...
The Five Elders' killing intent was resolute, their target crystal clear: Monkey D. Dragon!
They summoned Saint Garling and the members of God's Knights to their side and issued the final order in low voices.
Though God's Knights might not be able to directly clash head-on with the alliance of top-tier pirates like Rocks and Roger, as a restraining force—to buy time, disrupt the battlefield, and create openings for the Five Elders' decisive strike—they remained an indispensable combat asset.
"Once the light curtain disappears and the great battle resumes,"
Saint Garling's face was stern as he commanded the knights behind him: "Our mission is to tie down Roger, Rocks, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and the other main targets at any cost!
Even if it's only for one minute, we must create an opportunity for the Five Elders to slay Monkey D. Dragon! Understood?!"
"Yes!"
The members of God's Knights responded in unison, their eyes burning with cold determination.
However, in the midst of this murderous atmosphere, an untimely, whiny, and extremely impatient clamor suddenly rang out from not far behind them.
"Five Elders! Saint Garling! We're starving to death!!"
"Ever since those filthy pirates attacked, we haven't eaten a thing!!"
"I want food! I want the highest-grade steak and caviar!"
"This treatment is an insult to the gods! I can't stand it anymore!!"
It was the surviving Celestial Dragons, still shaken and terrified!
Accustomed to a life of luxury and indulgence, how could they have ever endured such fright and hunger?
After prolonged nervous tension, witnessing bloody battles, and with empty stomachs, their patience had finally reached its limit.
At this moment, they no longer cared about dignity or occasion. Like spoiled children, they collectively protested and wailed.
Saint Mars tried to pacify them: "Just endure a little longer. Once the situation stabilizes—"
"Endure?! We are World Nobles! We are gods!!"
"Get us food right now!"
"I don't care! I want to eat now!!"
The Celestial Dragons' shouting grew louder and louder, the scene descending into chaos for a time. The Five Elders' brows furrowed deeply.
This group of "descendants of the gods" causing trouble at such a critical moment only made their already gloomy mood even more irritable.
Saint Warcury spoke in a deep voice: "Please calm down! Food will be here soon—"
"Those… whatever-they're-called sky insects over there,"
At that moment, a voice clearly laced with mockery and malice cut in, interrupting Saint Warcury.
"You… must be really hungry, huh?"
Everyone followed the voice and saw that Roger had somehow sheathed his sword and was now squatting on a rock. His face wore a smile blending curiosity, fake sympathy, and completely undisguised mischief as he looked at the noisy crowd of Celestial Dragons.
Beside him, the Rocks Pirates' head chef, Streusen, was using his Eat-Eat Fruit ability to conjure all sorts of mouthwatering-looking cakes, grilled meats, fruit platters…
Some members of the Roger Pirates and Rocks Pirates were unceremoniously devouring the food, grease dripping from their mouths, deliberately making exaggerated chewing and delighted noises.
"Gulp…"
"Gulp gulp…"
One after another, stomach growls rose from the Celestial Dragons' side.
They stared at the delicious-looking food in the pirates' hands and mouths—colors so tempting, aromas that seemed to drift over—and their eyes glazed over. Drool poured uncontrollably from their mouths.
The extreme hunger instantly overwhelmed fear and anger, leaving only primal craving for food.
Yet they were terrified of Roger, Rocks, and the other "demonic" pirates and didn't dare act as arrogantly toward them as they did with the Marines.
"Hahaha! Look at you all—you must be starving, right?"
Roger's smile grew even "brighter." He casually picked up a strawberry cake topped with fresh cream that Streusen had just created and deliberately waved it in the air.
"You really want to eat this, don't you?"
Then Roger did something no one expected: he tossed the cake straight toward the Marine camp!
"Hey! Garp! Sengoku! Zephyr! Tsuru! Catch! Don't be shy!" Roger shouted.
Garp reacted fastest, snatching it out of the air and biting into it without a second thought, mumbling through a full mouth: "Mmm… not bad!!"
Sengoku, Zephyr, and Tsuru caught the cakes that flew their way, their expressions extremely complicated.
Eating food given by pirates? What kind of precedent was this?
But seeing Garp already eating and the longing looks from many injured Marines around them, Sengoku sighed and nodded to Zephyr and Tsuru.
The three symbolically took a bite. The taste… was indeed good.
Then came something even more outrageous!
Roger actually gathered a large pile of simple foods conjured by Streusen—mostly cakes and bread rolls that were easy to throw and preserve—and personally began distributing them to the injured, equally starving Marines nearby!
"Here! Kid, take it! Eat up so you've got strength to recover!" Roger stuffed a bread roll into the hands of a young Marine with a broken arm.
"Th… thank you…"
The Marine was overwhelmed, staring at the fragrant bread in his hands, then at the legendary "pirate" before him.
The Navy Headquarters always said Roger was a devil who devoured people without spitting out bones. Right now, his mind was completely blank.
The legendary demon… was handing out food to them?
Roger even shared some with the injured giants and with the children Shakky and Gloriosa were looking after (little Shanks and the others had already eaten their fill).
This scene caused the faces of the Five Elders and God's Knights to turn pitch-black!
