The chaotic battle at God Valley, though fierce and thunderous, had unfolded largely as expected.
Rocks, corrupted by Imu's overwhelming power, transformed into a monstrous abomination, severing all ties with his crew, and was ultimately defeated through the combined efforts of Garp and Roger.
Rayleigh and Gaban returned to the island, rescuing Garp and Roger, while Rocks met a tragic end at the hands of Saint Figarland Garling, his death marking the complete disbandment of the Rocks Pirates.
As the Roger Pirates' ship sailed toward the horizon, Valthior watched from afar as the island slowly sank beneath the waves.
If nothing unexpected happened, the truth of this battle would be covered up by the World Government, and with it, the era of Rocks would come to an end.
What followed would be a brand-new age, stirred up once again by the great figures of the sea.
Perhaps he, Valthior, could also leave his own name in this new era.
"Those are some serious injuries…" Valthior clicked his tongue as he looked at Roger, who was lying on the deck having his wounds bandaged.
"Cut the sarcasm. Where do you want us to drop you off?" Rayleigh brushed back his hair and looked at Valthior.
"Hey, hey—we escaped that battle at God Valley together. We're comrades, aren't we? Can't you let me join your pirate crew?" Valthior pouted.
"I don't recall fighting side by side with you. And you're a Celestial Dragon—if we take you in, the World Government will be watching us like hawks. That'd be a huge headache," Rayleigh said, frowning slightly.
Watching as Roger was carried into the cabin to recover, Valthior spoke again:
"Or maybe… you actually need my abilities. Don't forget what I said earlier—I'm quite the scholar."
"Hm?" Rayleigh's gaze darkened slightly, just as he was about to respond—
Gaban cut in from the side. "Enough, Rayleigh. Let's wait until Roger wakes up before deciding whether to keep the kid. Right now, the priority is getting out of here before the Marines catch up again."
The other members of the Roger Pirates chimed in as well:
"Yeah, let the captain wake up first!"
"We're still waiting to open those treasure chests!"
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
Fleet Admiral Kong stood before Saint Saturn, his expression filled with unease.
"So you're telling me… that Valthior was kidnapped by the Roger Pirates right under your nose?" Saturn's voice was dark and heavy.
"My deepest apologies. The situation at the time was extremely complicated. Since Saint Valthior was in their hands, we didn't dare act rashly…" Kong said through gritted teeth, enduring the pressure.
He knew very well how much Valthior meant to Saturn—and precisely because of that, he knew he was in serious trouble.
At that moment, Saint Somaz approached hesitantly and said:
"Saint Saturn… Valthior left a letter for me to pass on to you…"
"A letter?" Saturn frowned slightly. "Give it here."
Somaz quickly stepped forward and handed over the letter Valthior had entrusted to him. Judging by the seal, he hadn't let curiosity get the better of him; he hadn't read the contents.
Tearing it open, Saturn's gaze fell upon the contents.
Grandfather, by the time you read this letter, Valthior should already be aboard the Roger Pirates' ship.
This is my own choice. The moment I learned that the Roger Pirates would be heading to God Valley, I had already made this decision. So please, do not blame anyone else for this.
Forgive me for acting on my own and disregarding your guidanceand trust.
As the saying goes, reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.
This world is far too colorful and fascinating—I can't help but want to understand it more deeply, to explore it further.
At the same time, I know well that I am still too weak. Without weathering storms, one is nothing more than a flower in a greenhouse.
Compared to joining the Holy Knights, I would rather stake my life on this beautiful yet cruel sea and write a magnificent tale of adventure.
Just like in the book you gave me, "Fate and the Brave," it says: "The sea has always favored the brave, and fate has always smiled upon the mad." This time, I want to see for myself whether I can seize fate by the throat.
If I die because of this, I will have no regrets. It would simply mean that I was only capable of this much.
To avoid bringing shame upon the family, I will act under the name 'Jaygar Valthior.'
I look forward to the day I can meet you again, in a way that will make you proud.
—Written by Jaygarcia Valthior.
The letter wasn't long, and Saturn finished it quickly.
Then, a flicker of black flame ignited in his hand, burning the paper to ash.
Somaz and Kong watched in silence, both curious but not daring to ask anything.
After a moment, Saturn let out a soft sigh. His tone carried a strange complexity as he murmured:
"The sea always favors the brave, and fate always smiles upon the mad… Valthior, you little brat—you've really done something unexpectedly insane this time…"
"Seize fate by the throat, huh?"
He scattered the ashes lightly and muttered to himself:
"Then I'll let you try."
Once upon a time, hadn't he also wanted to seize fate by the throat?
But now that things had come to this, what else could he do even if he didn't allow it?
He might as well see just what kind of name his most favored descendant could carve out on this sea.
After collecting his thoughts, Saturn glanced at Somaz and Kong before speaking calmly:
"I understand the cause of this matter. From now on, there is no need to mention it again. You may leave."
Clearly, he had no intention of explaining anything to them.
Somaz and Kong exchanged a glance, then departed together without asking further.
From Saturn's tone, it was clear—Valthior's name was not something to be brought up lightly anymore.
...
After stepping out of the cabin, Kong bid Somaz farewell and left. There was still a massive mess waiting for him to clean up.
On the deck, Somaz found Garling, Gunko, and Maffy waiting.
"What did Saint Saturn say? Should we mobilize the Holy Knights to rescue Valthior?" Garling asked first.
Maffy bared her sharp teeth and teased, "I don't think you want to save Valthior; you just want to snatch back your bride-to-be, don't you? Hee hee hee..."
Ignoring her, Garling looked at Somaz for an answer.
Somaz stroked his chin and said, "No. Saint Saturn said we don't need to bring this matter up anymore."
"Huh? What does that mean?" Maffy asked in surprise. "We're just… doing nothing? Letting those pirates do whatever they want to Valthior?"
I still wanted to find a chance to develop our relationship further, you know!
Only then did Somaz explain:
"From what I saw, Valthior wasn't kidnapped at all. He was the one chasing after Rayleigh… After reading that letter, Saint Saturn probably understands the situation now. Maybe there's something we're not qualified to know. In any case—that's how it is."
"He left on his own?" Garling frowned.
Valthior ran off with the Roger Pirates, yet Saturn simply said "no need to mention it again" and left it at that?
How did that make sense?
So what was Valthior now—pirate? Celestial Dragon?
By the rules of Mary Geoise, if a Celestial Dragon willingly descended to the lower world and became a pirate, they should be stripped of their divine status to avoid disgracing their family.
After that, the Holy Knights would even have the authority to hunt, judge, and execute them.
So why did Saturn just wave it off with a single sentence?
Though they were filled with confusion, none of them had the authority to question a member of the Five Elders.
Especially not now—when Saturn had personally overseen the God Valley incident and eliminated Rocks, earning great favor from Imu.
Who would be foolish enough to provoke him at a time like this?
Garling himself had also gained merit in this battle—after all, he had personally executed Rocks on Saturn's orders.
There was no reason for him to stir up trouble now.
So after exchanging a knowing glance, all agreed to leave the matter of Valthior unspoken.
For now… it was time to eat.