After the battle with Garp, the three giant country warriors returned to normal and once again rushed toward the loudest sounds of conflict, gripping their weapons tightly.
Along the way, there were still dense crowds of pirates, surging forward like endless waves.
This scene was indeed fitting for God Valley at that time.
Due to leaked intelligence, the Celestial Dragons' murder game was exposed to involve vast treasures and Devil Fruits, attracting hordes of pirates like sharks drawn to the scent of blood, tearing apart everything in their path.
Even the Rocks Pirates, with their overall strongest combat power, were targeted along the way.
Fortunately, Chronos' side had three giant country warriors clearing the path. All pirate cannon fodder proved no match, and the group gradually left the twin peaks of God Valley.
"Move aside!"
Suddenly, a familiar roar thundered through the air, followed by a massive slash that swept forward, cutting down everything in its path—whether trees or pirates—clean in half.
Among them was a tall woman with horns on the sides of her head, wearing sunglasses and sporting a mouthful of shark-like teeth—a member of the Celestial Dragons' God Knights—who was also severed by the attack.
Heavy footsteps echoed as another familiar, towering figure appeared.
Chronos' eyes twitched—the sense of déjà vu in this scene was overwhelming!
Following that immense slash was none other than a young Whitebeard, gripping his Cloud-Cutting Sword tightly as he strode forward with an impatient expression.
"Newgate, you bastard! Are you trying to kill me?!"
Another roar followed immediately.
The Golden Lion Shiki, with his similarly bright golden hair shining like a lion's mane, dressed in traditional Japanese yakuza attire and wearing wooden clogs, floated over while cursing angrily.
Next, a bronze-skinned, muscular man with long, straight black hair and bull horns also shouted furiously:
"Newgate! This isn't what we agreed on! Weren't we here to steal Devil Fruits?!"
Edward Newgate—Whitebeard, Shiki the Golden Lion, and Kaido of the Beasts—three future contenders for the top spots on the seas.
Perhaps due to temperament or other reasons, within the Rocks Pirates where most members harbored ulterior motives, these three were actually able to get along.
Chronos watched with a twitching lip—he really didn't want to face these old acquaintances like this.
"Chronos! It's Uncle Whitebeard! Are we getting reinforcements?"
Jackie Chan instinctively spoke up, having met Whitebeard before and knowing him to be a reliable man.
"Do you think Pops would recognize me during the God Valley incident?"
Chronos retorted, electricity already subtly coursing through his body.
He had fought the peak-era Pops multiple times and never won once. But a weakened, younger version? That might be worth a try.
During God Valley, Pops was thirty-six years old. However, since he hadn't yet formed his own pirate crew, his spirit hadn't fully reached its peak.
It wasn't until two years later, at thirty-eight, that Whitebeard truly entered his prime.
Suddenly, the three noisy figures halted their steps, their gazes turning toward Charlotte Linlin and the others.
Whitebeard paused, then broke into a smile. The Golden Lion curled his lip, while Kaido also brightened up.
"Linlin! So you've come after all!"
Whitebeard laughed heartily, his relationship with the Great Kingdom being quite good.
Golden Lion paid little attention, while Kaido also exchanged a few greetings.
Due to the existence of the Great Kingdom, Kaido's homeland had not abandoned him but instead nurtured him earnestly, regarding him as a pillar of the nation.
Under such circumstances, Kaido naturally wanted to become a true "Guardian Deity of the Nation," so he set out to sea to temper himself for power.
After making a name for himself, he caught Rocks' attention and was later invited by Whitebeard, thus becoming a member of the Rocks Pirates.
Although the process was similar, the trajectory of his life was now worlds apart.
Seeing that no forced battle broke out, Chronos breathed a sigh of relief.
After assessing the situation, he noted that the aura of the young Whitebeard was about the same as Garp's from earlier, while Shiki and Kaido's auras were rather ordinary.
This was normal. In Chronos' memory, Red Count often drank with Whitebeard and was quite familiar with him.
As for Golden Lion, their ideologies clashed, and as for Kaido, they were simply not acquainted.
After brief greetings, Whitebeard got straight to the point: "Linlin, how about a temporary alliance for now? That bastard captain has disappeared again, who knows where.
Let's go seize the Celestial Dragons' treasures first, and we can divide them afterward."
"No problem."
Charlotte Linlin agreed without hesitation. Treasures weren't important—as a member of the Great Kingdom, her goal was to make things difficult for the World Government!
"But we don't need the treasures. There are children of the Buccaneer Tribe here. If you rescue them, I'll help for free."
As soon as she finished speaking, Dorry and Brogy voiced their agreement. The Buccaneer Tribe were friends of the Giant Tribe—they absolutely had to be saved!
"Gurararara, of course, no problem!"
Whitebeard also agreed readily, his hearty laughter ringing out.
It was precisely because the Great Kingdom acted this way that he held such goodwill toward them!
