As Toguro was being pulled toward the black hole, a mountain behind him was also sucked up and dragged over even faster than Roger and Toguro. It slammed right into Toguro's body.
For anyone else, being crushed by something like that would mean instant death. But with Toguro's monstrous body, he managed to withstand it—though he still coughed up blood. His body was plastered against the mountain wall, which drove him even faster toward the black hole.
With a low growl, Toguro reached forward, then slammed his elbows back against the mountain. The entire mountain was blown apart into countless chunks, then shattered completely with a loud boom. The broken mountain turned into a storm of rocks flying toward the black hole, only to be crushed into powder by the overwhelming pressure before they could get close.
Toguro's pupils shrank as he looked at the black hole pulling closer. That destructive force threatened to tear his body apart. If he was pulled into the center, even his tough body might not survive.
Suddenly, Toguro opened his fingers. The Shikon Jewel he had been holding tightly was yanked out of his hand by the pull of the black hole. Cracks instantly spread across it. Rocks' eyes widened in shock, and he hurriedly canceled his ability.
The ability vanished, but the jewel kept flying forward with its leftover momentum, heading straight for Rocks. He reached out to catch it, but Roger swung out a Divine Avoidance slash. Rocks had no choice but to block with his own strike. The clash exploded midair, knocking the falling jewel away once more.
Rocks was about to use his gravity to pull the jewel back when his eyes froze.
"So this is what you were after all along?"
The jewel, sent flying, landed not in the hands of the three of them but in another man's grasp. He wore a tattered black uniform, a grin tugging at his lips.
It was Garp!
"Wahaha! Didn't think you'd show up here!" Roger laughed when he saw Garp, giving up on continuing the fight with Rocks.
Rocks didn't reply, but the killing intent in his heart surged. With the strength of his crew, they could hold their own against even the Roger Pirates.
With Garp here now, it could only mean one thing…
His own crew… might be unhappy with their captain.
"What kind of thing could make three people like you fight over it? I really want to see for myself…"
Garp looked at the three of them, aware of their sharp, dangerous eyes. He knew well that whoever held this thing would instantly become the enemy of the other three. But he wasn't afraid. Red light began to flicker across his body, filled with resentment and ominous power.
Behind him, a faint tail seemed to take shape. This was the power of the Nine-Tails!
After eating its flesh, Garp's body had changed. As long as he focused, he could enter this state.
That power was wild and violent, completely different from Haki—closer to Toguro's demonic aura. In an instant, it burst outward. Toguro released his own aura to clash with it, while Rocks and Roger both unleashed their Conqueror's Haki.
"This thing is already full of cracks…"
Four overwhelming forces clashed together. Even in the New World, full of strong men, this was an unheard-of scene. The booming roars shook all of God Valley as if the earth itself quaked.
Amid that end-of-the-world chaos, Garp followed Roger and Toguro's example and suddenly hurled the Shikon Jewel into the air.
It flew right above the four of them. Almost at the same time, they all struck out. The closer to their center, the stronger the clash grew.
Under such destructive energy, the jewel at the center let out a sharp, ringing crack that echoed in their ears like thunder.
And then…
Cracks spread across the dazzling jewel, until with a sudden burst—
It shattered!
The Shikon Jewel…
Broken?
The jewel said to grant wishes—destroyed by their power?
Crack!
All four froze in place as the shattered jewel burst apart into countless fragments midair. Shards flew in all directions. Toguro reacted first, leaping up and catching the pieces flying toward him.
His quick action sparked the others. Rocks, Roger, and Garp each caught shards flying their way. And after grabbing those, they all rushed to seize the other fragments too.
That's right. Even though the jewel was broken, the shards might still have use. A tool that could grant wishes should still have power even in fragments. In truth, other than Roger, Rocks and Garp weren't sure if the Shikon Jewel was really that amazing, but seeing fighters like Roger and Toguro going all out to fight for it made it a lot more believable.
Even if it was just a shard, they had to get it!
But just as they reached for the other pieces, Toguro suddenly swung a punch. His huge strength turned into a blast of energy. In his full power state, even his breath could become a storm, let alone his fist.
With that punch, the wind across the whole island shifted. The massive force blew the shards of the jewel into the air and made the other three stop in their tracks. That brief pause was enough—when they looked again, the countless shards had already vanished!
"You bastard!" The three shouted in anger, but Toguro's face showed no fear.
"I'll remember the three of you!"
Toguro held one shard of the Shikon Jewel in his hand and looked at the other three with cruel words.
"Time in the future is endless. Until I gather all the shards and become a complete demon, I'll make sure to enjoy myself with you during that time."
His body slowly shifted as he dropped out of his 100% full-power state. His eyes swept over the three—two pirates and one Marine—then his figure vanished in an instant.
"Until then, make sure you take good care of those shards for me!"
After his body disappeared, only his voice filled with killing intent echoed across the God Valley…
The three left behind each held a shard of the jewel, lost in thought.
The Shikon Jewel truly wasn't ordinary. Even a single shard carried power they could feel. If all of them were brought together…
Could it really grant any wish?