Above the smoldering ruins of God Valley, a temporary viewing platform, hastily built from gold and velvet, stood in stark, garish contrast to the devastation around it.
A Celestial Dragon, Saint Top, wearing his bubble mask and elaborate robes, stood on the high platform to announce the rules of the "grand event."
"My esteemed compatriots! Welcome to our traditional event, held every three years—the 'Grand Cleanup Competition'!"
The Celestial Dragons below raised their glasses, offering scattered, lazy cheers.
"This year's venue, 'God Valley,' has been thoroughly cleared for our enjoyment! And now, it is time for the part you have all been waiting for: the hunt!" Saint Top spread his arms, gesturing toward rows of giant iron cages set up on the plains not far away. "The rules are as simple as always!"
His voice became sharp and high-pitched with excitement. "Within this venue, anything that moves is a 'rabbit'! Among them, we have specially prepared one hundred and fifty 'rare rabbits' for you, each worth five hundred points! And… thirteen 'super rare rabbits,' carefully selected from all over the world! Each of those is worth ten thousand points!"
He paused, savoring the greedy gasps from his fellow World Nobles.
"But that's not all! To encourage everyone to display their impressive marksmanship, any one-shot kill will receive double points! The competition will last for three days! And for the one with the highest score, we have prepared the most generous of prizes!"
"And now..." Saint Top's face twisted into a grotesque smile. "I declare the competition... begins!"
With his command, the gates of the iron cages roared open. Thousands of ragged, desperate slaves and the few surviving residents of God Valley poured out, their faces blank with shock, like livestock driven from a pen. For a moment, they stood blinking in the light, then someone—it was unclear who—let out a piercing scream and began running for the distant cover of the forest and ruins.
Instantly, the crowd exploded into a plague of panic.
Bang!
The first gunshot was fired by an excited Saint Marcos. His ivory pistol spat fire, and a slave running at the front of the pack tumbled to the ground.
"I hit him! Father! I hit him!" the boy shouted, jumping up and down.
"Well done, my son! But aim for the head next time. That's how you get double points!" Saint Top encouraged him affectionately.
The other Celestial Dragons excitedly raised their weapons—pistols, rifles, and crossbows—and began shooting indiscriminately into the scattering crowd. They cared little for accuracy, only for the simple thrill of watching life end at their command. Bullets tore through the air, blood splattered on the scorched earth, and screams rose and fell across the valley.
While the Celestial Dragons played their game, the members of the God's Knights became efficient killing machines. They moved like specters through the chaos, each swing of their blades precisely taking one or several lives.
On a high cliff overlooking the carnage, one of the Five Elders, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, sat on an ornate chair, observing but not participating. He held no gun, no wine glass, only his cane. He watched everything below with cold indifference, his face an expressionless mask. He felt neither joy nor pity, looking upon the scene as one might observe an anthill, analyzing the futile struggles and meaningless deaths.
Deep within the forest, a group of slaves lay hidden in a muddy gully, desperately holding their breath. A remarkably burly young man was using his broad back to shield two others. He was a young Bartholomew Kuma.
"Vee-haw! This mud is an absolute disaster! It's ruining my carefully styled hair!" a young man with an enormous head and thick lips complained in a low whisper. He was Emporio Ivankov, a future commander of the Revolutionary Army.
"Shut up, Iva! Do you want them to find us?" a short, pink-haired girl wearing glasses hissed at him. She was Ginny, the clear leader of their small group.
Ginny peered over Kuma's shoulder, her gaze fixed on the hellscape of gunshots and screams. A fire of pure defiance burned in her eyes. "The plan... has to work."
"Are you sure the message got out, Ginny?" Ivankov asked, his flamboyant tone replaced by one of genuine seriousness. "Will a bunch of pirates really come for a vague rumor about 'treasure'?"
"They will," Ginny said, her voice firm. "For desperate men like them, the words 'treasure' and 'Celestial Dragons' together are the most irresistible bait in the world. They will come. They have to."
This was their only chance. Rather than be hunted and killed like animals, they would lure a pack of ravenous wolves into the valley to tear everything apart.
Kuma nodded silently in agreement. His only wish was to save as many innocent people as he could.
At Marineford, Fleet Admiral Kong frowned, his temples throbbing as he read the top-secret intelligence report on God Valley. The Rocks Pirates were on the move, and their target was clear.
"We have to stop them," Kong muttered, putting down the document and picking up the emergency Den Den Mushi.
