Roger carefully studied Dæmon’s transformed body.
He’s definitely a Zoan-type ability user—and not an ordinary one.
Roger had severed both of Dæmon’s hands earlier, yet they had regenerated within moments.
A Zoan transformation that granted such extraordinary abilities could only belong to a Mythical Zoan.
“That’s right.
I ate a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit,” Dæmon readily admitted.
He had no intention of correcting Roger’s misunderstanding.
Dæmon spread his wings and soared back into the sky, looking down at Roger from above.
Roger laughed heartily.
“Now this is more like it!
Defeating you in one strike would have been far too boring!” The moment those words left his mouth, Roger bent his knees and launched himself upward.
Boom!
He leaped more than a hundred meters into the air and swung Ace diagonally from the lower left toward the upper right.
Dæmon remained calm.
With a flap of his wings, he swiftly changed direction and avoided the blade.
He circled around Roger in midair before delivering a flying kick directly to his cheek.
“Get back down!” The kick, reinforced with demonic power, sent Roger plummeting toward the ground.
Boom!
Roger slammed into the beach, sending sand flying in every direction.
The trident-wielding Fish-Man stared in astonishment.
“Being able to fly is practically cheating!” Gaban raised his head and watched Dæmon hovering high above them.
“He reminds me of Shiki.
That bastard can fly as well, and his advantage in the air always gives Roger endless trouble.” The cigar-smoking man Donquino narrowed his eyes.
“Dæmon is fast.
Even while fighting in midair, he can easily evade Roger’s attacks.” However, compared with his astonishing speed, Dæmon’s offensive power appeared somewhat ordinary.
Roger rose from the crater and rubbed his cheek.
“That didn’t hurt at all, rookie!” “Is that so?” Dæmon hovered in the sky with a faint smile.
“Then what are you going to do about it?” “How about this?” Roger swung Ace toward the sky.
A compressed wave of sword energy shot from the blade like a cannonball.
Dæmon shifted sideways and avoided it with ease.
However, countless additional slashes immediately followed.
Although each one was weaker than the first, their sheer number formed an inescapable curtain of sword energy.
“Rampaging Spirit!” Roger swung Ace so quickly that the blade transformed into a blur.
Sword waves erupted one after another, creating a raging storm that filled the sky.
Dæmon could avoid the first attack.
He could evade the second, fifth, and even tenth.
However, every slash Roger released was guided by his Future Sight.
Each attack was aimed at the position Dæmon would move toward next.
A jet-black figure darted rapidly from side to side in the sky, but the curtain of sword energy gradually surrounded him.
Eventually, one of the slashes struck its target.
Dæmon crossed his arms and coated them in Armament Haki before punching through the incoming sword wave.
The moment he shattered it, another arrived.
He alternated between both fists, repeatedly breaking apart the sword energy coming toward him.
Suddenly, Roger launched himself into the air once more.
He appeared directly behind Dæmon.
“Hahaha!
Down you go!” While Dæmon was occupied with the sword waves, Roger gripped Ace with both hands and struck him heavily across the back with the flat of the blade.
Bang!
Dæmon took the blow head-on.
Blood erupted from his mouth as he plummeted toward the ground.
“You’re not getting away that easily!” As Dæmon fell, his right hand suddenly detached from his wrist.
The severed hand shot through the air under the control of his demonic power.
Its five fingers spread wide before firmly gripping Roger’s face.
“What?!” Roger’s eyes widened.
He can even detach parts of his body?
A force comparable to that of a giant erupted from the severed hand.
Still gripping Roger’s face, it dragged him downward and hurled him toward the ground like a sandbag.
Whoosh!
Dæmon and Roger plummeted from the sky one after the other.
Boom!
They crashed into the beach, sending a towering cloud of sand and dust into the air.
The members of the Roger Pirates stared at the crater in disbelief.
“He can do something like that?” “What kind of mythical creature possesses those abilities?” “He can regenerate almost instantly, fly, detach his limbs, and move at incredible speed.
His offensive power might be somewhat lacking, but everything else is remarkably well-rounded!” “That’s only because his opponent is Roger.
An ordinary pirate wouldn’t survive even one of Dæmon’s attacks!” Only one word could describe him.
