When I was at my most lost, you extended a hand.
I chose to serve under you, carving out a place with my own fists.
And now, risking my life to save yours—
We no longer owe each other anything.
It all happened too fast—so fast that no one could react.
Roldy had already dragged Rocks D. Xebec out of the very center of the blast zone.
But the attack of Uranus was no ordinary bombardment.
The power unleashed upon God Valley was enough to shatter the entire island. The thirteen beams of light bent midair as if guided by will, curving toward Rocks once more.
Yet Roldy's intervention had bought him the most crucial moment.
On the brink of life and death, Rocks forced himself to regain clarity. Armament Haki Coating enveloped his entire body, instantly annihilating the remaining sandworms binding him.
Facing the thirteen godlike beams descending from the heavens, Rocks' eyes widened in fury.
"Obliterate!!!"
Darkness surged around him.
The Dark-Dark Fruit was pushed to its absolute limit. Before him formed a shield-like construct—yet on closer inspection, it churned like a vortex.
It was a black hole.
Endless devouring force pulled at the thirteen beams. Rocks went all out, throwing every last method he had into defense.
Everyone held their breath.
The thirteen beams collided with the black hole.
Or rather—
They were swallowed by it.
The terrifying power of the Dark-Dark Fruit greedily consumed the immense energy, like a ravenous beast unconcerned with bursting from excess.
More.
More.
All of it.
The attack of Uranus exceeded everyone's imagination.
The thirteen blue beams continued for a full three minutes.
Even Rocks gritted his teeth. Veins bulged across his forehead. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
He was nearing his limit.
Finally, Uranus seemed to reach its threshold. The beams visibly shrank—from the thickness of ancient trees to the width of a man's waist. The oppressive force lessened.
The others regained mobility.
But Rocks still dared not relax.
Even the remaining energy could severely wound him.
"HAHAHA! You've shown an opening, Rocks! Now it's my turn!"
In this situation, even the Five Elders hesitated to approach the residual power of Uranus, despite their near-immortal bodies.
But on a battlefield this vast—
There was always someone foolish enough.
The Commander of the World Government Army, Richard, burst into laughter.
He transformed into his Ancient Zoan form—
Ushi Ushi no Mi, Ancient Model: Sky-Piercing Rhinoceros.
A thick layer of Armament Haki coated his massive horn. Steam blasted from his nostrils as he charged forward in wild excitement.
Like a living tank.
At full power.
At maximum speed.
Thrust!
His sharpened horn pierced through Rocks' abdomen.
Rocks had been focusing entirely on countering Uranus. Even someone as arrogant as him could not evade an Admiral-level strike in that moment.
The pain of his body being impaled shot through his brain.
His concentration faltered.
The remaining thirteen beams, finding their outlet, smashed through his collapsing defense and blasted toward his chest.
But in a twist of fortune—
Richard, in his overexcitement, jerked his head.
What should have pierced Rocks' heart instead tore away his right arm.
Rocks survived—
At the cost of a limb.
No one expected the tide of battle to shift so suddenly.
Among the three commanders of the World Government's armed forces, the least remarkable—Richard—had delivered a decisive blow.
This ambush was flawless.
He had reduced the strength of a hegemon like Rocks by more than half.
Richard could already envision it—
After this war, glory would be his. Honors and accolades would shower upon him. He would surpass Fleet Admiral Kong and become Supreme Commander of the World Government's Armed Forces.
Beauty.
Flowers.
Praise.
Glory.
All of it would belong to him.
"Cough…!"
Rocks, still skewered upon the horn, coughed weakly. Blood poured from his mouth.
His left abdomen was grievously wounded.
His right arm was gone.
Since setting sail, he had never fallen into such a miserable state.
And as that realization sank in—
Rage ignited.
His first outlet—
Was Richard.
"HAHAHAHA—"
Still lost in his fantasies, Richard suddenly felt a bone-chilling aura descend from above.
Overwhelming killing intent wrapped around him.
Even his thick rhinoceros hide could not block the piercing sensation.
"You piece of trash… you seem to be enjoying yourself."
The voice was low.
Like something crawling up from the depths of hell.
Richard's expression changed instantly. He tried to finish the job—
But suddenly his head felt lighter.
Rocks, who had been impaled on his horn, vanished.
He dissolved into darkness—
And sank into the earth.
"Not good! Move—now!"
Fleet Admiral Kong's Observation Haki glimpsed seconds into the future.
His face changed drastically as he shouted to the others.
Without hesitation, Sengoku and Monkey D. Garp charged forward.
Newval reacted a split second later and shot out as well. His speed was the fastest among them. His talons were just about to seize Richard's shoulders and carry him skyward—
When—
A black vortex erupted from beneath the ground, completely engulfing Richard.
"Dark Great Funeral!!!"
To push Rocks to such fury—
Richard was indeed talented.
The black vortex began mercilessly shredding his body. The Dark-Dark Fruit instantly stripped away his Devil Fruit power.
From beneath the earth came a monstrous suction force.
The ground turned to darkness.
Like a giant hand dragging him downward.
"Don't look down on me! I'm the Commander of the World Government Army—Richard!!!"
He struggled wildly.
But the darkness was like a swamp.
The more he resisted—
The faster he sank.
In the blink of an eye, most of his body was swallowed.
At that moment, Newval arrived.
His figure tore through the air. His claws sank deep into Richard's flesh as the Dark-Dark Fruit's power latched onto him as well.
Newval felt his own Devil Fruit ability being severed at alarming speed.
He had planned to rely on his extreme velocity to pull Richard free before full suppression took hold—
But the force from the dark abyss far exceeded his expectations.
His talons were sharp enough to pierce Richard's body—
Yet under the violent opposing pull—
They snapped.
Richard's shoulder was left with a few bloody holes.
That was all.
When Newval looked back—
Richard had already been fully swallowed.
He fell into darkness.
Rocks emerged from the black void with a wicked grin.
With his remaining arm, he flung something aside.
A body slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash.
It was Richard's corpse.
His eyes were wide open.
His body twisted as if crushed by overwhelming pressure.
His throat—
Crushed.
He died—
Unwilling to close his eyes.
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