"Look at that! A Celestial Dragon is just flesh and blood, like us. No three heads or six arms. With a little help, you can do what we did today.
The key is whether you have the will to act and the courage to bear the consequences!"
The longer one stayed in the gravitational field, the greater its effect. Initially, it only hindered movement, but over time, Eratin's body began to exhibit a strange paralysis, though his consciousness remained intact.
Eratin could see a group of people outside the gravitational field, seemingly celebrating something.
"Damn scum, how dare you—"
Eratin tried to speak, but at some point, he lost control of his tongue. The toxic smoke from the lotus traps' explosions still lingered.
With his gas mask shattered, the poison seeped into his mouth and nose. Before losing consciousness, the last thing Eratin saw was a shoe sole growing larger.
"Anyone want to take a kick? Once we leave this place, doing this will come with consequences. You might not get another chance."
Oran's exoskeleton emitted a special Hextech energy field that counteracted the gravitational field's restrictions, allowing him to move freely even while it was active.
To be safe, Oran injected Eratin with an additional dose of anesthetic to ensure he wouldn't wake up midway, then deactivated the gravitational field.
"I'll do it!"
Oran's words were shocking on these seas. Beating a Celestial Dragon and stepping on him—this act once again shattered the worldview of those around him.
They were so stunned that they didn't immediately register how outrageous the idea of "taking a kick" was. Ginny was the first to step forward, kicking at the Celestial Dragon's head.
Nine years of slavery had fueled her deep hatred for this group. A few kicks couldn't vent her resentment.
Ginny's action set a precedent. The Valley of the Gods locals hesitated, but the slaves couldn't hold back.
"You bastard, you damned thing! Do you know what we've been through all these years?!"
"Give me back my family! Give them back!"
Amid curses, countless fists and feet landed on Eratin. These people finally mustered the courage to beat a fallen dog, though the blows didn't cause much damage.
The Celestial Dragons, despite their moral depravity, had skin thick enough to withstand a beating. Even a spiked club wouldn't cause fatal injuries quickly.
Afterward, Eratin's clothes were stripped off, along with those of the agents who had died there, receiving the same treatment.
After piecing together a few complete outfits, Ivankov's team found people with similar builds to disguise themselves, planning to infiltrate the island's center and attempt to steal some Devil Fruits to increase their chances of success.
Oran, meanwhile, took the unconscious Eratin back to their base. Shark had just reported that, thanks to the craftsmen's efforts, the device's construction was finally complete.
Both plans had reached their final stages, and the Valley of the Gods had, imperceptibly, become the eye of a global storm.
"Pirates! Fire! Fire!"
At the island's perimeter, the cannons on the Navy warships unleashed a frantic barrage. The dense swarm of pirate ships made the Navy personnel tense—these were notorious pirates, not one of them an easy foe.
"What's going on? Why are there so many pirates?!"
The Navy officer in charge of the lookout was drenched in sweat. In all his years with the Navy, he had never seen such a massive number of pirates.
Initially, the warships could hold back some pirate ships, but when a distinctive flag appeared on the sea, the delicate balance collapsed instantly.
"It's the Rocks Pirates! Repeat, the Rocks Pirates have appeared on the east side of the island! Requesting reinforcements!!!"
A burning skull replaced the "O" in ROCKS, and the iconic pirate flag of the Rocks Pirates fluttered in the wind. As the most powerful pirate of the era, his appearance shattered the confidence of some Navy personnel.
Monsters like that weren't something they could stop, especially since it wasn't just one monster but an entire ship of them.
"Useless Navy! Rocks Pirates, everyone, follow me!"
On the main ship of the Rocks Pirates, a long-haired man stood at the bow. With a single wave of his hand, a Navy warship was obliterated by his sword energy. Seeing no familiar Navy powerhouses, Rocks' face was filled with disdain.
Not even waiting for the ship to dock, Rocks charged onto the island.
"Hey, slow down, Rocks! Since when did we become your subordinates, you bastard?"
Following Rocks, one towering figure after another emerged: Whitebeard, Big Mom, Golden Lion, Kaido, John, Wang Zhi, Silver Axe. Some were veteran pirates with established reputations, others were lesser-known rookies, but all were monsters in their own right.
"Rocks, that idiot, probably forgot the original goal. We need to confirm things quickly."
"Newgate! Who do you think you're acting like the boss of?! Watch it, or I'll knock you all flying!"
"Ma ma~ Ma ma~ Who cares what Rocks thinks? Just steal the stuff and run. You guys don't actually want to fight to the death here, do you? I heard the treasure's in the island's center."
The Rocks Pirates were a peculiar group. To the outside world, they appeared unified, but in reality, none of them truly submitted to one another. Driven by mutual interests, they began advancing toward the island's center.
"The Rocks Pirates have landed!"
"It's the Roger Pirates! They're here too! Pirates everywhere! We can't hold them back!"
Without top-tier fighters, the Navy's defenses collapsed instantly. These forces, meant to suppress the island's civilians, were no match for this level of combat.
"Have the Navy protect the Celestial Dragons! Organize their orderly evacuation! The Knights of God will handle the enemies here!"
The reason the Navy's top fighters weren't present was simple: the Celestial Dragons and the World Government had their own elite forces. Glingo, at this moment, took on the responsibility of confronting these monsters.
"Is everyone back?"
"Reporting to Saint Glingo, aside from Saint Eratin's team, all the other lords have returned."
"What's Eratin dawdling about at a time like this?"
"Glingo! Bad news! Eratin's life card has dissipated!"
"What did you say?!"
When another Celestial Dragon's words reached his ears, Glingo thought he'd misheard.
Life cards were made with a special process—immune to fire, impervious to water, and even if torn to pieces, they wouldn't vanish. There was only one situation where they turned to ash.
It meant the owner of the life card was dead!