Since the day they were born, these "pigs" had never encountered a single soul who dared to defy them, let alone commit an act as audacious as murdering a Celestial Dragon.
"All of you, shut up!"
At that moment, Saint Garling Figarland stepped forward. A powerful aura erupted from him, sweeping over the panicked nobles. Shrouded in a sudden chill, the clamoring Celestial Dragons looked at Garling with terror and immediately fell silent. They could be reckless in front of the Marines, but in the presence of Saint Garling, they didn't dare breathe a word of protest.
Garling looked up at Rocks, perched atop the floating rock, and said in a heavy voice, "Rocks, today this island becomes your grave! Every man you brought here will perish because of your stupidity!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Rocks didn't rage; he laughed. A second later, his expression vanished into a mask of cold malice. "Garling, your Holy Knights are only good for bullying useless trash. By the time I've finished killing you one by one, you'll realize how pathetic those words truly were! I am Rocks! Today, I achieve my destiny! And every single one of you... dies today!!!"
BOOM!
As the words fell, a violent, tyrannical, and hyper-aggressive surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted from Rocks' body. It expanded like a shockwave, instantly blanketing the entire island. Dark red streaks of lightning crackled through the air, surging toward the heavens as the very sky changed color.
This volcanic eruption of Haki slammed into everyone on the island—excluding his own hundred thousand pirates. This included the hundred thousand residents of God Valley and the thousands of slaves. To Rocks, these people were merely footnotes in his path to greatness. If they died, they died for his cause.
With Rocks as the epicenter, the Haki radiated outward. Kong and the other top-tier fighters were the first to feel the brunt of it, bracing their wills to resist the invisible pressure. Those among the defenders who possessed Conqueror's Haki unleashed their own, clashing against Rocks' aura in a localized war of wills while shielding the Celestial Dragons from the mental pressure.
Simultaneously, Garling gave a subtle, almost imperceptible nod to several CP0 agents nearby. Understanding the signal immediately, the agents tucked away the chests containing the Devil Fruits and began to retreat toward different points of the island. Those six powerful fruits could not, under any circumstances, fall into Rocks' hands.
Elsewhere, the Marine Vice Admirals and CP0 agents gritted their teeth, holding their ground through sheer willpower. Surrounded by enemies, they knew that if they collapsed now, they would be nothing more than fish on a chopping block.
The Marine soldiers on the outer perimeter, however, were not so fortunate.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of weapons hitting the ground echoed across the field as soldiers lost consciousness, their eyes rolling back into their heads. Within seconds, nearly ten thousand Marines collapsed. This was only because Sengoku and the others had neutralized a portion of Rocks' Haki, and because of the sheer size of the island. Otherwise, not a single regular soldier would have remained standing.
Seeing the unconscious soldiers, the pirates seized the opportunity.
"Don't let this chance go!"
They moved in for the kill. Some ran their blades through the fallen Marines, others finished them with a single shot to the head, and the more sadistic among them hacked off heads entirely, letting out bursts of manic laughter as blood sprayed the soil.
Dozens of nautical miles away from God Valley, a massive vessel cut through the waves. The Roger Pirates had finally arrived!
The crew members felt the tremors of the incredibly potent Conqueror's Haki radiating from the island.
"Whose Haki is that?!" someone shouted in shock. "Is it Rocks?"
"Good grief... I can feel the pressure from this far away. Has Rocks really become this terrifying?!"
Even Roger and Rayleigh, standing at the bow, felt a jolt of genuine surprise.
"The battle has already begun. Full speed ahead to support Garp! We must take Rocks down this time!" Roger said coldly, his own Observation Haki flaring out across the sea. "Rocks, your time is up!"
At that same moment, thousands of meters in the sky, a golden ark flew toward God Valley at high speed.
"As expected of Rocks. His Conqueror's Haki has become significantly more oppressive than it was six years ago," Renault remarked from the deck, watching the pillar of red energy piercing the clouds ahead.
Back when he had first clashed with Rocks, the man's Haki hadn't been quite this monstrous. But while Rocks had improved, Renault had certainly not been standing still.
"Don't worry, Big Brother. Rocks was a loser under your hand back then, and he's no match for you now," Linlin said, her voice full of absolute confidence.
