"Please… lend us your power!"
The Five Elders—men who held themselves above all others—spoke in unison, their voices reverent and devout.
Fleet Admiral Kong seemed to realize something. He immediately lowered his head and subtly signaled Sengoku and Monkey D. Garp in the distance. Sengoku followed suit without hesitation.
Garp, however, scratched his head in confusion, looking utterly unaware—or perhaps simply unconcerned. Not far away, Gol D. Roger, his longtime rival, exchanged a glance with him.
With perfect, ridiculous synchronicity—
They both picked their noses.
Rocks D. Xebec seemed to sense something. His eyes sharpened instantly.
Above the kneeling Five Elders, a black silhouette appeared.
The figure wore a long robe, its face concealed entirely in shadow. Only a pair of unnaturally crimson eyes were visible—along with a bizarre crown resting atop its head.
The moment it appeared—
Silence fell.
The sea ceased its roar. The wind no longer stirred. All things between heaven and earth were swallowed by a suffocating stillness. It was as if, without the phantom's permission, nothing dared make a sound.
Garp and Roger frowned.
They had never heard of such a figure existing in this world. From the shadow, they sensed no overwhelming killing intent—nothing extraordinary at all. It felt… ordinary.
But common sense alone told them the Five Elders would never kneel to an ordinary being.
Nor could an ordinary person perform such a feat.
Rocks grinned.
"I thought you five old fossils had something impressive up your sleeves. Turns out you just call an even older fossil when you can't win."
He knew this figure?
And more than that—
The shadow in the sky spoke upon seeing Rocks.
"It has been a long time… Rocks."
Its voice was strange—like a normal voice overlaid with electronic distortion. Its gender was impossible to discern, almost artificial.
"Yeah. Long time no see. Since the Chamber of Flowers."
"You are going to die."
The declaration came abruptly.
Calm. Matter-of-fact. As if stating an inevitable truth.
Rocks did not refute it. He merely sneered.
"You really think I'll die? Let me tell you something—just like you, I'm not that easy to kill. Though not because of that ridiculous ability you're relying on."
The implication in his words was chilling.
But the shadow had already raised a hand.
A blade began to take shape in its grasp.
"Are those your final words?"
The indifference—the unwavering composure—made Roger and Garp think of a single word.
God.
This being felt like a true deity—untouched by mortal provocation, unmoved by mortal words.
The instant the blade formed, the pitch-black night grew strangely bright. It was as if heaven and earth reversed day and night at the creature's whim. An indescribably sharp aura spread outward, pricking everyone's skin.
Roger and Garp, who dared to look directly at the figure—
Found thin lines of blood forming across their faces.
Terrifying.
This was only a projection.
If a mere phantom could achieve this, how powerful was the true body?
This was not the same level as them.
"Final words?"
There was no wind—
Yet Rocks' hair stood on end.
An even more savage aura erupted from him. He was squeezing out the very last of his strength.
"Ever since our last meeting, I've wanted to fight you! A mere projection—do you think that's enough to kill me?!"
"Come!"
His power seemed to return to its peak. His speed and strength climbed to their absolute limits. Face twisted in madness, he charged fearlessly at the shadow.
The Five Elders did nothing.
They trusted the being above them completely.
The phantom lightly lifted its hand. The blade in its grasp floated freely, like a celestial sword from legend, and shot toward Rocks' vitals.
But one sword was not enough.
Rocks drove his fist forward with all his might, smashing into the blade's tip. They struggled for five full seconds—
Before Rocks blasted it away.
His momentum did not falter.
For the first time, the figure in the sky seemed mildly intrigued.
"Heroes are as numerous as carp crossing a river… Rocks, you are a pleasant surprise. Among all the strong I have witnessed, you would rank within the top three."
A pause.
"But—unfortunately."
The shadow casually raised its hand to meet Rocks' incoming punch.
When fist and palm collided—
A terrifying shockwave exploded outward.
Yet the arm of the so-called god did not seem as invincible as its words implied. After only a brief stalemate—
Rocks shattered it.
"Die!"
He followed with a battle-axe kick, sweeping across the phantom's neck like an executioner's blade.
The head flew off.
Rocks barely had time to catch his breath—
When a large hand seized his leg.
The headless body raised its remaining arm and locked him in place. The severed head and broken arm regenerated in the blink of an eye.
"You do not understand how vast the gap is between you and this world. If this is all you have… then farewell, Rocks."
The words fell—
And a hand pierced straight through.
Rocks' chest was impaled.
His heart was torn out and held in the phantom's grasp—
Then crushed.
"You are impressive. But only impressive."
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