Saturn looked at the stunning woman before him, and a trace of regret flashed in his eyes.
If it hadn't been for the sudden disappearance of Carmel the Mountain Witch, this woman should now be a member of the World Government—a mighty shield to protect the Celestial Dragons.
But soon, he caught sight of an earnest boy struggling to get up from the corner of his eye.
"A little devil from the Buccaneer tribe? How pathetic. With sinful blood flowing through your veins, the only futures allowed are slavery or death. History itself decrees this."
"Uncle, are you... noble?"
The young man, his head bleeding, looked genuinely confused. "But... to be born noble or lowly, that seems strange…"
"Shouldn't someone truly powerful save others like Nika did?"
"So,"
Saturn looked at him coldly. "You'll disappear into history. You too, will die."
But just then—
"Auntie Linlin, you're not going to step in for me? Doesn't that mean no one takes you seriously?"
Roya deliberately provoked.
If Charlotte Linlin turned and ran now, there'd be no way for him to get his hands on the treasure.
"Ma~mamamama!"
Linlin reached up to her hat, yanked it off, and a massive blade appeared in her hand. "Does it matter if it's the Five Elders or not? Their heads chop off the same!"
"Elbaf Spear: Ikoku Sovereignty!"
The air cracked open as a massive shockwave surged toward Saturn.
The man who held the highest power in the world simply said, "You'll die as well."
Whoosh!
The sword wave swallowed him whole in an instant.
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
BIG MOM was surprised.
He didn't dodge or block. Could this man be as indestructible as her?
"Be proud for now, insects—but God will punish you personally."
As the cold words rang out, a monstrous figure emerged.
A swirling black cloud of flame erupted, trailing behind streams of dark lightning. Two great horns sprouted from his head, similar to Roya's hybrid form, while his lower body had become that of a monstrous spider.
"This is…!!"
Charlotte Linlin's pupils constricted.
The monster had a massive hole on the left side of its body from her previous attack, but the flesh was rapidly regenerating.
Within seconds, the wound vanished entirely.
"Is it the same Mythical Zoan type as little Roya?"
She instinctively linked Saturn's regeneration to his Devil Fruit power. "Interesting. I'll see how many times you can regenerate."
She charged in with her sword.
"Go for it, Auntie Linlin! I won't slow you down!"
Roya flapped his wings and flew down from her shoulder, cheering as he veered straight toward the treasure.
After all, if these Devil Fruits were stored alongside the Uo Uo no Mi and the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi, they couldn't be ordinary.
"You brat!"
Charlotte Linlin was furious. This kid really did have the attitude of a Rocks Pirate.
But there was no time to worry about Roya!
The spider legs shot toward her like lances.
"Zeus!"
"Yes, Mama!"
The thundercloud beside her turned into a stormy black cloud, and then a thunderbolt roared out like a divine dragon, striking Saturn head-on.
Then, with lightning speed, Linlin chopped off his head with a backhand slash.
But before she could feel satisfied, one of the spider legs stabbed at her again.
"Are you kidding me? This regeneration is insane!"
She blocked it, but her expression had darkened.
"Do you understand now? Insects can't rebel against God."
Saturn's eyes glowed.
Charlotte Linlin grunted—her head snapped back.
She had been struck by an invisible force.
It was the Bull Demon's Evil Eye.
"You bastard!" she roared, a light cut on her forehead. But the power that could shred a normal human did almost nothing to her near-invincible body.
Charlotte Linlin raised her hand and grabbed the flaming sun floating beside her. "Prometheus! Heavens' Fire!"
The massive fireball exploded, blasting Saturn's body apart once again.
"So cool, Auntie Linlin!"
Meanwhile, completely unfazed and bent over rummaging, Roya had just picked up a Devil Fruit.
It was silver, with a metallic sheen and drop-like bumps on its surface, marked with classic swirling Devil Fruit patterns.
A fruit he had never seen before.
But it couldn't be bad.
Carefully slipping it into his coat, Roya noticed a sword lying next to it.
It had a black scabbard, a purple hilt—no way something placed so conspicuously was ordinary. He tucked it into the back of his waist like Sasuke.
There wasn't much else of value—just piles of gold.
He couldn't take it all.
Symbolically stuffing a few large gems into his pocket, Roya finally looked up at the clash of monsters.
It seemed Linlin had found a true match.
Charlotte Linlin's massive sword, cloaked in advanced Conqueror's Haki, kept chopping Saturn to pieces.
But Saturn's immortality was absurd. He regenerated and counterattacked endlessly.
Roya noticed Saturn glanced his way a few times but didn't act.
Was he really being ignored?
You think I won't escape with the treasure?
At just seven years old, I'm participating in the legendary God Valley Incident, standing here like a nobody?
Roya's eyes welled with tears.
Everyone will see me one day! Don't underestimate the youth just because they're poor!
