Brook's flying fleet hovered quietly above the port of God Valley. The ships remained aloft, neither diving into the Celestial Dragons' palace to plunder nor descending into the chaotic battle below.
This gave Rocks a brief moment of relief. He had feared Brook would seize the chance to strike while he was locked against Coss Davo, swooping in to strip the Valley of the Gods of its treasures. If that happened, everything Rocks had fought for today would be lost.
Perhaps, Rocks thought bitterly, Brook had some sense of honor after all—waiting to plunder side by side rather than stabbing him in the back. For a fleeting instant, he wondered if he had been too quick to plot against the skeleton.
But Rocks quickly hardened his resolve. Honor meant nothing. The Devil Fruits hidden in the Valley were all that mattered. Without them, his cadres would forever remain outmatched by the Hell Pirates, and Brook would continue to overshadow him.
Brook, meanwhile, was not holding back out of kindness. His agents—Stussy, Tianmulan, and the dwarves—were already deep inside the Valley, looting at leisure. The longer he stalled here, the more treasure they could seize.
At the same time, his eye was on the Navy's strongest. Coss Davo's goat-horned demon fruit. Sengoku's Great Buddha fruit. Even the admiral-candidate Youge and the rising star Garp were valuable targets. A single capture could mean another mythical Zoan or a devastating Paramecia for his own ranks.
In truth, Brook had already chosen. The goat-horned demon fruit was perfect for his son, Hades. And Coss Davo was already wounded, his stamina fading. The opportunity was too good to ignore.
"Everyone, prepare yourselves," Brook ordered with a cold smile. "Our hunt today is the black goat, Coss Davo. And if fortune favors us, the Golden Buddha as well."
His crew roared in answer, blades flashing, their Haki crackling in the air.
On the ground, Rocks watched, wary but reassured. Brook's aura and the terrifying pressure of his four great fighters pressed down like storm clouds. Such presence could not be imitated by any ability. The Hell Pirates were here in full. No one had slipped into the Valley ahead of him.
And yet, Rocks himself was drained. Twice he had burned his life force to unleash his clan's forbidden arts. Once he had been struck grievously by Davo's ruthless sneak attack. For more than half an hour, he had been locked in a deadlock, unable to break the admiral's defense.
At that moment, Hiruba landed lightly on Brook's side, whispering into his ear. Brook's eyes gleamed.
Stussy and Tianmulan had already secured a trove of riches. Even more enticing, the Roger Pirates had stumbled into a secret port behind the Valley. Brook could only marvel at the child of destiny's uncanny knack for finding the hidden paths of the world.
And now, reports confirmed Bloody Hand Braver and Iron Fist Garp were closing in. Time was running short.
"Signal Stussy," Brook commanded Antonio. "Tell her to withdraw with what they've taken. The prize is already in our grasp, and we'll be back later for the rest."
He drew the Seven-Star Demon Sword, the blade glowing with bloodthirsty light.
"Yohoho! Rocks, you look worse for wear. As allies, allow us to relieve you of this troublesome admiral!"
Before Rocks could respond, Brook and his four champions dropped like meteors onto the battlefield. In an instant, they swarmed Coss Davo. Steel rang, Haki clashed, and the admiral's body was forced into submission. Within moments, Brook had him pinned, the Seven-Star Demon Sword piercing his abdomen, draining his blood into its cursed steel.
"Yohoho! One down." Brook's voice rang cold. "Now—take Sengoku as well."
Rocks' face twisted with fury. He knew full well Brook's goal: to claim the goat-horned demon fruit for his own bloodline. Rocks had wanted it too, and now the Hell Pirates were taking advantage of his wounds to snatch the prize before his eyes. If not for the Conqueror's Haki pact binding them, he would have turned on Brook then and there.
But Rocks was no fool. He forced a harsh laugh. "Fine, Brook. These scraps are yours. I'll deal with the Celestial Dragons' guards myself. Men—forward! Into the palace!"
With that, Rocks abandoned the fight, charging into the heart of God Valley. His lieutenants followed, leaving the battered navy to the Hell Pirates.
The admirals had no choice. Sengoku and the others surged forward, desperate to save Coss Davo. But it was already too late. Within seconds, Brook and his four fighters had half-crippled the admiral. By the time Sengoku reached them, Davo's broken body was slung over Brook's shoulder.
"Yohoho! A fine prize indeed. That's enough for today. Pull back!"
Redfield and Whitebeard lunged at Sengoku, forcing him onto the defensive. Their blades and fists struck in unison, while Sengoku struggled to maintain his form. He had not expected Davo to fall so quickly, and now the Hell Pirates' fangs were aimed at him.
Just as Sengoku faltered, shadows loomed across the battlefield. The oars of a navy warship darkened the shore. Bloody Hand Braver and Garp descended from the sky with Moon Steps, their fists already hardened in black Haki. Together, they caught Sengoku and dragged him back before Brook's claws could close.
"Yohoho! Very well. One admiral is enough for today. We'll take Davo, and then—straight to the Celestial Dragons."
Brook's laughter echoed across the battlefield as his fleet pulled away. The marines shouted furiously, but their cries faded beneath the roar of the flying ships. Sengoku and Garp could only grit their teeth as the Hell Pirates escaped with their prize.
For the World Government, it was disaster. For Brook, it was triumph.