“Monster!” The thick cloud of sand gradually dispersed.
Roger climbed to his feet while rubbing his face.
When he raised his head, he saw Dæmon standing a short distance away.
The detached right hand had already returned to his wrist without leaving so much as a scar.
Roger stared at him for a moment.
Then he casually tossed Ace aside and grinned.
“Your abilities are troublesome, so how about this?
You don’t fly, and I won’t use my sword.
We’ll settle this fairly with our fists!” Dæmon smiled upon hearing those words.
What a shameless bastard.
Flight was currently his greatest advantage.
As long as he remained in the sky, Roger would struggle to land a decisive attack.
Yet Roger had casually asked him to abandon that advantage.
Did this man have no dignity as a top-tier fighter?
Still…
“Fine, but I want to add another rule.” Dæmon raised one finger.
“You’re not allowed to use Conqueror’s Haki.” “Deal!” Roger agreed without hesitation and immediately charged.
Dæmon strode forward to meet him.
His pace gradually accelerated, shifting from a walk into a full sprint.
Pitch-black demonic power coiled around his right fist like strands of silk.
The distance between them vanished.
Both men pulled back their fists and aimed directly at the other’s face.
“Stop fighting!” A woman’s shout suddenly came from the nearby crowd.
Dæmon and Roger’s fists stopped mere inches from each other.
They turned simultaneously and found Gloriosa standing among the spectators.
“There’s no need to fight over me!” Gloriosa called out.
“The two of you should try to get along!” What is this woman talking about?
Dæmon stared at her speechlessly.
Roger’s confusion lasted for only a second.
The two men turned back toward each other and threw their punches without hesitation.
“Dæmon, take this!” “The winner will be me, Roger!” Bang!
Their fists smashed into each other’s faces.
Dæmon’s punch was reinforced with demonic power, while Roger’s was coated in Advanced Armament Haki.
Both men staggered half a step backward.
The moment they regained their balance, they charged again and began exchanging attacks without defending themselves.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Fist after fist struck flesh.
Neither showed the slightest intention of retreating.
Gloriosa sighed and covered her face.
“They’re still fighting.
All because of me…” “Have you considered the possibility that this has absolutely nothing to do with you?” Charlotte Linlin placed one hand on her hip, unable to tolerate Gloriosa’s narcissism any longer.
Gloriosa appeared not to hear her.
She watched the two men exchanging punches with a troubled expression.
“Who do you think will win?
What if the victor proposes to me afterward?
Since I’ll be the winner’s reward, I suppose I’ll have no choice but to accept!” Linlin clenched her fist, resisting the urge to hit her.
“Dæmon will obviously win.
He’s immortal!” …
By noon, everyone had returned to Shakky’s tavern.
“Hahaha!
Not bad, Dæmon!” Roger sat at the bar with one arm draped around Dæmon’s shoulders.
The two drank together as though their brutal battle had never happened.
“You actually managed to exchange hundreds of blows with me.
No wonder you received a bounty of five hundred million Berries immediately after your debut!” Dæmon glanced at him calmly.
“What do you mean by ‘exchange blows’?
I won.” “No, I won!” Roger immediately protested.
“My fists struck you three hundred and seventy-three times!” “Face reality.
I don’t have a single injury, so I obviously won.” “I hit you five times more often than you hit me!
That means I won!” Unable to outargue Dæmon, Roger turned toward Shakky, who was pouring drinks behind the bar.
“Shakky, tell him that I won!” Shakky smiled.
She reached beneath the bar, pulled out a mirror, and placed it in front of Roger.
“Take a look for yourself.” Roger stared at his reflection.
His entire face was covered in dark bruises, and both eyes were badly swollen.
“Hahaha…
This doesn’t count.” Roger chuckled awkwardly.
“I was only going easy on him.
Let’s call it a draw.” Internally, however, he felt incredibly frustrated.
Damn it!
That brat has already healed every injury I gave him.
Anyone looking at us now would think I was the one who lost.
But I clearly won!
Roger stared at Dæmon’s completely unharmed face with growing resentment.
“What kind of ability do you possess?” Dæmon smiled.
“My immortality doesn’t come from a Devil Fruit.” He raised his glass.
“It comes from the Elixir of Immortality that I brewed.”