Chapter 9 - 10
Molten giants, each towering four meters tall, charged into the chaos, tearing through the rioting pirates.
Sakazuki focused on hunting down the strongest among them, their powerful auras guiding his path. As for why he appeared here alone…
…….
A few minutes earlier.
The outline of God Valley was already faintly visible on the horizon.
On the fleet rushing to the scene, the gathered Marine officers could already feel the intensity of the battle raging on the island. It wasn't just the overwhelming Conqueror's Haki flooding outward. Above God Valley, the sky itself looked like it had been slashed apart by countless blades.
Standing on his warship, Sakazuki frowned deeply. He knew there were many Marines on the island, transferred from branches across the Four Blues. But this battle…
The pirates here were all from the New World; the power gap was undeniable.
Realizing this, Sakazuki exchanged a brief word with Vice Admiral Morris, then gave his order.
"Full speed ahead."
The warship surged forward, cutting through the waves. Sakazuki moved to the bow, his stance unwavering.
His arms began to shift. Magma surged and flowed, spilling from his body like a living volcano. As the island came into clear view, he raised both arms.
"Meteor Volcano!"
Power exploded from him. His fists fired forward like rocket launchers, unleashing a relentless barrage of magma, each chunk the size of a cannonball, streaking through the sky at blistering speed.
The punches flew one after another. He didn't stop. He kept going until fatigue finally started to creep into his body.
Then, his body shifted.
His entire form melted into a surge of lava.
Boom!
With a roar like a volcano erupting, Sakazuki erupted upward, transforming into a colossal magma fist and soaring into the sky.
The officers on the nearby warships were left speechless, their eyes wide in shock. They didn't understand why Sakazuki launched such an intense barrage of magma skyward, but the sight alone was unforgettable.
When he finally crashed back down, Sakazuki had already crossed the sea, slamming into the outer battlefield of God Valley with the force of a meteor.
His Observation Haki swept across the battlefield. The number of Marine casualties was staggering, far worse than he expected.
"Still too late. Damned pirate trash."
……
"Great Death Burial Formation!!"
Inspired by Yamamoto from Bleach, Sakazuki had developed this technique himself.
Magma, thicker and more malleable than fire, rose from the ground. Towering magma giants erupted from the earth, surging toward the pirates.
These giants had no minds, no fear, only relentless, unstoppable momentum.
Facing the attack, ordinary pirates were paralyzed with terror, screaming as they fled. Only the elite—those who mastered Haki—managed to gather their wits and fight back, smashing the magma giants apart after an initial moment of panic.
"Damn it! Damn Marines!"
"Thunder Bagua!"
A young Kaido, wielding a massive spiked club, swung it ferociously. With a single, earth-shattering blow, he smashed a magma giant into pieces.
At this time, Kaido was still just an apprentice in Rocks Pirates, a newcomer without the status to follow Rocks and the other titans into the depths of God Valley.
He could only fight alongside the main forces on the outskirts, cutting down enemies without restraint. He was enjoying the thrill of the battle until the situation took a sudden, brutal turn.
The sky erupted, and endless molten magma rained down.
Boom!
On the other side, Sakazuki was ruthlessly destroying pirate ships, cutting off every possible escape route.
Suddenly, he heard a voice, a familiar name of a move buried deep within his memories.
His head snapped around, Observation Haki erupting. He quickly locked onto Kaido. A flash of ruthless determination flickered in his eyes as he charged straight at him.
Boom!
Kaido, having just smashed another magma giant, barely had time to breathe. Every hair on his body stood on end. His heart pounded as a chilling sense of mortal danger surged through him.
"What?!"
"Hound Blaze!"
Kaido couldn't react in time. Before he even processed what was happening, Sakazuki was already in front of him.
His right arm morphed into a massive molten hound, biting down on Kaido's neck with brutal force.
Sakazuki slammed him down, pinning him hard against the ground.
This only awakened Kaido's savage nature. His right hand gripped his kanabō, now wrapped in Armament Haki.
With a fierce roar, he swung it down.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Sakazuki's left hand instantly turned black, Armament Haki coating it as well.
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing echoed as Sakazuki blocked the strike. He pressed his right arm down harder, trying to end it once and for all.
Kaido, driven by the instinct to survive, twisted violently on the ground, thrashing like a wild beast.
He finally managed to hurl Sakazuki off him. His hands, still wrapped in Armament Haki, desperately clawed at the burning magma stuck to his neck.
"Cough… cough…damn Marine," he growled, his voice rough and strained. "Name yourself!"
What greeted him wasn't a name, only an avalanche of raging magma, bearing down on him like a falling mountain.
"Great Eruption!"
Boom!
Blocking the attack, Kaido stared at Sakazuki, who looked like he wouldn't stop until one of them was dead. His face darkened, but his mind was already racing. He wasn't thinking about counterattacking anymore. He was thinking about escaping.