The Valley of the Gods still blazed with fire and fury, but the balance of power had shifted. One admiral had fallen into the hands of pirates, and the treasures of the Celestial Dragons lay unguarded.
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The Rocks Pirates stormed into the palace complex of the Celestial Dragons, their laughter echoing across the marble halls. Rows of gilded palaces loomed over them, each more extravagant than the last. Some pirates, maddened by greed, were already prying the gold straight from the pillars.
Rocks' eyes widened at the grandeur. Never before had he seen such wealth. Yet he had no time for gold or jewels.
"Search! Find me the Devil Fruits!" Rocks bellowed, his voice shaking the palace walls. "Treasure can wait. Those fruits are all that matter!"
His subordinates fanned out in a frenzy. Captain John, whose love of gold was legendary, clawed through one treasure chamber after another, his face twitching with manic laughter as jewels and coins spilled around him.
Meanwhile, the Celestial Dragons' private guards panicked. Hearing the pirates' shouts draw closer, they barged into their masters' quarters. What they found made their blood run cold. Their Celestial Dragon masters lay unconscious at the door to their treasure rooms, their hoards scattered.
The CP agents trembled with temptation at the sight of such wealth. But fear and loyalty overrode greed. They hoisted their fallen masters onto their backs and fled, abandoning the treasures to the pirates.
Across palace after palace, the same scene played out—Celestial Dragons unconscious, their riches stripped away, their protectors scrambling to escape.
Yet among the Rocks Pirates, frustration soon replaced laughter.
"Not a single Devil Fruit?" Rocks snarled, his aura bursting forth like a storm. "Find the Celestial Dragons. Hunt them down!"
The shockwave of his Conqueror's Haki rolled through the palaces, flattening weaker men and silencing the crew's laughter. Terrified of their captain's wrath, the pirates abandoned their piles of gold and rushed out in pursuit of the fleeing nobles.
Rocks himself turned toward the highest palace at the island's center. His instincts screamed that the most important treasures lay there. He stormed up the steps, his killing intent flooding ahead of him.
Elsewhere, the Roger Pirates had slipped ashore. The sight that greeted them confirmed their suspicions—the Celestial Dragons were fleeing in disarray, their palaces in chaos.
"Rich bastards," Gaban muttered, using his axe to pry a golden ornament from a column. He bit into it, grinned when it proved genuine, and stuffed it into his pocket.
"Roger, we should pull out now," Rayleigh warned, his voice low. "If Rocks or Brook catch us here, they'll think we're nothing but scavengers. This isn't our fight."
But Roger's eyes burned with purpose. "There's something more important here. I can feel it. The voice in my heart is guiding me to it."
Despite their misgivings, the crew followed. Along the way, they passed detention chambers filled with slaves. The crew freed them without hesitation, unleashing chaos within the palace as the freed captives rioted against their captors.
Guided by instinct, Roger ascended to the highest palace. After smashing through wall after wall, he finally reached a hidden chamber. Inside stood a massive stone unlike any other they had seen.
A red Poneglyph.
Roger's hands trembled as he reached out, tracing the ancient glyphs carved deep into the stone. Behind him, Rayleigh unfurled a sheet of paper and pressed it against the surface, quickly rubbing dye across it to capture the inscriptions.
"Red historical text," Roger whispered, his grin wide. "This is it."
The rest of the crew swarmed into the chamber, their arms already heavy with plunder. Yet when they saw the Poneglyph, they dropped their gold without hesitation, filling their packs instead with rarer treasures—ancient scrolls, weapons, and artifacts.
Pirates. For them, theft was survival, not shame.
But before they could escape, a wave of killing intent slammed into the chamber. Roger's vision swam as his Observation Haki screamed danger. Rayleigh stiffened, and Gaban's knuckles whitened on his axe.
"It's Rocks," Rayleigh hissed. "He's here."
Rocks' roar shook the palace. His Conqueror's Haki shattered walls and pillars, his fury so overwhelming that CP agents collapsed in heaps, Celestial Dragons slipping from their arms.
"I'll kill you, Roger!" Rocks thundered, his aura blazing. "You dare steal from me?"
The walls exploded inward as Rocks stormed into the chamber. His eyes blazed with madness, his sword dripping with killing intent.
"Run!" Rayleigh shouted. He and Roger slashed open a wall with their combined sword energy, blasting a path through the palace. The Roger Pirates fled as Rocks' bellow followed them, shaking the heavens.
On the opposite side of the island, Brook's flying fleet descended upon another sector of the Celestial Dragons' palaces.
"Hahaha, what a sight!" Shiki cackled. "This place makes Golden Island look like a pile of scrap!"
Brook raised his blade and barked his command. "We don't have long. The Navy's reinforcements will arrive soon. Take only what matters most. Move!"
The fleet split, raiding different wings of the palace complex, careful not to cross into Rocks' territory.
Elsewhere, Bloody Hand Braver and Iron Fist Garp surged into the palace, colliding head-on with Rocks' men. Steel clashed against steel, Haki flared, and blood stained the marble floors.
In the chaos, the desperate wails of the Celestial Dragons rang out.
"Save us, Navy! Save us!" one noble shrieked, tears streaming down his face, his garments soaked with fear.
The navy officers froze, torn. Do they rescue Admiral Coss Davo, who had been captured by the Hell Pirates? Or do they save the Celestial Dragons, the so-called "gods" of the world?
The choice weighed heavy, and the war raged on.
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