Chapter 17 - 18
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sounds of battle rumbled endlessly.
Five people were surrounding and relentlessly attacking Rocks. With a gaping hole in his chest, Rocks was growing more and more frantic. Fighting alone, he gradually began to fall into a disadvantage.
At the same time, the island itself was heating up. At first, no one paid it much attention. But soon, they all noticed that something was seriously wrong.
The temperature was rising far too quickly.
In just a short time, it had risen by dozens of degrees, turning the whole place into a blazing furnace.
……
On the coastline.
"What the hell is this?!"
The marines stationed along the shore had also noticed the sudden and alarming surge in heat.
Just as they were trying to figure out the cause, Sakazuki's face suddenly changed. His eyes widened as if he had just realized something terrifying. He muttered to himself, unable to hide the 'shock' on his face.
"This feeling...!"
His expression turned grim as he suddenly shouted, his voice carrying across the shoreline.
"All personnel! Get to the ships immediately! Evacuate the island at once!"
"Hurry!"
The urgency in his voice startled the marines. Most of them stood frozen in confusion, unable to grasp the situation, but the people directly under Sakazuki's command wasted no time. They immediately obeyed and began boarding their ships without hesitation.
"All personnel, board the ships immediately!"
"All personnel, board the ships immediately!"
"All personnel, board the ships—"
The other officers quickly snapped out of their daze and echoed Sakazuki's orders.
With commands being shouted from all directions, the marines finally realized how serious the situation was. Panic spread as they rushed to organize an emergency evacuation. After giving out orders, everyone turned to Sakazuki, noticing the deep frown on his face.
"What's going on, Sakazuki?" Morris asked, voicing the confusion of everyone present.
"It's the scent of magma," Sakazuki said solemnly. "No mistake about it. The heat is coming from the center of the island. The buildup is happening too fast. I'm afraid there's a massive underwater volcano beneath us."
His words sent chills through the officers.
"It's about to erupt. And once it does, with the speed and concentration of this magma, the island will be obliterated almost instantly. A massive tsunami and a violent hurricane will follow. Vice Admiral Morris, can you contact the Fleet Admiral? We must evacuate immediately."
With every word Sakazuki spoke, his expression darkened further, and the expressions of those around him grew equally grave.
"Organize the evacuation now. I will contact him," Morris said sharply. Without wasting another second, the officers sprang into action to organize the retreat.
……
Purururu…purururu..
A Den Den Mushi rang in Sengoku's pocket as he stood guard on the outer perimeter. He picked up the call.
The snail vividly mimicked Morris's anxious expression.
"Admiral Sengoku! Is the Fleet Admiral there?!"
Sengoku's expression turned serious as he asked, "Morris, what's going on?"
Morris's hurried voice came through at once.
"The abnormal rise in temperature is due to magma! There is likely a massive underwater volcano beneath the island and it's about to erupt! Once it blows, it will destroy the entire island in a very short time!"
Sengoku's heart sank at Morris's words.
"Understood! Start evacuating immediately. I'll inform the others."
After replying, Sengoku charged toward the battlefield.
……
The battlefield.
The clash of metal echoed endlessly, and explosions kept shaking the earth.
"Buddha Impact!"
A golden shockwave roared through the battlefield as Sengoku, now in his towering Buddha form, unleashed a devastating strike. A hundred meters tall, radiating divine power, he sent the attack hurtling straight at Rocks.
Rocks had no time to dodge. Snarling, he stepped forward, wrapped his fist in Haki, and met the shockwave with a punch.
Boom!
The impact sent him skidding backward.
Roger seized the opening. Blade in hand, he lunged at Rocks.
Rocks wrapped his arms in Conqueror's Haki. One arm blocked the attack while the other slammed into Roger. Refusing to dodge, Roger met the attack head-on, and was sent flying.
Without wasting a second, Rocks turned and attacked Garp, who was closest to him.
Sengoku took this chance to regroup with the others.
Kong's tired voice sounded.
"What's the matter, Sengoku?"
Sengoku quickly repeated everything Morris had just told him. Everyone's expression turned grim.
"What…?"
For a moment, no one spoke. Should they retreat? Or finish the fight? Before the debate could even begin, Nusjuro made the decision.
"Inform Roger immediately. Bring his people too. We'll drive Rocks into the deep pit beneath the palace. That's where the source of the abnormal heat is. We'll trigger the eruption!"
……
The Buster Call Fleet.
All marines had already boarded their warships, and one vessel after another was rapidly withdrawing from the island.
Standing on his ship's deck, Sakazuki silently stared toward the island's center. The battle there was growing wilder, visibly violent. The entire island was beginning to crack apart under the force.
Sakazuki knew the time was almost up.
Such an intense fight would only hasten the magma's eruption. He stepped forward and vanished in an instant. A blur of afterimages flashed past as he reappeared at the stern of the last warship.
This vessel had remained behind specifically to retrieve the people who were still fighting in the island.
Sakazuki addressed Vice Admiral Morris calmly, "Vice Admiral, let me handle the pickup. My magma ability makes me the safest option for this."
Morris hesitated, frowning slightly. "...Very well. But be careful, Sakazuki."
"Don't worry, Vice Admiral," Sakazuki replied without much concern.
Handing over the communication Den Den Mushi, Morris then leaped to the neighboring warship, which slowly began pulling away from the island. Left alone, Sakazuki stood quietly at the stern, watching Morris's ship go.
His mind flashed back to the piercing beam of light that had shot into the sky earlier.
'No one in that battle has a power like that... Could it be—that super battleship?'
His brows furrowed as he shifted his gaze toward the shattered sky above the island's center.
……
God Valley, central battlefield.
BOOM—!
Explosions of Haki erupted wildly, laced with streaks of lightning generated from the clash of Conqueror's Haki. The shockwaves twisted the very air, detonating with terrifying power.
Rocks slammed Garp away with a powerful punch. Before he could even catch his breath, Kong and Warcury pressed forward without pause.
Even when Rocks managed to push them back, Rayleigh, Roger, and the others came slashing in. Step by step, like a trapped beast, Rocks was being forced back toward the deep pit behind him.
When his heels finally reached the brink, the searing heat rising from below was unbearable. Even with Armament Haki reinforcing them, everyone felt their skin sting from the overwhelming heat.
Blood poured from Rocks' chest, but it evaporated the instant it left his body, leaving only charred, dark stains trailing down.
"Huff... Huff..."
Rocks' breathing grew heavier as he scanned the group surrounding him.
One by one, he swept his gaze across them—the two Five Elders, Kong, Roger, Garp, Sengoku, Rayleigh, Gaban. His eyes calmly passed over each of them, and he let out a deep sigh.
"I've lost. But... the will of the D. Clan is something none of you will ever be able to stop."
"Xehahaha!!!"
Nusjuro, gripping his blade tightly, wrapped it in a terrifying layer of Conqueror's Haki. Staring coldly at Rocks, he spoke as if delivering a verdict.
"Words are meaningless now."
Hearing this, Rocks slowly stopped laughing. He turned toward the Elder and scoffed with contempt.
"Heh. This rotten world... ruled by pigs... is truly—"
Then, he shifted his eyes to Roger.
Unlike before, his gaze was calm, almost serene, as if he had accepted everything without resentment.
"And you. Take care, Roger."
With those words, a monstrous, blood-red aura erupted from Rocks, intertwining with his Conqueror's Haki.
He was burning his very life. His expression turned crazed and fierce.
"I!"
"AM!"
"ROCKS D. XEBEC!!!"
BOOM!
In that instant, it felt as if the entire world trembled. The clouds shattered like glass. The sea surged in turmoil. The island shook violently as deep fissures split the ground wide open.
……
In the distance, from Sakazuki's perspective.
First came a blinding white flash that lit up the sky, followed by a thunderous explosion. Moments later, a thick column of dark smoke rose straight into the heavens.
Then, a pillar of dark-red magma, wrapped in black smoke, burst upward like a furious dragon. The roar that followed seemed to shake the heavens themselves.
