"Okay?"
Rocks and his crew had incredibly sharp senses. This subtle movement immediately caught their attention. They quickly spotted Riven and his four companions peeking out from the alley.
Seeing that they were just a group of kids, the Rocks Pirates immediately lost interest.
Lingling chuckled, "Well, turns out they're just some little ghosts. Are even these little ghosts caught as prey?"
But Rocks held his chin, looking at Riven with interest.
"That kid's interesting. He was eager to fight me just now. After seeing my strength, do you still want to fight me?"
At that moment, Riven no longer cared about Rocks and the others' attention. He gripped his chest tightly, cursing under his breath.
"Damn it, what's happening? Slow down already!!"
Ivankov and the others panicked as they saw Riven's condition, fearing he was "sick."
But Riven didn't feel weak at all—instead, he was filled with a wild excitement. In fact, he now wanted to pick up a brick and beat Rocks himself.
His strength had grown incredibly. He pressed one hand against his chest and grasped the crumbling eaves of the alley wall with the other—so hard that he had crushed it to pieces.
This strange feeling was the first time Riven wondered,
"Is this not my last breath... but something else?"
Meanwhile, Rocks had withdrawn his gaze, only mildly intrigued by Riven. His attention was more focused on the Knights of God led by Saint Garin and Saint Satan, who eyed this place greedily.
Rocks shook his neck and said casually,
"Newgate, why don't you send a greeting gift to those Celestial Dragons?"
Newgate, with his long golden hair, stepped forward. Clenching his right fist, a translucent white halo appeared around it before he smashed it down with tremendous force.
"Crack!"
The sound resembled glass shattering, and cracks spread from Newgate's fist. Instantly, the entire Valley of the Gods trembled as houses collapsed.
This was the power of the Parahuman Tremor-Tremor Fruit, demonstrated to its fullest by Newgate in his prime.
The bear at the back had shielded Riven and the others from the falling debris, blocking collapsing bricks and stones.
But the earthquake had changed the terrain drastically. The bear rolled out, holding Riven and the others, and was buried beneath a pile of rocks.
At the royal palace, Saint Garin ordered the Knights of God to rescue the trapped Celestial Dragons.
Although Newgate's attack wasn't as devastating as Rocks's initial punch, the destruction it caused was far greater. No one knew how many weak Celestial Dragons had died from that punch earlier.
Saint Satan had been holding out as long as he could. He delayed, knowing the Knights of God alone could hardly fight Rocks's crew, especially while rescuing the Celestial Dragons. They needed the navy's arrival.
At last, Admiral Sora led the navy fleet to the scene. Garp shouted,
"Where's that Roger guy!?"
He had been enjoying a vacation. If Sengoku hadn't told him Roger might appear, he wouldn't have bothered.
General Zhan Guo stopped him with a deep voice,
"Forget Roger for now. Look, all the Rocks Pirates are here. Today's trouble is bigger than we thought."
General Zefa looked around at the widespread ruins and frowned.
"That was Newgate's power, right? His destructive strength is terrifying."
Rocks wasn't surprised by the navy's arrival. He looked at the soldiers across from him and sneered,
"Hey, you really are Celestial Dragons' dogs, here to protect your masters, huh?"
The navy was furious, but no one dared respond—because what Rocks said was true.
Cap, hot-tempered as always, exploded instantly. His fists glowed dark with Haki, and in a flash, he appeared above Rocks and his crew.
He swooped down like a comet, his iron fist shining with metal luster and terrifying power aimed directly at Rocks.
"Fist Bone·Meteorite!!!"
Rocks folded his arms lazily, not even looking up. Newgate leapt beside him, colliding mid-air with Garp, his fist wrapped in crackling shockwaves.
Boom!
The roar of their clash shook the skies. The clouds above the Valley of the Gods scattered instantly, letting dazzling sunlight pour down. Rocks grinned brightly.
After the collision, Newgate and Garp separated mid-air, falling back toward their teams.
A pile of rocks shook, and the bear's head popped out. He pushed the rubble aside, revealing Riven and the others safe in his arms.
Seeing those "familiar" faces, Riven's pupils narrowed slightly.
At this moment, Rocks's crew was attacked from both sides—the navy in front, the Knights of God behind—but Rocks remained supremely confident.
Riven didn't think Rocks was arrogant. Though Rocks hadn't shown his full power before, he'd just seen a single punch that forced Satan to use his ultimate form. That alone proved his terrifying strength.
What was more unbelievable was his crew—young Newgate, Linlin, Kaido, and golden lion Shiki with his unruly mane. What a dream lineup!
Whoosh, whoosh!
Several more figures descended. Saint Satan and the Knights of God joined the navy.
As soon as Saint Satan arrived, all the watchers hiding in the town gathered behind him. They were dressed in black suits, standing neatly.
Rocks didn't take them seriously at all. He put down his arms, stared at Saint Satan, and shouted,
"You World Government are so bold! How dare you steal my treasure! Today, I'll not only take back what's mine, but also show everyone who the real master of this world is!"
Saint Satan regained his composure, calmly replying,
"Only the Celestial Dragons are masters of this world. Everything and everyone belongs to them. You are but a lowly pirate."
Not only did the Rocks Pirates feel disgusted by those words, even the sailors behind Saint Satan showed disdain. Only the Knights of God seemed to accept it as fact.
Rocks was utterly disgusted. He waved his hand and roared,
"Come on! I'm wiping all you Celestial Dragons out today!"
Before the battle could begin, Riven called Ivankov and the others aside.
"We're no longer qualified to be spectators. It's time to run."