Rocks' eyes were like those of a savage beast slowly reddening, a crimson glow leaking out.
But he didn't charge in to stop them.
Instead…
He forced his mind into cold control.
Right on the edge of going berserk, he dragged himself back with sheer rationality.
"Ares… I really, really want to kill you right now!!"
"It's you and Golden Lion who ruined my plan. Otherwise…"
"God Valley would be mine. Every single Devil Fruit would be mine!!!"
Rocks' killing intent was blazing, but he knew the enemies surrounding him were far too many. He absolutely couldn't push Ares, Kaido, and the others into a fight to the death.
Otherwise, he'd be attacked from all sides
And trapped in a deadly corner.
At that moment
Ares shouted toward Golden Lion Shiki, "Hey Shiki, big brother! Time to go!"
"Hm?" Golden Lion took a long drag on his cigar, irritation written all over his face. "Ares, we're just letting Rocks off that easy?!"
Ares' expression turned icy. Then he bared his teeth in a grin.
"Heh. How could I let it end that easily?"
"I just don't want the World Government to pick up the profit for free."
He wasn't about to let the World Government reap the spoils while sitting back.
Ares walked to Golden Lion's side, then shouted toward Saint Saturn of the Five Elders.
"Hey Saint Saturn. This war ends here. How about it?!"
"You " Saint Saturn's face darkened, so grim it looked like it could drip water. "That Ares… damn him…"
Earlier, the one who fought the most viciously was him.
And now, the one stepping out to "end" the war was also him.
Whitebeard slammed Murakumogiri into the ground with a heavy thud, dust rippling outward. He grinned.
"Gurararara What Ares said, I agree. If anyone wants to keep fighting, Ares and I will accompany you to the end!"
"Shihahahaha " Golden Lion glanced at Ares beside him, surprised, then laughed. "Same here. If you don't like it…"
"Then we fight in blood until the end!!"
With Whitebeard and Golden Lion backing him, Fleet Admiral Kong the Steel's expression changed. His gaze shifted to Saint Saturn and Garling.
Saturn and Garling exchanged a look. Then Saturn ground his teeth and spoke through the fury.
"You can leave. But if you keep causing chaos on God Valley after this…"
"The World Government will not spare you!"
With the World Government conceding
Ares' eyes turned toward Rocks.
Rocks stared at Ares with a sinister gaze, then curled his lips into a smile.
"Never thought I'd see it. Ares… you've changed a lot. The old you was a complete madman…"
Off to the side, Linlin silently added in her heart, He still is.
Rocks suppressed the killing intent boiling inside him and sneered.
"Ares, you ruined my plan. This isn't over!"
"I was thinking the same thing." Ares' sharp-featured face twisted into something wild. "Next time I run into you on the sea, Rocks…"
"I won't hesitate. I'll kill you."
"Then we'll see who's truly the strongest on the sea!"
He shot back without giving an inch.
Golden Lion glared at Rocks. Cigar clenched between his teeth, he declared arrogantly:
"Hey Rocks. I, Golden Lion Shiki, announce my withdrawal from the Rocks Pirates. See you out on the sea!"
"Next time…"
"We'll see who the real king of the sea is!"
Whitebeard grinned. "Gurararara If Ares and Golden Lion are leaving the Rocks Pirates, then I'll leave too."
"While I'm not too old yet, it's time I went after my own dream."
He was already in his thirties now no longer young. Decades could vanish in the blink of an eye.
Hearing Whitebeard announce his departure, Rocks' face darkened to an extreme.
Captain John stood there blankly. "Newgate… Newgate is leaving the Rocks Pirates too?!"
Wang Zhi's expression shifted hard. "How… how… even Whitebeard is leaving?!"
…
Veins bulged on Rocks' forehead. Teeth clenched, he spat out:
"We're leaving!"
Seeing this
A glimmer of joy flashed through Saturn's eyes. In his heart, he laughed.
Hahaha finally, infighting.
Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Ares… all withdrawing one after another.
Good.
A single tiger is never as threatening as a pack of wolves.
But the moment he remembered Ares had stolen half the Devil Fruits, it lodged in his throat like a thorn impossible to swallow, impossible to spit out. Saturn felt sick.
Still, if he tried to face Ares and Rocks at the same time
And with the Roger Pirates nearby as well
Saturn didn't dare take that risk.
On the shoreline
Ares spoke with a trace of reluctance. "Whitebeard big brother… Golden Lion big brother… there's no feast that lasts forever."
"Maybe it'll be a long time before we meet again."
"Ares." Whitebeard asked, "What are you planning to do next?"
The sea wind whipped their clothes, snapping loudly.
Ares answered, "I'm going back home to Wano."
"I'll take back the land that belongs to the Amatsuki Family… and while I'm there, I'll settle down and train properly."
"I'll fuse everything I've learned into one."
"And I'll reach my goal sooner tempering my physique…"
"Until I surpass the Supreme Grade blades!"
Hearing that, Whitebeard reached out and patted Ares' broad shoulder, smiling.
"Gurararara Ares, I'm looking forward to the day you achieve it."
"As for me… I should probably go find myself some family too…"
"Family?" Golden Lion snorted. "Hey shouldn't you be building your own power while you can?!"
"We all broke away from the Rocks Pirates, sure, but even a starving camel is bigger than a horse."
"Rocks is still strong. If you don't build a force of your own, you won't be able to stand against him."
Whitebeard shook his head. "I've got no interest in conquering the sea!"
The two glared at each other, needles in the air, neither yielding.
Right then
Ares spoke.
"Whitebeard big brother. Golden Lion big brother. Goodbye."
"When we meet again… don't let me surpass you so badly it looks ugly."
Then he leapt, landing on the ship's deck, leaving them only the broad back of a tiger beneath the setting sun.
"Ares !" Golden Lion roared. "I'm Golden Lion! You think you'll surpass me that easily?!"
"Hey, hey Ares!" Whitebeard called after him. "Are you looking down on me a little too much? Next time we meet, I won't hold back!"
…
The ship was already underway.
On the deck
Slardar's face was heavy with worry. "Big brother Ares… the ship is packed with slaves. The food won't last even a day. And besides…"
He, Kaido, and Ares were all monsters when it came to eating.
So…
They were facing a brutal problem.
They were out of food.
Kaido grinned. "Worororo what's there to worry about? We just go rob some!"
"Rob?!" Kuma immediately frowned. "If we rob other people, won't that mean they have no food?"
"There are tens of thousands of people on this ship. How much food would we even need?!"
Kaido's face soured. "Hey you've got a lot of pointless talk."
"If we don't rob, are we supposed to wait for someone to deliver food to us?"
"Where in the world do you get a good deal like that?!"
Ares thought for a moment, then made his decision.
"I know where we can get food."
…?
Everyone turned to look at Ares at once.
Kuma asked curiously, "Big brother Ares… you have a way?"
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