Chapter 103 Darkness
[New World G-5 Base]
After returning from the Summit War, the name of Suzheng was feared throughout the world. At this moment, in the G-5, the sea breeze was blowing, the military flag was flying high, and a heart-pounding murderous atmosphere permeated every inch of steel.
On the training ground in the center of the square, the sun was scorching and the ground was soaked with sweat.
Rhett's upper body was naked, his muscles were as hard as iron. Every time he swung his punch, the air was stirred up. Haki and iron fist blended together, making the heavy alloy target in front of him roar and vibrate.
"Bang--!!"
The pure steel target base was dented and cracks spread like a spider web.
The sweat fell to the ground and was instantly evaporated by the high temperature.
There was an unquenchable obsession burning in his eyes.
——Summit War fought Joz alone, and although he did not lose, he did not win either.
——When Garp attacked in anger, he failed to stop him immediately.
This feeling of powerlessness almost made him feel so guilty that he couldn't bear it.
Since returning from the war, he has been training with Enel and Shiryu almost every day, and he never stops even when he is covered in wounds.
At this moment, he sensed a familiar breath approaching.
He slowly retracted his fist and turned around. The sharpness in Lei Te's eyes instantly turned into respect: "Boss."
Rogge stood in the sun, his cloak fluttering, his eyes indifferent but reaching straight to the heart.
"Leite..."
His tone was calm, yet it carried an irresistible authority.
"Do you want to eat fruit?"
The air suddenly stagnated.
Rhett's pupils shrank slightly, and his knuckles turned white from the exertion.
He was silent for a long time, and finally spoke in a deep voice:
"Boss, I... don't want to rely on external things."
"What I lack, I should make up for with my fists and Haki."
Rogge took a step closer, smiled slightly, and said in a deep and powerful voice: "Rhett, you are wrong."
"This world is never fair! The strong are never shy about using any means to become stronger—instead, they strive to control all the power they can control!"
Rogge stood in front of Rhett, slowly raised his hand, and took out a dark red Devil Fruit from the space ring under his military robe.
The fruit seemed to be burning with a dark red light like magma, and the spiral patterns on its surface were flowing with mysterious power. It beat slightly like a heart, and each pulse brought a heart-pounding feeling of oppression.
The air seemed to tighten.
Rogge's eyes were deep as he spoke slowly, "This is—Zoan·Mythical Beast·Titan Giant Ape Fruit." (This was exchanged for the accumulated Judgment Points of the system, and it is the only one in the world.)
"The ultimate behemoth from the age of myth, a legendary ancient ape said to have traversed continents and shattered mountains with a single blow. Its power is close to that of a god."
Rhett's body shook violently and he clenched his fists tightly.
Just by standing in front of this fruit, he could feel the blood in his body boiling as if along with the breath of the fruit!
Rogge continued, "Consume it, and your Haki, Taijutsu, and flesh and blood strength will completely merge with the power of the great beast—carrying the Kamui of the Great Ape in a human body!"
"This is—real 'evolution'!"
"It's not about compromise, but about letting your fists truly possess the power to 'tear apart the world'!"
Rhett's Adam's apple rolled, his eyes fixed on the fruit, and his muscles tensed unconsciously.
A thought flashed through my mind——
The scene where Garp's iron fist smashes the execution platform;
The back of Rogge who single-handedly suppressed the battlefield;
The feeling of powerlessness when I throw a punch, always falling short;
He slowly raised his head, and the hesitation in his eyes turned into determination.
"I understand, Boss."
He walked forward slowly, stretched out his right hand which had long been sharpened into iron and stone, and took the fruit without hesitation!
The moment he took the fruit, Haki surged unconsciously and resonated with the fruit.
Rogge looked at him calmly and said calmly:
"Reiter, don't forget, your fist never intended to turn back."
Rhett was shocked, and a sharp light suddenly appeared in his eyes.
"No need to say more, Boss."
"These fists will be used to completely shatter this broken old world!"
Rogge smiled slightly, turned around and left, leaving only a sentence echoing in the scorching sun:
"From today on, you will be the heaviest punch among the three giants of rectification."
New World - Unknown Island
The setting sun was like blood, staining the beach of the nameless island.
The waves hit the rocks, splashing foam mixed with blood.
Luffy slumped down at the foot of the rock wall, his left arm hanging at his side, his straw hat torn, his eyes blank.
Nami huddled by the campfire, her short orange hair disheveled and her weather stick broken in two.
Chopper's antlers were broken, and he cried silently while holding the medical kit.
Zoro's blade sank into the sand, leaving only one of the three blades.
Usopp's sniper rifle was twisted and deformed, the empty sleeve of his left arm fluttered in the wind, and his face was as gloomy as iron.
Robin, the only one standing, glanced at everyone and finally looked at the red-haired group.
Beckman puffed out a cigarette and broke the silence: "What are your plans next?"
Robin was silent for a moment, his voice hoarse: "We need time... to recover."
Lucky Roux bit into the fleshy leg and mumbled, "Recover? How can you recover? You don't even have a boat now."
The Red Hair Group's sniper position was empty - that was where Yasopp should have been. Many years ago, the always smiling Shinsō fighter was blasted into a bloody mist by Rogge's air cannon.
Robin took a deep breath and looked at Shanks: "Mr. Shanks, Luffy..."
Shanks raised his hand to interrupt, put his one arm on Griffin, and strode towards Luffy who was slumped on the beach.
Shadows descended, and Shanks' voice boomed like thunder:
"Monkey D. Luffy!"
Luffy slowly raised his head, his eyes were so empty as if his soul had been taken away.
Shanks grabbed his collar and lifted him up:
"Look at what you look like now? A puddle of mud?"
"Ace is dead, Garp is dead, so what?"
"Your crew is still alive! Zoro, Nami, Chopper, Usopp, Robin—they're still waiting for you!"
Luffy's pupils twitched slightly, but he still didn't react.
Shanks threw him to the ground, sending gravel flying:
"You think you're the only one who lost someone important?"
"Did I ever cry like you did when Captain Roger died?!"
"Did I ever give up when East Blue broke his arm?!"
He drew out the Griffin and placed the blade against Luffy's throat:
"Either stand up now, or—I'll finish you off myself before you dishonor this straw hat!"
Luffy stared at Shanks, the numbness in his eyes gradually being swallowed by some deep darkness.
"Shanks..."
"Why did you give me the straw hat back then?"
Shanks narrowed his eyes. "Because I see Captain Roger in you."
Luffy suddenly laughed, his laughter hoarse like a devil:
"Roger...huh."
"His time is over, and so is Garp's time..."
"Now, it's my turn."
His left fist suddenly clenched, and spider-web-like cracks appeared on the beach. Even more strangely, his skin began to ooze out strange black lines, spreading across his body like a living thing.
"Rogge...World government...Celestial Dragons..."
"I'm going to crush them all...!"
Conqueror's Haki erupted, but it wasn't the transparent airwaves of the past—instead, it was a pitch-black mist that swallowed up all the light around it like an abyss.
What's even more terrifying is that the outlines of distorted smiling faces vaguely emerged from the black fog, as if countless demons were grinning in the fog.
Usopp was horrified to find that Luffy's shadow was twisting unnaturally, like torn rubber;
Robin's archaeological knowledge instantly reminded her that this was very similar to the "awakening of the devil" recorded in historical texts;
Shanks's Observation Haki suddenly tingled, and he seemed to see a "black figure" wearing a straw hat grinning behind Luffy;
Beckman dropped his cigarette. "This isn't just any Haki... This is..."
Shanks held Griffin tightly, his eyes flashing with an unprecedented seriousness.
Luffy slowly stood up, black lines covering half of his body.
He looked down at his left hand, his fingers opening and closing.
"Snap!"
The sound of air being squeezed.
He looked up at the red-haired man, his mouth wide open in an exaggerated and weird smile:
"Shanks..."
"I want this world to..."
"You're laughing even happier than me!!"
Shanks took a half step back, shock flashing in his eyes: "What is this...?"
Usopp stared at Luffy's back, his one arm slowly clenched - he remembered that he had clenched his fist in the same way the day he learned that his father was killed by Rogge.
Zoro finally drew his sword, his eyes ablaze with blood.
Nami and Chopper hugged each other, trembling but determined.
Robin walked behind Luffy and whispered:
"Captain, we should leave."
Luffy raised his dark eyes and looked towards the distant horizon:
"I will master... the power to destroy everything!"
In an instant, an unprecedented terrifying aura burst out from his body!
It was no longer pure Conqueror's Haki, but was mixed with a black fog as dark as the abyss, as if even the light was swallowed up.
That is——
"The will of the king in darkness...?"
Shanks' expression changed drastically, and he seemed to hear the whispers of ancient gods in his heart.
He tightened his grip on Griffin, and for the first time, real wariness showed in his eyes.
"Nika's Light..."
"It no longer exists?"
At this moment, dark clouds covered the sky and the wind howled, as if a new storm was about to sweep across the world.
[Dark Nika]——Awakened quietly in endless pain and despair!
The Red Hair Group was silent.
Shanks put away the Griffin and turned away:
"Go find Rayleigh, he'll help you. I'll help you keep the Marines at bay."
"The new era...is about to change."