...
On the light screen, Garp watched the hellish scene unfold, his pupils contracting slightly.
Roger's reaction, however, was completely different.
This future "King of the Pirates" showed no fear at all. Instead, blazing flames burned in his eyes, his face overflowing with pure excitement and curiosity.
"This really is… a 'grand' day of adventure!"
Roger gripped the hilt of "Ace" tightly, his voice trembling slightly from excitement: "I really was too ignorant! This world is far broader, far more dangerous, and far more… interesting than I ever imagined!"
His words carried a childlike curiosity and Roger's boundless thirst for unknown challenges.
As for Rocks…
He stared up at the terrifying monster right before him. The face that was always filled with arrogance and conquest showed not the slightest trace of fear—instead, it erupted into hearty, unrestrained laughter!
"Hahahahahahaha!!!"
The laughter boomed like thunder, briefly drowning out even the battlefield's anguished screams.
Rocks spread his arms wide, as if embracing this apocalyptic sight, his eyes gleaming with unprecedented light.
It wasn't madness—it was the excitement of "finally meeting you."
"Newgate…"
Rocks stopped laughing and turned his head toward Whitebeard beside him, the corner of his mouth curling into a meaningful arc: "You were asking what that thing is, right?"
Whitebeard furrowed his brows and nodded. Kaido also lowered his dragon head from the sky, vertical pupils fixed intently on Rocks, awaiting the answer.
Rocks raised his hand and pointed toward the monster indiscriminately slaughtering in the distance, as well as the blurry figure standing atop its head. His voice was clear and slow: "In short… that's the 'world.'"
Whitebeard and Kaido both freeze.
"The world?" Whitebeard repeated, his expression growing even graver.
Kaido rumbled in his deep voice: "Rocks, explain clearly! What do you mean 'world'?!"
Rocks didn't elaborate. He simply continued smiling mysteriously: "You'll understand eventually."
At that moment, a familiar furious roar came from the distance.
"Hey! Snap out of it!"
"Damn it... how dare you hurt my crew!"
Roger's voice was like an enraged beast. He had originally been excitedly preparing to charge at the monster, only to witness several young Roger Pirates crew members swept by the monster's tentacles and gravely injured!
Rage instantly swallowed his curiosity.
Roger's eyes turned red—the mark of his protective instinct for his comrades being ignited.
"Gaban!"
Roger roared without turning back: "Go support them! Take the treasure and get out first! Hurry!"
After giving the order, Roger charged forward without looking back. Though Gaban wanted to stop him, seeing Roger already far away, he could only helplessly obey the captain's command.
He turned and rushed toward where the wounded were gathered, quickly organizing their evacuation.
Roger gripped "Ace" tightly, pointing the blade toward the distant monster and the figure standing atop it.
On the other side, Garp couldn't hold back either.
The Marine Vice Admiral grabbed a pale-faced captain who was trying to report to the rear and roared like thunder: "What the hell is that thing??!"
The captain was so intimidated by Garp's aura that he trembled all over and stammered: "Vice Admiral Garp… it seems to be Saint Saturn-sama… that appears to be… one of the Five Elders, Saint Saturn-sama… transformed into…"
"What?!"
Garp's eyebrows nearly shot up: "The Five Elders? That old guy with the perpetual deadpan face?!"
Garp released the captain, planted his hands on his hips, and glared up at the grotesque monster in the distance. His voice boomed loud enough to carry across half the battlefield:
"So you're one of the Five Elders, huh?! This is the first time I've seen such a disgusting maggot leader! You've really got a body that matches those nauseating thoughts of yours!"
The moment those words left his mouth, every Marine soldier who heard them stared in stunned silence, eyes nearly popping out.
Vice Admiral Garp… was insulting the Five Elders?!
And so… bluntly?!
At the God Valley scene, reactions to hearing this through the light screen varied wildly.
The Five Elders' faces instantly turned livid—especially Saint Saturn, whose face had darkened to the point it could drip ink.
To be publicly humiliated like this by a Marine Vice Admiral in front of the entire world was an unprecedented disgrace!
In the Marine camp, many officers and soldiers were shocked but desperately trying to hold back laughter. Their shoulders shook, faces flushed red.
They didn't dare laugh out loud, but in their hearts, they had already given Garp ten thousand thumbs-up.
