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83.88% One Piece: Path to Power / Chapter 147: [147] Cradle of the Gods (IV)

Chapter 147: [147] Cradle of the Gods (IV)

[2490 words]

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"Battalions 3, 4 and 5 move in from sector right. Battalions 1, 2 and 6 pull back to resupply from that cover."

"Ranged Division, take your shots; Gunner Battalion, cover their fire."

"Explosives Battalion, aim for the center of the collection of pirates. Destroy every shred of their momentum."

Sengoku continued ordering through the transponder snail, dropping commands by the second. He watched through his circular glasses, his mouth subconsciously giving commands, bringing significant casualties to the pirates.

That all changed when the battle came to him...

BAM!

The Admiral was suddenly shot back, his head spinning for a second and crashing into a hill.

"Yo, Sengoku."

"I remember a time when you were throwing me around back at Borealis' Auction, say, why don't we pick up where we left off."

The crater momentarily shook before exploding from the man clawing his way out. A trail of blood seeped out from the marine's mouth as he glared at his attacker with a grim expression.

"Damien…the Undying."

Sengoku wiped the little bit of blood, sighing in exasperation. Unfortunately, his mind was constantly pulled into a different direction.

"Don't worry, it looks like you've got Rocks held down. Look closely."

Sengoku's brows furrowed. He turned to the faraway castle at the center of the twin peaks, seeing cracked skies above it.

"Garp and another source of powerful Haki… Roger!?"

The Admiral's face warped into pure shock as he felt the tremors from afar.

It was a collection of dense Conqueror's Haki that was spasming through the castle. Three such bubbles covered the gold-encrusted manor.

Garp's bright-green Haki, Roger's crimson and Rocks' raven-black Haki.

Damien smiled at Sengoku's surprise. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," he commented.

"I can't believe this…" the Admiral mumbled, massaging his forehead. "What a mess, but I can't allow you to wander freely here either, Sin Incarnate!"

A golden bubble of Conqueror's Haki spanned out from the marine, taking apart massive clusters of land in the process.

BOOM!

Damien's dark-red Haki responded with full force, quaking through the atmosphere and smashing into the Admiral's attack.

The resulting explosion tore away the land below, cracking it to its roots! The broken skies above gave way once more as they were shredded apart from the coming clash.

[Near the Pier of God Valley]

"Kuhuhuhu, that fist really packs a punch!" a tattooed pirate laughed, patting a few rotten branches off his body.

"I'll roast him at a barbeque!"

"Seastone is quite the trump card."

All these comments fell into the ears of the sole marine taking them all on.

Zephyr scoffed, fixing a few strands of hair that had fallen across his forehead.

"The three of you rely too heavily on your Devil Fruit abilities."

The Black Arm didn't have a flashy fruit power like Sengoku or a terraforming one like Basara, nor was he as rowdy and reckless as Garp. However, what he did have was a steel resolve and an air of justice around him; someone genuinely deserving of his position as an Admiral Candidate.

Solomon ignored the aching pain across his chest and narrowed his eyes at the metal arm of the marine. It shined a pristine silver even through the bloody air and dusty surroundings.

.

"Black Arm Suppression!"

.

It came out of nowhere: a thick stream of concentrated air, a shockwave, released from the seastone arm.

*Fwooo!* The howling winds raged across the battlefield, obliterating the earth nearby and shaking the forests of God Valley.

"Damn!" Solomon cursed, unable to completely dodge the simple attack as it dug into his chest. The Zoan user eyed the gaping hole in his body; his entire left arm and shoulder were missing!

*Krrrr*

However, instead of a geyser of blood, there was simply a mass of rotten branches growing from his body and reforming the lost flesh.

"It's quite a sustainable ability," Zephyr commented before turning to the two other pirates making their moves.

.

"Raging Inferno!"

.

"Wrathful Flames!"

.

The heat came at an alarming rate and from both sides!

Boom!

The scorching hell crashed onto Zephyr's body, blazing onto his arms, legs and torso.

The man grunted slightly, taking on a defensive stance using his Haki to block the attacks.

Hensō looked under his maddening mask and threw on a new face. It went from that of wrath to sloth, seeming tired and doozy.

.

"Graceful Wind."

