SIX PATH SAGE OF THE ROCKS PIRATES

Roger approached Kaito, his usual carefree grin replaced with a hint of genuine interest. Instead of engaging immediately, he spoke in a relaxed tone.

"You know, when I first entered the New World, I met an intriguing Marine—Monkey D. Garp. At the time, he was a Vice Admiral stationed at Navy Headquarters."

Roger's expression turned nostalgic for a moment, his eyes briefly glancing skyward. "He told me there were two pirates he was determined to capture in his life. One of them was me. And the other..." He pointed his sword casually toward Kaito. "...was you."

Kaito's eyes narrowed at the mention of Garp, but he remained silent. Roger continued, "Ever since then, I've been curious about the name 'Kaito.' Now that I'm standing here in front of you, I have to admit, you're quite the monster."

Despite the compliment, Kaito maintained his composure. He knew Roger wasn't the type to throw around idle praise. The fact that he had piqued the interest of a man like Roger spoke volumes.

After a moment, Roger's grin widened again. "Well, then! Let's see just how strong you really are!"

Kaito smirked and tightened his grip on his sword, the gleaming blade now fully cloaked in Armament Haki. "Fine by me. Show me what you've got, 'King of the Pirates.'"

The two figures disappeared from their starting positions, vanishing so quickly that even the most seasoned fighters among the Roger Pirates struggled to keep track. When they reappeared, their weapons clashed with a deafening roar.

"BOOM!!!"

The sheer force of their initial exchange sent massive shockwaves rippling outward. The ocean nearby churned violently, throwing up waves as tall as 100 meters. The ground beneath them cracked and shattered, creating a crater-like battlefield surrounded by flying debris.

"Not bad at all," Roger said, his grin never fading. Despite the carnage around them, he seemed genuinely thrilled. The power emanating from Kaito's strikes was no less fierce than his own. In fact, Roger couldn't help but think that Kaito was even stronger than Charlotte Linlin—a fact that intrigued him even more.

But the question lingered in Roger's mind: Why was Kaito's bounty so low? Charlotte Linlin's bounty stood at a staggering 2.5 billion, while Kaito's was a mere 900 million. It made no sense. He knew the Rocks Pirates ranked their members as either main cadres or ordinary cadres. Charlotte Linlin, being a main cadre, carried a higher bounty. But Kaito? Kaito was only considered an ordinary cadre.

Roger thought to himself, How could someone this powerful still be listed as an ordinary cadre?

Kaito, meanwhile, was quickly realizing just how formidable Roger was. Though Roger had not yet reached the pinnacle of his strength, his skills and sheer willpower were undeniable. Every swing of his blade carried not only incredible power but also the weight of experience. His mastery of Conqueror's Haki outclassed Kaito's, and his swordsmanship, honed through countless battles, put Kaito's own talents to the test.

It wasn't just technique that set Roger apart. The weapon in his hand—"Ace," one of the twelve supreme-grade swords—gave him an edge that Kaito's own blade couldn't match. Kaito's sword, though one of the fifty skillful-grade swords, simply wasn't on the same level.

Even so, Kaito held his ground. Kurama Chakra Mode had elevated him to a level where he could keep pace with Roger's relentless onslaught.

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

The sound of their blades clashing rang out repeatedly, each impact reverberating through the surrounding area. Trees in a 100-meter radius were obliterated. Sand and stone were flung skyward, as if caught in a storm. The entire island felt the tremors of their battle.

Then, Roger's expression shifted slightly. He stepped back, and the veins on his arms bulged as he poured even more power into his blade. His Haki flared, wrapping his sword in an intense black aura. "Let's see how you handle this. Divine Departure!"

The technique wasn't fully developed yet, but it carried immense force. Roger's blade swung down, aiming to carve through the air and Kaito in one decisive move.

Kaito, however, was ready. Summoning every ounce of power from his Kurama Chakra Mode, he countered with his own technique. His sword seemed to glow brighter as he poured his will into it, meeting Roger's strike head-on.

"BOOM!!!"

Their weapons collided in a flash of blinding light. A spherical shockwave erupted from the point of impact, engulfing everything within a hundred meters. Trees, rocks, and even the ground itself were torn apart. Animals fled in all directions, while weaker creatures fainted from the sheer pressure of the clash.

The weather itself seemed to shift. Dark clouds gathered above, the sky splitting as though it couldn't withstand the energy radiating from the two combatants.

From a distance, the Roger Pirates watched in awe. "Look! The sky—it's splitting in two!"

"It's not the actual sky," one crewmate corrected. "Their attack is so powerful, it's forcing the clouds apart!"

"That's insane... even our captain is having trouble."

Another pirate shook his head in disbelief. "Kaito's supposed to be a 900-million-berry pirate, just a cadre of the Rocks Pirates. How can he fight Captain Roger on equal footing?"

The crew stood in stunned silence as the battle continued. Neither Roger nor Kaito was giving an inch. Kaito's strength, speed, and relentless will were keeping him in the fight. It was a clash between two forces that seemed unstoppable.

As the dust settled around them, Kaito held his blade steady, his golden aura still blazing. Roger grinned, exhilarated by the challenge. "You're not half bad," he admitted, raising his sword once more.

Kaito's eyes narrowed, his body tensing for the next exchange. "Neither are you," he replied.

