...
The instant Rocks roared out the two forbidden names "Davy D. Jones" and "Joy Boy," the expressions on the Five Elders' faces completely lost control.
These two names were absolute "stains" that could never be mentioned during the World Government's eight-hundred-year rule— "cancers" that had to be completely erased from history.
They represented a failed past, an uneasy present, and a future full of variables.
But now, not only had these two names been spoken—they had been heard by tens of thousands of people at the same time…
This was the most thorough trampling of their authority, the most dangerous shake to the very foundation of the World Government!
"Bastard… bastard!!!" Saint Saturn forced the hoarse growl through gritted teeth, his voice trembling from extreme rage.
But no matter how furious they became, the light screen remained suspended high in the sky, and the scene continued to play.
Their anger was like heavy fists pounding on cotton—doing nothing but making themselves look even more pathetic.
This powerlessness nearly drove the Five Elders mad.
Meanwhile, in the shadows on the outskirts, Morgans was so excited he could barely breathe.
His notebook was practically being written through, the handwriting sloppy from agitation: "Davy D. Jones, legendary deep-sea pirate, suspected to have once been the 'King of the World'? "Had a 'grudge' and 'promise' with someone named Imu? "Joy Boy, unknown entity, suspected to be another object of Imu's fear alongside Davy Jones? "Rocks D. Xebec, descendant of Davy, aware of the taboo, attempting to fulfill the 'promise'? "Imu, master of the so-called Empty Throne, fears the 'inheritance of will' from Davy and Joy Boy?"
Every single piece of information was like a massive bomb—enough to blow the World Government's carefully woven web of lies to smithereens!
"Explosive news… No, this is straight-up world-ending news!"
Morgans' eyes were bloodshot, his breathing ragged: "The true face of the World Government… the truth behind ruling the world… it's all right here!"
He forced himself to calm down and kept watching.
At that moment, Morgans suddenly heard faint rustling and commotion behind him.
He turned warily and, through gaps in the bushes, saw a group of extravagantly dressed men and women—faces ashen—hiding farther back at the edge of the woods, craning their necks to peek this way.
From their expensive silk gowns, exquisite jewelry accessories, and the arrogance that still seeped through even their terror…
They were clearly nobles from some nearby kingdom—or perhaps even farther away.
These nobles had arrived later than Morgans and were even more cowardly.
They had first seen the hellish scene of corpses strewn across God Valley's outskirts, then the massive, eerie light screen in the sky, and were scared out of their wits.
Right now they only dared to watch from a great distance—wanting to glimpse the truth behind this "miracle" or "catastrophe," yet terrified of getting too close and being dragged into what was obviously a conflict between monster-level beings.
"Bunch of cowards…"
Morgans curled his lip and turned his attention back to the light screen.
He had no idea that, at this very moment, the outside world was already being swept by unprecedented shockwaves because of everything he was witnessing.
The dozens of islands and kingdoms covered by the light screen had completely boiled over.
"The Five Elders… turned into monsters?!"
"That Imu is the true ruler of the World Government?!"
"Rocks is the descendant of the legendary pirate Davy Jones?!"
"Who is Joy Boy? Why are Imu and the Five Elders terrified of that name?!"
Shock, fear, bewilderment… all kinds of emotions spread among the people.
The image of "Absolute Justice" and "divine descendants ruling" that the World Government had cultivated for eight hundred years was shattered into pieces by the scenes in the light screen within just a few hours.
Many ordinary civilians who once harbored illusions about the Marines or held reverence for the World Government now saw their faith beginning to collapse.
They had seen the cruelty of Celestial Dragons using slaves as target practice, the Marines' tacit approval or even participation in atrocities, the terror of the Five Elders transforming into monsters and slaughtering indiscriminately…
And above all, they had seen the cold existence named Imu lurking behind the scenes…
"We… have been ruled by something like this all along?"
"What exactly is the 'justice' the World Government talks about?"
"What have they been hiding?"
Questions spread like wildfire through the crowds.