"Auntie Linlin seems to be enjoying herself!"
Roya nodded firmly. "Then I better not interrupt!"
Time to run!
He had the loot—no need to linger.
Who knew what would happen next?
But just then—
"Oh, Linlin! Looks like you've run into someone tough! Need a hand?"
A familiar voice laughed.
Charlotte Linlin, Saturn, and Roya all turned at the same time.
Silver Axe, carrying a huge axe, Wang Zhi with his ever-present smirk, a drunken Captain John, Gloriosa riding a giant snake—the elite cadres of the Rocks Pirates had arrived!
Behind them trailed other pirate captains and a crowd of fighters.
"You guys came just in time,"
Linlin grinned maliciously. "The treasure's right here. If we beat this Five Elder together, we'll split the loot!"
"Five Elders?"
Silver Axe glanced at Saturn. "Eh, Linlin, looks like he's not even giving you a hard time."
"Let's skip the fight and just divvy up the loot!"
Without hesitation, Wang Zhi lunged toward the treasure.
The others weren't far behind.
"You bastards!!"
BIG MOM stomped her foot in frustration.
This was getting out of control.
Saturn frowned. That brat was one thing, but now so many top Rocks Pirates were involved…
In that case—
"I begin the summoning."
He muttered.
BOOM!
Four massive magic circles erupted behind him, black smoke and dark lightning surging out.
Roya's eyes went wide.
Time to run! The other Five Elders are coming!
Immortality and summoning? This was ridiculous.
Without a second thought, he transformed into his full Zoan beast form, wings flapping furiously as he soared into the sky toward Dylan's direction.
"Has Roya finally matured?"
Silver Axe looked up at the boy's retreating figure, puzzled. "He's not even greedy for treasure?"
That brat already took the best stuff!
Charlotte Linlin smirked to herself but didn't say a word.
Little Roya only took the treasure temporarily. Once they got back, his aunt would "hold onto it" for him.
No need to spread the news.
Roya flew at top speed, conjuring gusts of wind behind him to go even faster, streaking across the sky like a comet.
But then—
Pop pop pop!
A few soft noises rang out across his body.
Huh?
Below him, the Celestial Dragons had gathered in one place—a sea of white robes.
Among them, a few had raised guns and were firing at the "big bird" soaring overhead.
"Hey, hey! Picking on a kid?"
Roya squinted downward.
Ah. The God's Knights and CP0 had probably gone to intercept the invading pirates.
"Well then, time to defend myself—Hellfire Baptism!"
No time for fancy new techniques—he'd tested them earlier, but now wasn't the time.
He dove down like a bomber, gliding low over the Celestial Dragons.
As he flew by, flames erupted among the nobles, each body suddenly bursting into fire.
Not simple burning—explosive combustion from within!
Within seconds, the pristine white robes turned into a roaring sea of flames, with fire columns rising dozens of meters high.
Screams echoed in all directions.
Roya panted heavily.
The high use of his powers had drained him nearly to collapse.
But just a few breaths of the thick, corrupted energy from the Celestial Dragons instantly rejuvenated him.
"Thanks for the meal,"
He smirked, taking one last look at the inferno below before ascending again.
"Gahaha!"
Meanwhile—
Just after Roya fled, the dark lightning from the four magic circles sparked violently. From their depths emerged four grotesque silhouettes.
In mere moments, they morphed into massive monsters.
"What?!"
Charlotte Linlin was horrified. "What the hell is that?!"
"No way…"
Wang Zhi wiped sweat from his brow. "Are these the other Five Elders?"
Besides Saturn, now fully transformed into the Bull Demon, the others were equally monstrous:
A wild boar the size of a building, with tusks like twin swords.
A skeletal warhorse, its frame blazing with unholy energy.
A serpentine bird hybrid with twisted wings and glowing eyes.
A colossal sandworm, as tall as a mountain.
Gloriosa swallowed. "Should we retreat?"
Saturn said calmly, "Four of you are enough here. Maz—go after the boy. He fled east. He took the Mercury Fruit and the Sea of Blood Blade."
"Understood."
The bird-like creature, Mars, flapped its wings and shot toward Roya's direction.
Not long into the chase, Mars spotted the massive fire below.
"Where'd that come from?"
He frowned.
But now wasn't the time. He needed to catch the Rocks brat.
As he flew over the island, he noticed something strange.
Where were the Celestial Dragons?
The refuge spot was too quiet.
Even the young nobles had joined this "hunting" trip.
As he pondered, a shadow appeared in the sky ahead.
He caught up!
"Hmm?"
Roya heard the rumbling behind him.
He looked back—and his heart nearly stopped.
The bird was only a few hundred meters behind him!
Wrong day to skip breakfast!
*follow me and send power stones or you are uncool :)*
Also, if you see any mistakes, please point them out so I can fix them.