When the Rocks Pirates' massive ship arrived at God Valley, both Garp's Navy warships and Roger's pirate crew had already reached the island.
"Hahahahaha! Garp, are you here to stop us?" Rocks stood proudly at the bow, laughing wildly as his voice echoed over the waves.
"Rocks, you're planning to attack the Celestial Dragons. The World Government will never allow it. I'll stop you right here," Garp replied firmly, his expression like iron.
"Hahahaha! Then come at me! Let's see how you plan to stop me!"Rocks waved his arm, signaling his crew to move. Countless pirates charged forward, but the main officers—the true elites—stayed back.
Rocks noticed their hesitation but didn't care. As long as he defeated Garp, the others would fall in line. He knew most of them didn't truly follow him—they followed power. And Rocks had plenty of that.
Thinking this, he leaped from the ship and landed before Garp with a thunderous crash.
"So, the Navy's teaming up with pirates now?" Rocks sneered when he saw Roger standing beside Garp.
"Any means is worth it if it brings you down," Garp shot back. He didn't mind working with Roger this once. He knew Roger wasn't the kind of pirate who slaughtered and plundered for fun.
As Rocks engaged Garp in an earth-shaking duel, Kaoru Tsubasa and his companions watched from their ship. Around them stood other giants of the sea—pirate leaders like Rayleigh, and Navy elites like Bogard—each eyeing the other warily.
"How about a little warm-up fight?" Golden Lion Shiki grinned, gripping his twin swords eagerly.
"Mamamamama! Shiki, if you want to fight, do it yourself. I'm busy eating," Charlotte Linlin said with a giggle, biting into a piece of cake.
"Tch, how boring."Seeing no one interested, Shiki shrugged, headed below deck, and pulled out a bottle of rum instead.
Newgate and his men had no intention of joining the battle either. If Rocks lost to Garp and Roger, they would retreat immediately.
Kaoru, too, didn't move. He intended to wait until Rocks fell—then he'd slip away with the rest and complete his system mission cleanly.
But then—
[Ding! The system has issued a new mission: Challenge the strong — battle Rayleigh, Vice-Captain of the Roger Pirates. Reward: 1000 Sword Skill Points and 1000 Spirit Points.][Note: This task is optional.]
"System… this kind of temptation isn't fair," Kaoru muttered, grinning despite himself.
A thousand sword skill points and a thousand spirit points—something that would take ages to earn through training.
"Trying to get rewards for free? No way," the system's voice teased in his mind.
With a smirk, Kaoru drew his blade from his waist and leapt from the ship, landing gracefully on the battlefield below.
"I've heard that the Vice-Captain of the Roger Pirates is a master swordsman," he called out, his voice sharp as steel. "Today, I'd like to test that reputation."
"Why did Kaoru go down there?" Newgate frowned, but didn't move. Kaoru had asked him to protect Kaido, after all. He probably had his own plans.
Across the field, Kaoru pointed his sword toward Silvers Rayleigh.
"Hahahaha, Rayleigh! That kid wants to spar with you!" Jabba said with a grin.
Rayleigh smiled faintly. "So be it. Let's teach him a lesson."He leapt down from Roger's ship and drew his sword in a smooth motion.
"Rocks Pirates, bounty—one million berries. Speed Sword Ghost, Kaoru Tsubasa."Kaoru's blade shimmered with black Armament Haki as he introduced himself, his presence crackling with confidence.
"Hahaha, Roger Pirates, bounty—ten billion berries. Silvers Rayleigh."Rayleigh's tone was calm, but he didn't even coat his blade in Haki.
Kaoru noticed immediately—Rayleigh was underestimating him. To Rayleigh, a pirate worth one million berries was barely a footnote.
"One Sword Style: Spinning Dragon!"Kaoru swung his blade, releasing a spiraling black dragon of sword aura that roared toward Rayleigh.
Clang!Rayleigh countered with a flying slash, dispersing the attack effortlessly.
"Under the Moon—Release!"Kaoru's lightning seal flared open. Purple armor of energy spread across his legs, doubling his speed, boosting his strength, and sharpening his sword skill to frightening levels.
Rayleigh's expression hardened. He could feel the rising threat.
"One Sword Style: Sword Return!"Kaoru's body blurred. He attacked in rapid succession, his slashes merging into a storm of steel—but Rayleigh weaved between them easily, using advanced Observation Haki.
"One Sword Style: Devil-Locking Blade!"Kaoru roared. Dark red chains burst from the ground, binding Rayleigh, while dozens of flying swords materialized and streaked toward him.
"What a strange ability… are you a Devil Fruit user?" Rayleigh asked, glancing at the chains.
"Who knows?" Kaoru grinned, hurling the swords forward.
Boom!A pulse of invisible power exploded outward, shattering the blades and chains alike. Kaoru froze. That pressure—he recognized it instantly.
"Conqueror's Haki…" he muttered. "As expected of the Vice-Captain of the Roger Pirates."
Then, a similar aura erupted from Kaoru himself—fierce and overwhelming.
Rayleigh's eyes widened. "You… also possess the Haki of a king?"
Onlookers were stunned.
"I didn't expect that brat to have Conqueror's Haki…" Garp's aide Bogard muttered in disbelief."Gurara! Kaoru really surprised us this time!" Newgate laughed heartily.Even Golden Lion Shiki looked impressed, swirling his rum. "Didn't think the kid had it in him."
Rayleigh smiled faintly. "You've fought long enough, boy. My turn."He gripped his sword tightly, channeling Armament Haki, and unleashed a massive black slash toward Kaoru.
"Spiritual Skill—Assist: Sword Blessing!"Kaoru's sword darkened as power surged through it, his Haki flaring like a storm.
"One Sword Style: Starry Sky!"Countless beams of sword light converged into a single, colossal slash that clashed with Rayleigh's.
BOOM!The explosion shook the entire shore. When the smoke cleared, a massive crater split the battlefield between them.