"Whitebeard! Where do you think you're going?!"
Garp seized a massive boulder—over ten times his own size—and hurled it effortlessly toward Whitebeard. In his hands, it weighed no more than a feather. Driven by monstrous physical strength, it shot forward like a meteor descending from the heavens.
But with Fleet Admiral Kong now leading World Government reinforcements to the battlefield, the situation had turned dire for the pirates.
Whitebeard, though still burning with battle lust, had already strained his body from excessive use of the Gura Gura no Mi. With a casual swing of his blade, he split the incoming boulder in half. Casting Garp a sideways glance, he turned without another word and charged toward the island's center.
"Don't think you can escape! Today, one of us dies!"
Garp's eyes were bloodshot.
His body bore numerous wounds—inflicted when Whitebeard's quake powers had torn apart his uniform and ravaged his flesh. Yet more astonishing were his fists.
His legendary fists.
They were stained with blood.
Compared to the injuries across his body, the damage to his hands was minor—but this was Garp. A man renowned for his iron fists. Those fists could sink an island into the sea with ease.
Sengoku, panting heavily nearby, suddenly realized—
His old friend's state of mind was unstable.
"Garp! Stop!"
A booming voice from afar halted Garp in his tracks.
Fleet Admiral Kong had arrived.
Landing beside Garp at incredible speed, Kong seized the trembling man by the shoulders, forcing him to steady himself.
He understood exactly what Garp was feeling.
Days of accumulated fury had erupted all at once.
He needed an outlet.
That was why his battle with Whitebeard had escalated so violently.
Garp had fought with reckless ferocity, forcing Whitebeard into a corner—until the latter responded in kind, unleashing the full force of the Gura Gura no Mi.
And at the root of it all—
They both knew the cause.
"Fleet Admiral Kong!"
Sengoku dispelled his Buddha transformation and stepped forward.
"…Rocks," Kong muttered. "That man is no easy opponent."
As he spoke, his eyes sharpened.
"Prepare yourselves! The war that follows will decide the fate of these seas!"
He raised his voice.
"For the honor of the Marines—for Justice—we will leave Rocks here today!"
"Yes, sir!"
The reinforcements had arrived in overwhelming force.
The World Government had deployed over one hundred thousand troops.
Nearly the entirety of the Navy, Army, and Air Force's strength had been mobilized. Even more than half of the Government's elite forces were present.
This was the largest war since the founding of the World Government.
Their enemy—
Was unprecedented in brutality.
Defeat was not an option.
"So the Holy Land is ruled by demons…"
A self-mocking smile curved across Roldi's face.
The very World Government he had once served—
Was nothing but this?
How irritating.
The full moon hung high overhead.
The rage in Roldi's heart surged once more.
By now, the black pillar of light unleashed by Rocks had drawn nearly every major force on God Valley. Pirate captains arrived one after another, staring warily at Rocks atop the platform.
Allied forces of the Rocks Pirates gathered nearby.
Agents of the World Government and Marine soldiers appeared as well, fear etched across their faces—yet they stood behind the Five Elders regardless.
The battlefield grew heavy with killing intent.
"Gahahahaha!"
Rocks suddenly threw his head back and laughed.
"What a crowd! All the people I want dead are here at once! But is this really all you've got? You five fossils must not think much of me!"
Still laughing, he drew a pitch-black pistol from his coat.
Roldi blinked in confusion.
He had always found it strange—his captain carried two pistols and two swords at all times. He even unconsciously flashed the number two with his fingers during conversation.
Did he just really like the number two?
"Do not rush, vile pirate," Saturn sneered. "Today, you shall perish. In our mercy, we grant you a few more breaths."
With all five assembled, they feared no one—save perhaps that one sovereign above them.
They even possessed a final trump card capable of turning the tide instantly.
One Rocks D. Xebec?
Hardly worth mention.
Perhaps Saturn had conveniently forgotten how he'd been beaten down moments ago.
"Enough of your preaching," Roldi cut in coldly. "Wrapped in black smoke, calling yourselves gods who rule the world? You're nothing but inbred relics. Look at you—bloated faces and rat-like features. Where's the dignity of a god?"
His words were venomous.
So venomous that the Five Elders quite literally began emitting black smoke from their seven orifices.
Not metaphorically.
Literally.
"What a sharp tongue, boy," Saturn replied coldly. "No wonder you were Garp's disciple. I hadn't expected Zephyr, of all people, to raise a student like you…"
A strange smile formed on Saturn's lips.
The look in his eyes unsettled Roldi.
"Those eyes of yours…"
Roldi clenched his teeth.
Then he looked up—
At the full moon.
In an instant, crimson devoured his pupils.
His fur exploded outward.
His body swelled violently.
Within seconds, he entered his Sulong form.
Fifteen meters tall, he shoved Rocks aside with sheer mass. The pirate overlord stared at him as if admiring a priceless treasure.
"Old fossil! I'll rip those disgusting eyes out of your skull!"
Roldi roared.
Without waiting for any further plan from Rocks, he kicked off the ground.
The platform shattered beneath him.
The mountain of treasure behind him scattered from the shockwave. Gold and jewels flew in all directions.
Rocks reacted instantly. A flicker of darkness flashed from his hand—half the treasure vanished into his dark space.
The rest rained down around the battlefield, immediately triggering a chaotic scramble among the Rocks Pirates.
Rocks didn't bother stopping them.
He had no time.
Because in his enraged state—
Roldi had already lunged straight at Saint Jaygarcia Saturn.
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