South Blue, Baterilla Island.

As one dilapidated ship after another docked at the port…

People with bloodshot eyes wore expressions of madness on their faces.

They hadn’t slept a wink since the moment they boarded the ships…

Pulling out the royal proclamation.

They compared the map printed on the notice to the harbor and the distant mountain.

Ragged breathing came from their mouths.

“This is it! This is it!”

“This is the place!!!!”

“Revenge! Revenge!”

“That damned butcher!!!”

“You never imagined this day would come, did you!!!”

“Hahahahahaha!!!”

“Sinful bloodlines have no place in this world!!!”

“Kill him!!!”

“Charge!!!!”

The frenzied residents of Kegesi Island, wielding knives, charged toward the distant mountain.

From above, one could see a continuous stream of ships converging on Baterilla Island.

The people pouring in from the shore, joined by those arriving later…

The people of Baterilla looked on in terror at the mad invaders.

“Hide quickly!”

“Are they pirates?”

“What’s going on?”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“They’re charging toward that mountain.”

“Really?”

Some bolder onlookers peeked at the charging mob, confused by their intent.

…

Baterilla Island, on the mountain, inside a villa.

Rouge, who had been napping, suddenly awoke in a panic, her heart uneasy for some reason.

The feeling of dread in her chest 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 unease only intensified.

Suddenly, the sound of shouting and killing echoed from afar, reaching the house.

The maid rushed in, flustered.

“Madam, it’s bad!”

“Pirates have invaded outside!”

Bloodshot eyes, maddened expressions, people wielding all kinds of iron tools—

Naturally, the maid assumed they were pirates.

Rouge jumped up and looked outside, immediately understanding the cause of her anxiety.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself…

She grabbed a few things and fled with the maid through the back door.

Moments later…

The crazed crowd burst into the courtyard.

After smashing things up and failing to find anyone, someone suddenly shouted:

“Look!”

A man had found a photo of Roger and Rouge in a drawer.

The mob passed it around.

“That’s right!”

“This is the place!”

“Find them!!!”

“They’re here!!!!!!”

One of the townspeople who had gone out the back door spotted the two women not far away.

“Hahahahaha!!!”

“Charge!!!!”

“Kill them!!!!!!”

With a bone-deep roar, the mob swarmed like starving wolves toward them.

Within moments, the two women were caught up to.

Rouge looked back at the oncoming mob, who seemed more like demons than people. She forced herself to stay calm, urgently thinking of a way out.

At that moment, a beam of sword light soared into the sky.

Boom——

The sword light slashed across the ground, carving a deep trench.

A sword mark several kilometers long now stood between Rouge and the mob.

Dressed in black, with golden hair, Rayleigh stood panting lightly.

“Cross the line—and die!!!”

Conqueror’s Haki, mixed with killing intent, exploded outward and swept across the crowd. His voice echoed across the entire island.

The people at the front dropped like wheat being harvested.

But the people behind still surged forward.

However, Rayleigh’s high-level Conqueror’s Haki released a pressure they simply could not withstand.

They could not step across the sword mark line.

They could only glare hatefully at the woman and the man standing in their way.

…

In the distance.

Bullet, cloaked in a cape made of material that blocked Observation Haki, looked toward Sakazuki.

Also wearing a cloak, Sakazuki said coldly:

“Go.”

Bullet nodded and was about to throw off the cloak and charge forward…

When suddenly, a man wearing a crown stepped out from the crowd and stood in front.

The two paused slightly, deciding to wait a bit longer.

…

At the front of the crowd.

The King of the Darlons Kingdom stood before the people.

“You must be the legendary Dark King, Rayleigh.”

Rayleigh finally saw someone capable of speaking and replied:

“And you are?”

The King of Darlons spoke.

“I am the King of the Darlons Kingdom.”

“If you’ve never heard of it, that’s fine too.”

“But do you remember Kegesi Island?”

“Do you remember the five thousand Kegesi soldiers slaughtered by Pirate Roger?”

At those words, both Rayleigh and Rouge fell silent.

After a moment, Rayleigh spoke:

“I’m deeply sorry.”

“What Roger did back then was wrong.”

“But today…”

“I won’t let you pass.”

The King of Darlons replied:

“That sinful bloodline really isn’t easy to kill.”

“But since I’m here…”

“I never planned on going back alive.”

Taking a deep breath:

“For years, I haven’t had a peaceful night’s sleep.”