.

The flames emitted from his body suddenly turned into wind, blasting out with a powerful gust.

Zephyr groaned as he felt Kaen's Ignite-Ignite Fruit burn hotter from the added wind that encircled his body, eating away at his defense.

Yet all of this was not a problem for an Admiral Candidate; even with the sharp torrents trying to tear open his skin or the flames baking him alive, they left not a single ounce of damage behind.

'The reliance on fruit powers as always,' Zephyr scoffed.

He was seconds away from exploding with some emission haki to evaporate the blazing heat, but that thought changed…

"!!!" The man froze in his steps, eyes wide open in deep shock.

He ignored the heat that bubbled around him and saw a distant figure through the clouds of fire. He couldn't really see through the hell, yet a person was there? 

A woman.

She was covered in blood, her face pale and troubled. The teary eyes were glued on the shaken marine.

Her broken voice called out, ridden with doubt and pain: "Zephyr… why didn't you protect me? You promised you'd come back one day…"

The veteran marine's heartbeat spiked. He absently watched as the woman burned to death, her tears and blood turning to ash: "Yūgata…"

Unknowingly, his dense Haki grew unstable, allowing the flames and torrents to harm him.

With a desperate hand, Zephyr reached for the woman...until his eyes suddenly sharpened with resolve.

Boom!

A thick pulse of bubbling Haki roared, quaking in the form of Emission and imploding the nearby attacks and terrain to nothingness.

"Ugh!"

"Auugh!"

Both Kaen and Hensō were caught in the Haki as it reached their bodies and assaulted them from within, shaking their very cores.

"Haaaah, huuuuh," Zephyr wheezed, blinking at his surroundings. With one knee on the floor, he fell. "You bastard!"

The curses were directed at the towering Solomon wrapped in nefarious black mist.

The pirate grinned, though soon shaking his head in disappointment. "Looks like you have a woman waiting for you at home. I'm sure you don't want to let her down…"

Zephyr grunted and stood tall again, his body inked with black marks.

Solomon raised his hands in a surrendering gesture. "Don't get me wrong, it's beneath me to go after someone's family… I just couldn't help but materialize the fears of a man as powerful as you."

The purple-haired man scoffed at the explanation. "Perhaps you're right; I should go home to find her…but that will no longer hold me down from beating you into a pulp!!!"

*Fwwm* A dense coat of Haki plated his arms alongside a crimson bubble gently floating around them.

"Kuhuhuhu! Come on then!"

Each of the Fourth Division members had met some form of enemy. Now, the Vice-Commander was facing his...

"The Rumble-Rumble Fruit has been missing for nearly 150 years," Xerxes recounted with evident surprise. "I'm curious where your Commander found such a treasure."

"Though even more curious about why he would trust it with a pirate who joined under Rocks' banner."

Indra, bathed in the blue electricity, didn't show any expressions. A bright flash and the pirate was already by Xerxes' side.

Boom!

The howling fist stabbed forth, releasing a bright light followed by the roar of thunder.

"Ugh!" Xerxes grunted, holding up his arms in defense. 

The electricity crackled without mercy, seeping into the man's arms and burning his skin and flesh. He was shot back a few dozen meters, slowly coming to a stop.

Xerxes growled past the electricity overloading his system, but before he could claw his way out from the crash site, the air crackled once again in blue lightning...

*Rumble* Indra stood fifty meters above the crater, holding both arms into the sky. They burst with powerful electricity as he directed the charge downwards. 

His exact motion was mirrored by the skies above, bathing Xerxes with hell itself!

.

"Seismic Storm."

.

Boom!

BAM!

Boom!

The overwhelming ability to manipulate lightning was shown in full force; its unstoppable momentum frightened nearby soldiers.

The fallen Chief was struck with over a hundred arcs of lightning, forcing the hole to grow wider with each.

"..."

Indra floated to the ground, his eyes never losing sight of the enemy.

He could feel it...a bubbling source of chaotic energy. "As expected, he's a tough opponent."

With a snap of a finger, both hands quaked with fluid lightning, shooting out toward the figure hidden under the dust cloud.

.

"Thunderbird."

.

"Lightning Tiger."

.