Meanwhile, on a nameless tropical island, the sun baked the beach to a golden brown. Monkey D. Garp lay on a beach chair, lazily crunching on rice crackers. For a Marine Vice Admiral, his attire was shockingly casual: a pair of flashy swim trunks, his tanned, muscular body glistening in the sun.
Brr-brr-brr...
The Den Den Mushi on a nearby table began to ring, its face mimicking Kong's serious expression. Garp didn't even open his eyes as he lazily picked up the receiver. "Yo, Kong. What's up?"
"Garp," Kong's low voice came through the snail. "Cut your vacation short immediately and head to God Valley."
"Huh?" Garp grumbled, picking his nose. "God Valley? Isn't that where those Celestial Dragon idiots are having their field trip? With the God's Knights and Cipher Pol there, it's safer than Marineford. You want me to go babysit them?" He despised anything involving the World Nobles; in his eyes, they were more trouble than any pirate.
"This is not a request. It's an order," Kong said, his voice deepening. "The Rocks Pirates are on the move. We believe their target is God Valley."
"Rocks?" Garp paused, finally sitting up slightly, though his tone was still bored. "Those guys are tough, but the Celestial Dragons' bodyguards aren't weak either. Let them fight it out. What's it got to do with me?"
There was a long silence on the other end. Just as Garp was about to hang up and get back to his nap, Kong spoke again, his voice quiet but heavy.
"According to our latest intel... the Roger Pirates are also heading in that direction."
"WHERE'S ROGER?! I'M ON MY WAY!"
Garp shot up from his chair as if struck by lightning. He snatched the receiver, his eyes wide, and yelled so loud that the nearby coconut trees shook. He was a completely different person from the lazy man of a moment ago.
On the other end, Kong sighed, having fully expected this. "The coordinates have been sent to your ship's Log Pose. Garp, remember your mission. The primary objective is..."
"Got it, got it! The primary objective is to arrest Gol D. Roger!" Garp shouted, cutting him off. He slammed the receiver down and tossed the Den Den Mushi onto the sand. He threw on his "Justice" coat with enough speed to create a gust of wind.
"Dad, what happened?" a young man in a brand-new Marine uniform hurried over. He was about seventeen years old, with wavy black hair and a bright, energetic smile. It was Monkey D. Dragon, a new recruit training under his father.
"Oh, Dragon!" Garp grinned back at his son. "Stop standing around! It's time for action!"
"Action?" Dragon asked, confused.
Without another word, Garp scooped Dragon up by the collar of his uniform and began striding toward the dog-headed warship moored offshore, completely ignoring his son's protests.
"Bogard! Wake up!" Garp roared. "Hoist the sails! Full speed ahead!"
On the deck, Bogard calmly pushed up his sunglasses, already accustomed to his superior's antics, and began relaying the commands.
Dragon, dangling from his father's grip, could only ask, "Dad! Where are we going?!"
"To catch the freest bastard on the seas!" Garp's loud, joyful laughter echoed across the water as the battleship shot forward, leaving behind the forgotten Den Den Mushi on the beach.
While God Valley trembled in hell, the distant island of Hachinosu was a scene of pure chaotic energy. Countless pirates waved their swords and guns, their roars shaking the very ground. At the port, hundreds of monstrous pirate ships were ready to depart, their flags forming a dense, dark forest.
Leading them was the colossal flagship of the Rocks Pirates. On its deck, the future rulers of the sea had gathered.
"Gurararara... Going to steal from the Celestial Dragons? Sounds interesting," Edward Newgate chuckled, polishing his beloved naginata.
"Worororo! I hope those 'gods' can put up a decent fight!" a young Kaido roared, chugging an entire barrel of liquor.
Charlotte Linlin, Golden Lion Shiki, Captain John, Silver Axe, Ochoku—names that would one day make the world tremble were all gathered here, their eyes burning with the same fire: ambition.
Before them all stood a single figure, his face obscured by shadow. Only his wild, flame-like hair and eyes darker than the abyss were visible.
Rocks D. Xebec.
He slowly raised his hand, and the roaring crowd fell silent.
"My friends!" he called out, his voice carrying across the entire fleet. "The gods are having a banquet, and they didn't invite us." A supremely arrogant smile spread across Rocks's lips. "Since that's the case..."
"We'll go there, overturn their tables, and take everything they have!"
"OOOOOHHHHHHH!!!"
A roar like a tidal wave answered him. The great pirate armada hoisted its sails and charged into the sea, carrying enough ambition and power to shatter the world. An unprecedented storm was about to descend.
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion