Fully transformed, Toguro's aura grew unbearably heavy. And it was still climbing, shifting from a mere 100% into a complete, perfected 100%.
This was the usual flaw of characters who relied on transformations. Against weaker opponents, they seemed invincible—only their first form was needed to crush a hero. But that was because they were designed to be bosses.
What if the opponent was someone of the same level?
If you needed to transform again and again just to barely match someone else's power, then you weren't really on the same level at all.
Take Super Saiyan as an example. You might need it to fight evenly, but your normal state is fifty times weaker. In reality, with that kind of difference, your enemy could kill you in one blast.
Now, Toguro's full power put him on the level of a Yonko. But before, the gap between his base form and his maximum output was vast—so wide that he wouldn't even have been able to withstand Roger's earlier strike.
So while the sixth fragment of the Shikon Jewel and his Haki training no longer raised his ceiling much higher, what they did was raise his floor. And that was just as important. It meant his normal state was no longer so weak that small fry could kill him with a sneak attack.
Right now, he wanted to test his full power against Roger, the man who would one day be known as the Pirate King.
Roger simply watched him finish transforming without interruption. He lifted Ace in one hand, and with the other, gently set the box down.
In that instant, Roger's Conqueror's Haki clashed with Toguro's demonic aura. Their figures blurred as they moved, faster than lightning. A fist and a blade collided midair, unleashing a force so great it tore the sky apart…
The once-dark clouds above were split open as though by a giant blade, revealing the hidden sun. Black lightning crackled across the heavens, and their single clash sent shockwaves throughout the God Valley and far beyond.
Far away, Garp, Sengoku, and the Rocks Pirates all felt the massive impact. Their battle halted as they looked toward the distant source of that terrifying clash.
"That's Roger's damn Haki!" Garp's face was bloodied. He stood back-to-back with Sengoku. Even together, the two of them were stretched thin against the entire Rocks crew. And this was with Rocks himself and Edward Newgate, the second strongest, not even fighting yet. They were being overwhelmed.
Worse still, monsters like Golden Lion were among their enemies. Golden Lion alone was equal to one of them. Add in Silver Axe, Captain John, and Wang Zhi—all famous powerhouses—and their situation looked grim. But then the surge of Haki from afar cut straight across their battlefield.
"Roger?" Rocks frowned when he heard Garp's words. From the depths of his memory, the name surfaced.
"That man… the one who returned from the deepest part of the Grand Line. I heard he already reached Lodestar Island. But why is he here?"
The Roger Pirates had already been making a name for themselves about fourteen years earlier. They were strong, but didn't behave like normal pirates. Sometimes they showed a terrifying, ruthless side—but only when their comrades were harmed.
Most of the time, they were more like a band of adventurers than pirates. Even in the New World, where countless strong men gathered, their way of living stood out as something unique. Rocks had once considered inviting Roger to join his crew, but, as expected, Roger refused.
"Who knows. But judging from that Conqueror's clash from afar, he's fighting someone really tough." The future Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, glanced at his captain, Rocks D. Xebec, and laughed in his booming way. "Captain, do you want to wrap things up here quick and head over?"
"No need." Rocks replied with confidence. "I'll go to Roger myself. That direction leads right to the front entrance of the God Valley. A rare chance. Let's storm the Celestial Dragons' transfer station head-on and show the world the true terror of the Rocks Pirates!"
Whitebeard was about to follow, but then his brow furrowed. He looked back at Rocks. "Seems this fight here will drag on a bit longer. I'll stay behind."
He didn't need to explain. Rocks had already sensed it. On the sea nearby, the rest of the Roger Pirates were approaching, clashing with the Rocks crew left behind to guard the ships.
"Things are finally starting to get interesting, aren't they?" Rocks cracked his neck, showing a cruel, twisted smile. He didn't care about leaving his men behind. To him, even though they were carefully chosen strong fighters of the New World, if they died, they died. He wouldn't shed a tear for the weak.
He wasn't going to reach out to save those who would die in the war. Only those who survived had the right to be his comrades, to be his crew. Since he had already decided to head toward Roger's side, see the truth for himself, and break through the Celestial Dragons' defenses, he wouldn't change his mind just because the men he left behind might get crushed between the Marines and Roger's crew.
His men should all understand this too!
"The weak don't even deserve to live."
Rocks let out a booming laugh, and the next moment an overwhelming wave of Haki erupted from him. The sky, already torn apart by Roger and Toguro's power, grew dark once more as black lightning crackled across it. Rocks' laughter echoed across the whole island. Nearly half of his crew, who had fled to shore while being chased by Roger's pirates, collapsed unconscious under his Conqueror's Haki.
"What a troublesome guy."
Watching Rocks leave, Edward Newgate muttered, then turned to the Roger Pirates landing on the shore.
What they thought would be a simple chase had, within minutes, drawn in a large Marine fleet. Not long after, Roger's crew showed up as well, along with some unknown powerhouse who could go toe-to-toe with Roger. It seemed the battle of the God Valley was going to be far more difficult than anyone expected!