High above the sky, two figures—one black, one white—darted through the darkness in fierce pursuit. Joy Boy gritted his teeth as he sprinted ahead, while Carl, expressionless and wielding the cursed blade Muramasa, chased close behind.
"Joy Boy, are you planning to run all the way to the end of the world?"
Carl's voice drifted lazily from behind. Joy Boy's brows furrowed slightly as the drums of liberation on his chest gradually fell silent. He had recovered most of his strength—around seventy to eighty percent.
But still, there was no sense of relief.
The recovery granted by the drums of liberation was powerful, yet not limitless. This ability was fueled by will—by the unwavering yearning for freedom in the hearts of people. And today, such hearts were far fewer than eight hundred years ago. They were even dwindling—just like the Mink Tribe and Giants being slaughtered on the outer battlefield by Marines under Kuma's command.
The thought darkened Joy Boy's expression even further. He had lain dormant for eight centuries. He would not—could not—accept another failure.
Because he knew he wouldn't get another chance.
The rise of Carl among the Celestial Dragons had changed everything. If Carl were given enough time, the entire world might be reshaped in his image.
Suddenly, Joy Boy spun around, slamming his hands against his chest to intercept the thrust of Muramasa's blade.
Carl gazed at him with a half-smile, speaking in riddles.
"Your sit-up speed really doesn't compare to Luffy's. Maybe you shouldn't have taken on the name Joy Boy."
Joy Boy didn't quite grasp the meaning, but responded firmly.
"What nonsense. My name is Joy Boy—not Luffy!"
Carl gave a noncommittal smile and nodded.
"Exactly. Then go to hell with that name."
"You're the one who deserves to burn in hell, you damned Celestial Dragons!!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Joy Boy lashed out with a punch. Carl returned the strike with one of his own. Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki clashed in a blinding eruption of power. Red-black lightning crackled through the sky like a doomsday storm. Thunderous booms echoed, splitting open a vast gap in the heavens.
...
The battle raged on until Joy Boy unleashed the power of Nika, his form ballooning into a thousand-meter giant suspended in the air.
He raised a colossal hand that blotted out the sky. With a mighty sweep, he drove away the darkness and slammed his palm down toward Carl.
Carl remained calm. A vortex of blackness rose behind him, forming a dark tornado that surged upward to catch Joy Boy's descending hand, stopping it cold.
Feeling the corrosive pull of dark energy seeping into his palm, Joy Boy was forced to withdraw. He stomped heavily on the air beneath him, ascending once more until his enormous form faded into the shadows.
But to Carl those shadows were as clear as daylight. With a flap of his wings, he shot upward into the black sky.
The next moment, the dark canopy above began to churn like a vast sea, and from within it descended massive columns of dark light that connected all the way down to the Black Sea below.
...
Among the D. Clan, who were clashing with the Five Elders and others, someone was caught by one of the beams. A sizzling sound like roasting meat echoed from their body—the mark of Nika's power being rapidly drained.
Nusjuro, now in his hybrid form, seized the opportunity. With the sword in hand, he unleashed a chilling slash infused with Haki and frigid aura, turning a screaming member of the D. Clan into an ice statue—then shattering them to pieces.
Similar scenes unfolded across the battlefield. The God's Knights, aided by Saturn and the Five Elders, used the dark beams to slaughter several members of the D. Clan.
...
Roger, dodging both magma blasts from Akainu and the beams of darkness raining from above, noticed that his saber—formerly Ace—was now covered in blotches of black. The beams had left their mark.
Had he not yanked Ace out of that light in time, Ace would have vanished entirely by now.
And yet, Akainu and others struck by those same beams were completely unharmed. In fact, they were empowered—enchanted—by the dark energy. Their attacks now carried a strong suppressive effect against Nika's power, severely hindering the D. Clan's healing abilities.
With the D. Clan's strength waning and their injuries slow to mend, they began to falter. Akainu led the charge, flanked by Admirals and the Five Elders under Garling's command, along with the God's Knights. Together, they hunted the D. Clan like prey.
...
The only front holding its ground was Lucia's, where she faced off against Rocks.
Though Rocks had lost his self-awareness, his raw strength was overwhelming. Lucia was struggling to contain him alone.
Fortunately, Aokiji and Aramaki, having defeated their own opponents, joined the fray. With the three Admirals together, the tide turned swiftly—Rocks began to retreat under the assault.
Despite it all, one had to admit: Rocks was truly the Pirate Overlord who once clashed head-on with the World Government and Marines in the Valley of Gods. Even stripped of his consciousness, he managed to hold his own against three Admirals.
In comparison, Roger—the so-called Pirate King—was starting to seem rather underwhelming.
...
Rocks relied solely on his powerful Observation Haki to dodge the trio's onslaught. Yet, without true awareness, instinctual reflexes left gaps. Though he evaded most attacks, these Admirals wielded top-tier Devil Fruit powers with immense range. Total avoidance was impossible.
Often, Rocks had to choose the lesser of two evils—sacrificing lighter wounds to avoid fatal blows.
Lucia, Aokiji, and Aramaki soon noticed the effectiveness of the dark beams against the D. Clan. Without a word exchanged, they shared a glance and reached the same conclusion.
Lucia, the fiercest attacker, soared above Rocks with a beat of her wings and struck him with a crushing Fallen Angel's Hammer.
Rocks defended with Haki, but that was the opening they needed.
Aokiji and Aramaki launched their next strike in tandem—ice pillars and vine whips surged forward. Rocks had used most of his Haki to guard against Lucia. Following the automatic logic of Observation Haki, he instinctively shielded his vital areas.
But Aokiji and Aramaki weren't aiming to kill.
Their combined powers coiled around his legs—immobilizing him.
Still dull and unresponsive, Rocks couldn't react in time. The trio hurled him through the air.
His body flew into one of the descending columns of darkness.
And vanished within it.
-----------
+150 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg