Chapter 47 – The New Era
God Valley trembled violently.
The entire island had already become unrecognizable after the battle between monsters. Mountains had vanished, forests had burned into ashes, and the land itself had split into countless pieces.
Now—
It was sinking.
Massive cracks spread through the island as seawater rushed inward like raging beasts.
BOOOOMMMM!!!
Large chunks of land collapsed into the ocean.
Newgate looked around, his face turning serious.
"We can't stay here for long!" he shouted.
Murakumogiri rested on his shoulder as he suddenly reached forward.
His fingers grabbed the empty space before him.
Veins bulged on his arm.
"Kaido!"
CRACK!!!
Reality itself seemed to shatter.
White fractures spread across the air.
The sea below shook violently.
The tectonic plates beneath God Valley shifted.
The broken island suddenly tilted.
BOOOOMMMM!!!
Entire sections of God Valley flipped upward.
Seawater rushed out as mountains and shattered land began turning upside down.
Kaido's gigantic Azure Dragon body immediately swooped down.
"WORORORORO!"
"Bolo Breath!"
A massive pillar of dragon fire blasted toward Mars.
BOOOOOOMMMM!!!
Mars crossed his wings as black flames exploded around him.
The impact forced him backward.
Kaido ignored him.
His giant claws grabbed the injured Rocks and Garp instantly.
"Oi, old men, stop lying there!"
Rocks clicked his tongue.
"Tsk... brat."
Garp snorted.
"You think I need help?"
"You can walk then."
Kaido immediately threw him over his back.
"Wha— YOU BASTARD!"
Ignoring Garp's shouting, Kaido flew toward Newgate and Roger.
Yet his eyes remained on the sky.
Imu simply floated there silently, his gaze fixed on the magma pool.
Kaido narrowed his eyes as he observed him.
"...Strange."
He ignored it, but his guard never dropped.
Roger meanwhile grinned wildly.
Blood dripped from his forehead as he raised Ace.
"Move aside!"
Conqueror's Haki exploded around him.
"DIVINE DEPARTURE!"
BOOOOOOOMMMM!!!
Nesturo was blown backward. Roger immediately shot toward Kaido.
Below them—
God Valley completely flipped upside down.
Then slowly—
Began sinking.
Peater looked around.
Warcury's expression darkened.
Nesturo's eyes narrowed.
The battlefield was gone.
Pentagram circles appeared beneath them.
The three disappeared.
Returning to the Holy Land.
Only Mars remained beside Imu.
The sea continued swallowing God Valley.
Imu silently stared downward.
Then—
Imu coughed as blood spilled from his mouth. Mars immediately appeared before him.
"Lord Imu!"
"You must return immediately!"
The Gorosei's anxious voices echoed through telepathy.
{Lord Imu, please return!}
{Remaining outside for this long is dangerous!}
{Your condition—}
Yet Imu remained still.
Then—
A dangerous smile slowly formed on his lips.
A pentagram appeared beneath him.
His body slowly disappeared.
Yet his voice echoed through the Gorosei's minds.
{Greet him for me.}
{Tell him... next time shall be our final battle.}
{Mu underestimated him.}
{Next time— Mu shall come for blood.}
The Gorosei froze.
Confused.
Then—
Their expressions changed.
A horrible thought appeared in their minds.
Mars slowly turned.
Toward God Valley.
Then—
His eyes widened.
The magma below—
Was spinning. A giant whirlpool formed within the magma itself.
Mars stared.
"...Impossible."
"No..."
"It can't be..."
"Why is he still alive...?"
"That monster..."
BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!
A crimson pillar of fire erupted upward.
Straight into the heavens.
The sky and ocean turned red.
The seawater began boiling violently.
Massive amounts of steam rose.
Magma erupted endlessly.
The sinking remains of God Valley slowly began melting from the unbearable heat.
Kaido stopped flying.
Roger turned.
Newgate froze.
Even Rocks stared.
Then—
From the center of the crimson inferno—
Something slowly emerged.
A massive 150-meter body rose from the magma.
Black armor resembling cooled volcanic stone covered his body completely, but glowing crimson cracks spread throughout it like rivers of lava.
Massive burning wings unfolded behind him.
Dark curved horns rose from his head.
His long white hair floated wildly behind him.
Crimson flames danced endlessly around him.
His glowing eyes looked like two burning suns.
The sea itself trembled around him.
Even the sky distorted.
Kaido stared.
Then—
"WORORORORORO!!!"
He burst into laughter.
"KNEW IT!"
"I knew that bastard wasn't dying that easily!"
