No matter how one put it, Gol D. Roger was still a top-tier Admiral-level powerhouse.
With someone like him joining the battlefield, the pressure on Rocks D. Xebec surged dramatically.
The Dark-Dark Fruit perfectly countered those who relied on Devil Fruits to reach the summit.
But Roger was different.
He was a supreme swordsman, a master of all three forms of Haki—nothing like Saint Jaygarcia Saturn and the others who leaned heavily on their abilities.
What surprised everyone even more was this—
Though Garp's attitude toward Roger appeared cold on the surface, once the fight began, their coordination was astonishing.
It was no exaggeration to say that even Fleet Admiral Kong's synergy with Garp fell short of Roger and Garp's tacit understanding.
They were lifelong rivals.
Countless battles had taught them every nuance of each other's strength.
Now, fighting side by side—
Their combined combat power was terrifying.
For a moment—
The overlord of the seas was being suppressed.
Garp's fists were heavy as mountains.
Roger's slashes were swift as thunder.
Rocks was wounded; he dared not take their attacks head-on.
Yet whenever he tried to seize an opening—
He found none.
The two fought like conjoined twins.
Flawless.
How was that possible?
Their ferocity reinvigorated the other Admiral-tier fighters.
Kong and Sengoku exchanged a glance and moved behind Rocks, forming a pincer attack.
The three remaining Five Elders kept their distance but launched relentless long-range assaults.
Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Gyūki — corrosive venom.
Itsumade Form — razor-sharp feathers.
Sandworm Form — freezing miasma from the maw.
Any one of these attacks could severely wound a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral.
Even for Rocks—
Being struck was no small matter.
Their captain fought under suffocating pressure.
And yet—
Not a single Division Commander moved to assist.
On the contrary—
Their eyes gleamed.
The Roger Pirates and the New World crews had long suffered under Rocks' shadow.
But what of his own commanders?
Rocks was an insurmountable mountain.
None dared test what leaving the crew would cost them.
Ambition simmered.
Even Whitebeard had amassed enough wealth to one day form his own crew.
The seas had endured Rocks long enough.
And yet—
Rocks said nothing.
He did not shout for help.
He did not rage at their inaction.
He focused solely on the battle before him.
The smile on his face grew increasingly manic.
This was the life he had chosen.
Whatever the outcome—
He would accept it.
He had always known this day might come.
When those monsters joined him, he made one thing clear:
The Rocks Pirates were not a children's game of camaraderie.
They were a coalition built on profit and violence.
Everyone had absolute freedom.
Except betrayal.
How could men who possessed Conqueror's Haki remain forever under another's command?
And Rocks' own pride would never allow him to beg.
His attacks grew more frenzied.
Suddenly, he exploded forward.
Garp and Roger were caught off guard.
A crushing punch slammed into Garp's face.
A vicious kick smashed into Roger's jaw.
Blood burst from Garp's nose.
Four teeth flew from Roger's mouth.
"You two seemed pretty pleased just now."
A trace of red flickered in Rocks' eyes.
His gaze shifted to Sengoku and Kong.
Truthfully—
His condition was dreadful.
His body was covered in wounds layered atop older scars.
His coat was shredded.
His skin resembled a fisherman's net of scars.
The others' attacks hadn't crippled him—
But the Five Elders' interference was different.
Especially Saturn.
The Gyūki's venom had stained half his body purple.
The burning agony gnawed at his nerves.
Rocks stepped forward—
And appeared ten meters away in an instant.
Like a phantom, he reached Sengoku and lashed out with a kick.
Sengoku's Golden Buddha Form shattered instantly.
The Dark-Dark Fruit severed his connection to the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu.
Without the durability granted by his Mythical Zoan—
Sengoku was exposed.
Boom!
Nothing visible struck him—
Yet Rocks' head snapped violently to the side.
His left foot stomped down, stabilizing himself.
"Kong!!!"
Rage thundered in his voice.
"I will never allow you to harm those I value again!"
Kong maintained his punching stance.
His physical strength had reached a terrifying realm.
A simple punch generated compressed shockwaves—like an invisible cannon of air.
It sounded simple.
It was not.
Seizing the opening, Sengoku clenched his teeth.
To assume this man relied only on his Devil Fruit would be foolish.
His martial prowess was first-rate.
His leg rose like a cleaving axe—
And came crashing down.
A straightforward strike—
Yet it staggered Rocks.
From afar, Roldy sat slumped on the ground, emotions churning within him.
He had seen everything.
The Division Commanders were indeed tied up by formidable foes—
But with their strength, they could have ended those fights quickly at the cost of injury.
None chose to.
On this unpredictable battlefield, such restraint was dangerous.
Rocks' aura remained overwhelming.
But—
His movements had slowed.
Gravely wounded, battling seven Admiral-level fighters—
Only a superhuman could endure this.
That he had lasted this long left Roldy stunned.
Could a single man truly be this strong?
Terrifying.
…
The chaos engulfed all of God Valley.
Everywhere, forces clashed—main battlefield and outskirts alike.
What had once been the Celestial Dragons' "celebration" had twisted into carnage.
To the nobles, savage pirates were assaulting the World Nobles.
Their elite guards were falling in droves.
But compared to them—
There were others.
Small.
Insignificant.
Moving like rats in the shadows.
Every step they took was an ordeal of will and soul.
In a dark thicket—
Three figures hid among the brush.
One large.
One medium.
One small.
Bartholomew Kuma.
Emporio Ivankov.
Ginny.
They cautiously observed a skirmish less than a hundred meters away.
Not the main battlefield—
But a clash between a moderately renowned New World pirate crew and Government agents alongside Celestial Dragons.
Those pirates seemed to be trying to seize something.
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