As the Rocks Pirates set out, Rocks and Thor remained inside the private quarters. The ship had not yet reached full speed, and the noise outside was distant enough that the two of them could speak without interruption.
Thor wanted to discuss something that he had been keeping inside his mind for a long period of time, something that involved his own future in the Rocks Pirates and the direction of his life after the battle that awaited them.
"After this battle, no matter what the outcome ends up being, I will be leaving the Rocks Pirates to start my own crew," Thor said. His voice was calm, but the words carried enough weight that even he felt the shift in the room after saying them. Rocks did not answer right away.
His mind was clearly somewhere else, filled with worries about his family, especially the safety of his wife and his newly born son. The uncertainty of the God Valley situation only made it worse.
"Rocks, I know exactly what you are thinking about. I will help you rescue your family. That will be my final act as a member of your crew," Thor added. Hearing this made Rocks finally pull himself out of his thoughts.
He turned to face Thor, and even though he tried to look composed, his eyes still reflected the anxiety that had been haunting him.
"It seems my luck has finally run dry. Fate keeps pushing me toward what feels like my end. But honestly, I do not care about what happens to me anymore. All I want is for my son and my wife to get off that island safely. If I fall while knowing they survived, I will die with a smile," Rocks said.
The way he spoke made the room feel heavier, but it was also more sincere than anything he had said in a very long time.
"A member of the Will of D is known for their stubbornness. I have no doubt that you will force your way through that island no matter what stands in your path. Knowing you, you would still smile in the middle of everything," Thor replied.
Rocks let out a small grin at that remark and looked outside the window for a brief moment, as if trying to imagine what awaited him.
"I am not going to show mercy if we meet on the sea again," Rocks said after a pause. Thor answered with a wide grin of his own.
"You should be the one worried. I have more motivation to beat you than anyone else. You made me run so many errands that I kept a list, and I intend to collect every bit of payback," Thor said. Their conversation slowly drifted away from the heavier topics, giving Rocks a momentary break from his worries.
"You know, you changed a lot since the day I met you," Thor continued. "I have always been able to read your inner thoughts. Not once did I sense you trying to deceive me or my father. Everything you say is exactly what you think, and that honesty is part of the reason I decided to follow you in the first place."
"What was the other part?" Rocks asked. He was genuinely curious to know what impression he had left on Thor.
"Your ambition always came first for you. But now, that is not true anymore. Even if you deny it, your wife and your child are your real priority. I still cannot fully believe it myself. You sound different, almost like I am talking to someone else," Thor said. Rocks did not respond right away. He lowered his head slightly and reflected on what Thor had said.
He thought about his past actions, the countless decisions he made throughout his life, and then compared those with the choices he began making after meeting the woman he married.
The correlation was clear. It was also the first time he noticed how his obsession with the galley giants had faded after she entered his life.
Thor eventually stood up and walked toward the door. He wanted to leave Rocks alone for a bit so he could think calmly. Before stepping outside, Thor turned back toward him.
"By the way, Newgate. If you told him your real reason for going to God Valley, he would help you without hesitation. You might not realize it, but he is someone who can be trusted," Thor said.
He then opened the door and left the room, heading toward the place where Borsalino was resting. As usual, Borsalino treated the situation like another regular siege that the Rocks Pirates would deal with.
"Stay alert. This is the first war you will ever be involved in. After you experience what the World Government truly does, the image you have of them will never be the same," Thor said. He sat beside Borsalino, who slowly removed his sunglasses and looked at Thor.
Thor did not elaborate further. He simply closed his eyes and prepared himself for what was coming.
A short while later, Thor noticed someone calling Newgate. He watched as Newgate entered the same quarters Thor had just come from. Seeing that made Thor smile to himself.
He placed his hand on the handle of the axe resting against his side, gripping it with renewed determination. Around him, the other members of the Rocks Pirates were preparing as well, all of them driven by the same goal. They were going to rescue Shakky.
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The ship moved closer and closer to the fated island. Newgate and Rocks stood on the deck with the others, both watching the coastline approach.
Newgate carried a very serious look on his face, something subtle enough that most would not notice, but Thor could see that a shift had happened.
He could tell that something important was said during the conversation between Rocks and Newgate inside the private quarters.
After several moments of sailing in silence, the Rocks Pirates finally spotted the island. It was surrounded on all sides by marine vessels that formed a tight perimeter around the entire territory.
The moment the ships entered full view, the Rocks Pirates opened fire with the modified cannons that Vegapunk created for them. The bombardment destroyed a series of warships immediately, leaving gaps in the defensive ring around the island.
"Let us take back the crown jewel of the Hachinosu," Rocks shouted. His words were loud, confident, and carried enough force to rally every member of the crew, although he did not mention his true objective.
The rest of the crew, except for Thor and Newgate, cheered without hesitation and charged toward the island as soon as the ship reached shallow waters. They leapt to the beach and ran toward the nearest concentration of people.
The marines positioned at the shoreline were frozen in place by Thor before they could react. Borsalino followed right after and eliminated every soldier Thor did not freeze.
Once the area was secure, Thor expanded his Observation Haki to the widest range he could manage.
The wave of awareness hit him with a flood of emotions and thoughts. He sensed the despair of the ordinary residents trapped in the God Valley.
He also sensed the casual annoyance coming from the presences that matched the Celestial Dragons, who seemed irritated that their human hunting event had been interrupted.
The arrogance in those reactions made Thor even angrier, since their complete lack of empathy showed how detached they were from every living thing that was not part of their own bloodline.
Thor focused on the cluster of annoyed presences and began running toward their location. He intended to eliminate every Celestial Dragon he could find. He did not care about consequences or diplomacy.
He did not intend to give any of them the smallest amount of mercy. In his mind, burning the bridge with the World Government held no importance as long as he could remove the people who caused Shakky's suffering.
Borsalino had a different task. Thor had given him instructions before the landing, and Borsalino understood clearly what his role would be.
He was meant to locate the treasure chests prepared for the God Valley event, specifically the ones containing the Paw Paw Fruit and the Azure Dragon Fruit. These prizes were important resources that Thor and Borsalino wanted to secure for their future crew.
"If the Paw Paw Fruit or the Azure Dragon Fruit has already been eaten, do not retrieve it. And if the ones who possess the fruits are children, leave them alone. Do not harm them," Thor said firmly.
"Of course. What do you think I am, you?" Borsalino replied, giving Thor a mocking tone in return. He then transformed into light, splitting his form into several solid light clones to widen the search across the island and cover the different areas where the prizes might be kept.
The two of them separated. Thor charged toward the center of the chaos while Borsalino scattered across the island at lightspeed. The battle for God Valley had truly begun.