"That's right! Boss is invincible!" Kaido echoed, a spiked club resting on his shoulder.
Renault offered a faint smile at the blatant flattery. "Linlin, Flame-Flower, Kaido—listen. Our target today isn't Rocks. We are here for the Devil Fruits."
He turned to the deck behind him. Aside from the four of them, there were nearly two hundred "Death-Guards" dressed as pirates, secretly trained by Flame-Flower. Each possessed the strength of a Marine Lieutenant Colonel, with a few reaching the level of a Colonel.
"Listen up! There are six Devil Fruits currently in God Valley. Your only mission is to enter the fray, blend into the crowd, find those fruits, and bring them to me!"
"YES, SIR!" the two hundred guards shouted in unison.
"Linlin, Flame-Flower, Kaido... get ready!"
Back on God Valley:
After Rocks' initial wave of Haki, only about ten thousand of the original hundred thousand residents remained standing. Most were ordinary civilians, far weaker than even the average soldier. Many were now foaming at the mouth, their bodies racking with tremors.
The Marines had suffered heavy losses. In the chaos, no one was bothering to go out of their way to kill the civilians—most who fell were simply unconscious. But the Marines were targeted; as soon as they were stunned by the Haki, the pirates moved in to finish them without a shred of hesitation.
In less than a minute, ten thousand Marines had been slaughtered. The ground was stained crimson, littered with internal organs and gore. The thick, metallic stench of blood mixed with the salty sea breeze, a nauseating cocktail of death.
"Bastard... Rocks, you bastard!!!"
"Is this the true power of Rocks?"
"So many killed in an instant... Can we... can we actually beat them?!"
"Shut your mouths! Anyone else spreading dissent will be executed on the spot!" a Marine General roared. "Can't you see the Admiral and the Holy Knights haven't even moved yet? If we hold on, we will win!"
The officers screamed to maintain discipline, but in truth, their own hearts were wavering. They were already outnumbered, and now ten thousand were gone in a heartbeat. The pirates, meanwhile, were gaining momentum like an unstoppable tide.
Saint Garling recognized the danger and barked out orders: "All Vice Admirals and CP0 agents, move to the outer perimeter for support! You two—deal with these pirates in the mid-perimeter!"
Garling pointed to two members of the Holy Knights. Though they were the lowest-ranked members of the order, they were still elite. Given enough time, taking down a few hundred pirates would be no issue for them.
"Filthy trash!!"
"Boss, consider it done!"
The Vice Admirals and CP0 agents broke away from the inner circle to reinforce the outer lines. Meanwhile, the two Holy Knights stepped forward to intercept the high-tier pirates blocking the path.
"Damn, they only sent two? They really look down on us!"
"Celestial Dragons are a bunch of arrogant pricks. Let's kill 'em!"
"Hahahahaha... It's quite a party! It seems I've arrived just in time!"
Suddenly, a boisterous laugh boomed from the sky, causing the hearts of every top-tier powerhouse on the field to tighten. Everyone looked up as a golden ark descended toward God Valley, following in the wake of the Rocks Pirates.
Renault had arrived!
The faces of everyone below, including Rocks, shifted drastically. They knew that voice all too well. To the world, Rocks was the Overlord of the Seas, but those in the know—the true elite—understood a different reality.
There was one man in this world even more powerful than Rocks. Six years ago, Rocks D. Xebec had tasted defeat at his hands.
"RENAULT!!!"
Rocks gritted his teeth, cold syllables spitting from his mouth. He would never forget that laughter—the sound of the man who had branded him with eternal humiliation!
"Damn it... that man finally showed up!"
Kong clenched his fists, his expression more somber than ever before. Dealing with Rocks was one thing, but now Renault had arrived to throw the world into further chaos. Although Renault and Rocks had clashed in the past, at the end of the day, they were both pirates. Kong wasn't foolish enough to believe Renault had come all this way just to do the Marines a favor.
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
ONEPIECE My Crewmates Are All God-Tier! (152 Chapters, Ongoing)
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"RENAULT!!"
When enemies meet, their eyes burn with shared history. If there was one person on this island who wanted Renault dead more than anyone, it wasn't Rocks—it was Garp.