While they were agonizing over the "gods'" hunger, Roger was playing "philanthropist" over there, buying—even if only temporarily—the goodwill of others!
Even more infuriating: those Marine soldiers actually accepted it!
"Damn it! Roger! How dare you…" Saint Garling fumed, veins bulging.
"Hey hey hey, don't be so stingy,"
Roger clapped the food crumbs off his hands, walked back to his side, then once again turned his mocking gaze toward the Celestial Dragons, who were staring longingly as the Navy and his own pirates ate, drool practically forming rivers at their feet.
"Sky insects, I know you're starving. Seeing how pitiful you look, this great me will take pity and give you some food—but I'm selling it to you."
Roger paused, then held up five fingers with an "amiable" smile and named his price: "One cake, 500 million Berries. No haggling, cash on delivery, bartering accepted too~"
"Pfft!!!"
"Cough cough cough!!"
"How… how much?!"
The moment Roger said it, not only the Celestial Dragons froze— even the pirates beside him, the distant Marines, and even Giant King Harald and the others nearly choked on their own saliva!
One cake for 500 million Berries?!
This wasn't just robbery anymore—this was treating the Celestial Dragons like walking pure-gold mines to be slaughtered!
Even Rocks couldn't help snorting with laughter, shaking his head: "Roger, you bastard… that's dark."
He finally understood what Roger had come smirking to discuss earlier.
It turned out Roger had approached Rocks earlier with a wicked grin, saying he had a plan.
The Five Elders were trembling with rage. Saint Warcury roared: "Absurd! Roger, you—"
"Deal!"
A shrill voice suddenly cut off Saint Warcury. A Celestial Dragon with a bubble helmet—face pale from hunger—spoke up!
Without hesitation, she slipped a ring from her finger—set with a massive blue sapphire and surrounded by countless small diamonds—and hurled it forcefully toward Roger!
"This Ocean Heart is worth at least a billion! Give me one or two—no, two of those cakes!"
With someone taking the lead, the other starving, red-eyed Celestial Dragons could no longer hold back!
All thoughts of noble dignity and the shame of trading with pirates were thrown to the wind in the face of hunger!
"Here's my pearl necklace! Deep-sea century-old pearls! Take it!"
"This pocket watch! Heirloom! Gold casing!"
"My belt buckle! Pure gold! With rubies!"
In an instant, all kinds of dazzling, clearly priceless jewelry, accessories, antiques, and even some bizarre but obviously extraordinary trinkets rained toward Roger like a storm!
The Celestial Dragons' wealth and extravagance poured out madly for a few cakes!
Roger accepted everything with glee, grinning ear to ear as he caught the "treasures," then turned back to Streusen with a wink: "Quick quick quick! Streusen, make more of the special ones! Hurry!"
Streusen's mouth twitched, but with Rocks' tacit approval, he activated his Eat-Eat Fruit, rapidly producing batch after batch of "delicious" cakes that looked identical to the ones he'd given the pirates and Marines.
Roger tossed these "special cakes" one by one to the Celestial Dragons who had traded their treasures.
The Celestial Dragons clutched them like treasures, eagerly grabbing the cakes, opening wide, and biting down hard…
The next moment.
"Pfft!!!"
"Urgh!!!"
"What… what is this taste?!!!"
"It's like… like spoiled swill mixed with rotten fish, shrimp, and dirt!! Urgh—!!"
"Mine's even worse—it tastes like shit!"
"Scammer! Roger, you big scammer!!! Urgh!!!"
The Celestial Dragons' faces instantly went from pale to green, then green to purple. One after another, they bent over retching, desperately trying to spit out whatever was in their mouths—some even vomited bile!
The taste was horrifying—clearly "specially processed" by Streusen, absolutely not normal food!
Roger hugged his arms full of jewelry, watching the Celestial Dragons weep and wail in utter disarray, laughing so hard he doubled over, tears nearly streaming: "Hahahaha! Sky insects, how's the taste?
Special 500-million-Berry-a-bite gourmet—isn't it especially precious and unforgettable? Hahahaha!!"
The pirate camp erupted in earth-shaking laughter. Even quite a few Marines couldn't help but chuckle, shoulders shaking.
The faces of the Five Elders and God's Knights could no longer be described as merely ugly—they were twisted to the extreme!
Roger's stunt hadn't just toyed with and humiliated the Celestial Dragons; he had taken the dignity of the World Nobles and stomped it brutally underfoot in front of the entire world—then ground it in several times!
And this absurd "cake transaction" farce had completely ignited the conflict.
Under the catalysis of humiliation and rage, the Five Elders' killing intent boiled to its peak!
They glared fixedly at Roger—and at Dragon, whom Roger was shielding behind him—waiting only for the light curtain to vanish so they could unleash a thunderous, fatal strike and wash away this utter disgrace with blood!
God Valley had become a powder keg ready to explode at any moment!
"You find this disgusting? Do you even know how many people in this world survive on food like that because they can't afford your so-called heavenly gold and have no choice but to eat this kind of filth…"
At that moment, Whitebeard looked at the Celestial Dragons' expressions with open fury. He was reminded of his own childhood experiences, so seeing Roger pull this stunt brought him great satisfaction.
...