One Piece Nine Tails

Facing Roger's questioning, Makima laughed.

She genuinely laughed.

Then, she began to laugh louder!

In the pouring rain, her laughter grew increasingly exaggerated. She raised one hand, seemingly trying to suppress her laughter.

The torrential rain pounded down, splashing against her cheeks.

"Gol D. Roger..."

Makima gradually regained her calm. Her pale yellow eyes seemed to contain a particular savagery.

A destructive savagery!

But perhaps it was just an illusion. Makima uttered Roger's name, then raised her hand and said, "I must admit, among humans, you truly are the most interesting one."

Boom!

In the next moment, an inexplicable force burst from her fingertip. Roger felt a sharp pain in his chest, and the next instant, a large wound split open on his chest, blood spurting out, even leaving a finger-sized hole!

"Hahaha! I also think I'm the most interesting one!"

Despite being pierced through, Roger laughed instead of getting angry, as if he had been waiting for Makima to make the first move. He raised Ace high, and in the next moment, the accumulated Haki enveloped the blade. It was as if the sky itself was drawn into this slash.

Facing Roger at this moment was like facing the boundless sky, facing all heights and vastness!

Makima's body instantly disappeared.

Roger's strike sliced the spot where she had been standing in half. This full-force slash split the island, and the remaining force extended into the sea.

The scriptures say Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and God drove the sea back with a strong east wind, turning it into dry land and parting the sea.

And now, Roger slashed at the sea; without God, he became God!

The sea roared louder than the thunder in the sky, and the unfathomable ocean was split open as if by divine power.

But Makima had avoided the unparalleled strike before it could land. She appeared on one of the split parts of the island, having dodged the main attack.

Still, even though she had avoided the primary strike, the residual force left many wounds on her.

But in the next moment, all the blood disappeared.

"What's the deal? Same as in Wano, are you immortal?"

After unleashing the slash, Roger didn't pursue further. He looked at Makima, who was nearly unharmed and asked in puzzlement.

"More or less..." Makima clasped her hands together, and the next moment, a halo of flesh appeared above her head.

From that halo emerged lightning, flames, and a sword. The lightning and fire entwined around the sword, and numerous chains extended from her navel, reaching into the halo of flesh above her head.

"Let me tell you one of my powers."

A sword appeared in her hand, and she said softly, "I have a contract with the Five Elders. Any harm inflicted on me is transferred to the citizens within the World Government's territories. Do you understand what that means?"

Her expression was indifferent and arrogant. "Unless you can destroy this world, no one can kill me."

She moved in an instant. Makima's speed was astonishing; she appeared before Roger in a blink.

But Roger seemed prepared. He swung his sword simultaneously, clashing with Makima's strike head-on.

His face bore a severe expression mixed with a hint of understanding. "So, it's true. At first, I could hardly believe it."

He...

Did he guess it?

Of course, he did.

Or perhaps guess isn't the right word.

Roger's Observation Haki had reached a level where he could analyze everything. When someone used their power before him, his Observation Haki could decipher their abilities.

But the idea of having a contract with the Five Elders was so outlandish that even the well-traveled Roger found it hard to believe.

The citizens within the World Government's territories were all Makima's substitutes!

It was unimaginable. Just how many people are there in this world? How many are within the World Government's territories?!

And all these people were Makima's life force. To kill Makima, one would have to kill everyone.

Who could achieve that?

No wonder Makima was so active when Aatrox appeared. Aatrox wanted to destroy the world and had the power to do so, posing a real threat to Makima's life.

So Makima had to find a way to seal Aatrox!

"Are you in despair?" Makima said calmly as she and Roger clashed. "You guessed correctly. I am both a demon hunter and a 'control demon.' But so what? I have my own goals. Whether humans or demons, they mean nothing to me."

"Your goal...?" Roger thought of the Dead Sea Scrolls mentioned by Toguro and the contents within. He couldn't help but sneer. "Is your goal to destroy half the world?"

"The miko's corpse from Wano should be in the Black Order's underground. Once a monster contacts her, half the world will be destroyed. Is that what you want to do?!"

Makima said softly, "That is not a miko's corpse, but 'Lilith.' Once a demon lord contacts Lilith's corpse, it will trigger a 'World Impact.'"

"World Impact?" Roger asked. "Will it destroy half the world?"

"Not just half. World Impacts have happened twice. The first ended the era of the Four Great Kings and the God's Right Seat, leading to the emergence of the other four demon lords. The second was the so-called war between humans and demons, where someone triggered the second impact, and the Shikon Jewel absorbed the souls of those killed."

Makima patiently explained, "So, you should understand. If such a vast power were directed at specific demons, what the outcome would be."

"..." Roger's eyes widened. This was a power capable of ending an era. If directed at certain demons, no one could survive.

But Makima, as one-fourth of a demon lord, wanted to use the World Impact against demons.

His Observation Haki told him Makima wasn't lying. She truly wanted to deal with the demons.

"This world has too many undesirable elements. If we eliminate 'Hunger,' 'War,' 'Death,' etc., it will become a better place. That is my belief." Makima stepped back, putting some distance between herself and Roger. She looked at him and said softly,

"Now that you understand my intentions, do we still need to fight?"