darons Kingdom."
"It's fine if you don't know the Darons Kingdom."
"Do you still remember Klogsi Island?"
"Do you remember the over five thousand Klogsi Island soldiers massacred by the pirate Roger?"
Upon hearing this, both Rayleigh and Rouge behind him fell silent.
After a moment of silence, Rayleigh said:
"My deepest apologies."
"What Roger did back then was wrong."
"But today."
"You cannot pass."
The King of the Darons Kingdom said:
"That sinful bloodline is indeed not so easy to kill."
"But since I have come."
"I never intended to return alive."
Taking a deep breath:
"I haven't had a good night's sleep in years."
"Every time I close my eyes, the souls of those over five thousand soldiers seem to surround me."
"I have failed my people."
"I often wonder if I was wrong."
"If I had not intervened or sent troops when you killed people on the island back then."
"Perhaps so many soldiers would not have died."
"And so many families would not have been torn apart."
"But at this very moment."
"I realize I was wrong."
"Your words speak of apology."
"But there is no remorse."
"Perhaps in your eyes, the lives of those over five thousand soldiers were like ants on the roadside."
"Even if crushed, it was just a light apology, and then as if nothing happened."
The king turned to look at the crowd behind him:
"Citizens of the Darons Kingdom!"
"After I die, please retreat immediately! Do not make a meaningless sacrifice!"
Countless people stared blankly at the figure in front of them:
"Your Majesty..."
Then, the King of the Darons Kingdom turned back to look at Rayleigh:
"I long guessed that the sinful bloodline would not be so easy to kill."
"I had already made the worst-case scenario plans before coming."
The King's steps did not stop as he walked forward...
"If the revenge is unsuccessful."
"I will commit suicide to atone."
"At the same time, the Darons Kingdom declares itself to have been destroyed by the Roger Pirates."
"A subordinate nation of the World Government destroyed by a pirate crew."
"This will shake the world."
"The World Government and the Marines cannot ignore this."
"Otherwise, it would be a global laughingstock."
"And if this matter is to end today."
"Someone must die."
"Let it be me."
"This is the resolve of a king, and also my guilt towards my subjects."
"Make your move, pirate."
With that, the King of the Darons Kingdom stepped over the deep sword mark and looked at Rayleigh.
Rayleigh clenched his sword, closed his eyes, and then opened them sharply.
Boom—
Conqueror's Haki directly blasted towards everyone.
The King of the Darons Kingdom, who was at the forefront, instantly fainted.
Then came the endless stream of people.
Boom—
Another wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted and clashed.
Barrett, in his Oni-Kizuna mode, moved like a blue afterimage.
He lunged directly at Rayleigh.
Rayleigh's pupils contracted, and he dodged.
But Barrett's first attack failed, and he immediately turned and slammed into Rayleigh.
He took Rayleigh and instantly disappeared from everyone's sight.
Those who had not fainted were stunned and looked back at Rouge in the distance.
Brandishing their iron tools... they charged forward madly.
On the other side.
Hundreds of meters away.
Boom—
The two crashed to the ground.
Rayleigh erupted with intense killing intent.
His long sword, infused with Conqueror's Haki, slashed at Barrett.
Barrett grinned and punched.
Boom—
The erupting air current swept across the land.
Rayleigh, seeing his attack fail, felt anxious.
He did not get entangled with Barrett.
He turned into several afterimages and charged towards Rouge.
But he was also intercepted by several of Barrett's afterimages, blocking his path.
Clang!
The long sword clashed with the fist.
Rayleigh said sternly:
"Move aside, Marine!"
Barrett grinned:
"Why do you think I, a Marine,"
"would listen to a pirate's command."
The long sword wrapped in Conqueror's Haki and the black-purple lightning generated by the fist crackled and lit up.
Rayleigh took a deep breath:
"The child is innocent."
Barrett chuckled:
"What does it matter to me if he's innocent or not."
"I am a soldier, not a saint."
"My orders were to stop you, and..."
"Kill you!!!"
With that, he stomped his foot, and the ground cracked inch by inch.
Countless stone fragments flew up.
Barrett reached out and grabbed a handful.
He directly coated them with Armament Haki and hurled them at Rayleigh.
Several whistling sounds filled the air.
The stone fragments shot towards Rayleigh like a barrage.
Rayleigh's eyes narrowed.
With a swing of his long sword, a hissing sound rang out.
Several hundred-meter-long sword energies, infused with Conqueror's Haki, slashed towards the crowd in the distance.
At the same time, he himself dashed in another direction.