On the giant Elbaf warship, in stark contrast to the anxiety on the Rocks Pirates' side, there was a heavy calm.
Rocks sat casually on the high gunwale, facing Giant King Harald.
A huge wine barrel was opened, mellow liquor poured into sea bowls, and Seagulls circled and chirped under the azure sky, as if this were just an ordinary reunion between old friends.
"You should have heard by now..." Rocks picked up the large bowl that was completely disproportionate to his size and tilted his head back for a gulp, the spicy liquid sliding down his throat,
"Our destination, and what we are going to do!"
He put down the wine bowl and looked at Harald with eyes like torches:
"Listen carefully, Harald. I'm only telling these words to you alone; I don't even plan to reveal them to those guys on my ship."
Meanwhile, on Rocks' ship below, the atmosphere was completely different.
"How dare he be so relaxed... that bastard Rocks!" Xiong gnashed his teeth, his fists cracking; at this moment, he only wanted to immediately appear before Shakky and rescue her from the sea of misery.
Shiki's face was even more distorted, his golden hair bristling, as he growled: "Of all times... my Shakky is waiting for me to rescue her!!! What on earth are they talking about?!"
On the deck, facing the sea breeze, Rocks said slowly: "The name 'Rocks' resounds across the sea, but I have a hidden name... Davi D. Xebec."
Harald's giant eyes moved slightly: "...So it wasn't Rocks after all."
"It's a name the World Government has always wanted to completely erase from history." Rocks' tone carried a hint of mockery and heaviness,
"The ancestors of this family can be traced back to the legendary pirate... Davy D. Jones. They once dominated the underworld, but now, they are nothing more than struggling to survive in the shadows."
He took another large gulp of wine, looked towards God Valley, and continued:
"Regardless of whether the timing was good or bad, my child was born. To ensure they stay away from any danger, I sent my wife and child back to my hometown and told them they could rely on the davy clan."
Harald understood and said: "I see... So your hometown not only protects your clansmen but also guards your wife and child."
His voice lowered, carrying a hint of wariness, "Why are you telling me these weaknesses... what exactly is your intention?"
Rocks looked up and let out an long sigh of unknown meaning: "My hometown... is God Valley."
"What?!" Harald's giant body shook violently, "So the government is trying to lure you in!!!"
"No," Rocks shook his head, his eyes sharp, "That place is now a 'Hunting Ground' where Celestial Dragons gather, right? There's no way they'd want me to go! You, Harald, didn't you appear here precisely because you received orders to stop me?"
"...Yes." Harald admitted.
"For them, this is also a 'miscalculation'..." Rocks put down the wine bowl,
"I feel like I'm being pulled towards something by a great force of destiny~ Kidnapping Shakky was their biggest mistake; it gave me a reason for all the pirates to go... As long as I can keep my wife and child safe, that's enough for me."
His gaze refocused on Harald's face: "But this time, I don't seem to be very lucky, Harald. So... help me once!"
This was a request from Rocks—no, it should be Davi D. Xebec—to his former best friend with whom he had severed ties.
Harald's face was covered in immense conflict.
On one side was the entire future of Elbaf behind him; on the other was his friend's hometown in peril and his wife and child's lives hanging by a thread.
He had originally thought this was just another action to stop the madness of the Rocks Pirates, just as the Marine had also dispatched high-end combat power to intercept other Great Pirates.
But he never expected that God Valley was actually Rocks' hometown. Stopping him would be no different from personally pushing him into the abyss of family destruction.
His giant palm covered his face, his knuckles turning white from the force. The pain of the internal struggle was almost enough to suffocate the giant king.
Until deep red finger marks were left on his face, Harald looked at Rocks through his fingers with his right eye:
"I refuse! I'm going to... sink you all right here!"
Rocks lowered his head, the last trace of a smile on his face disappearing. When he looked up again, there was only sharpness in his eyes: "Fine... in that case... perfect!!"
Negotiations had completely broken down! Just as the warriors of the Giant Race were about to act, Harald suddenly stood up and said:
"Warriors of the Giant Race! This is a duel between kings! Without my command, no one is allowed to interfere!"
As soon as the order was given, all the giant soldiers, who were originally at each other's throats, were stunned, but they still strictly followed the King's instructions and slowly backed away, leaving a huge space.
"You spineless bastard!!!"
Rocks roared, his figure bursting forth as pitch-black Haki instantly covered the longsword in his hand, slamming it into Harald without any flourish!
Harald also swung his giant longsword, wrapped in powerful Haki, to meet the attack!
BOOM—!!!
The two swords collided, just like the scene when the two first met.
Black lightning scattered around the two swords that hadn't even touched, a huge shockwave exploded, and the massive deck beneath their feet instantly cracked inch by inch, with wood chips flying everywhere!
The enormous hull shook violently due to this terrifying impact, as if it were about to disintegrate at any moment!
The battle erupted completely! Every clash between the two top powerhouses shook the earth and mountains, and the black-red lightning generated by the Haki collision shot out in all directions.
Rocks' attacks were violent and precise, specifically launching fierce assaults towards the key structures of the warship—the massive masts, the rudder, and the Power Engine Room!
Harald's defense seemed like a full-force counterattack, but it always "missed by a hair" at the critical moment, allowing the aftershocks of Rocks' attacks to heavily damage the hull time and time again.
Click! Rumble!
The main mast snapped with a crash under a heavy kick from Rocks!
Bang!
The rudder was completely shattered by a Haki shockwave!
The hull began to take on a large amount of water and tilt... When Rocks pushed Harald back temporarily with a heavy slash and landed on his own swaying bow, he looked back at the Elbaf royal ship that was slowly sinking and had completely lost its sailing capability, and at Harald, who stood in the middle of the wreckage, covered in "wounds" but with an exceptionally calm gaze.
The sharpness in Rocks' eyes receded like a tide. He understood his old friend's true choice—he could not openly betray the World Government's orders, but he could "fulfill" his duty of interception in this way and, using the excuse that the warship was "heavily damaged" and unable to sail, clear the path to God Valley for Rocks.
"...Let's go!" Rocks withdrew his gaze and didn't look back again.
"Oh!!!" Although the pirates didn't understand the details, they cheered immediately upon seeing the obstacle cleared. The ship quickly bypassed the sinking giant ship and headed for God Valley at full speed.
At the moment the ships passed each other, with his back to the wreckage, Rocks' lips moved imperceptibly.
A silent farewell dissipated in the sea breeze and was also etched into the tacit understanding between the two kings.
Harald stood on the capsized wreckage, watching Rocks' receding back, his right eye slowly closing, leaving only endless silence and blessings.
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