Hearing that Rocks was actually going to turn around and confront Joy Boy, Aokiji and Aramaki were both deeply shocked.
Aokiji could not help but ask,
"Don't you hate the World Government and the Navy?"
Rocks glanced at Aokiji, disdain evident in his eyes, before replying,
"Defeat is defeat. Dying in God Valley back then can only be attributed to my own lack of strength. Harboring hatred simply because you lost is the behavior of the weak."
With those words, Rocks leaped into the air. His figure soared toward the sky before disappearing beneath the dark canopy above.
In the darkness, Joy Boy was still exchanging blows with Lloyd while wielding the Nika Power. He had no time to react when Rocks suddenly appeared above him and unleashed a condensed attack infused with Conqueror's Haki.
The tremendous force struck Joy Boy head-on.
His elastic Nika body was violently driven inward before his entire figure was blasted backward.
After stabilizing himself, Joy Boy looked toward the person who had attacked him. The moment he recognized Rocks, astonishment flashed across his face.
"Rocks?!"
Rocks threw his head back and laughed wickedly.
"You bastard! How dare you control this old man? Today, you're going to pay the price!"
After speaking, Rocks turned his head toward Lloyd. He gave him a small nod, his expression becoming solemn.
"Thank you. If it weren't for you, I still wouldn't have been able to break free from that bastard's control."
Lloyd smiled faintly.
His figure remained surrounded by darkness as Rocks looked at him and could not help but sigh.
"When I saw you in God Valley back then, I already knew you weren't an ordinary person.
"I simply didn't expect you to grow to this extent.
"Perhaps you really are more deserving of the Dark-Dark Fruit than I am."
Lloyd opened his mouth and replied,
"The Dark-Dark Fruit originally belonged to my Figarland Family. I will be its final master."
"Is that so? Hahaha, you're certainly confident.
"I like people like you.
"To be honest, if the circumstances hadn't been so unusual back then, perhaps I would have invited you to join me."
The two of them completely ignored Joy Boy, who remained not far away.
Joy Boy's face had turned ashen.
He stared at Rocks while activating the Nika Power, attempting to regain control over Rocks' body. Yet he quickly discovered that the connection between himself and Rocks had been completely severed.
Rocks seemed to sense something.
He turned his head and looked at Joy Boy with obvious mockery. At the same time, a mass of black mist surged uncontrollably across his chest.
The moment Joy Boy saw the black mist, he finally understood why Rocks was immune to his control.
He was familiar with this technique.
Eight hundred years ago, Cassilias had also used it.
Darkness Purification.
The name itself sounded deeply ironic.
Darkness, a power that inspired fear in countless people, actually possessed the ability to purify. Even more ironically, what it purified was the Nika Power, the power that symbolized freedom and light.
...
Beneath the dark canopy, Lucia and the other two had watched Rocks enter the dark sky. They were preparing to head toward the other battlefields and provide support.
Just then, a loud cracking sound suddenly rang out nearby.
Aokiji's expression changed.
He abruptly remembered that Garp was still sealed within the ice he had created.
As expected, the ice suddenly shattered.
Garp had broken free from the Dome of Final Ice.
The Dark Power beam from earlier had struck the ice created by Aokiji. Under the erosion of that Dark Power, even ice that could supposedly remain frozen for a thousand years had gradually melted, creating the perfect opportunity for Garp to break free.
However, after witnessing what had happened with Rocks, Lucia was no longer particularly worried that Garp would continue fighting against the Navy.
Aokiji and Aramaki reached the same conclusion.
Therefore, neither of them rushed forward to subdue Garp. Instead, they remained where they were and quietly observed his condition.
Garp stood atop the long river of ice in a daze for a while.
Then he raised his head and looked toward Aokiji, who was standing not far away. A hint of appreciation appeared in his eyes.
Seeing this, Lucia and the other two immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
It was obvious that, just like Rocks, Garp had been freed from Joy Boy's control by the Dark Power.
Garp stomped his foot.
His entire body shot out from the ice like a cannonball, rushing toward Lucia and the other two.
He gave the three of them a slight nod, which served as his greeting, before turning his attention toward Aokiji.
Aokiji looked somewhat awkward.
"I'm sorry, Old Man Karp. I just... you..."
Garp laughed heartily and waved his hand.
"What's there to be sorry about? You did very well!
"This old man was a Marine during his life, and I'm still a Marine after death!
"I should be thanking you for stopping me."
Aramaki, who was standing beside Aokiji, blinked twice.
Then he deliberately turned his head away, doing everything possible to avoid making eye contact with Garp.
The reason was simple.
He had just killed Monkey D. Dragon again.
Although Monkey D. Dragon had deserved it, he was still Garp's only biological son.
The resurrected Garp, however, had lost some of the carefree irreverence he had possessed during his life. Instead, there was a greater sense of restraint and subtlety in his manner.
He immediately saw through Aramaki's thoughts.
After exchanging a few words with Aokiji, Garp stepped forward, raised his hand, and patted Aramaki on the shoulder.
Aramaki, who had been pretending to be an ostrich, could not help but freeze.
Garp's voice sounded beside his ear.
"Aramaki, you didn't show mercy to Monkey D. Dragon simply because of your past friendship.
"That was the right thing to do.
"You are a qualified Marine, unlike this old man..."
As he said this, Garp sighed.
A trace of grief flashed through his eyes.
There was nothing he could do.
As a father, his son had died, and that son had even died twice.
No matter how free-spirited Garp had always been, he could not treat something like that as though it meant nothing.
Hearing Garp's words, Aramaki, whose personality had always been somewhat eccentric, was deeply moved.
When he heard the words "past friendship," he instinctively wanted to argue.
What friendship did he have with Monkey D. Dragon?
Back when they were at the Marine training school, the two had regarded each other as sworn rivals, constantly getting on each other's nerves and wishing they could defeat one another. They had even fought fiercely more than once.
But when Aramaki looked at Garp's weathered face, he ultimately swallowed the words he had been about to say.
He rarely straightened his posture with such solemnity.
Then he gave Garp an extremely formal Marine salute.
Garp returned the salute.
The cloaks of justice on both men fluttered violently in the strong wind.
Finally, Garp looked toward Lucia and said only one sentence.
"With a Celestial Dragon like Lloyd here, this old man is no longer lost."
After saying that, Garp did not wait for Lucia to respond.
He used Moonwalk, and his figure shot straight into the sky amid a series of sonic booms.
Just like Rocks before him, he disappeared beneath the dark canopy.
Aokiji raised his head and watched Garp's figure vanish into the darkness.
He could not help but sigh.
"This reminds me of something Senior Lloyd once said..."
Aramaki was stunned when he heard this.
Then he suddenly grabbed Aokiji by the white collar and shouted, spraying saliva everywhere.
"No way! Why would Saint Lloyd say so much to a simpleton like you?!
"Hurry up!
"What else did Saint Lloyd say?!"
Aokiji raised a hand and wiped the saliva from his face.
Then, without any urgency, he slowly spoke.
"Old soldiers never die. They just fade away."