Under the watchful eyes of the Four Elders, Saturn spoke slowly:
"It's too late to send reinforcements from Mary Geoise to assist Carl. We can only hope Carl will prevail. After all, he carries the weight of the Figarland family."
The other Four Elders nodded silently, their gazes returning to the screen displaying Carl. Even Warcury, who had always wished for the decline of the Figarland family, now sincerely hoped for Carl's victory.
On the battlefield, Roger's laughter echoed endlessly.
Carl frowned deeply. Roger gaining and even awakening the Nika Fruit had taken him completely by surprise.
Whoosh!
Broad black wings unfolded from Carl's back as he soared into the sky, floating in front of Roger.
Roger lowered the hand shielding his face, his black-and-red eyes reflecting Carl's figure. With a smile, he spread his arms and asked,
"Do I look like Joy Boy to you?"
Carl responded coldly,
"You look like an idiot."
This sentiment resonated with everyone watching. To the world, the Pirate King Roger now looked like a complete fool.
Rather than angering Roger, Carl's remark made him laugh even louder.
Carl, fed up with the obnoxious laughter, raised his hand and unleashed Shinra Tensei. Roger didn't resist and allowed himself to be pulled toward Carl.
Snap!
Carl gripped Roger's neck, dark whirlpools of the Dark-Dark Fruit swirling in his hand as he twisted Roger's neck into a corkscrew.
However, Roger remained unaffected, laughing as he said,
"That tickles!"
Suddenly, Roger struck, his fist slamming into Carl's abdomen.
A bizarre scene unfolded. Roger's fist sank into Carl's body like it was clay, the imprint visible on Carl's back, extending further with every passing moment.
Carl's expression changed as a blinding white light erupted from his body. With a burst of Shinra Tensei, a powerful repulsive force sent Roger flying, pulling his fist free from Carl's abdomen.
Freed from Carl's grip, Roger's twisted neck spun rapidly before returning to normal. His body then stretched and flattened, resembling a kite as he stabilized in midair.
Carl, still hovering in his original position, frowned as he watched the imprint on his abdomen slowly fade. Though uninjured, he replayed the earlier events in his mind.
Typically, anyone caught by his Dark-Dark Fruit would lose their Devil Fruit powers. Yet, Roger seemed completely unaffected.
Could this be the so-called "freedom" of the Nika Fruit's awakening? Freedom so absolute that even darkness cannot bind it?
Carl's thoughts turned speculative.
If my Dark-Dark Fruit could awaken, would it be enough to crush this so-called freedom?
As he pondered, Roger's laughter echoed again from the distance.
"How is it? Isn't this power fascinating?"
His words seemed less directed at Carl and more like he was talking to himself.
Without warning, Roger began mimicking a running motion in the air. His legs spun like propellers as he rushed toward Carl. In his hand was Ace, his blade.
As he ran, the blade's length stretched and softened, extending to over a hundred meters. From below, it looked like a black ribbon flowing behind him.
Roger swung the blade at Carl, who countered with his own sword. Though Ace looked like a ribbon, it retained its essence as one of the Twelve Supreme Blades—unrelentingly sharp and durable.
Carl's strike only deflected the blade slightly, leaving the rest to coil around him. With a fierce pull on Ace's hilt, Roger sent Carl flailing through the air.
Carl attempted to use Kamui Intangibility, but found the surrounding space had turned elastic like rubber, resisting his usual distortions.
In the end, Carl broke free with a concentrated burst of Shinra Tensei.
Roger, unfazed, swung Ace again, his expression playful. Carl maneuvered skillfully through the air, closing the distance between them. His blade slashed toward Roger's neck.
"Eh? Eh? Eh?" Roger exclaimed exaggeratedly, leaning back at an unnatural angle to avoid the attack.
Carl remained composed, releasing waves of darkness that engulfed Roger completely, forming a massive sphere. With a gesture, Carl compressed the dark sphere to the size of a basketball—the limit of its contraction.
Unable to compress it further, Carl swung his blade to cut the sphere in half.
One half dissolved into black smoke, while the other shot upward, expanding into a humanoid shape. The blackness burst like a balloon, revealing Roger within.
Still ascending, Roger pierced a massive cloud. The cloud twisted and contorted, taking the shape of Roger's grinning face.
Carl snorted coldly.
"Tricks."
Black Conqueror's Haki erupted from Carl, forming a pillar of energy that pierced the sky, shattering the cloud face.
But instead of revealing sunlight, a colossal shadow loomed over the battlefield—a shadow cast by Roger.
Roger had transformed into a giant, dwarfing even the massive foes Carl had faced before.
The sight stunned everyone. Carl, after a brief moment of shock, adopted a grave expression.
In the anime, Luffy's Nika form displayed a similar giant transformation. Though Roger's form wasn't as enormous as Luffy's depiction, it was enough to deliver a powerful visual impact.
Unlike Luffy's Third Gear, this wasn't mere inflation but a complete transformation into a giant, with a proportional increase in strength. And this was Roger—already a terrifying force.
From high above, Roger's smile faded as he looked down at Carl. His voice boomed like thunder:
"The power of darkness… is nothing special."
The words reverberated across the battlefield. Carl's sword, Muramasa, trembled slightly before merging back into his hand.
Carl didn't notice the change in his blade. His focus was entirely on Roger's enormous fist, descending upon him like a mountain.
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