"VOLHAHAHAHA!!!"
Rocks laughed loudly too.
But unlike before—
Something in his eyes had changed.
He stared at Ron.
"I chased fate and history my whole life."
"And now look at him."
"He's breaking fate apart like it's nothing."
His expression turned complicated.
"Why did I never think about surpassing it instead...?"
Newgate smiled.
His brother was alive.
Not only alive—
He felt even stronger.
Even from this far away, he could feel the terrifying heat and overwhelming aura.
Roger sighed.
"Hah..."
"Some monsters really can't be caught up with."
"That bastard became even stronger."
Garp clenched his fists.
"No way I'm falling behind."
Without hesitation—
He jumped.
Roger blinked.
"Oi Garp! Where are you going?!"
"Training!"
"YOU'RE TRAINING NOW?!"
Garp ignored him and landed on his remaining dog-head warship.
Roger also jumped toward his own ship.
Rocks looked at his severed arm.
"The era of Rocks is over."
Kaido and Newgate looked at him.
"What?"
Rocks laughed.
"Go find your own paths."
"There isn't a ship on this sea that can carry me anymore."
It wasn't just his arm that he had lost. He had also lost his belief in Devy D. Jones, destiny, and fate.
Suddenly—
A bolt of lightning appeared and formed the figure of a beautiful black-haired woman. The woman smiled.
"Eris' Vivre Card."
Rocks froze.
Then tightly grabbed it as relief washed over him. At least his wife and son were alive.
On God Valley—
Mars stared at Ron cautiously.
Ron slowly raised his hand. Surtr flew out of the magma and appeared in his hands. Now it burned with crimson-red flames.
He looked at Mars with blank eyes as he swung Surtr.
A massive sword slash burning red shot toward Mars.
SWOOOOSH!!!
Mars' eyes shrank. He immediately flew backward while firing flames from his beak.
BOOOOOOMMMM!!!
Yet the slash devoured his flames completely as it continued toward him.
The slash hit him directly as a massive cut appeared on his chest, and red flames spread all over him.
"AAAAHHHH!"
Crimson flames spread over Mars. His beast form distorted as he returned to his human form.
A pentagram appeared beneath him.
He disappeared instantly.
Ron's Observation Haki spread. Detecting no danger, his body relaxed as all his strength vanished.
The crimson armor slowly disappeared. His body shrank back to his 30-meter giant form.
A floating piece of land appeared beneath him. As he fell on it, he didn't even feel it as he entered deep sleep.
Lightning descended again as it formed Shakky's figure.
Below—
Gloriosa stood on a ship with closed eyes, keeping the floating land afloat and bringing it close to the ship.
Neptune stood behind her.
He looked pale.
"What kind of monsters are these...?"
A chill ran down his spine recalling all the destruction and chaos. And that wasn't even the peak strength of everyone.
Ron was cursed, and the man covered in black flames was also weakened like Ron. Newgate, Kaido, Roger, and Garp weren't even in their prime.
Just imagining all of them in their prime and absolute peak fighting made him shudder.
Newgate and Kaido landed beside them with Rocks. The three of them looked at Neptune in surprise.
Neptune explained everything.
Kaido looked toward the sleeping Ron.
His mouth twitched.
"So all that talk about Shakky being on God Valley was bullshit?"
Kaido was speechless. After thinking for a while, he made his own decision.
"I'm going to form my own crew."
After saying that, he walked away.
Newgate remained quiet. Neptune turned toward him.
"Why not come to Fishman Island?"
After thinking for a while—
"I'll accept your invitation. But there are some things I have to do before that."
Neptune smiled.
Meanwhile, Rocks looked toward the sea. His goal was already clear. Find his wife. Everything else could wait.
Far away in the Holy Land—
Imu looked at the scorched Mars with a scar on his chest.
"Red flames capable of burning immortals..."
"A new Mythical Zoan."
"A Flame God?"
Nesturo, Peater, and Warcury remained kneeling.
"Keep the seas in check."
Imu turned and walked away.
Inside the garden room—
His eyes fell on the image of a blue-haired woman. Just as he fell to his knees, coughing violently.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
Remaining outside Mary Geoise...
And Saturn's death...
The cost had appeared.
Dark black flames slowly covered him.
Days passed.
Both Ron—
And Imu—
Fell into deep sleep.
The sea started moving as Rocks' era ended and a new era began. Shiki, Big Mom, Kaido, Newgate, and Roger were now out in the open.
The New World was small. Yet the amount of Conquerors was too great.
With no monster like Rocks keeping them in check, they were like hungry piranhas in a lake.