A bird of stormy clouds and a tiger with thunderous power. The two beasts cried out in fury, rampaging onto the Head of Cipher Pol with their unforgiving assault.

[Attack Images (in Discord)]

BOOM!

The electricity was not simply destructive; it was also scorching! Such a collection of energy would naturally generate tremendous heat, reflected across the nearby blazing landscape. Entire trees were ignited, bringing plumes of smoke in the process.

"…"

The Hellspawn shook his head and crossed his arms. The heightened Observation from the Rumble-Rumble Fruit showed that his attacks failed.

"I suppose considering your two agents utilizing such rare abilities, it should not be a surprise to see their leader with one just as rare and even more powerful."

The thunderous pirate easily made out what was happening even under a cloud of smoke, fire and dust—he saw the broken figure of Xerxes transforming!

"Xa-Xa-Xa! It's been a while since I could let loose my anger. I hope you can hold it for at least a while…"

Xerxes' body had begun to shift, contorting into a massive, hulking form as his once-human features twisted into something more fearsome. His legs extended and thickened, taking on the powerful, muscular structure of a lion, stretching out to an incredible 200 meters in length. His face elongated into a blend of human and beast, crowned by an enormous, ancient headdress that gleamed with an unnatural glow.

Towering over 70 meters high, his eyes burned with otherworldly power, casting a sinister light across his surroundings as the ground trembled beneath his immense frame. As the transformation was completed, whirling sand and debris were drawn into the air, floating alongside the long tail swaying about.

Indra narrowed at the menacing figure, speaking in a low voice, "The body of a lion and the face of a human…Cat-Cat Fruit—Mythical Model: Sphinx."

Another thought came to mind as Indra noted the black clouds around the beast. 'He's more animal than you'd expect of a sphinx, though. An Awakened Zoan.'

[Creature Image (in Discord)]

"Xa-Xa-Xa!" The calamity opened its spanning maw, spitting, "Your Boss has caused me so much trouble! Now bear my anger, Hellspawn!"

*Fuuuu* *Vvooo* A loud gust of wind began to churn, slowly filling the air with loose minerals. They were tiny, fine sand!

.

"Nekrikí Palírroia!" (Funeral Tide)

.

It spanned a huge part of God Valley, even touching distant battles between marines and pirates, taking them on quite the adventure. The brown soil below turned orange from the change in terrain, turning into fine particles! A giant tide of sand and dust bellowed out, covering the sky with its darkness.

[Attack Image (in Discord)]

*Crackle* Indra turned into pure electricity, attempting to dodge.

'How come!?' The swordsman looked to his arms and chest—what should be intangible was no longer so! 

*Burrr* *Pop!* It failed every time he willed his body to zap to the side. 

"...I see. Such fine and pure sand makes for a powerful insulator."

Indra hummed as he lost the advantage of being a Logia user. "Everyday sand would not cause such a thing; it looks like your sand is quite special."

His words reached the dull figure of the beast afar, who grinned in return. "Get swallowed by the endless sand, Hellspawn!"

The rumbling from the sand was alarming.

Such a massive amount was so powerful that it could rip apart entire fleets from a distance and leave entire cities in shambles. The mineral was fine and sharper than usual; even a single crystal of Xerxes' sand could pierce a Sea Beast's thick skin!

"Though your powers may counter mine…" Indra mused, "...that goes both ways!"

He then extended his hand above, communicating with the clouds and commanding their fury. With a violent image in mind, the heavens shared their master's wrath.

.

"Pillars of Creation!"

.

Within moments came a deep rumble of thunder.

The attack unleashed towering pillars of lightning, surging violently from the heavens to the ground, splitting the sky with blinding energy. Each pillar was colossal, stretching hundreds of feet into the air, dwarfing everything around them.

The bolts intertwined and crackled, igniting the landscape below as the sheer force of the storm scorched everything in its path.

They crashed at speeds beyond what a human could compute, wreaking the tides of sand with great electricity, but most importantly, heat!

[Attack Image (in Discord)]

Xerxes growled his frustrations, pushing the whirling sand in defense.

*Whururu* 

Torrents of sandstorms bursting in blue light—it cast a blue dawn across God Valley! 

But where there was heat and sand, there were shimmering crystals...

