Chapter 157: The Great Melee Begins
Uh-oh! Everyone turned to see the Celestial Dragons and the CP0 commander just about to slip away.
Feeling the pressure of all eyes on them, the Celestial Dragons and the CP0 commander froze, slowly stopping in their tracks. Even the usually arrogant Celestial Dragons fell silent and forced an awkward smile.
"Idiots! Don't stop! Keep moving—we'll hold them off!" the Fleet Admiral roared furiously when he saw them hesitate. He signaled for them to hurry and not waste time.
Before the Celestial Dragons could react, Rocks moved. He turned to Aikes and the others and said, "Stay within a hundred meters of me. I'm going after that piece of trash." With that, he charged toward the Celestial Dragons.
Aikes and the others followed closely, keeping within the specified range.
The battle resumed instantly. But this time, things had changed. Rocks' speed and surprise attacks kept everyone on edge. The navy didn't dare approach Aikes and his group too closely, fearing another devastating punch from Rocks that could wipe out a dozen men in a single strike. Because of that, Aikes and his crew felt less pressure, and the battle fell into a tense stalemate.
"Damn it!" the Fleet Admiral cursed in frustration.
There was nothing to be done. Rocks had tanked a full-power attack from four top-level fighters and still looked unscathed. They realized this fight would be a long one. To avoid giving him more chances to strike, the navy scattered their forces. Only backup admiral-level troops stayed engaged in battle—they avoided grouping up.
So the battlefield shifted: Aikes and his team stayed close to Rocks, who fought Garp and the Fleet Admiral while pursuing the CP0 commander protecting the Celestial Dragons and their slaves.
This back-and-forth continued until the afternoon—when the situation changed.
"They're here," muttered Golden Lion and the Fleet Admiral at the same time.
Indeed, Hank's 200,000-strong pirate grand fleet and the navy's 300,000-strong grand fleet had both crossed the mountains and were now approaching the battlefield.
While still fighting, the Fleet Admiral glanced toward the distance and twitched. He cursed silently—these so-called peak-level experts were all shameless scoundrels.
There, standing tall in the distance, was a mountain made entirely of gold, sparkling for all to see.
Golden Lion and the others had been gathering scattered treasure from around the island—painstakingly collecting it piece by piece and piling it into a golden mountain. To the Fleet Admiral, it was a disgrace. World-class warriors acting like beggars, picking up coins one by one? What a joke.
"All that gold… How many military funds could that cover?" The Fleet Admiral found himself drooling in the middle of battle, even making Rocks hesitate for a second.
"What the hell is with this guy?" Rocks muttered in disgust. He shook off the image of the admiral drooling over him.
Clang clang! The battle raged on. Rocks didn't seem anxious at all. He didn't even bother using his special "Mountain Fist" move—just kept up the steady fight.
Soon after, Steel Bone Kong arrived with the 300,000 marines, along with some high-level reinforcements.
Boom! After a clash, the Fleet Admiral pulled back momentarily and excitedly turned to Kong. "Kong! Take a team and protect the treasure—"
But mid-sentence, his face darkened. "Why… why are you the only one who returned?"
Kong fell silent for a moment. Then he replied with sorrow, "By the time I got there… they were already gone."
"I see." The Fleet Admiral's heart sank. His eyes shimmered briefly with unshed tears. He had already guessed this outcome when he saw Rocks fly off alone—but now that it was confirmed, it still hit him hard. His old friends were gone.
But there was no time to mourn. This was still war.
He pulled himself together and said in a heavy voice, "Take a team and stop Golden Lion. That treasure is navy property—don't let them take a single Beli!"
"Understood!" Kong said solemnly. He led a force of strong fighters and marines toward Golden Lion's position.
"That bastard! That treasure belongs to us Celestial Dragons! Since when was it navy property?!" shouted the lead Celestial Dragon from within the protective energy barrier, escorted by the CP0 commander. "When we get back to the Holy Land, we're stripping that admiral of his rank!"
The CP0 commander looked dazed and exhausted. He didn't even want to respond anymore. The admiral was fighting to protect them, and yet they dared to say something like that? What if the Fleet Admiral just let Rocks in to kill them?
Clang! Two fists suddenly collided in front of the protective barrier, sending a gust of wind and a ring of dust outward.
"Crap! Move!" That brief moment of distraction had almost cost them—Rocks had nearly caught up. The CP0 commander hurriedly activated the barrier and skimmed along the ground to escape.
Meanwhile, Steel Bone Kong led his reinforcements—originally sidelined near Aikes' group—against Golden Lion and the others.
There was no need for words when someone came to steal your treasure. The two sides clashed instantly.
Soon, Hank arrived with a battered Kaido in tow, along with 200,000 pirates.
"Captain!!" Hank shouted when he saw his captain and comrades being swarmed by navy elites. He led his pirates into the fray, ignoring Golden Lion's side entirely.
The navy had already spotted Hank's arrival. Seeing that many pirates rushing toward the Fleet Admiral, the 300,000 marines turned as one and engaged the incoming force.
Thankfully, Golden Lion's subordinates didn't follow Hank—they came to support their captain instead. But they were blocked by navy forces too.
Thus, an unprecedented, all-out melee had begun.
Amid the chaos, the most conspicuous figure was Kaido, towering like a giant at the edge of the battlefield. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked miserable.
Originally, he had just come to watch Rocks fight. But out of nowhere, Steel Bone Kong had shown up and started bashing him. He'd passed out from the beating. After Hank woke him, they came here—only to find Rocks' Haki severely diminished.
Kaido felt he had missed his chance to observe that special Armament Haki technique of Rocks. But he hadn't given up yet. The smaller range might even make it easier to study. And so, Kaido resumed his role as silent spectator.
Seeing he wasn't attacking, the marines subconsciously avoided him, leaving a circle of open space around him.
"Roger! Are we still not joining in?" Rayleigh asked. With Hank's pirate fleet now on the field, the navy had lost the advantage—especially since part of their forces were tied up fighting Golden Lion.
"Relax," Roger replied with a smile. "As long as Rocks doesn't get that Celestial Dragon, we don't move."
"…Fine. You're the captain," Rayleigh grumbled in mock defiance, then burst out laughing with the others.
Roger smiled back—but his eyes remained locked on the protective barrier. More precisely, on the lead Celestial Dragon.
"That guy is the key to all this. What secret does this island hide? What is the Will of D?" Roger pondered silently.
And just as the chaos of battle exploded across the island, in the mountain valley, Ellis —who had been busy for hours—finally revealed a gentle smile. It was the kind of smile like sunlight after winter, enough to captivate anyone.
"Is it time, Lady Divine Tree?" Cole asked softly, still by her side, faithfully guarding her.
(END CHAPTER)
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