Wilank's rage erupted like a volcano. Knowing his end was near, he swung his massive spiked club, smashing his treasure vault to pieces. Jewels shattered, Belly coins scattered...
"If I'm going down, the Ice Demon Pirates will live on!" he roared. "Rocks, you think you can wipe us out? Never!"
Fury overriding his fear of death, Wilank hurled his club at Rocks. Silver Axe leaped to shield his captain, but Wilank's blow sent him flying with a single strike.
A 500-million-Belly bounty like Silver Axe stood no chance against Wilank, the 1.1-billion-Belly captain of the Ice Demon Pirates!
"Was I the one who screwed up?" Wilank growled, a flicker of regret crossing his face. "Fine, I misjudged. But I don't grovel. These snow giants? I don't need 'em!"
Rocks, his pity fleeting, unleashed his savage nature. With a burst of speed, he stomped the ground, cratering it, and shot toward Wilank's heart like a black bullet.
Sensing mortal danger, Wilank swung his club down at Rocks. Even if he died, he'd buy time for his crew to escape!
Clang!
Wilank's eyes widened in disbelief. Rocks' fist punched clean through his massive club. What kind of monstrous strength was this? What kind of Armament Haki?
Pale and trembling, Wilank looked down. A bloody hole gaped in his chest. He couldn't block a single strike?
"How... how's the gap between us this wide?"
Wilank collapsed, his knees buckling. Clinging to life, he propped himself up with his club, blood gushing from his heart, his body quaking as he muttered incoherently.
"Giants may seem mighty to normal folk," Rocks sneered, his body radiating Armament Haki emission, not a drop of blood on him. "But to me? Big, slow, and pathetic."
Ignoring the dying Wilank, Rocks turned to hunt down the remaining Snow Giants, determined to crush any future threats.
"The Ice Demon Pirates will never die!"
In a final burst of defiance, Wilank swung his club one last time, briefly halting Rocks. Enraged, Rocks spun back and obliterated half of Wilank's head with a single punch, ending him for good.
...
Outside, the elderly Snow Giants fell one by one under Ochoku's devastating sword aura. As the last collapsed, a faint smile crossed his face. He saw the Ice Demon Pirates' massive flag still flying, their great ship sailing free.
The world seemed to tilt. He hit the ground hard, staring at his own headless body. So, Ochoku had taken his head?
A faint smirk curved his lips as darkness claimed him.
Ochoku kicked over the giant's kneeling corpse and charged after the escaping ship. Rocks' elite crew was stalled by two Snow Giants, but the Ice Demon Pirates' vessel had already left the harbor.
The fifteen surviving Snow Giants aboard the ship wept as they gazed back at the island, their eyes burning with hatred. Ochoku struck mercilessly, cutting down the two remaining giants in minutes.
"Ochoku, we'll have our revenge!"
A young, hate-filled roar echoed from the distant ship, fading across the sea.
Ochoku stared at the vanishing vessel, a chill running through him. That cry... had he just let a monster slip away?
...
Rocks approached, his face dark with frustration. Only two fresh Snow Giant corpses littered the shore—he knew the outcome without asking.
This raid had crushed Saracha's base on Demon Horn Island and taken out Wilank, scattering the Ice Demon Pirates. But they'd failed to absorb any forces, falling short of Rocks' ambitions.
Had Vesper's crew and the Hell Pirates fallen out yet? If they were still allied, Rocks' crew had no edge.
...
Nearby, Captain John looted the Ice Demon Pirates' treasure vault, hauling riches with his men. Silver Axe, battered from his reckless attempt to aid Rocks, nursed heavy wounds. Why had the rookie jumped into a fight where Rocks could've crushed Wilank alone?
Still, Rocks valued Silver Axe's loyalty and grit, much like Ochoku's. John, the greedy bastard, was another story. If not for his decent strength, Rocks would've gutted him long ago.
On Demon Horn Island, John looted. Now on Snow Island, he was at it again.
"Captain Rocks, Wilank's Den Den Mushi won't stop ringing!"
John jogged over, lugging a massive Den Den Mushi and holding up its oversized receiver with a grin.
"Wilank, you finally picked up? You still breathing, or is this Rocks?"
Vesper's voice crackled through, cautious after Brook's earlier Den Den Mushi call.
"Gehaha! Vesper, you old dog, you guessed it's me!" Rocks sneered. "Wilank's off to meet Edward in the afterlife. You're next!"
"You took out Saracha too?"
Vesper's tone carried a pang of loss. With Wilank gone, he'd lost a giant-fueled war machine.
"Hmph. Saracha's got a sharp nose—he slipped away," Rocks admitted. No point lying; Saracha would surface soon enough.
"If Wilank had listened, he could've escaped too," Vesper shot back. "You think I didn't see this coming, Rocks? You got lucky this time."
Vesper knew the Hell Pirates, far stronger than the Ice Demon Pirates, still backed him. Rocks couldn't touch them.
"Gehaha! Guess all you want, old man. I know how much you dote on that precious son of yours, Shirokiri. Better keep him safe!"
Rocks taunted, but his mind raced. Vesper and Brook hadn't split. That was trouble.
A three-way alliance of overlord crews—Vesper, Brook, and their allies—was too strong. Rocks' crew couldn't overpower them.
He needed to sow discord or bide his time until Vesper weakened with age. But the Hell Pirates were a rising beast, growing fiercer than Vesper's crew ever could.
"Hmph. Thanks to your stunt, I've taught the Hell Pirates Conqueror's Haki Coiling," Vesper said, his voice smug. "Go tangle with that young lion, Rocks. Good luck! Hahaha!"
Rocks' taunts met their match. Vesper wasn't just protecting his son—he was arming a monster to come for Rocks' head.
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+300 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg