Rocks felt a chilling sensation spread through his chest. His thoughts began to blur, overlapping and slowing, as tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes. His vision darkened.
Eris… Teach… forgive me… it seems I won't be able to make it out…
That was the final thought that crossed Rocks' mind before everything went completely blank.
His appearance began to change.
Massive wings tore out from his back, unfurling with a violent force. Two thick, curved horns slowly emerged from his forehead. His teeth lengthened, growing sharp and predatory. His body expanded, becoming larger, heavier, and far more imposing.
He was no longer the Rocks who had challenged Imu.
He was now Imu's demon soldier.
At this moment, he was perhaps the strongest being in the world, second only to Imu himself.
"You were an anomaly, Rocks," Imu said calmly. "Perhaps you didn't know it, but you were destined to die here. It's simply your fate."
Imu continued, his voice cold and detached.
"Don't worry, you're not alone. Roger shares the same fate as you. The only difference is that his death will be more honorable, I suppose. But the end is the same. You, Roger, none of you are the chosen one."
He turned his back to Rocks and began to walk away, his footsteps echoing faintly.
"You were all just pawns in the game. Pawns meant to indirectly help Joy Boy, and eventually bring about my doom. That was the original script."
Imu paused slightly.
"But that won't happen."
He glanced back over his shoulder.
"I will become what you always wished for. A true king of the world."
"You can still maintain a fragment of your consciousness," Imu added, staring directly into Rocks' eyes. "As expected from you. Impressive, indeed."
Tears continued to flow down Rocks' face.
"But you still can't disobey my orders, can you?" Imu said, chuckling softly.
Boom.
The ground shook as Imu took flight, his massive wings lifting him into the sky.
"Well then," Imu said as he ascended, "destroy everything. Kill everyone. That's your final order. The last thing you'll do before dying."
His voice carried one last note of mockery.
"After all, someone needs to take the blame, and you're the perfect scapegoat. Haha… do you get it now? That's the difference between a winner and a loser."
With that, Imu vanished from God Valley.
Moments later, Garp and Roger arrived.
Rocks stood there silently, sword in hand.
"Hey, Rocks, what happened here?" Roger asked, staring at the devastation surrounding them. "And what happened to you? Why do you look so big? And… why are you crying, man?"
Roger scratched his head nervously.
"Is it because you didn't find Shakky? It's okay, man. We'll find her together."
"Who were you fighting, Rocks?" Garp asked, scanning the battlefield. "And what happened to your opponent? Did you defeat him or not?"
Silence.
Rocks didn't respond to a single question.
"Hey, Rocks… you okay?" Roger asked, sensing something deeply wrong.
Rawwr!
Rocks suddenly roared. The sound shook the entirety of God Valley. His Haki exploded outward in every direction.
In the next instant, he leapt forward at terrifying speed. His sword, coated in overwhelming Haki, was raised high as he attacked Roger.
Boom!
Roger barely had time to react. Instinctively, he raised his sword to block.
Boom!
Roger's figure vanished as he was sent crashing into the nearby trees.
Pffft!
Roger spat a mouthful of blood as he struggled back to his feet.
"What the hell, Rocks?!" Roger shouted. "Why are you attacking me?!"
Rawwr!
Boom!
Rocks swung his sword toward Garp, trying to cut him down.
"Heh. If you want to play, then let's play," Garp said grimly.
He coated his fist with Haki and didn't dodge , he attacked head-on.
Boom!
Their Haki clashed violently, shaking God Valley. The ground cracked beneath their feet.
Roger reappeared beside Rocks, immediately striking with his sword, Ace.
Rocks didn't dodge.
He pulled up his own blade and met Roger's attack head-on.
Boom!
Eek!
Roger was thrown backward once again by the force of the clash.
Suddenly, Rocks turned around and began running, completely ignoring both Garp and Roger.
"Eh?" Roger blinked, confused. "What's with him?"
He looked at Garp and smirked. "Did he get scared of me?"
Garp thought the same, until realization struck.
"Wait!" Garp shouted. "That's where the marines are fighting the pirates! If he goes there, they'll all die! Stop him!"
Garp immediately took off after Rocks.
Roger followed close behind.
---
Hmm… so I wasn't able to recruit him in the end.
Imu thought silently as he flew toward Mary Geoise, his massive wings cutting through the clouds.
Well, that was expected. A man like him would never bow to anyone. The island will be destroyed soon anyway.
"Listen, all of you," Imu said calmly. His voice echoed directly inside Gunko's mind.
"Yes, Master Imu-sama. Do you have any orders?" Gunko replied immediately, her tone respectful.
"What's the situation there, Gunko?" Imu asked, his eyes half-lidded, sounding almost sleepy.
"Imu-sama, just as you ordered, we suppressed the Rocks Pirates without killing them," Gunko answered through their mental link.
"Well then, you did a good job," Imu said neutrally. "You can retreat now. The island is going to be destroyed soon."
"As you say, Imu-sama," Gunko replied, then hesitated. "B–but what about these pirates? They're all strong and talented. Wouldn't it be better to kill them now, before they become a threat like Rocks?"
Imu laughed softly.
"Haha… hmm. That's a good question," he said. "But they can never become Rocks. Killing them now is pointless. It provides no benefit."
He continued, his voice steady and absolute.
"As you said, they are talented and strong. They'll only grow stronger in the future. Right now, they have nothing to lose, which makes them useless to me. I can't exploit them yet."
Imu's eyes sharpened slightly as he spoke.
"Let them go. Let them settle somewhere. Let them build crews. Let them build families. Let them believe their lives are good."
A faint smile formed on his face.
"When they are satisfied, when they feel they finally have something worth protecting, that's when the time will be right. I'll personally take care of them then."
His tone grew colder.
"It doesn't matter where they go. It doesn't matter how far they run. Every road they walk will eventually lead them to me. The world is destined to be mine. So are they. So is everything within it."
Gunko fell silent. This was not the answer she had expected at all.
Her eyes widened slightly, her expression frozen in shock.
"I… I see, Imu-sama," she finally said. "You're right. I couldn't see the vision that you see. Please forgive me, Imu-sama."
"Haha. Don't worry," Imu replied casually. "I don't really care. You don't need to stress over it."
There was a brief pause.
"Well, that's all," Imu said. "I'll see you in Mary Geoise, Gunko."
With that, the connection between them was cut.
"Yes, Imu-sama…" Gunko murmured quietly to herself.