On the azure sea, a massive shadow suddenly fell, and the giant hull crashed back onto the surface, kicking up towering waves.
"Hmm?!" The violent jolting of the ship caused everyone's bodies to sway.
"Why did we fall so suddenly?" Xiong steadied himself and looked dissatisfied at Shiki standing to the side, teasing him with a voice full of contempt,
"Hey, Shiki, we've only been flying for how long? You haven't gone soft already, have you?"
"You idiot! Open your eyes and look ahead!" Shiki snapped at Xiong, his long golden hair flying in the sea breeze as he pointed toward the faint outline of an island emerging on the distant horizon,
"God Valley is almost here! Do you want to fly the ship directly into those Celestial Dragons?"
Just then, Gloriosa, sitting on Charlotte Linlin's broad shoulder, pointed a slender finger in another direction: "Linlin, look over there! What is that?"
Charlotte Linlin followed the direction and saw a massive warship, comparable to a small island and built with an ancient, majestic style, quietly lying across their route. She was no stranger to the design of that warship.
"That's... a warship of the Elbaf Royal Family?" Charlotte Linlin's brow furrowed slightly, doubt and vigilance flashing in her eyes,
"Why would they appear here?"
"It's a ship of the Giant Race!" The pirates on the deck also discovered this behemoth and cried out in surprise.
"Who cares what race they are! If they dare block our path, sink them!"
Some hot-tempered pirates had already drawn their weapons, clamoring to start the battle.
The urgent desire to rescue Shakky made any obstacle appear particularly eyesore.
"Wait!!" Rocks, who had been standing silently at the bow gazing toward God Valley, suddenly spoke, instantly suppressing all the commotion.
Shiki looked at him in confusion, his tone urgent: "Why stop, Rocks?! Every second is precious right now! Shakky is still in the hands of those scumbags!"
Right now, they only wanted to go and snatch Shakky back; everything in their way was an obstacle and should be thoroughly crushed.
Rocks' gaze pierced through the massive warship, as if seeing something deeper behind it.
He knew very well that the giant who would appear here at this moment and intercept him in this manner could only be 'that guy'—the giant king and his former old friend, Harald.
The massive Elbaf warship slowly approached like a moving fortress, bringing an invisible sense of pressure.
At the bow, an exceptionally tall figure with a bald head and a bushy beard emerged—it was indeed Giant King Harald. His deep, resonant voice carried across the sea:
"Rocks... the orders I received were to stop a Pirate Crew obsessed with a certain woman."
Harald's gaze fell on Rocks. "If we warriors of Elbaf fight with all our strength, sinking that little boat of yours would be as easy as turning over a hand."
As if wanting to explain something, he turned slightly, revealing an inconspicuous black speck on the distant sea.
"See that over there? The World Government's surveillance ship is watching our every move."
Only then did Rocks notice the distant surveillance ship; it turned out they were all on'stage.'
Instead of showing fear, a ferocious and mocking smile appeared on his face:
"Heh... So, you think you can accumulate merit with the Government this way to exchange for that 'alliance' you crave? Harald, you underestimate our Rocks Pirates, and you underestimate the hypocrisy of the World Government!"
Rocks' voice suddenly rose: "If you just sit by and do nothing now, letting us rush onto God Valley to slaughter each other, I'm certain that once it's over, the World Government will 'pardon' you instead, and even thank you for your 'inaction'!"
"Because no matter what you do right now, in their eyes, you're ultimately just a 'madman' king who wants to change the status quo of all Elbaf by himself, right?!"
Rocks' words were like a sharp sword, piercing the deepest struggles and dilemmas in Harald's heart. He stared intently at Rocks, his massive fists clenched.
"Can we talk? Harald." Rocks' aura retracted slightly. "Just the two of us."
Harald was silent for a moment, his giant head finally nodding slowly: "...Very well."
"Lads, wait here!" Rocks tossed out a sentence and, before anyone could react, he exerted sudden force with his feet.
His tall figure soared into the sky, kicking out a series of air bursts. With a few agile bounds, he landed on the Elbaf warship.
"Who's your subordinate! You bastard Rocks!" Shiki roared and gestured wildly at Rocks' receding back.
Charlotte Linlin's brow was locked tight as she watched Rocks' figure, waves of doubt rising in her heart. Gloriosa, on her shoulder, also sensed her emotions and gently grasped a lock of her long pink hair.
Is rushing to God Valley so urgently truly just for Shakky? Rocks... what flashed in your eyes just now wasn't just Shakky, but something else.
Is there something on that land more important to you than Shakky, or even this operation itself? Could it be... that this is the real reason you fall at God Valley in the original trajectory of history?
As a transmigrator, her perception of Rocks was full of contradictions.
Before transmigrating, the impression Rocks gave her was that of a pure, extreme evil and an ambitious man, much like the future Blackbeard Teach.
But after several years of personal interaction, the Rocks she saw was more like a titan who possessed power, charisma, and a certain unique creed. He even shared a peculiar understanding with that fool Roger in some aspects.
She really couldn't understand why it would be necessary for Roger and Garp to join forces against such a man.
But the words of the future Fleet Admiral Sengoku were absolute... Rocks D. Xebec, in the Battle of God Valley, was defeated by the combined forces of the Marine Hero Garp and the Pirate King Roger... It's impossible that Sengoku was weaving a lie, right? What truth is hidden behind all this?
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