The crew members handle the fighting while the captain finds solutions!
At some point, Rocks realized he had come to trust Silas to this degree.
Even though a voice in his heart told him he could not continue like this, that continuing this way meant he would never surpass Silas in his lifetime.
But right now, Rocks did not want to think about so much.
Fight! Fight! Fight!
This was what he should focus on!
"Tch, even if you self-harm, with your pathetic strength, you think you can beat me?"
Having his glass helmet shattered left Saint Kurt somewhat embarrassed.
A mere pirate had made him breathe the lower realm's filthy air!
But Rocks could no longer hear what Saint Kurt was saying.
He only saw Saint Kurt's mouth move.
Without overthinking, Rocks forcefully stomped the ground, still his most familiar opening move.
"Shave!"
Without his fruit ability, Saint Kurt was no longer unbeatable in Rocks's eyes. However, Saint Kurt's strength was not entirely dependent on his fruit ability.
"Filthy pirate!"
Bang!
Rocks's fist collided with Saint Kurt's iron rod. The Haki-enhanced fist and Haki-wrapped rod were evenly matched in raw power.
Rocks stepped in place.
Instantly, he appeared behind Saint Kurt.
"Stop right there!"
Saint Kurt instinctively shouted, but Rocks's body showed no hesitation, kicking Saint Kurt and sending him flying.
"Is this all so-called gods amount to?"
Rocks laughed heartily, gradually regaining his initial confidence.
After mastering Observation Haki, hearing had little impact on fighters of his level.
Right. Fighters.
Months ago when Silas returned, it was already confirmed that Rocks had great pirate-level strength.
Even in the future Great Pirate Era, pirates with bounties over 100 million could be called genuinely strong!
Initially feeling frustrated when suppressed by Saint Kurt, but after breaking his fruit ability, the situation immediately reversed.
"I am still not strong enough. If I were strong enough, I would not need self-harm to break fruit abilities. Haki alone would suffice!"
Rocks looked at Saint Kurt with blazing determination.
"Captain's right. All fruit abilities are just flashy tricks."
"Only personal strength matters most!"
Rocks picked up his previously dropped blade.
"Demon Slash!"
At this moment, Rocks was like a demon incarnate. Though previously attacked by Saint Kurt with considerable injuries, right now, Rocks seemed to forget all pain.
"Brat, do not get too cocky!"
Saint Kurt's face reddened with humiliation. He was a Celestial Dragon, a Holy Knights member. How could he possibly lose to a mere pirate?
But Rocks could not hear Saint Kurt's words at all. He was just laughing. As the battle intensified, Rocks smiled with pure joy.
"Haha!!!"
This was the feeling, this sensation of disregarding life and death!
Meanwhile, seeing the Holy Knights member who had beaten them so badly now being suppressed by Rocks, Newgate looked spirited.
"Big Brother Rocks actually has the upper hand!"
Similarly, he saw Rocks's method for dealing with Saint Kurt.
Just hearing, right?
I could do the same thing.
"Newgate, leave this guy to me. Go support Dean!"
But before Newgate could act, Rocks's voice carried from afar.
He could not hear sounds, but he could see what Newgate wanted to do.
However, it was unnecessary.
Without his fruit ability, this guy was no match for him!
"Damn! Damn! Damn!"
Saint Kurt desperately wanted to dismember Rocks, but found himself unable to. Even trying to use his immortal body to suppress Rocks, he discovered Rocks's fighting style perfectly countered him.
Just blocking his attacks, restraining him, making him look utterly pathetic.
Actually, he could not seriously injure Rocks, nor could Rocks seriously injure him.
But this was enough to make him lose all face.
"Foolish brat, you think this is my full strength?"
Saint Kurt roared in humiliated rage.
"I just did not want to become that ugly form. I will command myself to become stronger, more agile!"
After Saint Kurt spoke, Rocks's expression immediately changed, seeing Saint Kurt's muscles suddenly bulge as his entire frame grew more than a full size larger.
"Commanding myself puts enormous strain on my body, but unfortunately, I am immortal!"
Saint Kurt looked at Rocks with a sinister smile.
"Brat, die!"
Saint Kurt's rod produced sonic booms. Against rebellious subjects like Rocks who dared resist Celestial Dragon rule, heavy-handed strikes were absolutely necessary!
Clang!
Saint Kurt's rod collided with Rocks's blade.
However, this time, Rocks's blade could not block Saint Kurt's attack.
His sword shattered completely!
It was just an ordinary short sword without quality materials, constantly patched up. Often Rocks fought with pure physical techniques rather than swordsmanship.
Blade and fist made little difference to him.
But the broken sword meant regardless of which body part he used to fight, the result would be the same.
After self-enhancing commands, Saint Kurt's strength had exceeded what Rocks could handle.
Bang!
The rod struck Rocks like a rag doll, sending him flying through countless obstacles.
"Big Brother Rocks!"
Seeing this, Newgate panicked, immediately abandoning the zombie soldiers before him to rush toward Rocks.
But Saint Kurt would not just watch.
"Kneel!"
Saint Kurt roared, forcing Newgate to halt mid-stride.
Bang!
Saint Kurt sent Newgate flying with one devastating strike. After self-enhancement, in direct confrontation, even pirates worth over 200 million bounty might not defeat him, let alone Newgate, whose strength had not reached even ordinary 100 million-level great pirate standards.
Newgate's head was directly pinned under Saint Kurt's foot.
"Bunch of lowlifes making me work so hard!"
Saint Kurt cursed. Holy Knights members were not idle Celestial Dragons. Even among Celestial Dragons, their status was quite elevated, with authority to judge other Celestial Dragons.
So only sufficient strength qualified for Holy Knights membership.
If defeated by 100 million-level pirates, he might as well quit!
"Never expected a Marine Admiral to betray. These lower realm scum really cannot be trusted. We must rely on ourselves."
"Damn it, let me go!"
Newgate struggled to rise, but despite being larger than Saint Kurt, their strength levels were completely different.
"Newgate!"
In the distance, seeing fallen Newgate, Rocks felt rage burning in his heart. Watching Saint Kurt raise his iron rod, long-suppressed power finally erupted from deep within his soul.
"Stop it!!!"
Invisible momentum exploded from Rocks, instantly sweeping the entire battlefield. Even Saint Kurt, about to attack Newgate, could not help changing expression upon feeling this overwhelming pressure.
"Conqueror's Haki!?"
But Saint Kurt's expression change lasted only an instant before he snorted coldly.
"So what about Conqueror's Haki? Conqueror's Haki that cannot even distinguish friend from foe is completely useless!"
Just as his words fell, a sinister laugh came from the sky as a large hand suddenly descended.
Grabbing Saint Kurt's head.
Instantly, Saint Kurt's head made intimate contact with the ground.
BOOOOOM!
"His will not do."
Black-red lightning instantly spread across all of Sabaody Archipelago.
"What about mine?"
Silas appeared before Newgate and Rocks.
"Boys, time to run!"