As Roger and Garp clashed, their respective crews also joined the fray. However, Koa quickly noticed that no one was fighting to kill—neither side displayed lethal intent. Rayleigh and Gaban were holding back, and no blood had been spilled. Nodding to himself, Koa decided to restrain his strength as well.
The battle dragged on for nearly four hours until Koa suddenly sensed something approaching from a distance. His eyes narrowed. Rayleigh, who also detected the incoming presence, abruptly stopped fighting. He recognized the ship.
"ROGER! MARINE REINFORCEMENTS ARE COMING!" Rayleigh shouted to his captain, who was still enjoying his bout with Garp.
Upon hearing this, Roger pushed Garp back, preparing for a swift escape.
"HAHAHAHAHA! ROGER, THIS IS IT! YOU'RE FINALLY GETTING CAUGHT!" Garp roared triumphantly, having also sensed the reinforcements.
"HAHAHAHAHA! DON'T GET COCKY, MONKEY! WE STILL HAVE A TRUMP CARD!" Roger bellowed back, turning to look at Kuma, who gave a subtle nod—he already knew what to do.
The entire Roger crew quickly grabbed onto the ship's railings in anticipation.
Garp noticed something was happening, but had no clue what exactly. He simply watched with narrowed eyes, still confident that Roger had no escape—not this time. After all, the Marine reinforcements were not just any squad. It was Sengoku himself.
Then, in an instant, Kuma activated his power and repelled the entire ship away from the battlefield. In a flash, the Oro Jackson vanished from sight, like a phantom disappearing into thin air.
Garp stood there, eyes wide, completely stunned. His face twisted into a shocked expression—the iconic "Enel face"—as the ship simply ceased to exist before his eyes. The other Marine officers mirrored his disbelief, mouths agape.
Seconds later, Sengoku arrived, having been summoned by one of Garp's adjutants for backup against the Roger Pirates.
"Where are they, Garp?" Sengoku demanded, eyes scanning the battlefield.
"I… I don't know!" Garp answered, still dumbfounded. "Roger just looked at this tall kid—and then boom—they were gone!"
He waved his arms dramatically, trying to illustrate the surreal event.
"How?" Sengoku asked, his expression darkening.
"I'm not sure," Garp replied, this time more serious. "But I'm guessing one of them has a Devil Fruit—and this is the first time Roger's crew has ever used something like this."
---------------
Meanwhile, aboard the Oro Jackson, the crew was laughing and enjoying the thrill of soaring through the air. But as the momentum from Kuma's repel ability began to fade, the ship suddenly started to descend. The fall wasn't dangerous yet, but the drop was quickening.
Reacting swiftly, Koa stomped the deck and used his Earthquake Devil Fruit power to summon a massive wave. The water rose from the ocean below and formed a cushion, gently catching the falling ship and lowering it safely onto the sea's surface.
At the same time, Koa's Observation Haki pinged something familiar—his floating island, where he kept his treasures, was still intact and now heading toward them at increasing speed. He let out a breath of relief, confident nothing had been lost.
"Good job, Kuma!" Roger called out, grinning from ear to ear. "It's nice having you on board. You really saved us from a world of trouble."
"Yeah, good job, Kuma!"
"Thanks for saving us!"
"Nice work, man!"
"Niiice, niiice!"
"Good job, boy. I knew you had it in you," Rayleigh added with a proud smirk.
The rest of the crew echoed their appreciation, clapping and shouting words of praise. Kuma stood in the middle of it all, eyes wide and flustered. Compliments weren't something he was used to—especially not from so many people at once.
"Nice work, Kumacchi," Ginny said warmly, throwing her arms around him in a sudden hug.
"YEAH! Group hug!" Ivankov cheered, joining in enthusiastically.
Koa chuckled and walked over, giving Kuma a firm pat on the back. "You did well."
Kuma just stood there, stiff and red-faced, caught in a mix of awkwardness and quiet joy.
-----------
Life aboard the Oro Jackson settled into a new rhythm.
With Koa having mastered the basics of his Conqueror's Haki and learning to channel it with precision, Rayleigh finally passed the torch to Gaban for his continued development. Gaban, who took the role seriously, no longer held back during their spars. Each clash between their haki-coated axes sent out shockwaves that splintered the air and rocked the deck.
"Don't just brute force it—feel the edge of the air, then cut it!" Gaban barked, as his flying slash barely missed Koa, slicing through a thick boulder Rayleigh had placed on deck as a target.
Koa gritted his teeth and swung his axe. This time, his attack flew straight, riding a path of compressed air and armament haki. The slash met Gaban's midair and clashed, exploding in a burst of wind that made several of the crew stumble.
Gaban grinned. "That's more like it."
Meanwhile, Rayleigh had his hands full with the trio: Ivankov, Ginny, and Kuma.
They fought him together, and still struggled. Rayleigh was too fast, too intuitive, and too merciless in his critiques.
"Observation Haki isn't just for sensing where someone is—it's for feeling what they intend to do before they do it!" Rayleigh said as he flickered behind Ivankov and tapped his shoulder with a stick before he could react.
"I—I almost felt you that time!" Ivankov protested, pouting as he stumbled back.
Kuma, who was improving at a strange pace, began adapting his Observation to pick up not just Rayleigh's movements but also emotional fluctuations. His punches—while gentle in appearance—carried heavy weight, and he'd started using brief shockwave bursts from his paw pads to create openings.
Ginny, on the other hand, used her already active Observation Haki to shoot against Rayleigh with her gun, but Rayleigh kept dodging. She then decided to approach Rayleigh, using her leg martial arts to at least land a hit, but Rayleigh was too strong; they were no match yet.
"You'll get there," Rayleigh finally said, crossing his arms after knocking all three to the ground. "Just keep learning from real fights—not simulations."
As if the universe had heard him, the Oro Jackson's lookout suddenly rang the bell.
"Ship spotted! Flying a pirate flag—skull over an anchor and two cutlasses!"
Roger's grin returned instantly. "Ah? Seems we've got company."
Koa stood beside him, already tightening his gloves and preparing to leap. "Should we take them seriously?"
Roger drew Ace, his sword gleaming with Conqueror's Haki. "We'll let the rookies warm up first. They've been itching for real combat."
Rayleigh turned to the trio and smirked. "Well, you heard the captain. Time for a practical exam."
As the other pirate ship drew closer, eager to challenge the infamous Oro Jackson, Ginny loaded her pistols with a calm breath, Kuma cracked his knuckles, and Ivankov flicked his hair, flashing a wild grin.
Koa, now standing beside Gaban at the bow, gave the approaching pirates a silent, confident look.
The New World was unforgiving—but the crew of the Pirate King wouldn't have it any other way.