With Gloriossa officially joining the Rocks Pirates, it was only natural that Shakky's eventual recruitment would not be far behind.
Thor remembered clearly that in the original timeline, only a few months passed between Gloriossa becoming a member and Shakky deciding to follow as well.
At the moment, both of them were still traveling on the Kuja Pirate ship, unaware that the next major event in their lives would be Roger attempting to steal Shakky from the Kuja crew.
That attempt would fail in a somewhat embarrassing manner for him, which Thor always found amusing whenever he recalled the story.
Thinking about all of this made Thor realize something even more important. The timing of Gloriossa's recruitment meant that the God Valley Incident was slowly approaching its destined date.
This part was something Thor had been dreading from the moment he arrived in this world, because he understood that Rocks was meant to fall there.
In the manga and even in the expanded information he used to read, the chapter never fully revealed what happened at the end of the God Valley Incident.
Because of that missing information, Thor had genuinely believed that Rocks died on the island after being hit by the Domi Reversi.
Only much later did Thor discover the truth that Rocks was still alive, and the incomplete retelling had only caused confusion for readers and characters alike.
The more Thor spent time with Rocks, the more he could tell that the man was a victim of a reputation that had been twisted and exaggerated by the World Government.
In a way, it reminded Thor of Robin's situation, where she had been hunted relentlessly and called the Devil of Ohara, only for the world to realize that most of the accusations against her were based on lies, fear, and propaganda.
Rocks suffered from a similar treatment, except his case was narrated almost entirely through the viewpoint of Sengoku.
Sengoku was the first one who officially described Rocks to the audience as a chaotic and evil figure, and this would not have been a major issue if Sengoku had actually been present on God Valley to witness the truth.
Instead, he had relied on secondhand information that matched the government's narrative. As a result, the entire world believed the worst version of Rocks, which Thor now knew was far from the complete story.
Despite these worries quietly building up at the back of his mind, Thor continued training without slowing down.
His personal development had advanced rapidly ever since he began unlocking deeper layers of his Devil Fruit. The changes in his Devil Fruit power were so intense that his hair started shifting in color.
More white strands replaced the original red ones, giving him a look that slowly resembled the white hair commonly seen in Lunarians.
The transformation did not bother him; instead, he saw it as proof that he was finally beginning to access the full potential of his abilities.
Thor's training did not stop with his Devil Fruit. He also spent long hours adjusting and refining his control over his haki.
Through continuous testing, he discovered that his haki output was essentially limitless because of the Essence that strengthened his soul.
This allowed him to maintain the same intensity of haki that he used during his clashes with other powerful users without any noticeable exhaustion.
Rocks noticed this during one of their sparring sessions, and it immediately sparked excitement in him. Rocks began raising his own output in response, and Thor found himself forced to match that rising pressure if he wanted the training battles to continue.
His armament haki, which had already achieved external release, had now moved into internal release.
Thor had even recreated the technique similar to the one Luffy used against the tree, where the force exploded from the inside out. This achievement shocked even Rocks, who had not expected Thor to progress that quickly.
While doing all this, Thor also trained Borsalino. Surprisingly, Borsalino learned the internal release concept very quickly.
His ability to understand difficult techniques on the first attempt showed how talented he truly was.
It made Thor think about how much potential Borsalino actually had, potential that would normally be buried under his laziness and his habit of depending entirely on the power of his Devil Fruit.
Even Zephyr, Borsalino's instructor in the Marines in the original timeline, always scolded him for wasting his natural gifts and refusing to put in proper effort.
Yet here, under Thor's guidance, Borsalino showed that he was capable of much more when he finally chose to take something seriously.
-------------------
One afternoon, while Borsalino was steadily getting used to haki and slowly beginning to understand how to apply it without overthinking every movement, Newgate walked over with a thoughtful look and asked him a simple question. "Hmmm, want a fight?"