"Glass…" The Sphinx murmured, his paws numb. "I'll take great pleasure in delivering your corpse to your Commander...and he will follow suit!"

The crystals rained down, illuminating the ashy battlefield and unveiling a wasteland wrought by Indra.

*Crackle* The lighting human appeared before the humongous lion, his body swimming with the blue electricity. His hand traced along the sacred scabbard, grasping at the grip.

Shing!

The blue lightning suddenly warped, blending with the unsheathed blade's beauty. The plasma turned a sacred white!

"I have questioned, over and over," Indra began, his voice quiet yet carrying the weight of countless battles fought and victories earned, "whether or not I deserved this power. Whether I was worthy of the blade I hold or the storms I command. Even now... I have no answer."

A deep and dull growl broke out from the beast's maw, angered by the unfazed expression on its prey. He was nearly sixty times bigger than the eleven-foot Indra, yet the pirate stood tall. 

Indra's dark pupils locked onto the human-faced lion, void of emotion. He recalled the duty carved into his very soul—a weapon forged by Polemos Island, bound to the one who commands him.

The Warborn's gaze pierced through the air, thick with blood and ash. "The only thing I know for certain is my task."

His voice hardened as he stood firm against the Face of Justice. "My duty is to keep you from reaching him. Death can wait its turn."

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner.

Current main battles: Whitebeard vs Garling & his Knights. Sengoku vs Damien. Shiki vs Rayleigh & Gaban. Zephyr vs Solomon, Hensō & Kaen. Rocks vs Garp & Roger. Basara vs Silver Axe & Wang Zhi. Indra vs Xerxes.

This chapter highlights Solomon and Indra and the elusive Xerxes before we return the camera to chaos elsewhere...

Images are available on Discord alongside other niche details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q


Chapter 148: [148] Cradle of the Gods (V)

[3390 words]

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"My duty is to keep you from reaching him. Death can wait its turn."

The man-faced lion released a growl, leaning its head toward the pirate.

"It takes us at least a decade to train our agents to be steel-willed and prepared to sacrifice themselves for the betterment of the World Government," Xerxes uttered, his mind lost in thought. "Why is it that you can put your life on the line for the Sin Incarnate, let alone a pirate of the Rocks Crew?"

"..." Indra said nothing and stood tall under the flurry of sand that had once again arrived and encircled him.

"Hmm, I'm a little envious now… If I had such a reliable subordinate, I wouldn't have to bear the Five Elders' anger so often; Warborns really are enviable pawns!"

The sand whirled with fury again, releasing powerful gusts of wind that could tear entire forests apart. The sky turned dusty, and the atmosphere was impossible to see through as the sand.

.

"Kaftí Palírroia!" (Scorching Tide)

.

Upon Xerxes' command, the sand began to churn in the shape of a beast with tens of heads, each shooting toward Indra. 

"Grauwl!!!" they thundered, aiming to shred their sole enemy.

[Attack Image (in Discord)]

Indra, a man of lightning, could naturally move faster than almost every man alive. Even with his intangibility voided, he could still zap around.

*Crackle* Indra turned into a burst of blue, bouncing through the air and dodging every coming attack. He was but a strand of electrons, using the heat in the atmosphere to travel around.

Each sand head of destruction was easily dodged one by one while closing in the distance to Xerxes.

.

"Rumbling Sword Style: Sacred Charge!"

.

It was a flash of white lightning followed by a thunderous roar.

"Aguh!" Xerxes grunted in pain, feeling a deep gash cut across his front leg that spanned dozens of meters.

Before he could even think of the next attack, another slash came.

Boom!

The next cut went across his chest.

Then, his rear leg.

Then, his tail.

Then, his face.

All he saw was streaks of blue followed by pain. 

The Sphinx roared loudly and expelled vast amounts of sand across its pores, exploding into the surrounding air.

.

"Kaftí Ammothýella!" (Scorching Sandstorm)

.

The white electricity was soon overwhelmed, blasting it away and embedding it into the scorched ground.

"Your Haki can't keep up with your power, Hellspawn!"

The Sphinx didn't stop and moved a giant paw at the falling Indra. A burst of hardening later, and the limb was thick as metal!

.

"Ágrio Télos!" (Feral Ending)

.

The collection of electricity was shovelled further into the ruined earth; the heat alone was liquefying the ground, evaporating all moisture nearby.

"Hmm?"

Xerxes lifted his paw only to see a giant crater buzzing with a loose electric charge.

"He can move faster than any pirate I've seen," Xerxes cursed. The Sphinx was about to engage in another attack, but not before the pirate reappeared with his own move.

Tenmei, the Sacred Blade, was raised to the heavens, summoning stormy clouds that roared even through the sandy skies.

.

"Pillars of Creation!"

.

At Indra's command, three separate columns of blinding-white lightning fell from the angered skies, each crashing onto the giant mythical creature.

BOOM!

The roar of thunder was as loud as ever, sending tremors through the island under its mighty power.

Plumes of smoke burst out following the fiery trials of the pillars that were dense enough to liquefy metals. The Sphinx released a pained cry, shrinking in anger.

[Nearby]

The members of the Fourth Division were all busy with their opponents, and the same could be said about their Commander.

.

"Utter Ruin!"

.

"Impact Wave!"

.

Two dense streams of shockwaves crashed onto one another, releasing a red and golden spectacle.

On one side was a giant Buddha, a literal divine being, while on the other side was a pirate with arms wrapped in black armour leaking hellish-red energy through its cracks.

BOOM!

The two destructive powers released untold chaos, sending torrents strong enough to take entire warships to the clouds and force that could reduce cities to dust.

Sengoku, the Buddha, heaved a dull sigh, glaring at his enemy through his indestructible glasses. 

At the last moment, he saw his shockwaves turn into a checkered pattern and explode back onto him. "You can pulverize my shockwaves and turn them into your own power… Awakening."

"You hit the nail on the head, Admiral," Damien confirmed, calming down the partial Empyrean over his arms. "So let's up the ante!"

The pirate suddenly exploded into a stream of tiny, red particles that lacked weight and flowed through the air. With a snap, the energy trail separated into three equal streams, each swirling.

*Whururu!* The spiralling energy threw about chaos, growing increasingly more intense.

Sengoku winced under the screeching sound of the atmosphere being atomized, releasing tremendous energy in the process. 

Damien materialized before the Buddha, pulling his tornados around the Admiral in a triangle configuration.

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"Pillars of Destruction."

.

"Tch!" Sengoku clicked his tongue as he had three columns of energy howl forth onto him, tearing apart the Sacred Land in their wake.

Boom!

They whirled without mercy, drilling the Buddha from the front, back and top with shredding energy that had a single intent: to reduce everything it touched to dust! 

[Attack Image (in Discord)]

Sengoku shrank a little, huffing from the pressing weight from all directions. It was like being hit with a 10-meter-wide drill from the sides, back, and front; even the Buddha was being torn apart!

"You better not think this is enough to take me down, brat!" The Admiral's eyes sharpened, releasing a powerful golden shockwave that carried great weight. They weren't born of his powers, rather, his Haki.

Boom!

The oppressive energy folded the pillars into themselves, sweeping aside their insufferable spirit and popping them like grapes.

Sengoku shot through the exploding energy. His ginormous body was like a bolt of lightning appearing ten meters above the pirate—he used Damien's bursting attack as a launchpad!

With a palm directed downward and the target within point-blank, he yelled:

.

"Big Buddha Impact!"

.

A wave of shock that could shake the island of God Valley, bringing down the Sin Incarnate with it.

.....

"You better not think this is enough to take me down, brat!"

Damien's eyes narrowed, flashing in Observation. Currently, Sengoku was getting hammered by the swirling pillars, moments from breaking through.

"As expected, he opted toward Haki and turned the small window into an attack of his own."

Sengoku's power allowed him to produce shockwaves similar to Whitebeard's. This could be considered a grave countermeasure to those with thick skin.

Seeing the future, the pirate shot into the air straight up, his fist spiking up with pockets of atomizing energy. Black lightning crackled from the veins, pumping the strike with twofold power! 

*Whoosh!*

A giant Buddha suddenly appeared in the way, its palm extended down.

Sengoku's eyes widened momentarily, seeing Damien all but five meters away from landing his hit. Still, it didn't stop him from following through.

