Rocks, who had been thrown directly into the dark light pillar, did not dissipate into countless points of light as everyone had expected.
Instead, beneath the illumination of the black light, the muscles on Rocks' numb face began to twitch.
A trace of struggle appeared across his expression.
The emptiness in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a sharp and fierce light.
His self-consciousness had returned.
The moment his consciousness recovered, Rocks immediately understood his current situation.
His brows furrowed.
Then, an overwhelming Conqueror's Haki erupted from his body, far more powerful than before.
Rocks' Conqueror's Haki had reached the level where it could take tangible form. Black and red lightning intertwined around him, rapidly condensing into a spherical shield that completely enveloped his body.
The next instant, Rocks let out a furious roar.
Relying on the powerful defense of his Conqueror's Haki, he forcibly broke through the dark light pillar and escaped.
Lucia and the other two Admirals immediately changed expressions.
This was bad.
At the same time, all three mobilized the power of their Devil Fruits, preparing themselves for Rocks' counterattack.
However, Rocks once again did something that none of them expected.
After breaking free from the dark light pillar, he did not immediately attack Lucia and the other two.
Instead, he stood upon a white flame cloud, silently staring at the heart-sized mass of black mist on his chest.
He remained motionless for several seconds.
Then, the corner of Rocks' mouth slowly curved upward.
He raised his head and looked toward the surging darkness high above.
Within that endless darkness, Joy Boy and Lloyd were engaged in a battle that would determine the fate of the world.
The terrifying fluctuations spreading from their confrontation caused even Rocks, the Pirate overlord who had once dominated an entire era, to feel a faint sense of trepidation.
A complicated expression flashed through his eyes.
"You helped me break free from control, but you never thought about controlling me yourself?"
Rocks gave a low chuckle.
"How ironic. And the person doing all this is actually a Navy officer. Oh, right, he's also a Celestial Dragon. This is truly too interesting..."
While Rocks was speaking, Lucia had already launched her attack.
Her sword flashed.
Enhanced by the power of the Mythical Zoan Fallen Angel Devil Fruit, Lucia's speed had reached a level that was almost impossible to distinguish with the naked eye.
In an instant, she appeared directly in front of Rocks.
As someone personally raised and trained by Lloyd, Lucia could be said to embody Lloyd's influence from the inside out.
She had inherited his calculating nature in battle.
Whenever an opportunity presented itself, she would seize it without hesitation and catch her opponent off guard.
Unfortunately, this time, her opponent was Rocks, the Pirate overlord who had once overshadowed an entire era.
The greatest improvement Rocks had gained after recovering his self-consciousness was not his Conqueror's Haki or Armament Haki.
It was his Observation Haki.
Rocks' Observation Haki had also reached the realm of seeing the future.
Moreover, his ability to perceive the future was even more far-reaching than Katakuri's.
The instant Lucia entered his range, Rocks' body reacted instinctively.
He raised one hand and slapped Lucia's sword blade aside.
At the same time, his other hand clenched into a fist and shot toward Lucia's abdomen.
If that punch had landed, even Lucia's powerful physique as an awakened Mythical Zoan user would have suffered severe damage, and recovering from such an injury in a short period would have been extremely difficult.
However, Rocks did not actually strike her.
At the final moment, his clenched fist suddenly opened.
The terrifying punch transformed into a palm strike that directly pushed Lucia away.
Lucia flipped through the air several times before stabilizing herself and returning to the space between Aokiji and Aramaki.
The two Admirals immediately moved forward to check on her condition.
That exchange had genuinely startled them.
Everyone in the Navy knew how important Lucia was to Lloyd.
If something happened to her while the three of them were fighting together, then even if Lloyd did not blame them, the three Admirals themselves would never forgive their own negligence.
Lucia slowly shook her head.
Her beautiful eyes remained fixed on Rocks in the distance.
"I'm fine. It's that Rocks. He's a little strange. He doesn't seem to intend to continue fighting us."
Aokiji raised an eyebrow.
"What? That guy seems to have regained consciousness. Could he be planning to run away?"
Aramaki rolled his eyes at Aokiji from the side.
"Use your brain, blockhead. He was summoned by Joy Boy. He's already someone who died once. What would he gain by running away? And I heard some rumors about Rocks within the World Government back then. He doesn't seem like the kind of man who would run from a fight."
Aramaki paused before adding sarcastically,
"Do you think he's Roger?"
Aokiji had long since become accustomed to Aramaki's occasional sarcasm.
He automatically ignored the insulting part of the statement, nodded, and said,
"That makes sense. But we still can't lower our guard. Pirates are pirates. The probability of finding gold in a cesspool is lower than the probability of a meteorite striking a planet. Saint Lloyd told me that."
"Oh? Saint Lloyd said that too?"
Aramaki's eyes immediately lit up.
"Oh my! As expected of Saint Lloyd! What a golden saying! You blockhead, why didn't you tell me about such a classic line earlier? This is something that deserves to be spread throughout the entire Navy!"
"..."
Even Aokiji, who admired Lloyd to an almost unreasonable degree, was left somewhat speechless by Aramaki's exaggerated reaction.
The most troublesome part was that Aramaki was not even pretending.
He genuinely meant every word.
Lucia spoke at that moment.
"Stop talking. That guy is coming this way."
Hearing this, Aokiji and Aramaki immediately became serious.
Frosty air spread from Aokiji's body.
Emerald-green vines emerged around Aramaki.
At the same time, a deep-purple Flame of Desire ignited once again along Lucia's sword.
Rocks stepped through the air several times, using several white flame clouds left behind by Joy Boy as footholds.
In a few movements, he arrived directly in front of Lucia and the other two.
Seeing the hostility in their expressions, Rocks waved his hand.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm not your enemy anymore."
Lucia frowned.
"Rocks, what exactly do you want to do?"
Rocks grinned.
His smile was wild and filled with the unmistakable excitement of a battle-hungry pirate.
"What do I want to do?"
He looked toward the distant darkness above.
"It's rare to have the chance to walk this world again. Of course, I have to enjoy a good fight!"
The instant Rocks finished speaking, Aramaki attacked.
Eight thick, pitch-black wooden spikes erupted simultaneously, shooting toward Rocks from different directions.
Rocks' gaze narrowed.
He threw a single punch.
Boom!
The terrifying force shattered all eight wooden spikes at once.
Aramaki was about to continue his assault when Lucia suddenly raised her hand and stopped him.
If Aokiji had made such a gesture, Aramaki might not have paid much attention.
But when Lucia gave the order, Aramaki immediately transformed into a loyal soldier and followed it without hesitation.
This did not mean that Aramaki had any special feelings toward Lucia.
It was purely because, in his eyes, when Lloyd was not present, Lucia represented Lloyd's will.
As far as Aramaki was concerned, she was one of the only two people in the Navy whom he would obey without question.
After stopping Aramaki, Lucia continued staring at Rocks.
She had already vaguely understood what Rocks intended.
Slowly, she asked,
"Are you going to fight Joy Boy?"
The smile on Rocks' face widened.
"That's right!"
His voice became heavier.
"That bastard named Joy Boy actually dared to manipulate me like a puppet!"
Rocks' eyes flashed with fierce killing intent.
"I am Rocks!"
Crackling!
Dense black and red lightning suddenly erupted from his body.
Conqueror's Haki surged into the sky with overwhelming force, shaking the surrounding clouds and causing the air itself to tremble.
The Pirate overlord who had once dominated an entire era had returned.
Rocks had returned.
=≠=
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