Once those two monsters—Byrnndi World and the Red Earl—are crushed, Ayr will surely step into the fray. What then? What choice do we have left?
Even when facing the three of them, Rocks didn't falter in the slightest. He wasn't wrong to suggest they band together against Ayr. But now... now, he no longer trusts anyone. Not after what happened.
If only he had a moment to breathe—just enough to recover a bit of stamina—Rocks was sure he could win this war. That belief, that certainty, burned within him like Whitebeard's final words.
But the truth was grim. The others knew deep down: their odds of victory were zero.
The purpose of Rocks' wrath was crystal clear. In the Battle of the Valley of the Gods, he was the strongest man alive. He had once stood above all—Garps, Rogers, and even the World Government feared him.
"Ochoku," Rocks growled, eyes cold as steel, "I won't give you another chance. If you'd backed me during the Valley of the Gods, maybe I could have become the ruler of the world. But you didn't. I'm done with disappointments. Today, all three of you die by my blade."
The others had already abandoned any thought of challenging Ayr. Now, revenge was all that remained. And Rocks wasn't about to let Ochoku, Silver Axe, or John escape retribution.
Better to trade life for life—to bury Rocks alongside them in the grave. If that was the price, they would pay it.
Rocks looked down at them with contempt. His face twisted with disdain.
"Look at you," he spat. "You think you can fight me? You were wounded by Haki alone."
As Rocks advanced, Silver Axe's expression twisted with horror. At first, they had hoped they could face Ayr and Rocks as a united front, maybe survive together.
But if Ayr joined now? That hope would be obliterated. Their deaths would be certain.
Ayr's massive, armored Susanoo—coated in Armament Haki and throbbing with Conqueror's Will—was too much. A single swing could split islands, just like the strikes of Mihawk or Fujitora.
Even so, the wounded Rocks laughed at his bleeding injuries.
Meanwhile, Ochoku issued a desperate command. The three lunged forward with ferocity, their blades drawn and fates sealed. John, Silver Axe, and Ochoku had already let go of survival. They welcomed death.
If the World Government were to tell them now that Rocks would return from the dead—they would still charge forward. Because to them, there was nothing left to lose.
"Captain Rocks," Ochoku shouted with strained breath, "We're only here because of the lies of the World Government. Let us make amends. I'll pledge loyalty to you—and to Ayr. We'll make up for every loss."
But Rocks had no intention of granting mercy. And with his cold refusal, all hope for survival was erased from John, Ochoku, and Silver Axe.
Back then, when the five great pirates gathered, they had sworn to share strength and victory. But they had betrayed Rocks. And Rocks would never forget betrayal.
They had seen what Ayr was capable of in Loguetown—defeating the core of the Roger Pirates without so much as flinching. And yet, despite all that, they had dared to defy Rocks now.
No one would defend. No one would hold back. It was now a brutal exchange—wounds for wounds, death for death.
All four combatants surged forward at incredible speed, blades crashing in a single synchronized assault.
"Those who betray me pay the price!" Rocks roared, deflecting all three weapons at once.
Having crushed both the Marines and Roger Pirates, Rocks now believed nothing could stop him from becoming the world's hegemon. His ambition was rekindled like Kaido's dream of starting the greatest war in history.
"Damn it! If I survive this, I'll hunt down every rat in the World Government!" John spat.
"You think you'll get out alive?" Rocks sneered. "You'll sink into the sea today, Ochoku!"
Blood poured from their wounds, their strength waning—but they stood tall. John, Ochoku, and Silver Axe, all severely wounded, showed no fear.
They knew. They were never leaving this place alive.
"Let's see who still stands at the end!" Ochoku shouted, fury in his voice.
Ayr's Susanoo had already landed several blows earlier, wounding them each time. Yet they rose again—battered, but defiant. Their monstrous endurance was all they had left.
To die to Ayr and Rocks? No. Not without a fight.
Even now, Byrnndi World and the Red Earl were being pushed back. No matter how fast the Red Earl moved, Ayr's strikes—empowered by speed, Haki, and raw precision—were nearly impossible to dodge.
And yet, it hadn't even been Susanoo's blade that wounded them—it was the force alone. The pressure of each swing cracked the air like the roar of an awakened Zoan.
Still, the World Government hadn't warned them. Hadn't told them Rocks was alive again.
Rocks moved like a beast unleashed, charging the trio with a roar.
Even by himself, he was difficult to deal with.
And now the four fought with every shred of energy left in their bodies. They had forsaken defense. This was all or nothing.
The Government had lied. They'd sent them to kill Ayr with no warning, no truth about the monster he had become. But when Ayr resurrected Rocks, they were the first to know.
Now, Rocks slashed at them with abandon.
"COME!!" he roared.
Their lives no longer mattered.
Rocks' body bore countless scars now—lines carved deep from blades and Haki alike. Yet he stood firm, blood dripping down his chest like a war god.
"Well done," Rocks muttered. "To face death with such resolve... You've finally made this fun for me."
Their injuries were severe. But Rocks? Rocks barely felt his.
The more intense the battle, the more alive he felt. He lived for this. It reminded him of the old days—licking blood from blades, standing atop a pile of enemies.
Even now, he taunted them.
"Just the three of you? Do you think you're enough?"
Despite the brutality of the fight, John, Silver Axe, and Ochoku couldn't pressure him. But they were relentless.
They had no pride left. No defense. Only resolve.
The battle raged on, fast, brutal, and final.
"Since you're set on killing us," John shouted, blade dripping red, "then fine—we'll drag you down with us!"
The war cry echoed across the shattered battlefield.
Rocks ripped off the remains of his cloak, revealing his battered, muscular body—a relic of a forgotten era, but still unstoppable.
Silver Axe's glare could burn steel. He knew his time was up, but he wasn't going quietly.
Across the seas, pirates would one day hear of this battle and remember. The mad captain of old, revived. The traitors who stood and died anyway.
The stronger the enemy, the more ferociously Rocks fought.
In the chaos, for a brief moment, all four warriors clashed again.
But compared to the devastation on John, Silver Axe, and Ochoku—the damage Rocks suffered felt like mere scratches.
And still, he grinned.
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