Chapter 156: Rocks Unleashed
The four fought with speed against speed, mainly because Garp and the others feared giving Rocks any time to unleash one of those terrifying attacks. Their only option was to keep him constantly defending.
But truthfully, Rocks himself didn't want to use that attack carelessly either—it drained too much stamina and was only worth it at critical moments.
"Roar!"
Nearby, Kodak had transformed into a giant gorilla titAnne and clashed with Sengoku in his golden Buddha form. It was a brutal slugfest between two Mythical Zoan-type users. Massive shockwaves rolled out, stirring up winds and tremors.
Aikes and the others also engaged matching opponents in the navy ranks. However, even though Rocks was holding off four admiral-level fighters, Aikes and the rest were already in danger from the start. The navy simply had too many men, all elite officers above vice admiral level.
The battle quickly reached a deadlock.
Meanwhile, Roger and his crew arrived at the center of the crater, near where Luo Han 's "corpse" had previously lain. Black smoke still rose, carrying a pungent odor.
"Roger, looks like that brat's still alive," Rayleigh said as he glanced around. There was no sign of a body—clearly, someone had rescued Luo Han .
Roger didn't answer immediately. He paused to sense the surrounding aura. After a long moment, he laughed, "Hahaha! That kid's alive for sure—and he even helped us solve a major problem... No!" Roger's smile faded into seriousness. "He might have saved our lives."
"What do you mean?" Jaba and the others looked puzzled.
"Hahaha! You'll understand when you see Rocks," Roger laughed again, refusing to explain further. Looking toward the direction of Rocks' fight with the navy, he added, "Come on! Let's go pay Rocks a visit."
Everyone's expressions turned solemn. The moment had come—facing Rocks, a battle they'd long avoided. For years, they'd been hunted like dogs. Fame and notoriety had followed, but this wasn't the pirate life they had wanted.
This time, they would climb over this mountain—and live freely as true pirates.
Roger and his crew raced toward the battlefield.
At the same time, the Fleet Admiral and two navy admirals arrived, appearing at the edge of the battlefield almost simultaneously with Roger's crew.
Bang! Zephyr dropped from the sky beside the Fleet Admiral and asked, "Admiral, I don't see Commander Kong. Or the others?"
"Kong hasn't returned yet. We'll know more when he does. For now, report the current situation."
"Yes, sir!" Zephyr replied. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "Right now, the original members of the Rocks Pirates, including Rocks himself, are present. Blue Demon has been killed by Rocks. We haven't seen Whitebeard or the beastman Cole yet. Golden Lion, John, and Charlotte Linlin are gathered elsewhere on the island collecting scattered treasure."
"I see…" The Fleet Admiral pondered, then instructed Zephyr and the two admirals, "You three go first. Eliminate the original Rocks Pirates. Leave Rocks for last. As for Golden Lion and the others, ignore them for now."
"Understood, Admiral!" The three men responded and charged into the battlefield, targeting Aikes and the others.
Once they were gone, the Fleet Admiral pulled out a special Den Den Mushi and made a call. After a few moments, a voice from the Five Elders came through.
"What is it? You've arrived?"
"Yes. The situation's changed. The great palace has been destroyed by Blue Demon. Rocks is now trying to capture the lead Celestial Dragon."
"Oh? The palace is gone? Rocks wants a Celestial Dragon?"
"Seems like he didn't get what he came for. He probably wants answers from them. At least he hasn't gone berserk yet."
"In that case, let's make sure Rocks stays buried on that island forever."
"You understand, don't you? Your navy's job is to completely wipe out the Rocks Pirates!"
Click! The call ended abruptly.
These damn old men… the Fleet Admiral cursed silently, but there was nothing he could do.
"Forget it. Pirates were always meant to be eliminated."
If the Five Elders hadn't turned a blind eye, Rocks wouldn't have risen to power. And now it was up to the navy to clean up the mess—again.
Frustrated but resolved, the Fleet Admiral moved out, charging toward the fight between Rocks and Garp.
Meanwhile, the Roger Pirates stood at the edge of the battlefield, unsure whether to step in.
The Rocks Pirates were now surrounded. From the looks of it, it was only a matter of time before everyone but Rocks was defeated.
If they joined now, it would seem like they were siding with the navy—not a good look. But if they didn't, and the Rocks Pirates were crushed… why had they come in the first place?
Rayleigh frowned. "Roger, what do we do?"
Roger's eyes remained locked on Rocks. He smiled mysteriously and said, "Wait. We'll join once the navy starts begging for help."
"Huh…?" Rayleigh and the others were dumbfounded. They glanced at the battlefield again—how could the navy possibly end up needing help?
Back in the center of the battlefield, the arrival of the Fleet Admiral gave Garp and the others a moment of relief. Rocks, however, made no attempt to flee—he hadn't intended to escape at all.
"Damn it! There are too many of them. Aikes and the others won't last much longer. If that's the case, don't blame me for playing dirty." Rocks narrowed his eyes mid-battle and suddenly disengaged from Garp and the others.
Whoosh! In a flash, he dashed toward Aikes' location. They were being surrounded and overwhelmed by admiral-level forces. If not for Kodak's immense durability, several would've died already. Even so, everyone was badly injured.
Seeing Rocks suddenly break away, Garp and the others couldn't react in time. Their hearts sank.
"Careful! Rocks is coming!" Garp shouted to Sengoku and the others.
They turned to look—and saw Rocks already airborne. They immediately moved out of his strike zone.
"Can you dodge this? Mountain Fist!" Rocks growled. From midair, he slammed a punch downward. A crushing pressure descended like gravity itself. Over a dozen marines were pinned down before they could move.
BOOM! A white beam blasted the ground, leaving a ten-meter-wide crater. The marines caught in the blast lay lifeless inside.
At that same moment, Garp, the Fleet Admiral, and the others landed simultaneous blows on Rocks.
Boom! Rocks was knocked into the ground near Aikes and the others, creating a deep circular crater.
Whoosh! Before anyone could react, Rocks appeared again, unscathed.
"Rocks!" the Fleet Admiral's face turned pitch-black. This bastard had targeted the weak.
Thud thud… Marines quickly surrounded Rocks and his crew.
Yet even surrounded, Rocks remained calm. He pointed toward the fleeing Celestial Dragon behind Garp and said plainly, "I just want to ask that piece of trash a question. I hope you'll show me some respect—don't make me lose face."
(END CHAPTER)
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