Twilight was drawing near, and the setting sun, like blood, dyed the vast desert a crimson hue.
Sitting on the wall of Alabasta's capital, Alubarna, Rorschach gazed down at the endless desert before him, his thoughts gently stirring.
Crocodile was dead.
Ultimately, he hadn't been captured and sent to Impel Down after his failed attempt to usurp Alabasta.
Even if Vivi hadn't acted, Rorschach would have killed him.
He didn't want to see Crocodile have some kind of "dragon's field enlightenment" in Impel Down, undergo a transformation in prison, and then return to the seas a few years later, creating a Cross Guild that specialized in hunting Marines.
Undoubtedly, Crocodile possessed the potential to become a great pirate.
He and Moria might have seemed like the two most unsuccessful Shichibukai, but they were also among the rare pirate rookies on the sea after Roger's death who dared to challenge the maritime overlords.
Compared to Jinbe, who willingly became Whitebeard's son, Hancock, who collapsed at the mention of the Celestial Dragons, and Doflamingo, who broke out in a cold sweat at the thought of Kaido, Crocodile, who dared to challenge Whitebeard, and Moria, who dared to confront Kaido head-on, were the most courageous silver medalists.
Perhaps it was precisely for this reason that the World Government still extended Shichibukai invitations to them, even after their failures.
Ever since joining the Marines, Rorschach had been trying to change some predetermined bleak futures.
For instance, daring to eliminate a Celestial Dragon in Sabaody, which led the World Government to decide to seal off the passage to the New World, cutting off the fresh blood supply to pirates.
Exposing the Okama Paradise in Impel Down, which could potentially trigger an Impel Down breakout.
Recommending Shiryu to Akainu.
Eliminating Vasco Shot.
Or what he did in Enies Lobby, Water 7, Spring Queen City, Mock Town, and Skypiea—all of which, more or less, would influence the future's trajectory.
What Rorschach wanted to do was to strengthen the Marine forces as much as possible while weakening the pirate forces.
At the same time, he would exert his utmost effort to empower himself, facing the enemies standing at the peak of the ocean in his strongest form.
These enemies referred not only to Whitebeard, Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, Shanks, and others.
They might also include the Five Elders above him, and Imu, who was suspected to have lived for eight hundred years.
To contend with these individuals, he absolutely couldn't do it alone.
That's why he constantly sought to win over and recruit others to join him.
From Law at the very beginning to Enel now.
Gradually, Rorschach also discovered that as a result of his actions, some established trajectories of this world and the fates of some individuals were also changing.
For example, this premature war in Alabasta was due to Daz Bonez's death in Spring Queen City, which caused Crocodile to launch his kingdom-stealing plan early.
Originally, according to the normal timeline, Crocodile's plan would have officially begun three years later, shortly after Luffy set sail.
But now it had been brought forward by a full three years.
As his thoughts drifted, a loud shout from Pamir suddenly echoed from the ground below the cliff.
"Attention everyone! Enemy sighted! Prepare for battle!"
The giant's roar broke Alubarna's calm, startling the kingdom's guards standing on the city wall with weapons in hand, who all looked towards the distant desert horizon.
Rorschach also followed their gaze and saw shadowy figures appearing where the desert and sky met under the dim sunset.
The leading figure was especially massive, appearing like a towering giant even from a thousand meters away, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
The figures were numerous, stretching into a vast expanse, like a black tide, rapidly surging towards them.
Perhaps hearing Pamir's loud cry, Cobra and others, who had been worried about Moria's attack, immediately rushed up from below the city wall and came to Rorschach's side.
"Vice Admiral Rorschach, is it the Shichibukai Moria?"
Rorschach remained seated on the wall bricks at the edge of the battlements, his snow-white cape flapping wildly in the twilight wind.
He nodded, "Yes, it's Gecko Moria. It seems he's brought all his subordinates. He must truly hate me."
Cobra stared at the vast, rapidly approaching figures in the distance and suggested, "Vice Admiral Rorschach, let my Royal Guard also join the Marine's battle. Pell and Chaka are also Devil Fruit users; they can surely help you."
"Thank you for your kindness, Uncle Cobra. However, help won't be necessary. Moria and the pirates from the Flower Country are here for me. Don't worry, I don't take these people to heart. My people are very strong."
Rorschach declined Cobra's offer.
In front of the royal city, on the desert ground below the cliff, Law and Hibari, along with their Marine soldiers, formed a square formation, waiting intently for the enemy to approach.
Enel and others were also among them.
Rorschach had no intention of intervening in this battle.
He sat quietly atop the battlements, overlooking the impending battlefield below.
Warriors needed battle to improve themselves.
Hibari, who had gained the ability of the Cloud-Cloud Fruit, also needed battle to hone her new abilities.
And Enel needed to adapt to combat in the Blue Sea.
Apart from being somewhat afraid of Rorschach, this guy usually maintained an arrogant demeanor, nose in the air, acting like he was the coolest.
Of course, a strong opponent like Moria would likely not only fail to curb Enel's arrogance but might even reverse its growth, making him even more boastful.
Thump! Thump! Thump! The earth trembled, the ground resounding with a dull, drum-like thud.