"Hey, Shiki, Kaido, did you hear that? There are Buccaneer Tribe children here!"
"Shut up! I'm not deaf yet!"
"I heard. I'll keep an eye out."
Golden Lion replied with his usual irritable tone, while Kaido was uncharacteristically earnest and obedient.
Considering Kaido's temperament, Chronos refrained from commenting.
But in this world, it seemed Kuma and the others were rescued by Kaido, though at a cost.
"So, are you also from the Great Kingdom?"
Whitebeard asked, shifting his gaze to Chronos with a hint of curiosity.
For some reason, he felt an inexplicable fondness for the young man before him.
"Consider me reinforcements," Chronos replied, keeping it brief.
The Whitebeard Pops from his memories was both the same and not the same as the one before him now.
Whitebeard nodded and added, "I have a feeling we'll meet again in the future."
Chronos smiled. "That's for sure."
Before long, three more crew members joined them, and Jackie Chan's expression visibly calmed down.
Three warriors from the Great Kingdom plus three executives from the Rocks Pirates—how could they possibly lose?
Chronos' gaze grew distant. There was still a chance...
What tricks would that Lady Imu and her Tanuki Transformation Fruit pull?
And... the demonized Rocks!
...
"Huff..."
Meanwhile, on the side of God Valley's peak, Rocks D. Xebec was slightly out of breath.
The massive blade, nearly as tall as a man, was thrust into the ground by Rocks, who stood gripping it with one hand. Even just standing there, the aura emanating from this man was overwhelmingly terrifying.
All around, the ground was littered with mangled corpses, blood dripping everywhere.
Some of the remains were completely demonic in appearance, with fanged mouths and wings sprouting from their backs.
Others lay on the ground with agonized, twisted expressions, blood seeping from their mouths and noses, their wounds slowly healing.
"You actually dared to use my family against me. Since you want me dead, I have no choice but to kill you all first!"
Rocks grinned as he spoke. These people weren't entirely powerless and had given him some trouble, but in the end, he was still stronger!
Nearby, the one and only spectator watched silently, his expression filled with emotion.
"First Rocks, then Roger, Garp, and Newgate… I truly am no match for you."
Red Count Byron Redfield spoke from the heart.
In this world, Red Count had also come to God Valley, witnessing firsthand the hellish scene of human suffering.
The Celestial Dragons, who claimed to be descendants of gods but were worse than swine; the innocent residents of God Valley caught in the disaster; the Marines blindly following their so-called justice; the scavenger-like pirates…
Seeing it all again, Red Count was still deeply moved.
It was this spirit—the spirit to face the world and reign supreme.
"That era was known as the Age of Rocks…"
Red Count murmured before turning to leave.
"Young one of the Whitebeard Pirates, go and see the world. If you don't broaden your horizons, how can you inherit everything from Whitebeard?"
As he spoke, Red Count tossed another leaf. With a thud, a bizarre spider, seemingly infested with parasites, appeared before him.
Rocks was momentarily stunned before breaking into a sinister grin.
"Have you finally shown yourself, World?"
Red Count didn't look back, but he clearly heard two sharp thuds of piercing, followed by agonized groans.
That scene was etched vividly in Red Count's memory. He didn't want to see such a thing, but it was indeed the most direct darkness of the so-called world.
"Don't let Whitebeard down."
With those words, Red Count's figure flickered, transforming into a streak of red light before vanishing.
"Once you've faced the world, I'll come to see if you possess the ticket to become a king."
Darkness spread thickly as, with a boom, a massive figure landed heavily.
Its eyes were blank and lifeless, its upper and lower fangs sharp, and dark demonic wings stretched from its back. The overwhelming Haki dissipated, replaced by a dense, profound darkness and malevolence.
"Davey, kill everything here."
Following that cold, lofty command, the giant demon-like figure set off.
Not long after, accompanied by a thunderous slash like a heavy cannon, a wretched scream echoed through the air.
"No, Rocks! Why?!"
"Eradicate… everything!"
…
A sudden rumble echoed in Chronos' ears, and his heart began to race wildly.
Through the reception of electromagnetic waves, he sensed the disappearance of one massive presence, replaced by the emergence of another.
It seems the script has changed? The classic Six of God Valley never appeared…
Before he could think further, as he pressed forward, the violent, rumbling noise suddenly erupted.
As if sensing that rampant evil, the six temporary crew members halted their steps, their expressions instantly turning grave.
"Hey hey, Rocks, what's going on with you?"
Whitebeard fixed his gaze on Rocks. That familiar figure had now become utterly different—the usual heroic ambition had been replaced by the deepest, most profound evil.
"All of you, die! Everything here must be erased!"
The demonic Rocks muttered, his consciousness long since replaced and overridden.
Flames had ignited all around at some unknown time, engulfing everything in the vicinity as if constructing an invisible arena.
The faces of all ten grew heavy as they faced the demonic Rocks.
It appeared to be ten against one, yet it also seemed as though that one individual was arrogantly looking down upon them all.
