Somewhere at a high point in God Valley, Satan Saint stood still, overlooking the island below that had completely turned into a purgatory battlefield. Fire, smoke, shouts of killing, and explosions played a symphony of destruction together.
He recalled the brief clash with Charlotte Linlin just now; his stern face remained expressionless, with only a deep sense of contemplation flickering in the depths of his pupils.
"You are strong, but so what? In eight hundred years of history, you are ultimately just the dust of history."
Just then, a voice rang out directly in the depths of his consciousness:
Saturn... is Rocks dead?]
It was Lord Imu.
Saturn lowered his head slightly and responded respectfully in his mind:
[Reporting to Lord Imu, not yet. Davi D. Xebec is currently confronting Galin.]
He paused for a moment and added, his voice carrying a rare gravity:
[Please look, Lord Imu. The direction of this incident has completely deviated from our estimates. The Rocks Pirates, the Roger Pirates, and even many hyenas who came upon hearing the news... This "destruction" unexpectedly triggered by the "Hunting Game" has exceeded control in scale and intensity. Even...]
He looked at the flames of resistance Burning throughout the battlefield, recalling the light that had rekindled in the eyes of that Bacania Tribe brat earlier.
[It even makes one feel that an "aura" attempting to break the old cycle and give birth to dangerous new things is being nurtured amidst this excessive destruction and chaos.]
The silence in the depths of his consciousness lasted for a moment, and then, that voice rang out again, devoid of any emotion, yet containing an absolute will that allowed no defiance:
[...Absolutely not allowed.]
Meanwhile, across the battlefield where the fierce fighting was at its peak.
"Roar!!!"
On the west side of the island, Newgate, who was fighting with Roger, and the surrounding Marines and pirates all stopped their combat actions and looked toward the sky.
Beneath the sky, the silhouette of a massive creature tore through the clouds and smoke, rising proudly!
Indigo scales reflected a cold luster in the firelight, and a body winding like a mountain range was covered in auspicious cloud patterns. Antlers, a camel's head, rabbit's eyes, a snake's neck... that was clearly a form that only existed in myths and legends!
"A dragon...?!!!"
"Is that the kid Kaido?!"
"How is it possible?! Does such a creature... really exist?!"
Exclamations and sounds of horror rose one after another across the battlefield... On the other side, Rocks was carrying his wife Alice and the young Teach, moving rapidly through the forest at an astonishing speed.
However, the "pursuers" behind them were like maggots on a bone, clinging tightly.
"Damn it! These guys... are they really unkillable?!" Rocks glanced back at the pursuers behind him.
Alice, who was being held tightly on Rocks' shoulder, struggled and shouted:
"Gibeck! Put me down! We won't be able to escape like this!"
"Shut up! Hold on tight!" Rocks growled, accelerating again and shattering a giant rock blocking the way, "We can only run now! Find a gap!"
Alice looked up at the pursuers getting closer behind them, as well as those familiar yet strange faces of her clansmen twisted into monsters. Her eyes were filled with pain and disbelief:
"Wait... Gibeck! They've caught up! Everyone... Father! Grandmother! Everyone has turned into that... What kind of evil ability is this?! What on earth happened?!"
Commanding this demon legion were two Gods Knights.
St. Galin, whose head was missing a quarter and whose body was covered in slash wounds, felt his wounds slowly healing under the effect of the black mist while also couldn't help but praise:
"Truly impressive~ The wounds slashed by that guy require time to regenerate, but we know he belongs to the davy clan now. If we deal with him, that Lord will surely be very pleased."
The Female Gods Knight on the side said: "Indeed. Although the triennial 'Game' has been made a mess by this group of pirates, if we can take this opportunity to uproot the davy clan, it might be an unexpected stroke of luck for us."
Alice listened to the faint conversation coming from behind, her heart growing colder. She looked at Rocks:
"Put me down, Gibeck! Do you think you can drive that guy away with only one hand?"
"Listen, Alice!" Rocks' voice sounded low and urgent in the rushing wind,
"Those who bear the name 'Davy', once you fall into the hands of the World Government, what awaits you will be a pain more miserable than going to hell."
"I know! I am now a full-fledged member of the davy clan. Even though I was a pirate, people like me were treated very kindly by everyone here. I understand the fate of this family, so you must put me down!"
Her gaze turned toward those chasing Bat-winged monsters, her eyes full of determination.
Alice burst out with a surge of strength from somewhere, suddenly breaking free from Rocks' arm. Holding the bewildered Teach, she rolled off Rocks' shoulder, fell to the ground, and quickly scrambled up.
"Alice!!" Rocks was both shocked and angry.
Alice held Teach, her face stained with dust and tears, yet she bloomed with an incredibly brilliant smile as she looked at the man she loved:
"If I can't even protect a child, if I'm just a dodder flower that only knows how to hide behind a man and shiver when encountering danger... You, Davi D. Xebec, would never have fallen in love with me back then, would you?!"
Rocks looked at his determined wife, then at the snarling bat-winged pursuers and the sneering Gods Knights closing in from behind. His eyes were bloodshot, and he let out a suppressed low growl:
"You... fool!!"
Alice took a deep look at him, as if to carve his silhouette into her soul forever, and then turned away resolutely:
"Listen, Gibeck! If I... if we are truly unfortunate enough to be caught, I will kill Teach first and then immediately commit suicide!"
"We must each survive!! See you in 'Lulusia'! Gibeck—!!!"
With that, she held Teach and rushed into the forest ahead without looking back.
"Lulusia..."
Rocks murmured the agreed-upon location, his heart feeling as if it were being squeezed hard, yet in an instant, it was filled with boundless rage and determination.
His wife had cut off his worries in the most resolute way, and also ignited all his ferocity as a husband, a father, and a "Pirate Overlord"!
"Have you finally put down your troublesome wife?" Galin Saint sat on an ostrich, looking at Rocks with an evil smile:
"So... how will you attack next?"
Rocks slowly turned around, the sound of his teeth clenching making a grating "creak." His left hand holding the blade slowly rose, and Haki, almost materializing, surged wildly from him, instantly spreading to every inch of the long blade in his hand!
The sky became even gloomier due to this extreme aura, and the ground trembled slightly.
"Hah—!!!"
Rocks slashed down violently toward the ground ahead, toward the pursuers, and toward this damn fate!
Clang—!!!!!!
A massive slash erupted from beneath Rocks' blade!
Rumble—!!!
Wherever the slash passed, the earth was sliced open as neatly as tofu, revealing a bottomless chasm! Rocks, trees, building remains, and even several low hills were annihilated like foam before this slash!
This slash traversed the entire God Valley with an unstoppable momentum!
Crack—Boom!!!
Under the gaze of countless horrified eyes, the only 10,000-meter peak in "God Valley" was split in two!
Rocks roared ferociously:
"Don't even think about taking another step forward!!!"
"Bring it on—you monsters!!!"
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