During the Battle of Kaster, Renault had beaten Garp so severely that he had walked through the very gates of death to survive. More importantly, Zephyr had lost his life in that conflict. That debt of blood was a grudge Garp would never abandon.
"So this is Renault?!"
Saint Garling and the other Holy Knights narrowed their eyes, studying Renault with keen interest. They had heard the legends of this man, of course, but this was the first time they had seen the legendary figure in the flesh.
"Hahahahaha! Rocks, your Conqueror's Haki has improved quite a bit since six years ago," Renault called out, completely ignoring Rocks' sour expression as if greeting an old friend.
"Renault! Are you really going to wade into this muddy water too?!" Kong stepped forward, shouting toward the Golden Ark. "Today's business has nothing to do with you! Leave now, and I can act as if you were never here!"
If Renault and Rocks joined forces, the direction of this war would spiral beyond anyone's control.
"Kong, quit talking out of your ass! It's not your place to tell my Big Brother what to do!" the fiercely protective Linlin snapped back, brandishing her Supreme Grade blade, Pofeng. These losers, already defeated once, dared to act high and mighty? They were asking for death.
"Tsk, tsk... My, what a grand lineup you've assembled," Flame-Flower remarked, scanning the luxurious defense force below. "The Marine elite and the full Order of the Holy Knights. You really do value these Celestial Dragons, don't you?"
As Renault exchanged "pleasantries" with Rocks, his eyes drifted toward the Holy Knights. To his disappointment, he didn't see the chests containing the six Devil Fruits anywhere near them.
"Renault, what the hell are you doing here?!" Rocks roared. Today was the most important day of his life—the day he was closest to becoming the King of the World. He had no desire to settle old scores with Renault now. If Renault teamed up with the Marines, he was in deep trouble.
"Hahahaha! Relax, Rocks. I'm not here to pick a fight with you. Whatever you're planning is none of my business," Renault assured him with a smirk.
Rocks let out a breath of relief. If Renault wasn't there to stop him, then he was there to deal with the Marines and the World Government. Rocks' spirits surged. Even if they weren't on the same path, they shared a common enemy.
"Hahahaha! Kong! Today is the end for you self-righteous bastards! Once I've slaughtered you all, I will be the one who defines justice!!"
Rocks stepped forward, and a vast ocean of Armament Haki erupted from his body, forming a literal suit of armor over his skin. His black cape billowed as an endless, terrifying pressure began to climb. It was like staring into a bottomless abyss.
Garp snorted, threw a vicious glare at Renault, and then vanished.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
In the span of a few heartbeats, the two had clashed hundreds of times. Their speed was beyond the limit of perception. Before the shockwave of one strike could even dissipate, they would appear in another location to exchange another round of blows.
The battle exploded. Thousands of Marines and pirates watched the exchange, their faces masks of pure shock.
"Is this... the battle of the world's strongest?!"
"Vice Admiral Garp has moved! Rocks is finished!"
"You're full of it! Go, Boss Rocks! Take them down!"
Both sides cheered for their champions. To the naked eye, Rocks and Garp had become nothing more than flickering afterimages, their physical forms impossible to track.
"Time for me to get to work as well," Renault said, withdrawing his gaze from the duel. His eyes turned sharp and lethal. "First, a little greeting gift for everyone."
"God's Wrath: Pale Thunder!!"
RUMBLE!!
Without Renault even making a visible move, over a hundred bolts of silver lightning—each half a meter thick—descended like the hammers of god upon the Celestial Dragons.
"AHH!" "NO!" "HELP—" "I—"
Most of the Celestial Dragons couldn't even process what was happening before they were cooked into charred husks. They fell like dominoes.
"Renault, STOP!!" "You bastard!"
Saint Garling and the Holy Knights roared in fury, unleashing their own techniques to intercept the lightning. But they were a fraction of a second too late. Under that single volley, at least 150 Celestial Dragons perished instantly.
Combined with those killed earlier by the pirates, fewer than 30 Celestial Dragons remained alive. Out of the original 200, Renault had wiped out nearly the entire group in a single meeting.
To be honest, Renault felt nothing while killing them. Killing one was the same as killing a hundred. Once you've crossed that line, you realize they are no different from slaughtering cattle.