Although the light screen had not yet covered the entire world, through Morgans' Den Den Mushi, carrier pigeons, merchant ships… these explosive pieces of information were spreading at astonishing speed toward even wider seas.
The truth of the world was being brutally torn open, little by little, and exposed to the sunlight.
In the light screen, Imu seemed exceptionally furious at Rocks mentioning the name "Joy Boy." It berated Rocks for spouting "unrealistic nonsense," and immediately afterward, the black tentacles piercing his body writhed more intensely, pouring even greater corrosive force into him.
But Imu did not seem satisfied with that alone.
Its spiral pupils rotated slightly, as though scrutinizing some direction beyond the battlefield…
Then, in that hair-raisingly calm tone, it said: "Davy… I have found excellent soldiers."
Rocks' struggling suddenly paused.
Imu continued, its voice carrying a near "appreciative" cruelty:
"A race that is enormous in size, harmless, and lost.
They are strong, loyal, easily controlled… and most importantly, they can become my most perfect 'foundation stones.'"
"Shua!!!"
At the God Valley site, everyone's gazes snapped simultaneously toward the direction of the Giant Tribe!
The two giant captains Dorry and Brogy instantly widened their eyes, faces filled with shock and fury.
Behind them, the awakened giant warriors also gripped their weapons tightly, letting out low, angry roars.
And Giant King Harald—upon hearing those words—his expression changed completely in an instant.
A terrifying suspicion suddenly drilled into his mind.
In the light screen, Rocks reacted faster and more intensely than anyone.
"You bastard! Are you talking about the Giant Tribe?!!!"
Rocks roared hoarsely, his voice filled with unprecedented panic and rage—even surpassing the emotion he had shown earlier when worrying about his wife and child!
"I'm warning you!! Don't you dare touch Harald! That guy… that guy has always been afraid, always lost! Always yearning for peace!"
"If you dare make a move against him… even if I become a ghost, I won't let you off!!!"
This was the second time Rocks had completely "panicked" in his confrontation with Imu.
The first time was for his wife and child.
The second time was for his friend.
A hush fell over the God Valley site.
Everyone stared blankly at the man in the light screen—pierced by black tentacles, undergoing mutation, yet still desperately defending his friend.
"Rocks…"
Roger looked at the light screen, the smile gone from his face, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity.
He walked over to Rocks, gave his shoulder a firm pat, and spoke with complete sincerity—no trace of sarcasm: "Gotta say… you're actually pretty damn cool, you know that!"
These words stirred complex ripples in everyone's hearts.
It wasn't just Roger.
Many Marine officers now looked at Rocks with complicated gazes.
Garp crossed his arms and let out a humph, but a faint, hard-to-notice trace of acknowledgment flashed in the depths of his eyes: "Going all out for his wife, kid, and friends… on that point, he's acting like a real man."
Sengoku pushed up his glasses without speaking, but the "villain" label he had placed on Rocks seemed to gain an extra layer of complex understanding in his mind.
A pure evildoer would not possess such blazing emotion or the will to protect at any cost.
Tsuru said softly: "Even the most wicked person has something they treasure above all… That is the contradiction of human nature."
The pirates' emotions surged even more.
They had followed Rocks because of his strength and ambition, but now they saw another side beneath that cold mask—
His obsession with his loved one, his loyalty to his friend, his guardianship over his family.
This contrast made Rocks' image in their hearts become far more three-dimensional… and far more awe-inspiring.
"Rocks… you bastard!!!"
The ancient Giant King Harald could no longer maintain his usual dignity and composure.
Looking at the man in the light screen—who, even while barely able to save himself, was still roaring to defend him—Harald recalled not long ago when the two had fallen out completely over differing ideals, and Rocks had even said many heartless words…
So… all of that had been against his true feelings.
This man, proud to the extreme, had never forgotten the bond between them.
He had simply used that method to push Harald away, not wanting to drag him into the inevitably dangerous war between himself and the World Government.
A line of hot, clear tears slid from Harald's enormous eye sockets, smashing into the ground and kicking up tiny puffs of dust.
...