After the earth-shattering battle, Rocks sheathed his blade with a calm finality and walked toward Ayr, a faint smile playing on his face.
"You went a little overboard, Ayr... This country should've been yours."
The battlefield bore silent witness to destruction.
Nearly 70% of Drosta Kingdom lay in ruins. Crumbled buildings, fractured stone, scorched earth—it was as if Chibaku Tensei had fallen from the heavens. The country was no more than wreckage and dust.
Ayr stood still, surveying the devastation.
"The country's gone? Then I'll buy another."
His voice was indifferent, almost casual. With the massive financial network his organization had built, Ayr's wealth was beyond estimation. The fall of a single kingdom meant little.
Besides, the deaths of John, Ochoku, Silver Axe, and Byrnndi Wald meant their territories and treasures were now his for the taking.
Their loss would fund new nations.
Rocks laughed, shaking his head. "You really have hoarded a lot over the years."
"For people like us," Ayr replied coolly, "wealth is just a tool."
"True."
Rocks' smile faded. "But tell me, Ayr—after I killed John, Ochoku, and Silver Axe... do you still intend to pursue Shiki, Linlin, and Kaido?"
His words hung in the air like thunder.
Back during the God Valley Incident, six betrayed Rocks: Golden Lion Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, Kaido, Ochoku, John, and Silver Axe.
Now three were dead. Only Shiki, Linlin, and Kaido remained.
Rocks didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked at the sea horizon with a distant gaze.
"Ayr... I don't think I'll live to help you reach the highest throne."
"Hm?"
"The life force in my body is draining faster than I expected. If nothing changes, I'll be gone in just a few days."
Rocks smiled faintly, though there was no joy in it.
He could feel it—his soul unraveling. The jutsu that brought him back, Rinne Tensei, had no visible side effects on Ayr. But the revived bore the toll of borrowed time. And Rocks' time was almost up.
"Tch. Just a few more days?" Ayr frowned. There were no exact details about how long the resurrected could live... but a week was unexpectedly short.
Rocks gave a slight shrug. "If I were to kill Shiki and the others now, the number of pirates who could challenge the World Government would shrink dramatically. You'd be their sole target."
He paused. "That's not a good outcome for you."
Originally, when Rocks first returned, he had burning vengeance for those who betrayed him. But after the battle with the other three, and feeling his own life ebbing, he had let that hatred go.
After all, the great pirates still standing in the New World today—the ones that the Government truly feared—were:
Ayr, Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, Kaido, Whitebeard, and the Red Earl.
Others, like Hawkeye Mihawk, Douglas Bullet, and Dragon, were powerful but hadn't yet reached their peak. Rayleigh and Jabba, though formidable, had retired from the game.
If Shiki, Linlin, and Kaido were killed now, only Ayr, Whitebeard, and the Red Earl would remain as true threats.
The World Government would no longer be stretched thin—they could focus everything on Ayr. The Red Earl might even join them to eliminate a common rival.
Ayr's expression remained calm.
"You're thinking ahead, Rocks."
Loyalty still burned within Rocks' heart. Despite his grudge, he chose not to pursue vengeance, knowing it could corner Ayr into an unwinnable war.
Still, Ayr didn't seem worried. In fact... he was confident.
Rocks looked up at the sky. "Ayr... even if I can't witness it with my own eyes, I believe you'll make it—you'll stand at the summit of this world."
His words echoed like a prophecy.
He wouldn't live to see Ayr crowned as king of the seas. But he believed it would happen.
Ayr said nothing, but the faint smile on his face spoke volumes.
That same day, news exploded across the New World.
The impossible had happened: Rocks D. Xebec had returned. And together with Ayr, he had taken on and defeated four of the five great pirates of the New World.
---
New World — Wano Country
Onigashima.
In the dark main hall, Kaido sat on his throne, guzzling sake by the barrel. Thunder cracked outside. The oppressive air was thick with storm clouds and tension.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed.
Quinn, breathless and soaked in sweat, stormed into the hall, waving a newspaper like it was on fire.
"Kaido-san! KAIDO-SAN!! This is BAD!!!"
"Quinn..." growled King (Jhin) beside him. "How many times do I have to tell you not to barge in like this?"
But Quinn ignored him for once—his usual smugness erased by sheer panic.
He ran up to Kaido, eyes wide, voice trembling.
"Big Bro Kaido... this news... it's catastrophic!"
Kaido raised an eyebrow as he wiped his mouth, sake still dripping from his beard.
"What news?"
"I don't know if it's true," Quinn stammered, "but if it is... we're in trouble."
"Give it here."
Kaido grabbed the paper from his hand. As he read the front page, the color drained from his face. His hand, gripping the gourd, trembled.
Jhin leaned forward.
"What is it?!"
Kaido's voice was barely above a whisper.
"It says... Rocks has been resurrected."
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