"RENAULT!!!" Garling's rage was a physical thing. Before coming here, he had looked the Gorosei in the eye and guaranteed that no "accidents" would happen. And now? The very people he was sworn to protect had been vaporized in front of him. This was a catastrophic failure. Unless he killed Renault today, his career as the Supreme Commander of the Holy Knights was over.
"A few dead nobles isn't enough," Renault whispered, a red glint flashing in his eyes. "Let's make this battlefield a little more chaotic."
"Wide-Area: Divine Punishment!!"
This was his ultimate move for mass destruction. Anywhere his Observation Haki could reach became his strike zone. He had once used this move to effortlessly sink twelve Marine battleships. Now, he wielded it with even greater mastery.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
As the lightning fell, the Marine soldiers in the outer perimeter stood no chance. Though they were stronger than the pampered nobles, they were still far below the threshold required to survive a direct hit from Renault. Silver lightning as thick as bowls struck them down; their eyes lost focus instantly as life was snuffed out.
This time, Garling and the other powerhouses had no time to save them. Within seconds, every single regular Marine soldier on God Valley was dead. Not one was left standing.
The pirates who had been fighting them stood frozen in place, reflexively swallowing as they looked at the carpet of corpses around them.
Just like that?Nearly forty thousand Marines... dead just like that?
They hadn't even seen Renault move. He had simply opened his mouth, and then the heavens opened up and executed the entire army. Was this the power of a God?
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Brothers, what are you waiting for?! The only ones left are the officers! CHARGE!!"
"Today is their doomsday!"
"Kill every last one of the Celestial Dragons' dogs!"
Jolted back to reality, the pirates raised their weapons high, spitting shouting and cheering, their spittle flying in the excitement.
"Rocks, consider that a gift. No need to thank me."
Reynolds called out toward Rocks.
"Bwahahahaha... Well done, Reynolds!!"
Rocks' maniacal laughter echoed from within the blur of his movements. "Whitebeard! Shiki! What are you lot standing around for?! Attack!!"
Feeling the sheer intensity of Rocks' aura, the Division Commanders glanced at each other, nodded in unison, and made their move.
Whitebeard leaped from a massive boulder, crashing onto the island with such force that his landing created a massive crater. Gripping Murakumogiri, he pointed the blade straight at Fleet Admiral Kong.
"Sengoku, watch your back!"
After shouting a warning, Kong lowered his head and began a slow, deliberate march toward Whitebeard. With every step, his eyes grew redder with rage. Reynolds had slaughtered all the marine soldiers in a single encounter. These pirates... they all deserved to die!
"Whitebeard! I'll send you to hell!!"
A violent, rugged power surged into the sky as Fleet Admiral Kong launched his assault!
"Jihahahaha... Sengoku, looks like I'm stuck playing with you."
Slowly blowing out a ring of smoke, Shiki the Golden Lion curled his lip in a cold sneer. In the entire Navy, only Garp sparked any real interest in him. But since he didn't have a choice, he'd have to settle for second best.
"Shiki! Curb your arrogance! Today is the day you all die!"
"Hah!"
Sengoku let out a low shout, and a colossal golden Buddha avatar instantly descended upon the battlefield.
"Buddha's Impact!!"
A giant golden palm, wrapped in devastating shockwaves, slammed ruthlessly toward Shiki.
"Jihahahaha... Let's see what you've got!"
Hum—Hum—
With two sharp hums, Oto and Kogarashi, the legendary blades floating beside him, unsheathed simultaneously. Gripping a sword in each hand, Shiki charged forward!
"Lion's Cross Slash!!"
"Hahahahaha... Looks like the situation isn't as grim as we thought."
Captain John laughed loudly. With Reynolds joining the fray, the pressure on them had dropped significantly.
"It seems we don't have much of a choice either."
Wang Zhi stroked his long beard, his gaze locking onto the God's Knights. Rocks and the others had already engaged the Navy's top brass. That left these Knights as their only opponents.
"Gentlemen, I'll make the first move!"
Moving like a phantom, John, rapier in hand, lunged directly at a God's Knight wearing a goat-skull mask and wielding a massive scythe.
"These guys aren't pushovers. Don't get careless!"