The magma column thickened rapidly and began to spread outward. Molten rock, dozens of times larger than even Sakazuki's own Meteor Volcano technique, rained down like a fiery storm.
Countless flaming trails tore through the sky, leaving behind burning arcs as if the heavens were weeping fire. The island beneath was already crumbling under the unbearable pressure.
Rivers of magma erupted from its depths, swallowing the land. In the blink of an eye, the entire island was reduced to a gigantic volcanic crater. Above it, a monstrous mushroom cloud loomed, blotting out the sun.
The ocean went berserk, towering waves over a hundred meters high swept outward in all directions like moving mountains. Hurricanes howled violently, while volcanic ash rained down like an apocalyptic blizzard.
It wasn't hard to imagine the consequences.
Every living thing within the surrounding sea area would be obliterated. With an eruption of this scale, the entire West Blue would barely see sunlight for the next year.
The sky would remain gray and cold, blanketed by ash.
Aboard the trembling marine warship, Sakazuki stood firmly on the deck, staring at the apocalyptic scene before him.
"The power of a natural disaster..."
Though he had played a role in triggering the volcanic eruption, the true force behind it was the might of nature itself.
'This kind of power... is beyond human reach.' Sakazuki silently observed the destruction, letting out a quiet sigh.
With his current strength, destroying an island wasn't impossible. But his way of doing it would be different. It all depended on his stamina. After all, a Logia-type Devil Fruit consumed the user's own energy
If he wanted to wipe out this island, a few full-powered Meteor Volcano attacks would be enough. The entire land would be scorched by magma, leaving nothing behind—no life, no vegetation.
But that was only surface-level destruction. Against true powerhouses, it was meaningless. To erase an island completely, like this volcanic eruption had done, was something even he couldn't accomplish.
Even someone like Rocks, who remained unfazed despite being surrounded by eight of the world's strongest fighters, had been swallowed by the wrath of nature, reduced to nothing but ashes in the magma.
The island, now covered in molten rock, was collapsing, sinking into the sea.
Suddenly—
Boom!!
A thunderous explosion echoed. The magma-covered ground suddenly split apart, a massive, hundred-meter-wide hole bursting open. A golden shockwave surged skyward, piercing through the clouds.
Then, eight figures leaped from the depths.
They drew their weapons, facing off momentarily, before splitting into two groups—one heading east and the other west.
Seeing the golden beam of light soaring into the sky, Sakazuki knew Sengoku and the others were there.
He ordered the helmsman to set sail in that direction. When the ship reached the edge of the lava field, unable to advance any further, he activated his Devil Fruit powers.
Two enormous hands of molten rock, each the size of a warship, formed on either side of the vessel. Their outer layer had cooled slightly, solidified into a hardened crust—just enough to prevent them from damaging the ship.
The lava hands gripped the sides of the warship and lifted it high into the air. Beneath them, the lava churned as the massive arms propelled the ship forward, rapidly closing the distance toward the golden light.
……
Aboard the Oro Jackson.
The Roger Pirates were busy loading treasure onto the ship. Aside from the three members who had joined the battle, the rest had been looting the island for valuables.
Spencer, his long ponytail swaying behind him, placed the final chest onto the deck and let out a sigh.
"What a shame," he muttered. "There's no time to take everything."
By now, the island was collapsing.
The crew spoke up one after another.
"Yeah, there's still so much treasure left."
"Even if we had time, our ship couldn't hold it all."
"Such a waste."
"It hurts my soul... I can barely breathe from the pain."
"Me too."
Just then, three figures appeared in the distance. At the front, Roger shouted, "Yaho, boys!!"
"Set sail!!!"
The crew, upon seeing their captain return, cheered in excitement.
"AYE!!!"
……
Now back on the ship, Roger stood at the bow, gazing toward the remains of God Valley.
Suddenly, he seemed to feel something.
"Hm?"
He turned to look at the pile of treasure stacked on the deck and asked, "Where did all this come from?"
Spencer, standing nearby, answered, "We took it from God Valley."
"What's wrong, Captain?"
