"Leave the rest to me, Saint Aurelius D. Virel Is."
"I'll be his opponent."
Garp cracked his fist against his palm and walked toward Rocks with a fearless grin.
"Can you handle him? Rocks isn't someone ordinary."
Is glanced at the black mist engulfing Rocks before looking at Garp.
After all, in the original timeline, Garp had only defeated Rocks by joining forces with Roger.
Now...
Claiming he could take Rocks on alone—
Is wasn't entirely convinced.
Especially since Rocks was still at the peak of his strength.
Even Is himself hadn't been able to finish him off quickly.
"Protecting Celestial Dragons is the Marines' duty."
"Let me deal with him."
Garp replied casually, excitement evident on his face as he advanced without the slightest fear.
Of course—
That excuse was only half true.
If it were another Celestial Dragon...
He probably wouldn't be nearly this enthusiastic.
"Get out of my way, Garp!"
"My target is Aurelius D. Virel Is!"
Rocks roared savagely.
Again and again—
Aurelius D. Virel Is had ruined his plans.
At this point, Rocks no longer cared whether he lived.
But Aurelius D. Virel Is—
Had to die.
"You think I'd listen to a pirate and let you harm a Celestial Dragon?"
Garp's expression remained calm as Armament Haki coated his arms.
"Though I despise most Celestial Dragons…"
"Aurelius D. Virel Is is the only one I respect."
If Sengoku heard those words—
Garp would definitely suffer another lecture.
But that was simply his personality.
If he disliked someone, he said it openly.
If he respected someone—
He said that openly too.
"DIE, GARP!"
Black mist surged violently around Rocks.
Countless chunks of rubble and shattered buildings nearby were swallowed by the darkness.
With a thought—
A massive cloud of black mist formed above Garp.
The debris Rocks had absorbed rained down all at once.
At the same moment—
Is raised a hand.
Sheets of paper separated from his body again and gathered together.
A sharp longsword formed in his grasp.
Armament Haki coated it.
Then Conqueror's Haki layered over that.
Slash!
A brilliant sword wave shot skyward and split apart the falling debris.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Is swung repeatedly.
The massive stones shattered like tofu.
By the time they hit the ground—
Only tiny fragments remained.
No longer dangerous to either Is or Garp.
"Die, Aurelius D. Virel Is!"
Wrapped in black mist, Rocks suddenly appeared beside Is.
His Haki-coated fist swung down violently.
But—
A towering figure stepped in first.
A fist covered in Haki crashed directly into Rocks' face.
BOOM!
Rocks' pupils contracted.
Before he could react—
He was blasted away.
His body flew over a hundred meters.
RUMBLE!
He smashed into a ruined structure.
The damaged building tilted under the impact before collapsing entirely and burying him.
But the next instant—
Black mist surged upward, swallowing the ruins.
"You forgot about me, Rocks?"
Garp approached slowly, grinning.
"Garp…"
"Since you're so eager to die…"
"I'll grant your wish!"
Rocks roared hideously.
The black mist surrounding him grew denser.
From afar—
He looked less like a man and more like living darkness.
BOOM!
Garp and Rocks vanished simultaneously.
Then—
Their fists collided.
Shockwaves exploded outward.
The ground beneath them sank over a meter instantly.
Their fists clashed again and again.
Rocks fought with terrifying ferocity—
As though Garp had murdered his family.
Every attack carried the desire to kill him immediately.
BANG!
Garp tilted his body, avoiding a punch.
Then countered with one aimed directly at Rocks' face.
A loud explosion followed.
Rocks was sent flying again.
At this moment—
Too many thoughts clouded Rocks' mind.
He couldn't fully utilize Observation Haki.
Observation Haki required calmness.
And looking at Rocks now—
Did he seem remotely calm?
He looked as though Garp was his mortal enemy.
"Looks like today is your end, Rocks."
"God Valley will become your grave."
Garp smiled lightly.
Completely composed.
"Damn it!"
"DAMN IT!"
"Why do all of you insist on stopping me?!"
"Aurelius D. Virel Is!"
"Garp!"
Rocks roared furiously.
Again and again—
These two had ruined everything.
He couldn't understand it.
Why would Aurelius D. Virel Is—
A Celestial Dragon—
Refuse to remain a useless noble enjoying privilege?
Why insist on revealing such overwhelming power?
And Garp—
Who had pursued the Rocks Pirates repeatedly and captured many of his strongest crew members.
Rocks hated him to the bone.
"Stopping you?"
Is sneered.
"God Valley is under my control now."
"It's my territory."
"You invaded my territory and destroyed it…"
"And now you're blaming me for stopping you?"
…
"As for the Marines capturing pirates…"
Garp shrugged.
"Isn't that only natural?"
"Even if I die today…"
"I'll drag one of you down with me!"
Rocks' voice was filled with madness.
"Drag us down with you?"
"Do you even have the ability anymore, Rocks?"
Is replied indifferently.
"If you think you can take me with you…"
"Then try."
Garp answered lazily.
"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!"
"I'M ROCKS!"
"This era itself is called the Era of Rocks!"
Rocks bellowed.
A black shadow shot across the ground at terrifying speed.
In an instant—
He reached Garp.
BOOM!
Without fear—
Garp met him head-on.
Their fists collided.
The force generated storms of pressure that swept across the battlefield.
The ground around them shattered continuously.
Rocks was still monstrously powerful.
But—
Garp had already grown into his own strength.
—
Elsewhere on God Valley.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
The Golden Lion, wielding his twin famous swords, unleashed wave after wave of devastating sword slashes toward the Old Heavenly Master.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
A golden barrier appeared around the Old Heavenly Master.
The incoming slashes struck it—
Yet failed to leave even a mark.
The Golden Lion held a cigar between his lips and looked surprised.
"I say, old man…"
"You're already this old."
"Who forced you onto the battlefield?"
At first—
He thought he'd chosen an easy opponent.
A foot in the grave.
Someone he could defeat effortlessly.
But unexpectedly—
This old man was anything but ordinary.
"No one forced me."
The Old Heavenly Master wore a gentle smile.
His eyes slowly opened.
A trace of killing intent flickered within.
"This old man simply wanted to see…"
"What the most vicious pirates in this world look like."
Since arriving in this world—
The Old Heavenly Master had taken time to understand it.
He had read countless newspapers.
The Rocks Pirates left a deep impression on him.
Because every member of their crew—
Was infamous.
Massacres.
Plunder.
Atrocities.
Almost no evil was beyond them.
In his previous life—
He had been the Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain.
No matter what—
He still possessed a mortal heart.
Naturally—
He couldn't tolerate people who committed evil without restraint.
Like the Rocks Pirates.
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