Chronos clicked his tongue and quietly led Jackie Chan and Tohru to retreat behind the others.
Under their puzzled gazes, Chronos gave them an uncertain look that said, "Let's watch and see how this fight goes first."
In his previous life, he knew Rocks had been demonized, but he hadn't witnessed the true extent of the demonized Rocks' power before he crossed over.
He suspected that Senior Red Count must have considered this very point when arranging so many 'teammates' for him—they were essentially there to be tested and sacrificed.
"Truly unexpected, Rocks. To think that among us, the one who most wanted to disband the pirate crew was actually you?"
Golden Lion raised his twin swords, slowly levitating into the air, his eyes filled with emotion. He had always believed that he himself was the biggest rebel!
The demonic Rocks grinned ferociously, two trails of light seeping from his pale white eyes.
"Annoying!"
Boom!
The demonic Rocks leapt forth with terrifying force, arriving before Golden Lion at a speed he never anticipated.
Gripping his great blade with both hands, he stabbed down viciously. With a sickening thud, Golden Lion was pierced straight through.
"Guh!"
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Golden Lion stared at Rocks in disbelief.
"Impossible... is this really you?"
"Rocks!!!"
Golden Lion roared. All the playfulness and foul mood on his face vanished like bubbles, replaced instead by absolute disbelief!
Crossing his twin swords horizontally, a dark gleam flashed brightly. Golden Lion unleashed a heavy slash, revealing the fangs of the lion.
"Lion: Twin Ravine Slash!"
With a sharp shing, the demonic Rocks was also gutted, a massive, crimson hole appearing in his body as copious amounts of blood poured out.
But immediately afterward, layers of darkness flowed, weaving his wounds together bit by bit. In an instant, Rocks was restored to his original state.
"Have you... given up on being human?"
Golden Lion murmured, his eyes beginning to lose focus.
"This isn't you, Captain."
As his final words left his lips, with a bang, smoke billowed out. Golden Lion's figure dissipated, leaving only scattered leaves swirling in the air, announcing his end.
Thud.
The demonic Rocks landed heavily, now facing a furious and enraged Whitebeard, a silent Kaido, and the giant warriors of the great nation who had raised their weapons.
"What exactly is that, you two uncles?"
Charlotte Linlin asked in confusion. In her memory, Rocks, though a villain, still carried the bearing of a formidable leader—not the demon before them now.
"The legends of Elbaph seem to have records of this."
"But we two don't remember."
Dorry and Brogy spoke one after the other; they weren't scholars.
"So, that's just a demon wearing Rocks' skin, right?"
Whitebeard growled, the milky-white orb representing vibrations already gathered upon his Cloud-Cutting Sword. He was utterly enraged!
"Rocks! You bastard!"
Leaping up in a rage, Whitebeard practically shot into the sky, his Cloud-Cutting Sword poised with the force to split Mount Hua, unleashing a crescent shockwave that descended with full power.
A terrifying surge of Haki erupted in a deafening roar, crashing toward Rocks like an angry tide.
Rocks merely looked up, gripping his heavy blade with both hands. His pupil-less eyes were vacant, yet Haki had already spread across the blade.
Facing the meteor-like strike, Rocks swiftly raised his sword—his body's instincts still allowed him to engage in high-intensity combat.
He shifted his stance, arms moving to one side, his aura slowly gathering. Confronting Whitebeard's slash, Rocks swung his blade with equal ferocity.
In an instant, the edges of the two great swords clashed—line against line, point against point—exploding into a cacophony of grinding and cracking.
Like a collision between flint and earth, force met force without restraint, unleashing a violent gale that swept everything in its path.
Flint, dust, soil…
Countless tiny, fragmented particles were swept up, becoming carriers for the shockwaves rioting outward.
A rounded, spiked explosion appeared; from a distance, this clash seemed to encompass the very foundation of one side of God Valley's mountain peak.
Dust billowed toward Chronos, who waved a hand, dispersing it with a surge of electricity, leaving not a speck on him.
Yet before him, Whitebeard's assault was held back by the demon Rocks, neither side yielding.
Staring at Rocks, a flicker of regret flashed in Whitebeard's eyes.
Turning his head, Whitebeard looked toward Chronos, the emotion in his gaze already familiar enough for Chronos to understand.
"Chronos, I leave it to you. Bury this bastard who won't speak the truth, even if it's just an illusion."
The next moment, with a poof, Whitebeard's figure dissolved into mist, a single leaf drifting down.
Watching Pops fade away, Chronos nodded slowly and heavily.
Pops had never spoken to them about the story of Rocks—it must have been a misunderstanding.
After the battle at God Valley, these two old rivals hadn't seen each other for over a decade, both too proud, or perhaps stubborn, to reach out.
The demon Rocks looked up, ignoring Whitebeard's disappearance, his gaze gradually shifting toward Kaido. That long, heavy blade slowly rose once more.
Slash!