"What happened..."
The seawater Golden Lion dropped receded like a tide, revealing the restored normal Rocks Pirates.
They lay in the ruins in various postures, spitting out salty seawater from their mouths, faces full of confusion.
York descended from the high ground, observing carefully.
He discovered they all showed varying degrees of aging.
The extent of aging seemed determined by the injuries received and healing amount earlier.
*Exchanging lifespan for immortality?*
York inwardly guessed the uniformed woman's ability.
No!
He was guessing Imu's ability.
Rocks had said earlier this uniformed woman was just a possessed puppet.
*This ability should have two usages like mine.*
*One maintains rationality, like the Five Elders and God's Knights—not only granting immortality without side effects, but theoretically allowing eternal life.*
*The second is probably the one just used.*
*Though not completely stripping reason, former combat wisdom was greatly weakened, compensated by size and strength enhancement.*
"Shakky-chan! I did what you hoped! Can we go now?!"
Golden Lion flew to Shakky grinning, other still-dazed Rocks Pirates members snapped alert upon hearing.
"Don't sneak off! Shiki!!"
Silver Axe rushed first again, grabbing Golden Lion's clothes.
But freshly recovered from demonization, his body was weak, grip lacking strength.
Golden Lion easily shook him off, sword aimed at his throat.
"You trash! If not for me just now, you almost killed Shakky!"
"Anyone harboring killing intent toward Shakky has no right to pursue her!!"
One sentence ignited collective fury.
Yet the weakened crowd, despite anger, was helpless against Golden Lion in prime condition.
Silver Axe and John tried resisting, knocked down by Golden Lion alone.
He stepped on Silver Axe's back, laughing heartily.
"Kiehahaha! The victor is me, Shiki!!"
"Damn you!!"
Silver Axe unwillingly smashed the ground with his fist.
Without that uniformed woman, how could he suffer such humiliation from Shiki!!
"By the way, Shiki, the one who truly saved Shakky first was me, right?"
York suddenly interjected, claiming sovereignty.
Golden Lion's laughter cut off, face turning sinister toward York.
"Was it? How would I know?"
The instant his voice fell, he slashed a golden flying attack.
"Slash Wave!!"
Ever-vigilant York wrapped his fist in Armament Haki, blasting the slash away, face darkening.
"You betrayed us! Shiki!"
"Kiehahaha! We were never partners, York!!"
Golden Lion grinned ferociously.
"Just a cooperative relationship!"
Black-red lightning wrapped his twin swords as he attacked York proactively again.
However, just then.
A spiked club and a massive naginata swung at Golden Lion simultaneously.
Golden Lion's face changed, forced to block both attacks first.
"Kaido! Newgate! What do you mean by this?!"
Blasted away by the sneak attack, Golden Lion angrily questioned.
"Wulolo lololo!"
Kaido smiled faintly, slinging the club over his shoulder.
"You don't acknowledge York as comrade! I do!"
"If you insist on killing York! I'll stand with him!!"
Golden Lion's face twitched.
"Foolish brat!!"
Then he glanced at Whitebeard, puzzled why this bastard too.
Whitebeard also slung Murakumogiri over his shoulder.
He calmly said: "Shiki, pirates still need basic righteousness. Right now we need unity against common enemies. If you insist on causing division, I'll have to be impolite."
"Mamamama!"
Charlotte Linlin laughed loudly nearby. She had wanted to act too, but Kaido and Whitebeard beat her to it.
"Taking someone's gift softens the mouth, shortens the hand. Shiki, I just got benefits from York; can't watch you kill him!"
*Zzzzt!*
Black-red lightning flashed. York clenched his fist, stepping forward.
"Shiki! You want to settle things today?!"
This was a question, also a threat.
If Golden Lion disregarded the大局, he would team with Whitebeard, Kaido, and Linlin to leave him here forever.
Original plot? From joining Rocks Pirates, it had collapsed.
He didn't care if future seas lacked a Golden Lion legend.
Golden Lion's face was ugly. He glanced at the thoroughly allied four, finally shifting gaze to Shakky holding Teach.
"Shakky, tell me, will you come with me?"
Shakky slightly surprised, then gently shook her head.
"Sorry, Shiki. York saved me first; I can't abandon him ungratefully and leave with you."
"Hmph!"
Golden Lion snorted displeased.
"Fine! One by one! All banding together!"
"Since none of you want me! I won't stick around!"
"Anyway, nothing else I want in God Valley! Rocks Pirates disbands today!!"
With that, Golden Lion shot into the sky, speeding toward distant horizon.
Watching his back, York considered stopping him but ultimately let it go.
Current priority: whether to rescue Rocks.
He was still fiercely battling that uniformed woman.
But before York decided, a whooshing sound abruptly rang.
York whipped around. The attacker was Garling, seen earlier at the central plaza.
However, Garling's target wasn't the instinctively expected Shakky or little Teach beside her.
But Rocks' long-dead wife, Alice, lying motionless!
Garling clamped Alice under his arm single-handedly, speeding away under everyone's gaze.
He even had time to glance back.
Eyes held displeasure over losing Shakky, and hostility toward York.
But current task mattered; he knew priorities.
York frowned watching Garling depart, only reacting seconds later.
"Bad! They're reviving Rocks' wife to threaten him!!"
Whether Imu truly had such ability, York didn't know, but Garling wouldn't take Rocks' wife's corpse for nothing.
No way that guy wanted to do weird things to the corpse.
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