BOOOOOOM!

The collision of such cataclysmic forces took its toll on the island. When combined with the other fights happening nearby, it was genuinely mind-numbing. 

The earth below tore open from the quaking energy. The showering debris and ruin were layered in crimson patterns, turning to dust that was shovelled across the island from the excess energy.

"..."

With a thud, Sengoku landed on the hellish grounds, Damien across from him—both unhurt.

"Your shockwaves and my Pulverization; our fight will go on forever."

Sengoku squinted through his spectacles. His words were as sharp as his demeanour, "I'll adapt to your Observation soon. Tell me, how long can you sustain all of this? One day, two, three?"

As a veteran Admiral for a few years, the Buddha had long become used to battles lasting over five days, some even reaching the week-long mark.

Damien glanced at his partial Empyrean and smirked at his opponent. "Rahaha! I can do this all day!"

[Castle of God Valley]

Hours had passed, and the Celestial Dragons had retreated to the Inner Sanctum of God Valley. This safe and secure location could easily tank a nuclear bomb.

Though it was not before nearly four dozen of them had been ravaged by the battles and the rage of the Slaves, their divine corpses, bodies and organs that would go for billions in the underworld were obliterated in the face of the battle taking place nearby.

"Iva-chan, I got the fruit!"

The big-headed one waved his hands, flashing the paw-shaped item. "Kuma, don't think, just eat i–"

*Boom!* A passing guard shoved Iva to the ground.

Even with his head pulsating in pain, the lad was still defiant: "Y-You have to eat it to save them! If we manage to get a single person off this island alive…ve can call this…a victory over them!"

Kuma, the giant slave, nodded—his eyes were filled with determination as he devoured the paw-shaped fruit.

The disgusting taste dug into his tongue but was soon overshadowed by the sudden taste of blood.

BAM!

Kuma's eyes rolled into his head as a fist slammed across his head. The throbbing pain sent him rolling across the ground, kicking up dust.

"You're that Buccaneer brat," the aged attacker calmly stated, tapping his cane through the mess. "You can either live as a slave or die. Nothing else can be tolerated for someone of your ilk."

Kuma forced himself up, ignoring the pain.

He looked over and saw an elderly man with a full white mustache and beard. He also possessed white dreadlocks, over which he wore a flat black hat. His scarred face did not detract from the majesty of his black suit and purple tie.

"Saint Saturn…" a guard said with absolute fidelity, lowering his head.

Yet he was waved aside by the Supreme Elder. "Go tend to the other slaves; too much divine blood has befallen this holy occasion."

"Are you somebody important?" Kuma murmured past his bloodied mouth, attracting the older man's eyes. "I don't understand how someone can be born more or less important…"

His eyes sharpened with resolve: "...if you're born a slave, then what's the point in being born at all!?"

The stubborn words were followed by aching pain, forcing Kuma to the ground again, "Ugh!"

He tasted the blood in his mouth, smelling the ash in the air. Memories of his past flashed by, granting him strength once more.

"If I have some kind of power now…" he said, staring at the tiles below. "I'm gonna use it to save as many people as I possibly can…just like Nika!"

The final word left the Elder visibly angered. Black lines etched across his weathered face as Saturn spat, "That is precisely why your people need to be erased."

[Nearby]

Where there was a Saint on one side of the Castle, there was a Devil on the other.

The menacing Rocks stood tall, his wild hair dripping with blood as he seethed with pure death. Black smoke emanated from his body while a stench of rotten flesh pervaded the ruined halls.

Mokushiroku was in his hands, pulsing with heat and anger.

"Xahahahaha!" The man laughed in the face of danger, and there was indeed danger in the form of two titanic adversaries.

To Rocks' right-hand side was Monkey D. Garp, a marine Vice Admiral with the strength to sink islands and known as 'The Fist.'

To his left was an infamous pirate who conquered the Log Pose Route to Lodestar Island, Gol D. Roger, the King of the Seas. 

Both men were clean-shaven; Roger had shaved his mustache to declare the end of his adventure, while Garp had shaved the goatee grown over his vacation.

[Garp and Roger Image (in Discord)]

.

*Fwwm!* The marine clenched both hands, wrapping them with his impenetrable Haki, twice layered to perfection. The green Haki popped into a burning orange, resembling lava! 

