"So, Father, what do you think? Is this news true or false?"
Marco asked, unable to hold back any longer as he watched Whitebeard remain silent for a long time.
"It seems the only way to find out for sure is to make a trip to the Kingdom of Drostland!" Whitebeard said, taking a deep breath.
He himself had no way of knowing whether what was written in the newspaper was fact or fiction. But if he traveled to Drostland and paid El a visit, the truth would become clear immediately.
"Men, prepare the ship! We set sail for the Kingdom of Drostland!!!" Whitebeard stood up and shouted loudly.
Besides Kaido and Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin and Shiki the Golden Lion also set off immediately for the Kingdom of Drostland as soon as they received the news.
Although Charlotte Linlin had previously been defeated by El and cast into the sea, she had managed to survive. The only loss she had suffered was that all of her territories — with the exception of Whole Cake Island — had been completely destroyed by El.
...
Several days later.
Kingdom of Drostland, New World.
More than seventy percent of the nation had been reduced to ruins following the devastating battle between El and Rocks and their fight against the five powerful pirates. Yet roughly thirty percent of the land and structures still remained standing and intact.
For the time being, El had no intention of purchasing another kingdom or relocating his base elsewhere. Instead, he ordered his subordinates to begin the work of repairing and rebuilding what had been destroyed. At the same time, he sent his men to seize all the territories and assets that had once belonged to John, Kyo, Ochoku, and Byrnndi World.
Right now, El and Rocks were sitting together in a tavern, drinking wine.
Rocks sat in his chair, holding his cup and taking a long drink, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"Truly, it has been but a brief moment in time, El."
"How much longer do you have left, Rocks?" El asked.
"If nothing unexpected happens… I expect I will die sometime today."
Although he had indeed been brought back to life, the duration of his revival was far too short. Only about a week had passed since he had been resurrected, yet the life force within his body was steadily draining away. He could feel clearly that even the beating of his heart had grown much slower and weaker than normal, and already his body was beginning to feel heavy and frail.
"Only one week?" El muttered, clicking his tongue in surprise.
He had originally planned to use the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life technique to bring the dead back to life and raise a vast, powerful army. But it seemed now that such a dream would never come to pass. Anyone he revived could only exist in this world for a single week — far too short a time to be of any real use.
"Even though our time together has been brief… I have truly enjoyed every moment of it, El."
Rocks leaned back in his chair, his expression softening into a gentle smile.
His spirit and his will had effectively died along with him during the battle at God Valley many years ago. It was El who had given him a second chance at life. Even if he could only live for seven short days, he asked for nothing more.
At the very least, he had been able to experience life once again for a little while — something far better than remaining dead and buried forever in the ruins of God Valley.
In the next moment, however, Rocks' expression turned serious and heavy, and he let out a long sigh.
"Still… there is one thing I deeply regret. I will not be able to stand by and watch you claim your place upon the highest throne of all."
As someone who had sworn his loyalty to El, Rocks naturally desired nothing more than to see him rise to absolute supremacy. But now his time was running out, and before long, he would simply return to dust and bones. His greatest wish would remain unfulfilled.
Hearing his words, El fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"The day I finally claim that throne… I will bring you back to life once more, Rocks."
While it was true that El could revive him again using the same technique once he passed away, there was a limit to how many times El could use this power. As of yet, El did not know exactly how many times the ability could be used.
For that reason, he had decided not to revive Rocks immediately after his death. He had no way of knowing if the technique only worked twice — if that were the case, reviving him now would be nothing more than a waste, and would serve no purpose at all.
Since Rocks wished with all his heart to witness El standing at the very peak of power, then it would be far better to wait until El had truly reached that height before bringing him back again.
Rocks laughed heartily upon hearing this. "Hahaha… You have my word on that, El!"
"Of course." El smiled faintly in return.
Although he had only spent about a week in the company of the revived Rocks, El had come to find his character and temperament very much to his liking. He made a mental note that in the future, he would have to find some way to make Rocks' revival permanent and grant him true, everlasting life.
As the two continued their conversation, the door to the tavern slowly opened and several pirates stepped inside. Each of them was carrying a number of wooden chests in their arms.
They placed the chests down carefully in front of El and spoke respectfully.
"Lord El, these are the Devil Fruits we collected from the territories of John, Ochoku, Kyo, and Byrnndi World. In total, there are fifteen of them!"
As powerful and famous figures across the New World, these four men had naturally accumulated vast fortunes and countless treasures during their lifetimes.
Now that they were dead and gone, all of their lands, wealth, and possessions had fallen entirely into El's hands — including every single one of the Devil Fruits they had gathered.
"I understand. You may leave now," El said with a nod.
"You truly are a man shrouded in endless secrets, El," Rocks said with a sigh. "Even though I have known you and stood by your side for so many years… even now, I still feel as though I can never truly see through you."
From the very first day El had joined his crew, Rocks had sensed that there was something extraordinary and different about him. But that was all he had ever been able to tell — he had no way of knowing exactly what those secrets were, and even to this day, he still found El to be an unfathomable mystery.
In the world of pirates, it was common knowledge that a normal person could only ever consume one Devil Fruit in their entire lifetime. Yet Rocks had always suspected that El possessed a body and constitution unlike any other — one that allowed him to eat multiple fruits, and which explained why he could wield such a vast array of incredible and powerful abilities.
"Everyone has their own secrets, do they not, Rocks?" El replied calmly.
"And yet the secrets you keep… if they were ever revealed to the world, I suspect they would shake the very foundations of existence," Rocks said, sounding curious and intrigued.
Rocks himself had long ago reached the absolute peak of power — the limit of what was possible for any living being, leaving no room for further growth or improvement. El, however, had shattered that limit and risen far beyond what anyone had ever thought achievable.
This fact alone was extraordinary and unprecedented, and Rocks was certain that it was directly connected to the mysteries surrounding El. Just as he had said, if the truth of El's nature and power were ever made public, the entire world would tremble in shock and awe!!!
"Perhaps they would," El said with a faint smile, choosing not to say anything more on the matter.
It was at that exact moment that the voice of the system echoed clearly within El's mind.
Ding! Congratulations, Host. The System Shop has been updated with new items!
"The shop has been updated?"
El was taken by surprise upon hearing the notification. He remembered that the last time the shop had refreshed its inventory had been shortly after the events in Loguetown.
Had it really been so long already? In the past, El had often waited for years on end before the shop would update even once. He truly could not predict or understand the strange and erratic rules that governed the system.
Despite his thoughts and his amusement at the system's odd ways, El immediately opened the System Shop to take a look.
__________________
For more advance chapters visit patreon.com/bars45.
For 10$- All advance chapters.
"Schedule"
Monday - Friday - Update 3 Chapters a Day
Saturday - Sunday - Off