A warship was slowly approaching the uninhabited island known as the Island of Blazing Hell, the southern border of Trella's domain.
A few days later, news of the war spread throughout the world. Countless newspapers were filled with headlines, and Sal, almost for free, gained enormous experience, although the rate of his further growth significantly slowed down.
— [S-level characters experience normal (negative) emotions towards the host, primary and secondary hostility (surprise), experience gain 12,000]
— [A and B-level characters experience normal (negative) emotions towards the host, primary and secondary hostility (surprise), experience gain 11,400, 131,800]
— [C and D-level characters experience normal (negative) emotions towards the host, primary and secondary hostility (surprise), experience gain 1,298,357, 6,926,802]
— [Total experience: 8.52 million]
— [Level Up: Level 88 (684,308 / 1,700,000)]
In total, nearly 10 million people experienced emotions, not to mention ordinary people who just read newspapers and feel nothing. They are lacking even for food and clothing, so they don't care at all if he becomes the Pirate King.
And Sal received a rich reward. He leveled up five steps, and his three-dimensional characteristics significantly improved again. If he continues to level up two more, nothing and no one will be able to defeat him; his strength will approach the level when he first entered the war at the summit.
Suddenly, Rayleigh interrupted Sal's thoughts.
— Roger, is that the huge battleship with San Juan Wolf?
The enormous movement caught everyone's attention. When Sal and the others found the source of this movement, San Juan had sunk into the sea, leaving behind only a few bubbles that quickly disappeared. It's incredible that a Devil Fruit user can sink into water.
— That's the big guy. If he's here, then is Blackbeard nearby too? — a murderous fury flashed in Sal's eyes.
Blackbeard Teach, the threat he poses will inevitably surpass those like Kaido or Big Mom in the future.
— Rayleigh, finish off Blackbeard's pirates here, don't let these ambitious ones escape!
— If you want to hold them back, I'll be happy to join you. I've just regained my youth and haven't fought at full strength yet.
Rayleigh leaned on the railing, preparing for battle.
The entire ship began to accelerate, quickly moving towards the island, causing Blackbeard's pirates, who were trying to flee, to tense up. Van Augur asked in a panic:
— Captain, the ship is moving too fast, we can't shake it off, obviously Roger wants to hold us all.
— Damn Roger, do you think I, Blackbeard, am that simple?
Blackbeard stopped running, his two fists concentrated the power of vibration, tearing the air on either side, and a terrible vibration quickly spread.
— Ba-a-ng!
— A seaquake…
The sea level dropped rapidly, catching Sal's attention. At the same time, two enormous tsunamis, each 300 meters high, rose on the left and right, crashing toward the ship with destructive force.
These two gigantic tsunamis had no effect on Sal and Rayleigh; only the sailors managing the ship panicked. This catastrophic wave was comparable to the unpredictable weather in the New World.
As the tsunami approached rapidly, Rayleigh gripped his sword more tightly and calmly said:
— How about handling them yourself, or shall we each take a side?
Sal responded with action, moving to the left and leaving Rayleigh the right side.
— Can't you handle this by yourself?
— I'm not yet strong enough to handle this on my own, isn't that a reasonable excuse?
— ...I don't believe you, old man.
Just as the tsunami was about to hit, two piercing beams of sword energy sliced through the wave, splitting the element in two. The sea gradually calmed down afterward, and silence hung in the air. A few seconds later, a heavy rain began to pour down.
The failed tsunami attack forced Blackbeard, who had lagged behind to watch the outcome of his strike, to quickly catch up with his companions and even lead the retreat.
— Damn, it's not the time to fight them today, otherwise, we'll be in trouble.
— Captain, are you alright?
— Shut up...
Sal stood at the bow and raised his sword with one hand, using the remnants of Roger's energy.
— [Level: 88 + 12]
Level 100. Trella felt stronger than ever before. Even Garp and Whitebeard might not be his match at this moment. A shadow appeared from his hand, he swung, and a powerful shock wave swept across the sea.
— "Bagua!" —
A massive crack formed in the sea's surface at Bagua, which couldn't settle for a long time. The powerful shock wave flattened a small mountain and surged straight towards Blackbeard.
— Damn, an air wave.
Blackbeard raised his fist again and sent a shock wave. The two shock waves collided in the air, but this time the air wave, which had always worked, did not meet expectations.
They clashed fiercely for a moment, after which Bagua emerged victorious. Although Bagua's strength had somewhat weakened, it still charged straight at Blackbeard's pirates.
— It can't be...
— "Attack together!"
Several members of Blackbeard's crew were stunned by the tyrant's power, but they reacted in time, intending to repel the attack through combined efforts.
In an instant, blades, fists, and other techniques melded with the weakened shock wave.
— Boom!
The mountain wall collapsed, raising a massive cloud of smoke and dust, even extinguishing the surrounding fire. When Blackbeard and his pirates came into Sal's view, they were all covered in dust and looked rough, but overall remained unharmed.
For the first time, a grim expression appeared on Shiryu of the Rain's face, who was always emotionless and found it difficult to show feelings.
— How is this possible? Is Roger really this strong? …
— Enough talking, run quickly. Roger is strong enough on his own, and with Dark king Rayleigh, it's extremely dangerous.
Lafitte, responsible for reconnaissance, unexpectedly saw something through the telescope that made his face twist in horror.
— Watch out, he's coming again.
Blackbeard's pirates instantly descended into panic. Blackbeard's face reflected a fierce grimness as he clenched his fists again, ready to channel all his vibrational power. Blackbeard was not someone easily intimidated…
Sal could barely make out the opponent using Conqueror's Haki. To prevent the enemy from catching their breath, he immediately grabbed the hilt with both hands, unleashing red energy from it.
In any case, the remaining energy in Ace's sword would only suffice for three full-strength attacks, so it was better to use it against Blackbeard's pirates.
Just as Trella prepared to launch his Conqueror's Haki, Rayleigh suddenly issued a warning. He used a telescope he had produced from who knows where and discovered something unusual happening in the distance.
"Roger, a fleet ship has stopped nearby, and it seems Akainu is leading it."
Upon hearing the news from Rayleigh, Sal was forced to cease the attack due to the sudden interference of the Marines. After all, it was unclear whether Akainu was alone or if he had a crew with him.