It wasn't just the central battlefield.
The outer regions of God Valley began shaking as well.
From the earth—
Gigantic black roots burst upward one after another.
They pierced through Marines and World Government soldiers alike, skewering hundreds in an instant.
From a distance, the entire island looked like it had grown countless writhing black tentacles, dancing wildly in the wind.
On the surrounding islets—
Those who had been preparing to flee froze mid-step.
"What?! Wasn't Romu already defeated?!"
"How are there even more vines now?!"
"And they're stronger than before!"
"This looks like some kind of giant tentacle sea monster!"
"Look over there! That one's impaled over a dozen bodies!"
"This must be the Rocks Pirates' final counterattack…"
"It's impressive—but if it's just Romu alone, how can he win? The Navy still has all its top forces!"
"Right. There's no way one man can take down the entire Navy and World Government."
The onlookers argued fiercely.
In fact, because the battle had grown even more catastrophic, more spectators had gathered rather than fewer.
In their hearts—
Romu's reputation had already surpassed Whitebeard's.
But almost all of them believed the same thing:
The Navy would win.
Romu was simply making his last stand.
Only one person stared in silence—
The "Lonely Red."
His lips trembled slightly beneath the gold chain at his collar.
"Romu… absorbed Rocks?"
"And became this strong?"
His Observation Haki was among the finest in the world.
The moment Romu resurfaced—
He had sensed it.
Romu hadn't just survived.
He had devoured Rocks.
And he had personally witnessed Kong, Garp, Roger, and Sengoku's combined attack being blown away.
In his judgment—
Romu hadn't even gone all out yet.
He had casually unleashed a massive battlefield-wide technique while fending off four apex fighters.
Terrifying.
Inside the Flower-Tree Realm, however—
The Marines' experience was far worse.
"Damn it! These vines won't cut!"
"Mine too! Even with Armament Haki they won't break! My blade's chipped!"
"They're stronger than before! Three-man teams! Break through together!"
"Colonel! The outer perimeter forces report they can't hold much longer!"
"Tell them to figure it out! I don't want casualty numbers—I want victory!"
Moments ago, some of these same Marines had been imagining promotion ceremonies and celebration feasts.
Now—
They were fighting for survival again.
The difference from before?
These vines were several tiers stronger.
The outer units—especially weaker Marine and World Government troops—
Were being slaughtered outright.
Sakazuki barked harsh orders, telling them to handle it themselves.
There was no choice.
They were barely holding on here as well.
Meanwhile—
The pirates who had been moments from annihilation were laughing in disbelief.
"Captain Romu… he's this strong now?!"
"He blew back Kong and the others! That's beyond Rocks!"
"We can win! We might actually win!"
"Marines! Now it's our turn! Kill!"
The tide shifted violently.
Marine casualties began rising at nearly the same pace pirates had fallen earlier.
Not far away—
Tsuru's eyes were nearly splitting with fury.
"Damn it!"
"I never imagined Rocks would boost Romu this much! He shattered all four of them at once!"
Zephyr clenched his fists.
"Whitebeard and Shiki can't fight anymore."
"We reinforce Kong now—or the Navy bleeds out!"
They launched forward without hesitation.
Beneath shattered stone—
Whitebeard watched them go.
He knew exactly how strong those four were.
Even the weakest could fight him evenly.
Two together? He would lose over time.
Three? He would fall quickly.
Four?
He might not last even a few exchanges.
And yet—
Romu had casually blocked their combined strike.
Whitebeard was certain of one thing.
Romu had surpassed Rocks.
Shiki said nothing.
His mind was blank.
One strike.
Four apex combatants repelled.
His thoughts couldn't process it.
Back at the center—
Kaido, still wrapped in banana leaves and hanging from a branch, stared wide-eyed.
Before this, he had worshiped Romu—
But still believed Romu was "admiral-level."
Even absorbing Rocks, perhaps peak admiral-tier.
But this?
One blow pushing back four supreme fighters.
Kaido's worldview shattered.
"Captain Romu… this is insane…"
In his heart—
Romu had become something beyond mortal measure.
Kong, Garp, Sengoku, and Roger burst free from the rock face.
They weren't seriously injured.
But their caution had reached a new height.
Zephyr and Tsuru arrived.
"You're just in time," Kong said grimly.
"Romu is no longer something four of us can handle."
Even hearing it directly stunned them.
At that moment—
The wooden giant moved.
Each step shook the earth.
Romu stood atop its shoulder.
"Prepare for battle."
Kong's voice was sharp.
Romu's eyes flicked toward Zephyr and Tsuru.
"Oh?"
"Two more?"
No fear.
No arrogance.
Just calculation.
He spread his arms.
"Awakened Armor: Impaling Forest."
The trees throughout the jungle convulsed violently.
From their trunks—
Hands burst outward.
Thousands of them.
Each palm tipped with black thorns—
And packed with explosive pollen.
"Don't fight a war of attrition!" Sengoku barked.
"Push forward! Kill him!"
"Advance while blocking!"
Kong ordered.
The thorn barrage launched.
It darkened the sky.
Explosions ignited midair.
Tsuru stared in disbelief.
Romu's current offensive output dwarfed what she had seen before.
Garp and Roger moved first.
Their Haki erupted.
They blasted a path through the thorn rain.
"Push through!"
They charged.
Kong's muscles swelled.
Garp and Zephyr's fists blackened.
Sengoku transformed into his golden Buddha.
Roger raised Ace and slashed repeatedly.
Six apex combatants—
All-out.
The earth sank beneath their pressure.
Even the surrounding sea churned violently.
Whitebeard and Shiki held their breath.
This was no probing attack.
This was a kill strike.
Romu did not underestimate it.
The wooden colossus opened its abyssal mouth.
An orange light gathered instantly.
In less than a breath—
It swelled to the size of a hill.
Romu raised his arm—
And slashed downward.
The wooden giant fired.
The orange sphere tore through space.
The air warped visibly around it.
Like ripples spreading across water.
The two forces collided—
No explosive thunder.
Just—
An invisible shockwave flattening the entire forest.
Everything within kilometers was erased.
And yet—
The orange sphere did not dissipate.
Instead—
It split.
Dozens—
Hundreds—
Thousands of fist-sized orange projectiles exploded outward.
Marine casualties surged again.
"This is impossible!"
Kong's face darkened.
The first time, they hadn't used full power.
This time—
All six of them had gone all out.
Even Kong, Garp, and Roger believed this level could destroy Rocks.
And yet—
Romu erased it.
Too strong.
Far beyond expectation.
Far away—
In Mary Geoise—
The Five Elders watched through Den Den Mushi projection.
When the six-man assault failed—
Their expressions changed.
"That six-man strike couldn't suppress him?"
"What level has he reached?"
"He's touched… domain power."
A silence followed.
"Do we intervene ourselves?"
"No."
The elder in kimono pointed toward the circular altar in God Valley's projection.
"Imu-sama left something there."
"It was meant for the traitor Rocks."
"But it seems a commoner absorbed him instead."
The others stilled.
Then slowly—
Their concern faded.
"I see."
"As expected of Imu-sama."
"Then this farce ends soon enough."
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