Roger held a Supreme Grade Blade clad in dense Haki, his Ace, resting it over his shoulder and neck.

Funnily enough, all three men sported wide grins!

"Bwahahaha!"

"Wahahahaha!"

"Xahahahaha!"

Garp cracked his seething knuckles, "This is not how I expected things to turn out," he muttered.

"Life is all about surprises, Garp!" his ally, Roger, remarked.

Meanwhile, Rocks creepily laughed, looking at his opponents with an undisguised glare. "The two of you really are quite the team, hehe! You best be ready to kill me here with every ounce of your strength and will!"

The pirate's roar forced the duo into silence.

Garp glanced at Roger, then back at Rocks and casually concluded, "Either you die, or we die."

The two shot out immediately, wrapping their weapons with esoteric Haki.

Rocks' Mokushiroku sizzled with black lightning and molten flames, meeting both his enemies.

BOOM!

The blade crashed into Ace and the Fist, turning the world upside down.

The very Castle forged with thick steel and fine Adam's Oak was made to house the First Twenty was instantly eradicated.

The shockwave of their collision destroyed everything, from the floor to the ceiling, from the doors to the walls, from the foundation to its very core.

*Vvoooo!* The destructive whirlwinds released took the rotten corpses and sent them to the skies, raining them down alongside dust and blood.

It stretched to the edges of God Valley, birthing tides that swallowed the ships beyond its coasts. The entire evening sun was dulled out, and the heavens themselves were reduced to smithereens. All the land near the clash was blackened earth overseen with a scarred sky.

.

"Hehe!" Rocks chuckled at the sight of their weapons failing to physically meet his foes.

"Come on then!" With a resounding cry of wrath, the evil pirate forced his weapon forth, even burning off bits of his hand against the combined Haki of Garp and Roger.

The skin of his fingers was boiled away, exposing the skeleton below. The man broke into a crazed laugh as the weapon continued its onslaught, meeting the two incoming attacks.

Boom!

A deep tremor coursed like a gong shaken with a dull clang. Garp and Roger flew across ruined earth, quickly coming to a safe stop.

Roger looked down to see his feet had sunk a meter into the earth and grinned. "Hehe, Garp, nail him down!"

He didn't wait for a reply and recklessly tossed his Ace into the sky before running ahead.

*Fwwm* An annoyed Garp's right arm pulsed with infinite momentum, an effect born from his Haki Layering.

"Don't tell me what to do!" With a guttural roar, he punched ahead, meeting the butt of Ace like a hammer hitting a nail.

BOOM!

A sonic boom went off as the Supreme Blade was shot forward with speeds going faster than lightning, tearing the infernal atmosphere open.

Rocks grinned, his impeccable Observation tracking the projectile with great accuracy.

Clang!

The sound was enough to pop eardrums, but it was simply music to Rocks' ears. He dug his feet into the ground, pushing Ace back.

But it was then a dark shadow arrived above, arcing with black lightning.

*Purrup* A thick layer of Ryuo wrapped alongside Roger's fist, which he slammed onto Rocks' head. Unfortunately, the enemy pirate was long prepared.

.

"Deathly Hallows."

.

The thick, black smoke formed a shield, harvesting the deaths from the war. It was as hard as diamonds, quickly locking the famed pirate at a safe distance.

*Szzzzz* Roger frowned as he felt his Emission Haki corrode away, effectively dissolving it.

Rocks grinned at the frozen Roger and reached out to grab Ace with his open hand, forcing it into submission with the Colour of the Supreme King.

*Whurrr!* The two Supreme Swords released an X-shaped arc of energy, withering black in colour in Roger's direction. Rocks' wild yet overwhelming strength perfectly showcased the sheer sharpness of the famed blades. 

"This might sting a little," the stubbled Roger mused, feeling the hellacious attack inching toward him. But the flash in his eyes brought a smile to his face.

"Hehe, I knew you'd have my back!"

"Shut up!" Garp's roar echoed through the chaos as he released an unstoppable force of his own, spinning in the air and punching downwards.

.

"Galaxy Impact!"

.

The dual-sword slash was easily obliterated, allowing Roger a window of opportunity.