That's right—escape.
Fighting wasn't an option. Kaido might look like a brute, but he was far from stupid. He knew when he couldn't win.
"Vajra Arrow!"
A spiraling blast of compressed air shot from his club toward Sakazuki.
Kaido didn't wait to see the result. The moment the attack flew, he turned and bolted, charging into the depths of God Valley.
Sakazuki smashed through the blast with a single punch, his eyes locking onto Kaido's retreating figure.
He paused briefly, glancing back at the Marines still locked in battle against the remaining pirates. Not trusting their odds, he turned, slamming both hands into the ground.
"Volcanic Burial!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground split apart. Magma erupted from the cracks in violent bursts, surging like waves and swallowing everything in its path.
Without sparing another glance, Sakazuki charged after Kaido, heading for the battlefield where the sky itself looked like it was being torn in two.
……
On the other side of the island.
The Oro Jackson quietly docked at the rear of God Valley.
A group of crewmates rushed off the ship, eyes bright with excitement as they ran toward the ruined remains of grand palaces, eager to snatch up whatever treasure they could find.
Roger and his core crew, however, disembarked calmly. They weren't here for treasure.
They headed straight toward the main battlefield.
...
Deep within God Valley.
Conqueror's Haki, an ability so rare that only one in a million possessed it, ran wild here, clashing without restraint.
Rocks, Sengoku, Shiki, Whitebeard, Big Mom, two of the Five Elders, Ochoku, and Kong... titans of the era stood locked in a brutal, earth-shattering battle.
The clashing waves of Haki sparked black and red lightning, crackling through the sky and tearing apart the land without mercy.
"Lion's Threat: Earth Bind!"
A loud, arrogant voice echoed through the battlefield.
High above, Shiki floated in the air, looking down at Garp with a smug, domineering expression. The ground below rumbled and roared as it twisted, tearing apart and reshaping itself into massive lion heads, each one lunging toward Garp.
With a powerful stomp, Garp vanished from sight.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The lion heads exploded one after another, crumbling into debris. Garp landed among the wreckage, lifting his head to look at Shiki.
With a grin, he picked up a chunk of broken stone, his arm coated in jet-black Haki.
"Let's see how you like this one, Golden Lion."
"Meteor Fist Shower!"
The rubble around him rose, infused with his Haki, and shot toward the sky like a volley of cannonballs.
Nearby, Sengoku, transformed into his massive golden Buddha form, raised a hand. His palm aimed straight at Whitebeard who stood a few hundred meters away, cloak billowing, naginata in hand.
A golden shockwave, dozens of meters wide, erupted from Sengoku's palm, tearing through the battlefield and leaving a deep trench in its wake.
"Gurarararara! You're really getting on my nerves, Sengoku!"
Whitebeard's signature, hearty laughter rang out. He gripped his naginata, one hand on the blade, the other on the handle, and whipped it back.
The air trembled as his Devil Fruit power activated. A white, circular tremor formed around the blade's edge.
With a forceful swing, Whitebeard sent the vibrating shockwave flying toward the incoming golden impact.
Boom!
The white ring of tremors collided with the massive, dozens-of-meters-wide shockwave. The two forces clashed, then exploded, canceling each other out and leaving a gaping empty space between them.
"This ends here, Whitebeard," Sengoku declared.
"Gurararara! We'll see about that!" Whitebeard roared with a grin.
Boom!
In an instant, the hundreds of meters between them vanished. For warriors of their caliber, it might as well have been a single step.
Sengoku's massive golden palm, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, crashed down onto Whitebeard's naginata, which was also cloaked in the same crackling black-and-red energy.
Black and red lightning erupted from the collision, tearing through the air and scorching the earth beneath them.
"Cognac!"
From the side, a powerful, feminine voice rang out.
Charlotte Linlin—Big Mom—still in her prime, her figure curvaceous and imposing, swung her sword in a wide, sweeping arc. The force sent the three silent, masked CP0 agents surrounding her flying backward.
With a menacing laugh, she summoned two of her special Homies.
"Indra!"
"Stolen Fire!"
"Ikoku Sovereignty!"
The moment her Homies unleashed their attacks, Big Mom followed up with a colossal slash, sending a massive shockwave of sword energy howling forward, sweeping through the air like a hurricane.
The CP0 agents shot into the sky to avoid it, quickly reforming into a battle formation. Their bodies shimmered with Armament Haki as they dove back down, aiming to encircle and overwhelm her.
Big Mom's eyes narrowed dangerously.
Her two Homies soared to her blade, merging together. Energy crackled around the blade's edge.
"Maser Saber!"
Lightning and flames intertwined, coiling around her weapon. She swung, unleashing a radiant slash that roared forward like a blazing comet, devouring everything in its path.
……
Elsewhere.
The other legendary pirates were locked in battle with CP units and powerful government forces. But Rocks D. Xebec walked unchallenged, advancing steadily toward the core of the God Valley.