Roger didn't respond. He walked over to the pile, eyes scanning the chests, before reaching into the stack. With a grin, he grabbed one particular box and yanked it out. Then, with a swift motion, he flipped it open.
The moment they saw what was inside, everyone's eyes widened in shock.
"Hiss—!"
"No way!"
"Wha...!"
They exchanged stunned glances. Somehow, none of them had noticed the presence of this child.
Even Rayleigh was surprised. He hadn't sensed anything before Roger opened the chest.
But a moment later, he realized the reason.
"It's because of the chest," he murmured, a trace of amazement flickered in his eyes. "A material that can block Observation Haki."
Roger nodded. "Yeah. But this kid is unusual too."
He wasn't sure what it was—perhaps his ability to hear the voice of all things—but something about the child intrigued him.
A smile tugged at his lips. He reached in and lifted the sleeping, red-haired child.
……
Meanwhile, Sengoku and the others were making their way off the crumbling island when they noticed something in the distance.
Two massive magma hands carried a warship, speeding toward them.
"What's that?"
"Sakazuki?"
The warship came to a stop in front of them, and they leaped aboard. The enormous magma hands then resumed their grip, carrying the ship toward open waters.
"Fleet Admiral Kong. Admiral Sengoku. Vice Admiral Garp." Sakazuki addressed them one by one. But when his gaze landed on the other two figures, he hesitated.
A look of 'confusion' crossed his face, but he said nothing. He knew exactly who they were—two of the Five Elders. But no one else was supposed to know that he knew. So, he kept his mouth shut and played the part.
"Sakazuki," Kong spoke up, noticing his reaction. "These two are esteemed elders of the World Government."
Sakazuki immediately straightened.
"Honored Elders." He addressed them with a solemn, disciplined tone.
The Elders had already heard of him from Kong—the most promising Marine of the new generation.
Rigid in character, ruthless in execution.
Seeing him now, they nodded approvingly, a faint smile on their faces. Crutality was no flaw. The seas were about to spiral into chaos. Only through iron-fisted methods could they suppress the worthless scum of the ocean.
"Sakazuki, what of the remaining pirates? And our casualties?"
Noticing the Elders' satisfaction, Kong felt a measure of pride. He valued Sakazuki highly himself. Adjusting his tone, he asked for a report on the situation.
"On the pirates' side," Sakazuki began, "Rocks crew members Shiki, Edward Newgate, Charlotte Linlin, and several mid-level officers... along with a number of other New World pirates. A total of five ships managed to escape."
"As for our losses," he paused briefly, then continued, "From the Buster Call fleet, seven warships were destroyed. 323 dead. 1,246 critically wounded. 3,485 lightly injured. The casualty count from the Four Blues branch is still being compiled. But... we've only managed to recover 874 wounded."
The ship fell into silence.
Aside from the two Elders, everyone else's mood grew heavy.
Sakazuki felt it as well. Knowing the numbers was one thing. Speaking them aloud was another. By the time he reached the last part, he hesitated, his lips parting slightly before he forced the words out in his usual, rigid manner.
As the air on the ship grew heavier, Warcury finally spoke, breaking the tense atmosphere.
"Kong, compile the names of the fallen. Their families will receive five times the standard compensation. And if their descendants wish to join the Marines, grant them special privileges."
Though he cared little for the lives of these "lowly commoners," appearances had to be maintained. After all, status and strength alone weren't enough to reach his level. Intelligence was required, too.
Kong exhaled and nodded. "Understood."
……
Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1486.
Rocks D. Xebec fell in battle at God Valley.
The once-mighty Rocks Pirates crumbled.
Those who managed to escape formed their own crews, gathering new members and continuing to stir chaos across the seas.
On the Marines' side, certain details were deliberately erased. The battle's narrative was carefully constructed, and the events at God Valley were publicly glorified.
Vice Admiral Garp was hailed as a hero, a symbol of justice who had safeguarded peace.
That same year, due to the heavy casualties suffered by the Four Blues branches, Sakazuki personally requested to patrol the four seas—vowing to eliminate pirates.
*
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