...
The light screen brought not only the shock of Rocks' personal fate, but a violent tremor to the very foundations of the world.
Inside the light screen, at the edges of the God Valley battlefield, the surviving pirates reacted far more directly and intensely.
"Lord Rocks!"
"Boss!!"
"Damn it!"
…
Many members of the Rocks Pirates, upon seeing the scene where Rocks finally regained clarity only to be coldly finished off by Saint Garling, felt heart-wrenching pain and towering rage.
Though these crew members each harbored their own schemes, in their eyes, Rocks regaining consciousness meant he might still have been saved!
Even if the hope was slim, he was still their captain!
Yet that bastard Saint Garling—this hyena-like scavenger who had lurked at the edges throughout the entire battle, waiting only to pick up scraps—ended Rocks in such a Despicable way!
"Filthy scum!!"
Brogy's eyes nearly split with fury seeing his friend Harald's comrade meet such an end; his massive ax smashed viciously into the ground, sending shattered stones flying.
"Petty villain… shameless!!"
Dorry gritted his teeth, glaring coldly toward Saint Garling…
Even the other Rocks Pirates members—Shiki, Silver Ax, Big Mom, Kaido—had faces darkened to a terrifying degree.
They could accept Rocks falling to Roger and Garp's combined might, could accept him dying from exhaustion, could even accept him being devoured and assimilated by that darkness…
But they absolutely could not accept Rocks dying in this manner—at the hands of such a petty villain!
This was an insult to Rocks, and an insult to every one of them who had once fought under him!
Countless cold gazes, sharp as tangible blades, shot simultaneously toward Saint Garling—who was nearby, throwing his head back in wild laughter!
"Haha! Hahahaha!!"
Saint Garling's attitude was completely opposite to the light screen's. At this moment, he was genuinely ecstatic, laughing so hard tears streamed down his face!
The laughter even bordered on hysteria…
After enduring endless frustration since the light screen began—threatened by Rocks, Shakky snatched by Rayleigh, knocked flying by Roger, his child taken…
Finally, finally, there was something that allowed him to hold his head high!
Personally ending Rocks D. Xebec!
Even if it was just a finishing blow, even if the opponent had no power to resist!
It was still an indisputable fact!
Future history would record that he—Figarland Garling the Holy, Commander of God's Knights—personally sent that arrogant overlord of the seas to hell!
As for whether the method was honorable?
Victory was victory! History is written by the victors!
"Villain reveling in success!"
An icy, mocking female voice cut through his mad laughter.
Saint Garling's laughter faltered. He whipped his head around viciously to see Stussy staring coldly at him from nearby…
She stood with arms crossed, contempt practically overflowing from her eyes: "You point king, scavenger king, petty king—what's there to be so happy about? Truly the scum of the scum!"
"Well said! Scum!"
"Ptooey! Only good at picking up scraps, useless trash!"
"You call yourself a noble knight? More like a hyena!"
The surrounding pirates immediately joined in the jeering. A torrent of filthy insults and humiliating nicknames surged toward Saint Garling like a tidal wave.
They didn't dare attack directly, but they had no reservations about unleashing verbal fury.
Saint Garling's face instantly turned liver-red, his wild joy replaced by explosive rage: "You filthy pirates! How dare you insult me! I am—"
"Hey hey hey! Whoever you are… Scum King,"
Another lazy, thoroughly mocking voice cut in—it was Golden Lion Shiki.
Floating in midair, he dug in his ear with a wicked grin: "Haven't you figured out the situation yet?"
Saint Garling whipped his gaze toward Shiki, eyes ferocious.
Shiki grinned wider, flashing all his teeth: "What the light screen showed was the 'future'—what 'happened,' not what 'is happening' right now!"
"In the future, you did pick up a huge bargain and had the time of your life. But well…"
Shiki deliberately dragged out his words, his gaze sweeping over Saint Garling, then over Eris and Teach—who were subtly protected by the Rocks Pirates crowd in the distance—and the Roger Pirates watching like tigers ready to pounce…
"Right now, Rocks' wife and child are right here. And after seeing everything just now, do you really think everyone present will let that 'future' happen so easily?"
Shiki's smile turned dangerous and cold: "You don't seriously think that after watching this future segment, we'd just sit around and do nothing, do you!?"
These words hit like a bucket of ice water, instantly jolting Saint Garling awake from his delusional dream of "future victory." A chill shot from his feet straight to the top of his head!
Yes!
The future was the future!
Right now… Rocks was still alive. And thanks to the light screen's warning, he hadn't been eroded by darkness—instead, he had made preparations in advance. His wife and child were safe, his subordinates still loyal!
They might even become more united against a common enemy because of this "future"!
Not to mention the monsters nearby—Roger, Whitebeard—and that Garp…
In the current situation, he—Saint Garling—had not only lost his "future" chance to scavenge, but because of his despicable actions in that "future," he had become a thorn in the side of nearly every top-tier powerhouse present!
That smug, unrestrained laughter he'd just let loose had basically been him frantically drawing aggro onto himself!
The thought that Rocks might now target him early made Saint Garling's face turn deathly pale, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
All his earlier ecstasy and arrogance vanished, leaving only endless panic and suffocation.
He'd been so smug about the future, but right now… he was in deep trouble!
At that moment, the scene on the light screen changed once more.
Just as Saint Garling had finished stabbing Rocks to death and was about to search for Roger and Garp, the picture suddenly went black—as if the signal had been interrupted.
When it lit up again, it was slightly later.
Rayleigh and Scopper Gaban—rushing in like two phantoms—appeared at the edge of the crater.
In one glance, they saw Rocks lying in a pool of blood, the unconscious Roger and Garp not far away, and Saint Garling along with Saint Sommers and Saint Maffey searching nearby.
No words, no hesitation.
Rayleigh and Scopper Gaban exchanged a look and instantly unleashed their full speed and power!
Their ferocious assault caught the three God's Knights completely off guard…
Taking advantage of the chaos, Scopper Gaban and Rayleigh hoisted Roger and dragged up Garp, slinging the two men over their shoulders like sandbags before turning and sprinting toward the coast!
Though the light screen didn't show the full battle in detail, just a few quick scene cuts—
After a brief clash with Saint Garling, Rayleigh swiftly disengaged. The God's Knights tried to intercept but were easily shaken off—enough to explain everything!
Those three God's Knights simply couldn't stop the full-force "Dark King" Rayleigh and "Mountain Eater" Scopper Gaban, who were dead set on rescue!
Saint Garling could only watch helplessly as they vanished into the shattered forest with Roger and Garp, stomping in furious rage yet powerless to stop them.
He glanced at Rocks' corpse, then at the departing Rayleigh and the others…
In the end, he could only bitterly order his subordinates to clean up the mess before hastily withdrawing from this trouble spot.
The light screen froze on the image of Rayleigh and Scopper Gaban carrying Roger and Garp toward the coast under the setting sun, contrasted sharply with Saint Garling's impotent fury at the crater's edge.
The stark contrast left the viewers outside the light screen with mixed, complicated feelings.
Rocks was dead—died in humiliation.
Saint Garling "won," yet lost the respect of everyone present and planted countless powerful enemies for himself in the "present."
And the story of God Valley seemed to come to its close.
But everyone knew that the storm unleashed by this light screen had only just begun.
The course of history, the sway of hearts and minds, the balance of power—all had been thrown into unpredictable flux by this exposed "future."
...