He entered the ancient, looming palace at the valley's core. Inside, he found Warcury, Nusjuro and Fleet Admiral Kong waiting.
"Oh?" Rocks sneered, his voice laced with mockery. "Only three of you? Seems I'm being underestimated. In that case, I'll be taking that little treasure for myself."
Warcury spoke, his tone icy.
"Three of us are more than enough to kill you."
"Heh."
Rocks chuckled, low and dangerous. A suffocating aura of bloodlust and Conqueror's Haki exploded from him, shaking the entire palace. The walls trembled, cracking under the pressure. His voice turned wild, almost manic.
"Annihilate!"
His sword, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, slashed forward, sending a crescent wave of energy that ripped through the air, distorting space itself.
Kong stepped forward, his arm coiled in the same red-and-black energy.
"Steelbone Drill!"
With a punch, he sent a compressed, cone-shaped shockwave tearing through the air, meeting Rocks' attack head-on.
A blinding white light erupted from the collision, expanding into a towering mushroom cloud that pierced the sky.
……
On the other side.
Roger finally reached the heart of the God Valley battlefield, charging straight toward Whitebeard and Sengoku.
Rayleigh and Gaban, on the other hand, headed for Big Mom, Ochoku and other infamous pirates.
Boom!
"Gurararara! Sengoku, you still haven't improved one bit!" Whitebeard laughed as his naginata smashed against Sengoku's massive golden palm.
"Hmph, you—" Sengoku gritted his teeth, pushing back with all his strength.
Suddenly, a roar echoed through the battlefield.
"Divine Departure!"
A powerful slash, brimming with Conqueror's Haki, tore through the battlefield, colliding between Whitebeard and Sengoku. The impact forced the two apart, sending shockwaves in all directions.
"Newgate, Sengoku, stop this. I'm here to end this war."
Whitebeard glanced over, surprised by Roger's words. Sengoku, on the other hand, frowned deeply, his eyes narrowing. He wasn't about to trust the pirate's words so easily. His sharp gaze stayed locked on him, not letting his guard down for a second.
Roger sighed and spoke again.
"Believe me. We can't let Rocks get that thing. If he does..." He trailed off, his eyes landing on Whitebeard.
The two stared at each other in silence for a moment. Then, without warning, Whitebeard let out a booming laugh.
"Gurararara! Is that so? Fine, Roger, I'll trust you this once."
With that, he slung his naginata over his shoulder and turned away, striding off without hesitation.
Sengoku's tense expression loosened slightly, though his eyes still bore into Roger with suspicion. After a brief pause, he stepped back a few steps, wordlessly making way for Roger to pass.
"Thanks."
Roger grinned, flashing his usual carefree smile before charging forward, blade in hand, toward the fierce battle between Garp and Shiki.
"Divine Departure!"
A crescent slash, crackling with lightning, ripped through the sky, aiming straight for the two fighters. Roger charged in right behind his attack.
With Garp's relentless fists and Roger's sword cutting through the air, Shiki started to buckle under their combined assault.
After a brief but fierce exchange, Shiki's expression twisted. He glanced between the two, seemingly realizing he was outmatched. Without a word, he rocketed skyward, breaking free from the fight.
Mid-air, he spun around abruptly.
"Lion: Scattering Valley!"
A storm of golden, crescent-shaped slashes filled the sky, crashing down on the two men below like a tidal wave.
Shiki's voice sounded from the skies.
"Roger! We'll finish this in the New World! Shihahahaha!"
BOOM!
Roger and Garp shattered Shiki's golden slashes, exchanging a brief, knowing smile before charging deeper into the valley.
With Roger's crew joining the fray, and both Whitebeard and Shiki withdrawing, the tide of battle began to tilt.
……
On another front.
"Maser Cannon!"
Big Mom unleashed her Devil Fruit's power once more.
Prometheus, the blazing sun, bit onto the end of her sword, while Zeus, crackling with lightning, coiled around the blade's tip. The two forces connected, forming a closed loop of raging energy. A high-density laser beam erupted from the weapon, forcing both Rayleigh and the CP0 agents besieging her to retreat.
"Damn it."
Just as she repelled Rayleigh, Big Mom spotted Sengoku advancing toward her, his eyes sharp and unrelenting. With Whitebeard and Shiki already gone, and her strength dwindling after a prolonged battle, Big Mom knew the truth—there was no winning this anymore.
Gritting her teeth, she made a split-second decision and turned to flee toward the edge of the island.
"Impact Wave!"
Sengoku, unwilling to let her escape so easily, raised his hand and unleashed a massive golden shockwave.
"Full Armament!"
Big Mom roared, her enormous body cloaked in Armament Haki, enduring the strike. The force of impact blasted her forward like a cannonball, accelerating her escape.
With smoke trailing behind her, Big Mom disappeared into the distance.
*
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