A few minutes later, Ashen finally reached the peak of God Valley.
The area at the top wasn't large, but it was clearly well-maintained. Rows of rare and precious plants were arranged with immaculate care.
Considering how barren the rest of the mountain was, the fact that these plants were thriving up here said everything about the resources poured into their upkeep.
"Now this... this is extravagant," Ashen muttered in awe as he took in the sight. "These bastards really know how to waste."
He kept moving forward.
What came into view was a sprawling palace complex, grand and opulent, eerily similar in style to the architecture of Mary Geoise.
From the peak, one could overlook the entire surrounding sea. Living up here would naturally give anyone a sense of superiority over the world below.
That thought only strengthened Ashen's resolve.
Even though most of the area had been destroyed, palaces crumbling, walls twisted, there was no doubt in his mind that valuable things still remained.
Resolved, Ashen began searching through the palaces. Anything useful, he gathered into piles.
After half an hour of looting, he had quite the haul. Just the fresh water and food alone filled an entire sack.
Then he dismantled over a dozen enormous beams and iron chains, piling them in a clearing.
Most of the wood came from the fallen palace columns, dense, durable timber perfect for building a raft. The iron chains, once used to shackle slaves, still bore dark stains of dried blood.
Ashen, with years of pirate life and exile behind him, had plenty of experience surviving with minimal resources. Building a makeshift raft was no challenge.
Before long, a sturdy raft, crafted from thick logs and iron chains, stood ready before him.
As for a sail, he'd repurposed a white tablecloth found in one of the Celestial Dragons' mansions. Surprisingly tough, it would serve the purpose well enough.
"Not bad at all," Ashen said, nodding at his handiwork with satisfaction.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The mountain trembled violently again, as if warning Ashen that time was running out.
"I've gotta move fast," he muttered, frowning. "At this rate, I've got maybe an hour left before this whole island sinks into the sea."
Without wasting another second, Ashen turned and made his way toward the largest palace in the center of the mountaintop.
More accurately, it was a three-story castle, its design reminiscent of the Pangaea Castle at Mary Geoise, though significantly smaller.
Ashen estimated it was about one-third the size of Pangaea Castle.
As he approached at a brisk pace, he quickly realized things didn't look good.
The front half of the castle's entrance hall had already collapsed, leaving no clear path inside.
Cursing under his breath, Ashen gritted his teeth through the pain and started clearing debris, eventually forcing open a narrow passage just wide enough for one person to squeeze through.
Inside, he found much of the inner structure surprisingly intact.
Some of the candleholders were still lit, their flames flickering atop oil wicks, an extravagantly expensive fuel that burned slowly and steadily.
Ashen picked up one of the oil lamps and made his way to the center of the grand hall.
Looking around, the place was magnificent but... barren. Nothing of real value remained.
"Let's check the second floor."
Without pause, Ashen ascended a curved staircase to the upper level.
At last, he struck gold.
The second floor housed a series of banquet halls of varying sizes. The tables were lined with golden and crystal dining sets.
Sculpted ornaments gleamed from their places embedded in the walls, each one shimmering with the unmistakable luster of gold.
Ashen didn't hesitate. He yanked down a tablecloth and used it as a makeshift sack, ignoring the flashy crystalware and grabbing as much solid gold as he could carry.
He had no idea what the future held, but he knew one thing for sure, the Celestial Dragons' fortune was the best starting capital he could ask for.
In this world, whether pirate or Marine, nothing could be built without money.
State of the art ships, cutting edge weapons, Devil Fruits... everything came at a price. And rare resources always went to the highest bidder.
Pillaging might get you far, but it wouldn't get you far for long.
The castle's third floor.
This floor was much smaller, almost like a circular attic.
The entire space had been remodeled into a grand meeting chamber.
"This is it?" Ashen said, unimpressed.
"Did they already move everything out?" he wondered.
But he quickly dismissed that idea.
Faced with the Rocks Pirates, the Celestial Dragons had barely managed to run for their lives. There was no way they'd had time to move anything on a large scale.
That left only one possibility.
A basement.
Most castles were built with underground levels. This one was likely no different.
Behind the stairs in the first-floor hall...
"This must be it."
A stone door blocked his path.
With time running out, Ashen didn't hesitate. He used his Armament Haki, covering his left fist with it.
Wham!
His punch crashed down on the stone slab, shattering it with a resounding crack and sending rubble inward.
"Ugh! Damn it... my body's too torn up to hit with full force..." Ashen winced in pain.
"Roger's slash really did a number on me."
Back during the battle, Ashen, the loyal follower of Rocks, had stepped in to protect his weakened captain, taking a blow from Roger head-on.
Though he'd somehow managed to block the slash, it had cost him dearly, his beloved blade snapped in two, and his chest was nearly cleaved open. He'd passed out on the spot.
Now, pushing his body to its limits once again, those wounds had begun to tear open anew.
…
He descended a spiral stone staircase into the depths. At the bottom, he found a small chamber, no more than ten square meters wide.
In the center stood a square stone pedestal, encased in glass.
Ashen stepped forward, lifted the cover, and examined the contents.
Only three items lay within.
A massive, cross-shaped greatsword.
A decorated, miniature treasure chest.
And a thick, heavy book.
Boom!
Before Ashen could inspect the items properly, the entire palace began to tremble again.
Dust fell from the ceilings, debris tumbled from above, and he could feel it clearly now, the whole structure was starting to lean.
"Looks like it's time to go!"
No time to waste.
Ashen quickly wrapped the loot in a cloth bundle, strapped it to his back, and sprinted out of the vault. His injuries screamed in protest, but he ignored them, racing toward his raft.
...
By the time he reached it, the peak of God Valley had already tilted at a steep angle, nearly 45 degrees.
He secured the supplies tightly with rope, braced himself, and using the downward slope to his advantage, shoved off with a final push of his foot.
Pain shot through his body, but the raft surged forward, hurtling toward the sea below.
Splash!
The raft hit the water hard, then bobbed up again, steady on the surface.
Ashen grabbed a makeshift paddle made from a plank and began rowing furiously away from the collapsing mountain.
Boom! Boom!
Behind him, the mountain continued to disintegrate. Chunks of earth and stone broke away, tumbling into the sea with thunderous force.
Towering waves, nearly a hundred meters high, erupted into the air as the once mighty summit collapsed entirely, vanishing beneath the ocean.
A few minutes later, Ashen looked back.
Nothing.
God Valley was gone.
Only the churning, restless sea remained, seething where greatness had once stood, a testament to what had been lost.
Ashen reached into his sack and pulled out a bottle of fine liquor. He popped the cork and raised the bottle in farewell.
"Captain Rocks... this is the last time Ashen V. Helgrave calls you 'Captain,' as one of your crew!"
His voice rang out over the waves.
"Your dream may have died, and you never got to see it through, but a man's desires... they never end!"
"I believe, no, I know, someone out there will pick up where you left off. Someone will chase the same madness... even if they turn out to be a total bastard! Hahaha!!"
With his left hand, he lifted the bottle high, shouting toward the sea like a lunatic gripped by divine madness.
"Glug....Glug! Farewell, Rocks!!
Farewell, the man I used to be, Ashen V. Helgrave of the past!
I'm leaving now. I'll live a life that's truly mine!
You all can stay here, with God Valley, and listen to my legend from the bottom of the sea!"
...
Soon, the bottle was empty. Ashen tossed it into the ocean and let himself slump back, drifting into an exhausted sleep.
Under the moonlight, a lone raft bobbed with the waves, its destination unknown, lost somewhere on the endless sea.