"Rayleigh, go help the others. I'll handle Garp," Roger said after fighting for a while.
"Yes, Captain," Rayleigh replied, then swiftly moved to assist the rest of the crew.
Roger was a slow starter in battle, his power gradually increasing over time. Garp, on the other hand, was explosive from the get-go, fighting at full strength from the beginning. Only a few, like Whitebeard, could withstand such an onslaught.
Rayleigh quickly moved through the battlefield, assisting his crewmates. The longer the battle dragged on, the more damage their ship would sustain.
Meanwhile, Shanks and Shirakawa grinned at their handiwork.
Buggy lay unconscious, having been knocked out by the two apprentices.
"Shanks, are we sure this is okay?" Shirakawa asked, a little worried as they hid Buggy in a secluded spot and taped his mouth shut.
"Of course it's fine. I've done this plenty of times," Shanks said nonchalantly, even sounding a bit proud.
'Is that something to be proud of?' Shirakawa thought, shaking his head.
Buggy was quite unlucky. He couldn't handle Shanks alone, and now with Shirakawa added to the mix, he was even more outmatched.
Shirakawa might look harmless, but he had a mischievous streak, just like Shanks.
Even though the Roger Pirates and Garp's Marine fleet were old rivals, they didn't hold back in battle.
"I didn't know there was a kid and a weakling on this ship," a Marine's voice reached them.
The kid was obviously Shanks, and the weakling could only be Shirakawa.
"Weakling? Are you talking about me?" Shirakawa bristled. He would have accepted that label two months ago, but not anymore.
He might not be a powerhouse yet, but he was certainly no longer weak.
"That's right, you. You look so frail. I can't believe you managed to join the Roger Pirates."
"I joined based on my strength!" Shirakawa retorted, walking towards the Marine. He picked up speed and threw a punch.
"Weakling indeed. Your attacks are so predictable," the Marine chuckled, raising his sword to block.
But the result shocked him. Instead of slicing through Shirakawa's fist, the sword snapped in half, the blade flying off.
"Impossible! Is that Haki? No, it's not Armament Haki... Could it be a Devil Fruit?" the Marine wondered.
Before he could react, Shirakawa punched him in the face, deforming it and sending a few teeth flying. The Marine collapsed, unconscious.
"Wow, Shirakawa! Was that Haki? You're not even afraid of swords!" Shanks exclaimed, impressed.
"No, it's another one of my abilities," Shirakawa explained.
"What kind of Devil Fruit did you eat to have such amazing powers?"
"I don't know," Shirakawa shrugged.
He had tested his defense on Buggy during training. Even without actively using his ability, Buggy's attacks couldn't harm him. However, this only worked against those much weaker than him. If his opponent was around his level, they could still injure him.
This Marine, despite his imposing appearance, was clearly not very strong. Otherwise, he wouldn't be hiding here instead of fighting on the front lines.
Shirakawa and Shanks returned to the battlefield. The fighting was intense, and the Marines were clearly at a disadvantage. Without Garp, they were bound to lose.
Roger had lured Garp away to a nearby island. This was their strategy to ensure the crew's safe escape. Once the Marines retreated, Roger would shake off Garp and return to the ship.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru, we should retreat," a Marine officer said, joining Tsuru in defending against Bullet's attack.
"Yes," Tsuru agreed. Her Observation Haki could no longer sense Garp's presence, meaning Roger had succeeded in distracting him.
"Order the Marines to withdraw."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"All Marines, return to the warship!" the officer shouted.
The Marines were relieved and began an orderly retreat.
Shanks and Shirakawa, caught up in their own skirmish with a few Marines, only heard the retreat order after defeating their opponents.
"Do battles against the Marines always end so quickly?" Shirakawa asked Shanks.
"Only when Garp leads them. Fights against other Marine fleets can last longer. And against crews like Whitebeard's, they can go on for days."
"I see."
The Roger Pirates were strong enough to annihilate these Marines without Garp, but they chose not to. If they did, Garp would become even more relentless in his pursuit.
As the Marines retreated, Shirakawa witnessed a surprising sight. Several pirates and Marines waved goodbye to each other, promising to meet again.
"That's...harmonious," Shirakawa said, bemused.
"You'll get used to it," Shanks chuckled.
Meanwhile, on the isolated island, Roger and Garp's battle raged on.
"Judging by the time, the Marines must have retreated," Roger said, sending Garp flying with a powerful blow. He then quickly moved back.
"Running away again, Roger?" Garp roared, glaring at Roger's retreating figure.
"That's right, Garp. I'm running. I hope you won't chase me anymore. I'm tired of seeing your face."
"Not a chance, Roger. Next time we meet, I'll personally throw you into Impel Down!"
"Haha, try it if you can!" Roger taunted. He was faster than Garp, which was how he always managed to escape.
"Just you wait!" Garp shouted, then sat down. He couldn't catch Roger if Roger was determined to run. He'd just wait for his subordinates to find him.
His life was in Tsuru's capable hands, after all.