On the piled-up sand dunes, the sand slid down with a rustling sound due to the intense vibrations.
Under the stunned gazes of Pamir and others, a colossal giant, over sixty meters tall, with two sky-piercing curved horns on its head, red skin exposed all over its body, and a large hole in its distended belly, holding a broadsword over thirty meters long, walked before them.
This giant was so immense that the height of its head alone was close to the top of the city wall where Rorschach and Cobra were.
Its golden long hair flowing behind its head, its hollow right eye, and the thick, stark white bones exposed all over its body, all filled people with awe.
"So huge! What kind of monster is that? Pamir, even you wouldn't reach his thigh! We're… we're going to be crushed!" Bepo looked up at the mountain-like Oars, his bear fur standing on end.
Pamir's eyes were wide with shock, his lips trembling.
"De… Demon! There's no mistaking it, this is the largest variant giant among our giant race, the Demon Race, capable of moving mountains and transporting nations, just as my parents told me! So, such giants truly exist in this world; I thought it was just a story."
Hibari's small mouth was slightly agape in amazement, "So big, much bigger than ordinary giants."
Enel took a bite of his apple, then casually glanced at a plump figure sitting inside Oars's broken belly. "Strange Blue Sea people; they have such a structure. Can they not die even with such injuries? I wonder if they'd die if struck by lightning?"
"That's a zombie. The Shichibukai Gecko Moria creates immortal beings from corpses and living shadows. Oars the Devil is a corpse that died many years ago. It's said his cause of death was freezing to death because he was too big and never wore clothes."
Law stepped forward, drawing his cursed sword, Kikoku.
"Kishishishishi, kishishishishi! Marines, can you tell me where that brat named Rorschach is?"
From Oars's open belly, Moria's bloated figure emerged, looking down from above at the Marine soldiers before him, his fanged mouth spread into a grin, his voice chilling.
Beside him, dense footsteps sounded as countless warriors, armed with swords and spears, appeared.
Amidst the dense crowd, an angry voice also roared loudly.
"Marine Rorschach! Come out and die!"
"Arrogant! If you want to lay hands on a Vice Admiral, you'll have to get past us first!"
The warriors, unwilling to be outdone, drew their swords and revealed the well-equipped Sky Island dials on their bodies.
"As a Shichibukai, openly attacking a Marine Headquarters officer, Gecko Moria, do you want your Shichibukai title revoked by the World Government?" Hibari snapped.
"Hm?" Moria's eyes widened, staring intently at Hibari's small figure, gritting his teeth, he said hatefully, "I remember you, you're that Marine brat who got promoted after killing Absalom. Kishishishishi, later I'll cut off your shadow, making you wish for death but unable to find it!"
With that, he scanned the crowd with savage eyes, trying to find Rorschach's whereabouts.
At that moment, a faint voice came from the city wall, clearly echoing in his ears.
"Unlawfully trespassing into an affiliated country and attempting to attack a Marine, Moria, do you know what crime that is?"
Moria suddenly looked up at the sound and saw Rorschach, dressed in pure white, sitting atop the city wall.
The moment he saw Rorschach, a surge of brutal killing intent uncontrollably erupted from his body. Large swathes of shadows appeared from behind him, directly spreading towards Rorschach.
"Rorschach brat! I'll butcher you, butcher that woman, butcher all the Marines here, and turn them all into zombies, to avenge Absalom!"
"What's your hurry? Are you rushing to be reborn? I haven't even had a word with our other guests yet."
Rorschach watched the vast shadows spreading towards him with an indifferent gaze, showing no intention of acting.
Enel threw away his apple core, scoffed, and flicked the core dozens of meters away, where it landed on the rapidly spreading shadows.
Boom! A thick bolt of lightning ripped through the twilight sky, illuminating the faces of countless people on the field, instantly blasting the surging shadows on the ground into countless fragments.
Moria was startled.
But what surprised him wasn't Enel, who had produced the lightning, but the familiar figure hanging on the wall below where Rorschach sat, illuminated by the lightning.
"Crocodile! How is this possible?"
Moria stared in shock at Crocodile, who was impaled through the chest by a black war halberd and nailed to the wall, his heart trembling.
For a moment, he didn't know what to do.
Crocodile was dead! Just a few hours ago, he had even spoken to him on the phone.
What on earth happened here? Why did Crocodile die? And in such a miserable way.
Rorschach, however, ignored Moria, who was stunned by shock, and looked down at the large group of people standing on the sand beside Oars the Demon.
There were over two thousand people in this group, packed together in a dense, dark mass, appearing to be robust fighters.
The leading men and women wore long robes, jackets, and lantern pants, wielding naginata, and were staring at him with murderous eyes.
"And who are you all?" Rorschach calmly inquired.
"We are the Happo Navy and the Sappo Navy of the Flower Country! I am Sai, the current leader of the Happo Navy!" Sai held a naginata, pointing it at Rorschach and roaring, "Marine Vice Admiral Rorschach, you killed my grandfather Chinjao and took our Flower Country's national treasure, the Dragon Drill, for yourself! I've come to demand blood for blood and reclaim what belongs to us!"