On the pirate side, there was no restraint—earth-shaking laughter erupted.
"Hahahahahahaha!!!"
Roger doubled over laughing, tears nearly streaming: "Garp! You bastard! You nailed it! Maggot leader! Hahahaha!"
Rocks laughed too. This Marine really was something special.
Sengoku, Tsuru, and Zephyr were utterly helpless against Garp's personality. The three of them clutched their heads with wry expressions.
Roger laughed enough, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and shouted toward Garp on the screen: "Garp! Why don't you just quit the Marines already!
Didn't Zephyr form that 'Neo Marines' thing in the future? You'd do great going solo! At least you wouldn't have to listen to those five old bastards' nonsense! Hahahaha!"
Hearing Roger's "suggestion," Garp's mouth twitched. He shot back irritably: "Hey! Roger! Cut the nonsense! I'm a Marine!"
But even as he said it, a subtle flicker passed through his eyes.
Roger's words planted a seed quietly in his heart.
The future "Neo Marines"? Breaking free from the Five Elders' control? Going solo?
Once the thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed.
No one knew what kind of storm was brewing in Garp's heart at that moment.
On the light screen, Rocks had already stepped across the ruins, advancing toward the monster one step at a time.
The monster halted its indiscriminate attacks. The blurry figure atop its head also slightly lowered its gaze, "looking" toward this insignificant human.
A bizarre silence enveloped the area.
Rocks stopped about fifty meters from the monster, raised his head, and with that signature mocking, arrogant smile on his face, spoke loudly: "Finally crawled out of the sewer, huh… 'King of the Rats.'"
His voice carried clearly across the battlefield.
King of the Rats?
The nickname left everyone stunned.
The figure atop the monster seemed to shift slightly.
Then, a voice—the same genderless, hollow, icy tone from before—emerged from within the monster and echoed through the air: "So it's you… Davy Jones?"
Davy Jones?!
The name struck like a boulder thrown into a still lake, sending waves crashing in all directions!
Though they didn't understand what the two were talking about, it sounded incredibly significant…
"Davy Jones? The legendary 'Deep Sea Pirate'?!"
"Impossible! Davy Jones was from a hundred years ago! He's long dead!"
"But that's exactly what the voice said! Rocks is Davy Jones?!"
At the God Valley scene, everyone—including members of both the Roger Pirates and Rocks Pirates—stared at Rocks in utter shock.
And on the light screen, Rocks himself laughed—a laugh full of cold mockery: "You got the wrong person~ The guy you're talking about, I don't know him at all."
He paused, then added: "At least… not the 'me' right now."
The ambiguous words only fueled more curiosity.
"Rocks!!!"
Golden Lion Shiki couldn't hold back. He flew into the air and shouted at Rocks: "Davy Jones?!
I thought it wasn't that legendary Deep Sea Pirate?! What connection do you have with him?! Didn't you say you were his die-hard fan?!"
His question was everyone's question.
The Rocks Pirates members exchanged glances.
They did know their captain was abnormally obsessed with the legend of the "Deep Sea Pirate" Davy Jones. Rocks's quarters were filled with ancient texts and manuals about him…
Even some of the ship's decorations carried heavy "deep sea" motifs.
But they had never imagined… there was a deeper connection behind it.
At this moment, Giant King Harald's expression was particularly strange.
He recalled the long conversation Rocks had with him before arriving at God Valley.
At that time, Rocks had indeed revealed some secrets about his own origins…
With everyone's gazes focused on him—especially Roger's unabashedly curious stare—Rocks couldn't help rolling his eyes.
"Fine, fine… telling you won't hurt."
He waved his hand helplessly, took a deep breath, and spoke clearly enough for all of God Valley to hear: "Like you, Roger… you have a 'hidden name,' and so do I."
He paused, then enunciated each word: "My real name is Davy D. Xebec."
"As for Davy Jones…"
A complex light flashed in Rocks's eyes: "He was my ancestor—the 'King of the Deep Sea' who dominated the seas a hundred years ago."
The moment the words fell—
"Whoa—!!!"
All of God Valley erupted in deafening exclamations!
Pirates, Marines, Celestial Dragons, God's Knights… everyone was utterly stunned by this revelation!
...