"A heads-up! I'm only relaying hearsay, so I can't guarantee the accuracy of this information."
Facing the collective gaze of the monsters, York offered a calm disclaimer.
"Wahahaha! It doesn't matter if it's hearsay! At worst, we just make a wasted trip!"
Rocks laughed heartily, slamming his fist into his palm.
"But if it's true, then half of my goal is already achieved!"
With the Captain's approval, York didn't hesitate. He spilled the details.
"Starting from the island where Marine Base G-5 is located, after the Log Pose is fully charged, one of the needles will point to a specific island. Someone reported seeing a large group of frozen giants there."
"I don't know if these giants are the 'Great Hammer Battle Group' you're looking for, but the report said they were all wearing prison uniforms, and their numbers were vast."
Upon hearing this, Rocks' eyes instantly lit up. Around him, the other executives—Whitebeard, Shiki, Linlin—leaned in with expectant grins.
"Wahahaha! Did you hear that, mates?!"
"The Rocks Pirates! Set sail!!!"
...In a flash, ten days passed.
New World, Marine Base G-5.
Loud alarms screamed through the air. Marine soldiers responsible for patrol and lookout scrambled to their posts, screaming into Den Den Mushis with terrified expressions.
"Vice Admiral! Emergency! Enemy attack! It's the ROCKS PIRATES!!!"
"What did you say?!"
The Base Vice Admiral didn't even have time to step out of the command center.
BOOM!
The massive perimeter wall exploded inward, reduced to rubble in a single strike. Through the breach, a demon charged in.
Rocks D. Xebec.
"Mates! First, grab everything that shines! Then, tear this base down to the foundation!!!"
A horde of pirates, each a monster in their own right, flooded into the base behind him.
York walked at the very back of the pack. By the time he stepped through the breach, the courtyard was already a slaughterhouse.
"Yare yare... are you all in such a hurry?"
York sighed, looking at the bodies piling up.
"But if I don't contribute, I'll look like dead weight, won't I?"
York's eyes narrowed. The air around him suddenly grew heavy, vibrating with a terrifying pressure.
ZZZT!
An invisible shockwave erupted from his body, expanding outward like a dark dome.
Crack! Crack!
The stone ground splintered. Deep within the base, hundreds of Marine soldiers who were rushing to form a defense line suddenly rolled their eyes back. They collapsed in unison, foam at their mouths, knocked unconscious before they even saw the enemy.
The Vice Admiral, a seasoned veteran of the New World, dropped to one knee. He grasped his chest, dripping with cold sweat, struggling to keep his consciousness from fading.
"Con... Conqueror's Haki... Such powerful Haki! Even I almost..."
The slaughter in the courtyard stopped for a brief second. The other members of the Rocks Pirates turned to look at the newcomer.
"This Haki..."
"Is it Rocks? No, the feeling is different..."
"Could it be that kid?!"
"Don't be stupid! How is that possible?!"
How could an underage rookie possess such overwhelming willpower? It was almost comparable to Whitebeard or the Golden Lion!
Rocks paused, squinting at York who stood calmly amidst the unconscious bodies.
"I didn't expect you to have this aptitude, kid! When did you awaken it?"
York smiled, dusting off his coat.
"From the moment I was born and gained consciousness."
"Wahahaha! A natural-born King? You truly are a little monster!"
The raid was brutal and efficient. The wealth of G-5 was stripped clean, and the Marines were annihilated—many finished off by Rocks himself to ensure no witnesses survived.
"Our objective cannot be known by Marineford!"
One day later.
The Log Pose's magnetic force was fully charged. The three needles pointed in different directions.
Left, Middle, Right.
Rocks stared at the middle needle, which was shaking violently, indicating a dangerous island.
"That's the one! Mates! Set sail! Let's find the Great Hammer Battle Group!!!"
Loaded with plunder, the ship set sail once more.
Another day passed. The Rocks Pirates arrived at their destination.
It was a fortress. Five heavy Marine warships patrolled the perimeter. Inside the island's barriers stood towering, industrial buildings completely different from a standard Marine base. On the outer wall, painted in massive warning letters, was the name:
PUNK HAZARD.
York's face showed a hint of genuine surprise. He hadn't expected Rocks to have such incredible luck—picking the right island on the first try.
"Wahahaha! It seems we've found the treasure chest!"
Rocks turned to grin at York.
"Kid! Good intel!"
York smiled calmly.
"Don't thank me yet, Captain. The frozen giants might not actually be here."
There was a gap of several decades between now and Luffy's era. Who knew if the World Government had moved the specimens?
"Wahahaha!"
Rocks waved his hand dismissively.
"It doesn't matter! Mates! Charge in! Plunder everything! Kill everyone! Turn this place upside down!!!"
"OOOOOOOHH!!!!"
The roar of the crew shook the waves.
Shiki the Golden Lion was the first to move. Levitating with his Float-Float Fruit, he shot over the leading Marine warship. He drew his twin blades, Oto and Kogarashi.
SLASH!
With two swift movements, the massive steel warship was sliced into four clean pieces, sinking instantly.
Whitebeard stood at the bow of the pirate ship. He pulled his fist back and punched the empty air.
CRACK!
The atmosphere shattered like glass. The shockwave traveled instantly, obliterating the island's perimeter defenses and sending concrete towers crumbling into the sea.
Charlotte Linlin, riding on the thundercloud Zeus, cackled as she flew over the facility. In her hand, she gripped the fireball homie Prometheus.
"Heavenly Fire!"
She threw the small sun downwards. A terrifying explosion of flames engulfed a battalion of Marines gathering in the plaza.
York stood on the deck, watching the three future Emperors display their power. He chuckled softly.
'Were they provoked by my Conqueror's Haki yesterday? Are they showing off to put the rookie in his place?'
'Such childish behavior.'
The pirate ship docked. Rocks led the charge, followed by the rest of the bloodthirsty crew.
York strolled off the ship last, leisurely walking into the inferno. He had no interest in competing with them for kill counts.
"Holy Light Shine!"
A second sun seemed to rise over the battlefield.
Marine soldiers who had miraculously survived the initial bombardment looked up. Through the smoke and blood, they saw York radiating a pure, white light. To their desperate eyes, he looked like a savior—a holy child descending from the heavens.
But then, their eyelids grew heavy. An overwhelming, unnatural drowsiness swept over them.
"Sleep," York whispered, his voice cutting through the sounds of war. "As long as you sleep, the pain will end. This is just a nightmare. Everything will be fine..."
Those Marines, who were trying to stand and fight out of duty, found their will melting away. They slowly closed their eyes, collapsing softly to the ground.
Their breathing slowed, then stopped. They were forever immersed in the dream, unable to wake up.
"Slumber of Death."
An alternative use of York's Happy-Happy Fruit.
Sleep is a form of happiness, after all. Eternal rest is the ultimate release from suffering.
"Fighting and killing is so unpleasant. I am kind-hearted; I cannot bear to see bloodshed."
Strolling through the hellscape created by Shiki and Whitebeard, York stepped over the corpses with his characteristic smile.
"I'm granting you all a painless, peaceful end. In your next life, don't join the Marines in the New World."
"How much do they even pay you? You'd be better off catching petty thieves in the East Blue."
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