Sai glared at Rorschach furiously.
He never imagined that his grandfather, who had just gone on a distant trip, would be reported dead in the newspaper.
To avenge Chinjao, Sai agreed to a marriage alliance with the Sappo Navy, marrying the daughter of Sappo Navy leader Boo, a large and robust tomboy. He also promised to give Boo half of the treasures hidden in the Happo Navy's iceberg vault after successfully avenging Chinjao.
This time, he and Boo, along with two navies totaling two thousand elite warriors, disregarded the king's advice and left the West Blue, coming to the Paradise to hunt Rorschach.
Standing beside him was a strong man over three meters tall with a large beard, who was Boo.
A powerful pirate whose strength was no less than his grandfather Chinjao's.
"Marine brat! Where is our national treasure, the Dragon Drill?! Hand it over now!"
The bearded strongman, Boo, roared at Rorschach, his eyes wide like copper bells.
Rorschach pointed at the black war halberd at his feet, which was impaling Crocodile, and said faintly, "This is it. Come and get it."
No sooner had he spoken than the sand beneath Boo's feet shattered. His strong body, like a cannonball, transformed into a black blur, whistling and shooting towards Rorschach.
With Boo's charge, the previously silent battlefield instantly ignited.
"ROOM! Amputate!"
Law's left hand instantly unleashed a swirling blast of air, expanding several hundred meters, enveloping Boo, who had just shot into the air.
As Law hooked his finger, Boo, who was airborne, frowned. He clenched his fist, and a gleaming black sheen immediately appeared on the surface of his powerful body.
Law's expression became serious, "Armament Haki!"
This man named Boo had very thick Haki; no wonder his ability couldn't move him.
However, Law's reaction speed was remarkably fast. Seeing that he couldn't move Boo, he changed his hand motion to an upward flick.
The ground below cracked with a grinding sound, revealing a square block of earth, dozens of square meters in size and weighing tens of tons.
The square block of earth instantly appeared above Boo, casting a large shadow, and slammed down with a thud.
This was the unreasonable nature of the Ope Ope no Mi.
As long as he had enough stamina, Law could theoretically move a mountain into the air.
"A Devil Fruit user? Mere dirt! Eight-Impact Fist! Nail Punch!"
Boo slammed his fist down, shattering the falling block of earth in mid-air, blasting it into countless swirling dust and dirt, engulfing him.
Although the earth block was shattered, it successfully halted his upward momentum, causing this strongman from the Flower Country to fall from the sky.
"Kill!"
Pamir roared, charging out bare-handed, leaping forward to pounce on Oars's right leg.
As a giant, he knew better than anyone that the weakness of tall individuals was their unstable center of gravity.
As long as they damaged the opponent's legs, this behemoth would likely lose its combat ability and become a mass of flesh for them to slaughter.
"Kill them!" Hibari also shouted, tapping her foot. Her small figure, like an arrow, shot out dozens of meters in an instant, directly charging towards the stunned Moria.
Two hundred Marine soldiers charged out, not spreading too far apart, but forming combat sub-groups of three to five people, like gears, biting into their opponents.
In an instant, the special products from Skypiea—the Breath Dial, Flame Dial, Impact Dial, and even the more powerful Reject Dial—were all used at once.
Various attack methods, completely unknown to the Flower Country warriors, caught them off guard.
In just a brief exchange, over a hundred people screamed and fell.
"Wipe out these Marines! Avenge Commander Chinjao!"
"Kill! Kill them all! Avenge General Absalom!"
Behind Oars, over a thousand ragged zombie warriors charged forward with strange cries.
The three factions instantly became entangled in battle, like three different colored torrents crashing into each other.
The two hundred Marine soldiers, surrounded by over three thousand enemies, seemed about to be engulfed and swallowed by the black tide of people.
Rorschach still showed no intention of entering the fray.
Boo glanced at Rorschach, a grin spreading across his face, and was about to leap again when a figure flashed behind him. Law, gripping his cursed sword, Kikoku, suddenly appeared and slashed at his back neck.
Arcing electricity crackled along the long sword, emanating a dangerous aura.
"Gamma Knife!"
"You damn Marine brat! Then I'll finish you first! Eight-Impact Fist!"
Boo sneered, turned, and slammed his fist into Law's slashing Kikoku.
Clang! Amidst a deafening clang, Law's Kikoku vibrated incessantly, struck by a violent force that sent it flying high, almost slipping from his grasp.
"Haha, die!" Seeing Law's wide-open guard, Boo stepped forward and punched at Law's chest.
A terrifying concussive punch erupted from his Haki-covered fist, blowing away the sand on the ground.
If he were hit by this punch, the consequences would undoubtedly be severe.
Just as the massive black fist was about to strike Law's chest, he surprisingly released his grip on Kikoku, and with a wave of his hand, slammed a ball of lightning into his own heart. Black Haki surged around his fist, his entire body instantly swelled by a circle, his black hair standing on end. With a wild posture utterly different from his usual calm, he met the punch.
"Great Buddha Impact! Vajra Pestle!"
(End of Chapter)
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