The future Pirate King's hand shot out through the dust cloud, snatching Ace from Xebec's hands. 

He flipped off the ground, twirling the air and landing a slash at the enemy's nape.

Clang!

It was like hitting metal—a dense plate of Haki swirling around his neck. The force echoed through Ace and into Roger's hand; it felt like punching a brick wall.

.

"Touch of Death!"

.

Mokushiroku released a deathly attack that sent shivers down one's spine from its chill and demonic nature, shrieking its way to Roger.

"Damn you, Roger. Making me do all the work!"

Garp flickered ahead, his muscular, Haki-blessed body eating the entire attack and being thrown aside.

"It's 'cause I trust you!" Roger's eyes sharpened much like his blade. Thick strands of Conqueror's Haki spazzed from Ace and released a deafening attack at the open Xebec.

.

"Divine Departure!"

.

Rocks raised his empty right hand and grabbed at the coming attack with his bare skin.

The slash cut open the earth as it was directed across, only to meet a palm howling with black energy.

"Huh?" Roger blinked as he was held up in the air, and his mighty attack withered away.

Xebec licked his lips at the pain born from the flesh within his palms being decimated. 

With a violent tug, he pulled Ace and Roger down and slashed the Mokushiroku in his left hand.

.

"Deathly Departure!"

.

Roger's eyes widened as his body was folded across the ungodly attack. He was thrusted across the hellfire land, crossing hundreds of meters in an instant.

"This kind of pain reminds me that I'm still alive..." the Abyssal Sin murmured, looking at the deep gash at his right palm.

*Drip* *Drop* Corrupted black blood dribbled out, mostly hiding the cracked and shattered bones within.

But it was then a dark figure appeared in front of the lost Xebec, bubbling with Haki.

.

"Black Hole!"

.

Garp's vice-like grip reached Rocks' jaw, digging his thick fingers into the mandible. The Vice Admiral then slammed the evil pirate deep into the darkened ground, black lightning crackling from the impact and opening a crater.

Boom!

Rocks grunted as he was drilled deep down, his deathly body corroding through the land.

The Machine known as Garp didn't stop there. He popped the air with Moonwalk, spinning around and unleashing another overpowering attack.

.

"Galaxy Impact!"

.

The fist had no mercy—it painted a beautiful picture of a nebula in deep space. It shattered a hefty chunk of God Valley, and all that force crashed onto Xebec.

"Wahahaha! This is getting fun."

Garp scoffed at his "partner" appearing next to him. However, the gravity of the situation made him relent.

Instead, Garp solemnly remarked about something he noticed in his tussle so far, "That monster can see the future...but he chooses not to."

Roger rubbed the back of his neck, dryly laughing at the thought. "Wahaha! I bet he's tired of spoiling the fun with his own Observation. I guess that's what happens when you're the strongest."

*Vvvooo* Yet their cheery mood fell apart as they smelled the stench of death again, washing the battlefield with an ominous breeze.

The monstrous figure of Rocks exploded out of the ground like a corpse escaping its grave.

"Xahahahaha! This is what I've been waiting for!"

He wiped away the black blood leaking down his scarred face, even licking at the fresh liquid on his fingers. 

The marine-pirate duo watched in apprehension, seeing Rocks swarm with his deathly powers.

His scarred face turned black, not shiny like Haki's, but dull and emanating with rotten heat.

His ripped clothes had left his chest bare, unveiling a plethora of scars. Each was now sizzling with black lightning as the remaining flesh was covered with darkness.

He was a spirit of pure, unadulterated malignance towards the world, fuelling his desire to sit atop its throne.

"Don't either of you die too soon," Xebec spat with a hoarse and broken voice, smirking like the devil incarnate. "You'll ruin my fun."

To Be Continued…

----------------------------------------------

Author's Corner.

While Saturn oversees the safety of the Gods, Rocks faces the team-up of Roger and Garp.

Garp wishes to reduce the casualties, while Roger does not want to give Xebec even a remote chance of surviving. After all, by now, Roger has chosen to give up pirating and, as seen in canon, will soon enter a ten-year-long vacation before returning to find the One Piece as he learns of his damning sickness.

Images are available on Discord alongside other niche details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q


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