“Every time I close my eyes, the souls of those five thousand soldiers surround me.”

“I’ve failed my people.”

“I often wondered if I was the one who made the mistake.”

“If, after you killed people on the island, I had ignored it and not sent troops…”

“Maybe so many soldiers wouldn’t have died.”

“Maybe so many families wouldn’t have been torn apart.”

“But now, at this moment—” The rightful source is n0velfire.net

“I realize I wasn’t wrong.”

“You say you’re sorry…”

“But there’s no remorse.”

“Maybe, in your eyes, those five thousand soldiers’ lives were nothing.”

“Even if you killed them, you’d only toss out a light apology and move on like nothing happened.”

The King turned to face the people behind him:

“People of the Darlons Kingdom!”

“After my death, you must retreat! Don’t die in vain!”

Countless people looked blankly at the figure before them.

“Your Majesty…”

The King turned back to Rayleigh.

“I expected the sinful bloodline wouldn’t be so easy to kill.”

“I came prepared for the worst.”

He continued walking forward…

“If our revenge fails…”

“I’ll commit suicide to atone.”

“At the same time, the Darlons Kingdom will declare itself destroyed by the Roger Pirates.”

“A member nation of the World Government destroyed by pirates.”

“This will shake the world.”

“The World Government and Navy can’t ignore it.”

“Otherwise, it will be a global joke.”

“And if today’s incident is to end here…”

“Someone must die.”

“Let it be me.”

“This is the resolve of a king—and my guilt toward my people.”

“Do it, pirate.”

With that, the King of Darlons stepped across the deep sword scar and looked at Rayleigh.

Rayleigh gripped his sword, closed his eyes, and suddenly opened them wide.

Boom——

Conqueror’s Haki blasted forward.

The King of Darlons, who bore the brunt of it, instantly fainted.

Then came the rest of the charging crowd.

Boom——

A second burst of Conqueror’s Haki clashed against the first.

Bullet, in Demon Mode, created a streak of blue afterimage…

And lunged directly at Rayleigh.

Rayleigh’s pupils shrank as he dodged swiftly.

Bullet missed the strike but immediately spun and crashed into Rayleigh.

The two vanished from the crowd’s sight in an instant.

The few who hadn’t yet fainted blinked in confusion, then turned their eyes once more toward Rouge in the distance.

Wielding their iron tools… they charged madly forward.

…

Elsewhere.

Several hundred meters away.

Boom——

The two crashed to the ground.

Rayleigh burst forth with intense killing intent.

His longsword wrapped in Conqueror’s Haki, he slashed at Bullet.

Bullet sneered and threw a punch.

Boom——

The explosive shockwave rocked heaven and earth.

Seeing his attack fail, Rayleigh grew anxious.

He didn’t want to get bogged down fighting Bullet.

His figure split into several afterimages as he sped toward Rouge.

But he was intercepted by several afterimages of Bullet, crashing into him.

Clang!

Sword met fist.

Rayleigh shouted:

“Move aside, Marine!”

Bullet smirked:

“And why would a Marine like me…”

“Take orders from a pirate?”

Conqueror’s Haki crackled in black-purple lightning between sword and fist.

Rayleigh took a deep breath.

“The child is innocent.”

Bullet chuckled.

“What does his innocence have to do with me?”

“I’m a soldier, not a saint.”

“My orders are to stop you and…”

“Kill you!!!”

He stomped down, the ground cracking beneath him.

Countless stones exploded upward.

Bullet grabbed a large handful.

Infusing them with Armament Haki, he flung them at Rayleigh.

Several sharp whistling sounds pierced the air.

The shards flew like a barrage toward Rayleigh.

Rayleigh’s eyes sharpened.

With a flick of his sword, a sizzle sounded.

His Conqueror’s-infused sword unleashed several sword beams over a hundred meters long, slashing toward the approaching mob.

Meanwhile, he dashed in a different direction.

…

(A/N: Next chapter is extremely brutal. Ace and Rouge die, killed in revenge by those wronged by Roger.)

(If you think “sins of the father shouldn’t be paid by the child,” or can’t handle Ace’s death, and start ranting about the author’s “poor values,” you can start playing a sad flute now.)

(Also, please don’t post dumb questions like “Why not adopt Ace and raise him properly?” Does he even deserve it?)

(Consider this your warning. If you’re one of those sanctimonious crybabies, tread carefully—or don’t blame me if your fragile glass heart shatters.)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep