"You want to smash destiny to pieces…" Rocks stared at Carlo with an odd look and rose from the ground.
Though his body remained broken, his aura was still overwhelming—fierce and domineering.
"Not even Joy Boy or my ancestor Davy Jones managed that, nor could Imu… and you're going to do it? You… dare to?"
His eyes shone with wonder as he gaped at Carlo, as though meeting him for the first time.
"Nothing I don't dare. I'm not even afraid of death—why fear some so-called fate? But you and Roger, you're not afraid to die either, yet you cling to the belief that destiny exists and resign yourselves to it—hmph! I really don't get you!"
A dozen metres apart, Carlo stood opposite Rocks; with a wave of his hand a gale sprang from nowhere, whisking Rocks's longsword into the air and straight into Rocks's waiting grip.
Rocks gave a bitter smile. "Never thought there'd be someone in this world who doesn't believe in fate. And here I am, so certain destiny exists, about to die at the hands of someone who doesn't believe in it at all. In a way, isn't that fate too?"
"Enough, enough! Stop babbling nonsense—can you still fight?"
Carlo wrenched the heavenly dragon halberd from the earth and levelled it at Rocks, expression grave.
"Let's be clear: I won't hold back just because you're badly wounded—that would be disrespect."
"I feel your respect."
"I truly thank you, Carlo. Otherwise I'd have died at the hands of that Moon-Head trash—and I'd never rest in peace.
But if I can die by your hand, I'll die happy!"
Rocks smiled.
He was genuinely happy.
Never expected, before the end, to speak so openly with someone.
All along, no one could really talk to him as an equal.
In the vast Rocks Pirates, almost everyone feared his power.
Even those who didn't—Newgate, for instance—held back because he was Captain of the Rocks Pirates.
Carlo was different.
This young man always surprised him.
If not for the hatred of a murdered father between them, they could have gotten along wonderfully.
Rocks bared his teeth in a brilliant grin, slowly raising his longsword as he said to Carlo:
"This blade is called Abyss. It belonged to my ancestor Davy Jones and is one of the oldest Supreme Grade blades. Carlo, when I die, it's yours—find it a worthy successor."
"I will."
Golden lightning suddenly blazed out of Carlo in vast, majestic bolts.
It was his Haoshoku.
Unlike most men's black-red or deep-crimson or pitch-black Haoshoku,
perhaps because of the Garuda's power, or some other reason,
his Haoshoku, after reaching 94 points, had turned this radiant gold.
If he then assumed the Golden Garuda form,
he would become a completely golden bird-man,
as dazzling as Sengoku's giant Buddha.
With the release of his Haoshoku, Carlo's aura climbed higher and higher.
More than that, his body began to swell wildly.
Pair after pair of golden wings unfurled behind him.
The scattered clouds overhead gathered anew; wind howled, thunder crashed, lightning tore the gloom and lit the dark sky.
"Rumble—!"
Pillars of lightning thick as ancient trees blasted down from the heavens, coiling around the heavenly dragon halberd in Carlo's grip and around the golden wings at his back.
With a sweep of those wings he shot like lightning straight at Rocks!
"To honour you, I'll give you everything I've got!"
"Captain Rocks!!! Farewell!!!"
"Wahahaha, wahahaha! Killing me won't be that easy!!"
"Carlo! Let me Teach you how Haoshoku truly towers above all power!"
"Abyssal Curse!!"
"Boom!!"
Beneath the dark sky, on the island of God Valley sinking into the deep sea, a golden and a black figure collided with a roar that shook heaven and earth.
Volcanic, tsunami-like might blossomed endlessly on this island doomed to be forgotten.
Gold and black lightning ripped sky and sea as though to brand them forever.
When the final roar faded, silence fell—only the distant surge of waves remained.
On the last remaining shard of land the two stood facing each other.
"You win, Carlo."
Rocks stood on the earth, chest pierced, body lacerated with gaping wounds, blood streaming out to stain the ground beneath him.
Yet there was no pain on his face—only a smile,
though it was strained, reluctant, full of longing.
Before him, Carlo, returned to human form, was covered in deep, bone-revealing sword cuts.
Crimson blood drenched him.
But he too was smiling.
"No, I lost."
"Lost completely."
"Rocks, you're too strong. The me of now is far beneath you, so I had to resort to this despicable way to take my revenge."
"What… nonsense! If not for you, I'd have died an ugly death at the hands of trash… cough—"
Blood gushed from Rocks's mouth.
Life was slipping away from his broken body.
He tilted his head, dazed eyes on the sky.
"So this is death… strangely calm, just—"
"Hard to let go…"
Hot tears rolled from the eyes of the mightiest pirate overlord the world had ever seen.
"Alice…"
"Teach…"
"I… miss… you…"
The light in his eyes was fading fast.
Sound was vanishing from his ears, soon to fall into final silence.
Then he heard Carlo's hoarse, roaring shout.
"Don't you dare cry!"
"Laugh! Die like the hero you are!"
"This era is named Rocks! It belongs to you alone!"
"Rest assured! You spared me then; I won't visit my hatred on your kin. I'll tell your son the truth of this island and leave him free to choose whether to take revenge on me!"
"So…"
"Smile! Smile!! My Captain!!"
"Rocks! D! Gibek!!!"
Amid that sky-shaking roar,
the tears at Rocks's eyes slowly stopped. He struggled to open his dimming eyes to see Carlo one last time.
He forced his mouth into the hearty, sea-shaking laugh Carlo wanted.
"Wahahaha, wahahaha!"
"That's right! I'm Rocks! No way I'm snivelling my way to death!"
"Wahahahaha!!"
Thank… you… Carlo.