Newgate had already observed that Borsalino possessed talent, but talent alone would not turn into instinct unless it was sharpened through real battles.
Borsalino had not yet faced someone who could truly push him, and Newgate wanted to see how much progress he had actually made.
Thor immediately supported the idea. "That is a great idea, Newgate. Borsalino, you should accept it," Thor said casually.
Borsalino released a long and lazy sigh. He had been preparing to refuse, but the moment Thor voiced his approval, Borsalino understood that refusing would only lead to Thor overwhelming him with several layers of logic until he eventually agreed anyway. Thor had that kind of effect on people. Arguing with him required more energy than simply doing what he suggested, so Borsalino gave up and nodded.
Once Borsalino accepted, the entire group moved toward a more private part of the island.
Newgate was excited, which did not surprise anyone, since he had never fought a Logia user before and genuinely enjoyed fighting strong opponents despite his gentle personality and his intimidating reputation.
Borsalino and Newgate stood across from each other, preparing themselves. Thor and Stussy stayed to the side, as they always accompanied Newgate. Kaido also tagged along simply because he had nothing better to do, and the moment he heard that a battle would happen, he could not resist watching.
Thor started the fight by punching the ground lightly, signaling the beginning. Borsalino reacted instantly and summoned numerous beams of light before firing them at Newgate.
"Yasakani no Magatama," Borsalino announced. A barrage of lasers shot toward Newgate, who swung his naginata that was covered in the power of the Earthquake fruit. Each swing dispersed the incoming lights with little effort.
Borsalino moved again. "Yata no Kagami."
He used the mirrored light technique to bounce across the battlefield, dodging the wave of earthquake force heading toward him.
He redirected his movement and appeared beside Newgate with a kick aimed at his ribs, his leg coated in both light and haki that Thor had taught him to produce.
Newgate only grinned. He had predicted the attack from the moment Borsalino started moving. His fist was already coated in haki and filled with the destructive vibration of his Devil Fruit. Before Borsalino could even land his kick, Newgate punched him directly.
The impact was so strong that the ground beneath Borsalino cracked and dropped. Borsalino coughed out blood, the first time he had done so since obtaining his Devil Fruit, and the pain spread through him immediately.
Kaido laughed while watching and began teasing Thor about choosing the wrong person as his right hand. Thor simply replied that not everyone on the sea was another Newgate, and only a few people could actually match him.
Despite the painful blow, Borsalino stood up and continued fighting. The battle went on until the sky began to darken, and eventually they had to return.
By the end, Borsalino was covered in blood and bruises, while Newgate still looked completely clean.
Thor walked beside him. "How was your first battle against someone strong?" he asked.
Borsalino looked irritated and tired, but he still answered. "It sucks, but I will be stronger than this from now on."
Newgate laughed at that response, promising that he would not be defeated any time soon. Thor reminded Newgate that he had already fought him to a draw once.
Kaido added that Borsalino should wait until he obtained a Devil Fruit that truly suited him.
As they walked, the sound of loud voices reached them from the other side of the island. The noise grew stronger the closer they got, so they exchanged glances and headed in that direction.
Eventually, they arrived at a newly refurbished bar that was filled with laughter and excited shouting.
Inside the bar, the first thing they saw was Gloriossa celebrating wildly as she hugged the most beautiful woman any of them had ever seen.
Rocks, Shiki, Don Marlon, Ganzui, and Ochoku were sitting at a table, all looking at the same woman with amazed expressions.
When the woman noticed the new arrivals, she greeted them with a warm smile.
"Welcome to Shakky's Rip Off Bar. My name is Shakky," she said calmly.
The moment she introduced herself, Newgate, Kaido, Borsalino, and even the more composed members of the group felt their hearts beating much faster.
Shakky smiled again, and the reaction intensified to the point that their expressions became awkward.
Thor, meanwhile, only had a quiet thought as he observed her. No wonder the entire sea became obsessed with her. She really was incredibly gorgeous.