And with that, the two titans launched themselves at each other again, their battle shaking the entire island and leaving everyone watching in awe of their strength.

"Hahaha! The New World really hasn't disappointed me," Roger exclaimed, his laughter booming as he tightened his grip on his sword. His face was lit with exhilaration, his eyes fixed on Kaito. Few battles brought out this level of excitement in him, and this one had exceeded all his expectations.

In his time since entering the New World, Roger had faced numerous fearsome foes. However, there were only two individuals who stood out to him as truly monstrous: the Marine Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp, and Kaito himself. Though Roger wasn't sure whether Kaito was a Devil Fruit user or not, he couldn't deny the incredible physical prowess Kaito displayed. While many who relied on Devil Fruits neglected their physical training, Kaito had clearly honed both his body and his skills to an astonishing level.

Kaito, on the other hand, felt a mixture of exasperation and resignation as he observed Roger's enthusiasm. This excitement reminded him of Garp, who also seemed to relish any challenge that could push him to his limits. And yet, even Kaito had to admit that Roger was no ordinary opponent. Since setting out on the seas, Kaito had encountered very few individuals of Roger's caliber.

"You're strong, Kaito," Roger said, his voice brimming with anticipation. "So let's fight at full strength!"

Kaito's eyes narrowed, one eyebrow lifting slightly. He was tempted to point out that Roger could just as easily turn his attention to Charlotte Linlin, who was still rampaging nearby. But before he could say anything, Roger surged forward, launching his next attack.

Roger's strikes came fast and relentless, each blow sharp and unpredictable. His mastery of swordsmanship was evident in every movement, and his sheer speed would have overwhelmed most opponents. But Kaito, now enhanced by the Kurama Chakra Mode, was no ordinary foe. With his heightened perception and the use of Observation Haki, he saw Roger's attacks as if they were unfolding in slow motion. His blade met Roger's again and again, deflecting each strike with precision.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The clash of their blades filled the battlefield with a chorus of metallic echoes. Roger, for the first time in a long while, found himself genuinely surprised. "Your swordsmanship," he said, momentarily pulling back, "it's better than before. You've improved… even during this fight!"

As a master swordsman himself, Roger was highly attuned to the subtle shifts in an opponent's technique. He could tell that Kaito was not just holding his own, but actively growing stronger as they fought. "You're a natural," Roger admitted, shaking his head in amazement. "You're improving right in the middle of a life-or-death battle. That's something I've never seen before."

Kaito simply shrugged. "Is that so?" He hadn't consciously noticed any improvement, but Roger's observations carried weight. If he was indeed growing stronger mid-fight, it could only mean that his skills were being pushed to their absolute limit by this clash.

Roger grinned again. "What a monster you are."

As their battle continued to intensify, the ground around them began to crumble under the weight of their exchanges. Both fighters had reached a fever pitch, their auras flaring as they poured everything into the fight.

"Divine Departure!"

Roger's voice rang out as he executed one of his most powerful techniques. With a burst of Haki that seemed to shake the air itself, he channeled all his energy into his blade, creating a strike meant to end the fight in a single blow.

Kaito's eyes sharpened as he recognized the seriousness of the attack. He couldn't afford to hold back. "Planetary Rasengan!" he called, raising his arms high. Using his own formidable energy reserves, he conjured a massive Rasengan that swirled with overwhelming force. Three smaller Rasengans floated around the primary one, their combined energy creating a vortex that distorted the surrounding air and sent dark clouds spiraling above them.

With a roar, Kaito charged forward. Roger did the same, their attacks meeting in a thunderous explosion.

"BOOM!!!"

The resulting blast was nothing short of catastrophic. A shockwave tore through the battlefield, scattering members of the Roger Pirates. Only the strongest among them managed to keep their footing; the rest were hurled backward like leaves caught in a hurricane. Waves erupted from the sea, crashing against the shore as if the very ocean had recoiled from the force of their clash.

The sky above them split, dark clouds parting in two as if the heavens themselves had been slashed by their combined might. Lightning forked across the sky, illuminating the massive crater that now lay at the center of their battlefield. Rubble and debris filled the air, leaving the once-solid ground a ruined wasteland.

The Roger Pirates could hardly believe what they were witnessing. "The sky… it's actually splitting!" one of them gasped.

"That's not the sky itself," another explained, though their voice trembled. "Their attacks are shaking the entire atmosphere."

The crew stared at Kaito in disbelief. "This guy… he's not human," someone whispered. "He's a monster."

"Even Captain Roger is struggling. I can't believe it," another said, shaking their head. "This guy has only a 900-million-berry bounty, and he's fighting our captain evenly."

Roger, meanwhile, stood in the midst of the destruction, dusting off his shirt and laughing as if the devastation was nothing more than a friendly spar. "Kaito, that was incredible," he said, tearing away the remains of his shirt to reveal his scarred, muscular torso. "I didn't think you'd match me blow for blow."

Kaito remained steady, his golden aura flickering around him. He wasn't one to boast, but he felt a sense of satisfaction at Roger's acknowledgment. For all his reputation as one of the strongest pirates in history, Roger was still surprised by Kaito's strength.

The battle wasn't over, but both combatants had earned each other's respect. As the winds calmed and the debris settled, the Roger Pirates watched in stunned silence, wondering what could possibly happen next.

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