Chapter 160: Cole and Rocks
"Hey, hey! Cole, this is way more than just 'a bit loud,' huh?" Whitebeard muttered, glancing up at the sky.
A massive, glowing, emerald-green sphere—nearly a kilometer in diameter—floated overhead. Ellis had warned them there would be a commotion, and Whitebeard had mentally prepared himself. But he hadn't expected something of this scale.
"It's huge… But I'll protect Han-ge no matter what," Cole said with determination, though even he was taken aback. A flicker of concern crossed his mind. Surely, by now, many had sensed the phenomenon and were on their way—but he wasn't about to let anyone get near Luo Han .
Whoosh! A figure zipped through the sky with a series of sonic booms—it was Rocks, flying at high speed, steadily closing in on the massive sphere.
Before long, Rocks arrived at the front of the sphere. He hovered in place, scrutinizing it, and a flicker of confusion flashed in his eyes.
"This… feels strange," he muttered softly.
Even with Observation Haki, he could only sense that it was a large, glowing mass brimming with life energy—but there was nothing inside. Nothing tangible.
Step step… The Fleet Admiral and Garp arrived at nearly the same time.
"Rocks…"
They stopped on either side of him in the sky, eyes locked on him. They were confused—why wasn't he making a move? But since he wasn't attacking, they didn't either.
After all, neither of them knew what this "thing" really was. Their job was to keep a close eye on Rocks.
"What is this orb?" Garp asked, puzzled.
At that moment, the green sphere stopped growing. The island's glow dimmed, returning to its natural moonlit state, as though the sphere had drawn in all the green light.
"Something's happening," Rocks noted, eyes lighting up as he focused intently on the orb.
"Haha! So this is what you've been after all along, Captain Rocks?" Golden Lion's voice chimed in. He had just arrived behind them, curiously eyeing the orb.
Rocks frowned and shot him a cold glare. "You bastards have no right to call me captain."
Golden Lion just chuckled and didn't mind. He stared at the giant sphere for a while, trying to see what Rocks might have noticed—but he saw nothing out of the ordinary.
"Is there something I'm missing?" Golden Lion wondered silently, and continued to observe.
Down on the mountainside, Whitebeard let out a sigh of relief and whispered to Cole, "Good thing that orb's so big—they haven't noticed us yet. Just a little longer…"
"Yeah," Cole nodded, eyes focused—not on Rocks, but scanning the surrounding area. After all, powerful foes could sense the slightest changes.
Below the mountains, most of the high-ranking combatants had arrived. Since the glowing sphere floated high above, no one had climbed the mountain yet—meaning Whitebeard and Cole remained undetected for now.
Roger's crew had also arrived. Seeing Rocks floating in the sky, Roger frowned and turned to his crew. "Rayleigh, you guys stay here. I'm going up to keep an eye on Rocks. Watch the Celestial Dragons and the navy below. Whatever this mysterious thing is, we can't let them have it."
Seeing Roger so serious, Rayleigh and the others replied just as gravely, "Go, we've got this."
Roger grinned and clapped Rayleigh on the shoulder. After a grateful glance, he launched into the air with Moonwalk, arriving near Garp.
"That bastard Roger finally makes a move," Garp noted to himself. Since they'd arrived, Roger's crew had simply waited—was this what they were waiting for?
"Is that what this is all about?" he wondered, glancing at the massive orb.
Time ticked by, and now everyone had gathered at the mountain's base.
"Lady Divine Tree, is it ready?" Cole asked, his voice trembling.
Even Whitebeard looked tense, hoping for reassurance. But there was none. Cole—who always faced things calmly—was shaking. That alone showed just how critical the situation had become.
Under the moonlight, Whitebeard could clearly see that everyone—marine and pirate alike—was staring at the glowing orb. If Luo Han wasn't revived soon, they would be discovered. Observation Haki from the crowd below was starting to sweep the area. It was strange they hadn't been found already, but the pressure was becoming unbearable.
Finally, Ellis ended her prayer-like trance and said softly, "It's ready. I'll start channeling the light into Luo Han 's body now. It'll be quick, but you must make sure no one interrupts."
"Understood!"
"Got it!"
Cole and Whitebeard responded simultaneously, tensing for any incoming threat.
"Then here we go. Draw!" Ellis whispered. She placed both hands on Luo Han 's chest, over his heart.
Suddenly, the massive green orb in the sky began to funnel downward—as if someone had grabbed its neck and was forcing it through a narrow opening into Luo Han 's chest.
From below, Rayleigh and the others saw the orb form a giant funnel. The tip of the funnel extended to the mountainside—and the sphere began shrinking rapidly.
"That's odd… I think someone's there," Jaba said, frowning as he sensed a vague life presence near the mountain's midpoint. It was hazy—he had never encountered something like it before.
Above, Rocks and the others didn't see the funnel due to their angle—but they definitely felt the change. The orb was shrinking—and fast.
Soon, when it shrank to just fifty meters in diameter, Rocks and the others finally spotted Whitebeard, Cole, and Luo Han —who was absorbing the glowing orb.
For a moment, Rocks was dumbstruck. Then something clicked. "No—this is bad!"
Whoosh! He darted toward Luo Han to stop the absorption. Even before he arrived, he flung his fist forward—launching a powerful white energy beam straight at Luo Han .
In that instant, a massive figure leapt into the air and took the hit head-on—absorbing the full brunt of the attack. It was Cole. His body distorted with space-time ripples as he blocked the blast. Not a single strand of energy escaped to disturb Luo Han , but Cole paid the price—his body shredded and covered in blood as he fell from the sky.
Rocks didn't stop. As soon as the first strike was blocked, he continued toward Luo Han , flying past the still-falling, bloodied Cole.
Just as he was about to reach Luo Han —
Whoosh! Whitebeard, who had been prepared for this moment, sprang into the air and intercepted him with a thunderous punch.
"You dare block me, Newgate?!"
"Mountain—Fist!!" Rocks roared, using his energy-draining ultimate move once again. Their fists collided midair.
Boom! As expected, even Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit and Haki combo could only stall the white beam momentarily. The force continued downward toward Luo Han .
At that very moment, the massive green orb completely vanished—absorbed into Luo Han 's chest. Thud! Ellis collapsed on top of him, gazing up at the blinding white beam with a serene smile.
Just as the beam was about to strike Luo Han —less than half a meter away—his charred, pitch-black eyelids suddenly snapped open.
His eyes—those unmistakable, protagonist-style eyes—flashed with a piercing, icy light.
(END CHAPTER)
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