One piece :Nox ( Before Dawn)

— Augustus D. Sal —

— Age: 26 —

— Level: 71 (76702/450000) +20 —

— Strength: Peak (Overall) —

— Endurance: Highest Level (Vice-Emperor) —

— Agility: Highest Level (Vice-Emperor) —

— Devil Fruit: None —

— Skills: Pinnacle —

— Armament Haki: Highest Level (Blessing) —

— Observation Haki: Peak (Sound of All Breathing Creatures) —

— Conqueror's Haki: Peak —

— Weapon: Ace —

— Points: 97879 —

The greatest blade "Ace" was originally a gift from Roger to Ace. In the hands of Ace, a child with Roger's blood, this blade is capable of amplifying power, akin to Kozuki Oden's sword, "Enma ," which contains remnants of royal will.

The current wielder is, essentially, another puppet of Roger. The memory of the power imbued with conquers haki, left by Roger, is still alive within him. He can fully unleash its potential.

Sal, holding the blade at the execution platform, flared with royal will, strong and merciless. The peak royal will did not affect the crowd, but descended upon the four people standing on the platform.

To fully unleash the power of peak royal will requires both body and spirit to work in harmony, and Sal was already prepared for this.

Two of the executioners were thrown by the force of the conquers haki, falling off the platform. Even the edges cracked, but although Sengoku and Garp staggered, they only slightly shifted their shoulders. Yet disbelief was frozen on both of their faces. Garp, rising, stared at Sal. He was stunned and couldn't recover for a long time.

"Impossible, how could Roger be you? You should have died long ago," Garp muttered to himself.

Sengoku wasn't as dramatic as Garp, but his face twisted with horror. Everything had changed in the most unexpected way. Damn Roger wasn't dead.

"Damn it, Roger! You are a relic of a bygone era, you should have perished long ago. Why do you appear again? And with Rayleigh! How much chaos do you want to unleash upon the world before you surrender?" Sengoku growled.

As old rivals who had fought Roger for decades, they knew his conqueres haki well. Clones are comparable in strength to the originals, but only externally.

Experience and changes in the soul influence the awakening of conqueres haki. Even Roger's Clone, living a life of a recluse, would never have been able to awaken it.

Moreover, every person undergoes a unique journey, which ultimately reflects in their royal will. And the conquers haki that Sal just demonstrated was exactly the same as Roger's, with its power instilling fear.

Having ensured that everything was going according to plan, Sal discarded "Ace." While there were no executioners on the platform, the execution would be postponed. And Sengoku wasn't foolish enough to take on that task himself. Therefore, Ace was not in any danger for the moment.

Sal turned to the waiting Rayleigh.

"Rayleigh, let's have some fun."

"You are such a stubborn captain. I'm afraid I don't have the strength to dance with you till the end. But today, I, the old man, will accompany you to the very finale."

Rayleigh lifted the corners of his lips. His conqueres haki , equal in strength to Roger's, had already clarified everything. Whatever Sal's mysteries might be, this time Rayleigh would stand shoulder to shoulder with his captain.

They both raised their heads, and their fighting spirit clashed with Sengoku.

This scene was broadcasted worldwide through Den Den Mushi, so everyone following the battle at Marineford could see it. No one suspected that this scene would go down in history.

Why did Sal come into view? We have Buggy to thank for this.

Buggy commandeered three broadcasting Den Den Mushi, using one to brag and the other two to broadcast the war. Sal appeared quite frequently on one of these, which was exactly his intention.

Unfortunately, the last Den Den Mushi was intercepted by the Marines, and its broadcast was cut off, leaving one of the three screens black.

Mr. 3 had deliberately arranged for the broadcast to favor the pirate side, causing many observers of the war to sense that something was amiss.

Ordinary viewers did not notice anything unusual, but those with peak strength, supreme rulers with peak royal will, understood everything.

For example, Kaido, the Emperor of Beasts, intended to attack Whitebeard's territory on his way to Marineford but was stopped by the persistent Shanks, and after an intense battle, they retreated. Now, he could only watch the broadcast with gloom, awaiting Whitebeard's death.

"Can conquerors haki really be used like this?"

Kaido scratched his chin, pondering. He had always placed great importance on will, but today's battle made him doubt that Shanks' conquerors haki was stronger. In previous encounters, they had been equals, but now he felt a slight suppression.

Besides Kaido, who was lost in thought, there was another person who noticed it. The Red-Haired Pirates, having just fought with the Beasts Pirates, were heading to Marineford on their flagship. Shanks was stunned to see Sal's peak conquerors haki . At 37, he was still developing. His royal will had almost reached its peak, lacking just the final touch. Perhaps in less than a year.

And in Shanks' memory, there was only one person who could demonstrate such power — his former captain.

"What is happening?" "Can a clone really be that strong?" Shanks whispered to himself.

Whitebeard also noticed Sal's use of conquerors haki , but his attention was quickly drawn to his son, who suddenly appeared before him. It was Squard, the giant spider-like figure assigned to guard the rear.

Meanwhile, Sal and Rayleigh began breaking through the enemy lines, moving across the frozen harbor surface straight toward the execution platform. Moving like a storm, they swept everything aside in their path. The Marines proved powerless against them.

Of course, the Marines wouldn't allow them to break through so easily. Soon, two officers cloaked in capes appeared to stop them: Vice Admirals from headquarters, Sterles and Dalmecia. Dalmecia, spotted like a Dalmatian, lunged at Rayleigh, while Sterles with a samurai sword attacked Sal.

"Aah..." groaned Dalmecia, retreating while clutching his stomach. He exchanged three blows with Rayleigh and was already seriously wounded.

The clash between Sal and Sterles was even more decisive. Sal's peak Observation Haki allowed him to foresee the future, enabling him to easily dodge the sword.

Then, not allowing his opponent to withdraw and counterattack, Ace, now blackened and crackling with black lightning, effortlessly sliced through the sword, cleaving Sterles in two.

"Aah..." was all Sterles managed to whisper before leaving this world forever.

He killed a headquarters Vice Admiral with a single stroke, creating an atmosphere of intimidation that forced the surrounding Marines to step back several paces. Fear was etched on their faces.

Sal's actions almost made Sengoku forget about command and join the fray himself. He couldn't allow Roger to act with impunity. Fortunately, someone had long been watching this dangerous pair.

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