Wang Zhi swept his eyes over the remaining enemies, finally locking onto a Knight wearing a gas mask and holding a longsword.
"Today, the blood of these Celestial Dragons will stain God Valley red!!"
A flash of brutality crossed Silver Axe's face. Haki coated his massive axe in pitch black as he thrust his weapon toward a female God's Knight clad in armor.
"Provoking the noble Celestial Dragons? You seek death!"
The three Knights roared in unison and counter-attacked.
Saint Garling and the remaining three members of the God's Knights didn't move an inch. Their eyes were fixed dead on Reynolds and his group aboard the Golden Ark.
These were their true opponents.
"Linlin, Flame Flower, you go play with those three."
"Kaido, take the Deathsworn and find those six Devil Fruits. Once you find the Fish-Fish Fruit, eat it immediately."
Kaido, who had long since memorized the appearance of the Fish-Fish Fruit, nodded instantly. He led 200 Deathsworn warriors, jumping off the Ark and quickly dispersing into the chaotic crowd.
Watching this, Saint Garling frowned slightly, but realization struck him quickly. Those men weren't engaging anyone in combat; they seemed to be searching for something with purpose.
"They're after the Devil Fruits."
He was incredibly thankful for his earlier decision to have the CP0 agents take the fruits away. He didn't know where they were now, but with pirates everywhere, he could only pray no accidents happened halfway. If those six powerful Devil Fruits fell into pirate hands, they would be in serious trouble.
"You two, get out here!!"
The short-tempered Linlin, wielding Pofeng, leaped from the Golden Ark and charged straight at two of the God's Knights.
"Both of you go. She's strong—do not underestimate her!" Garling whispered a warning.
Although they hadn't dealt with the Reynolds Pirates personally, they knew the strength of every member. Linlin was a monster, second only to Reynolds in the crew, with power rivaling "Redfield" the Red Count!
Among the Knights, one with a cartoonishly round face and another female Knight wielding a rifle exchanged glances. They spread out to flank the charging Linlin.
"I always get stuck fighting the leftovers. Boring."
Flame Flower pouted in annoyance as she looked at the last remaining Knight.
It was the largest member of the God's Knights. Just looking at him gave off a terrifying sense of oppression; his strength was clearly extraordinary.
"Little Fire!" "Little Wind!"
With a thought from Flame Flower, her Fire Homie and Wind Homie materialized instantly. This wasn't the Kingdom of Castor; she had no reservations here. She was ready to unleash slaughter with her Storm Homie!
"Boss, be careful!"
The last Knight shouted a warning before charging out with heavy, thundering steps. Compared to their enemies, Saint Garling's opponent was the most terrifying of all.
After all, Reynolds was the monster who had defeated Rocks in single combat.
"Hehehehe... It seems that after today, the God's Knights will cease to exist."
Reynolds stowed away the Golden Ark and, with a single leap, landed directly in front of Saint Garling.
Reynolds didn't have a deep impression of this guy. He vaguely remembered him as the one who had scarred Whitebeard. If that was the case, his strength was likely on par with Whitebeard, or perhaps slightly stronger. But there was certainly still a gap between him and Rocks.
"I've heard the name Reynolds for a long time. Today, let me see it for myself!"
Clang—
The famous blade at his waist was unsheathed in a flash! clearly, Saint Garling was a Great Swordsman.
Reynolds glanced indifferently at the sword in Garling's hand. It was obviously no ordinary weapon.
"Bwahahahaha... Interesting. This is my first time fighting a Great Swordsman. You're worthy of me using Zhanhai!"
Reynolds flipped his right hand, and the Supreme Grade blade, Zhanhai, appeared in his palm.
Hum.
At that moment, the longsword in Saint Garling's hand let out a faint, trembling hum, like a subordinate meeting a superior—unable to resist the urge to submit.
"Hmm?!"
Saint Garling narrowed his eyes, casting a wary look at Zhanhai. He prided himself on remaining calm and composed no matter how strong the opponent. But since laying eyes on Reynolds, a single thought had been looping uncontrollably in his mind:
Rocks lost to Reynolds!
Coupled with the reaction of his treasured blade, a faint sense of unease began to creep into his heart.
"What? Knowing fear only now? Isn't it a bit late for that?!"