— — — — — — —
They plundered all the treasures of God Valley.
They took every single Devil Fruit.
They freed all slaves and took the enslaved non-human races.
Still, Joey remained cautious.
He continued using the Concealment Orb.
And then—they calmly left, just like that.
To put it bluntly—From start to finish, in just four days—While the outside world was engulfed in an intense battle, Inside?
Joey had completely looted the Celestial Dragons. Nearly 70 of them were killed by the Charlotte family.
What happens next after this war ends?
No one knows!
But one thing is certain—the truth about God Valley will never spread.
If the Five Elders were to let such a destabilizing event leak, they'd be complete fools.
---
"Hmm—"
Mondée blinked and said playfully, "This feels kinda weird… We pulled off something this huge, yet nothing happened, and we just strolled out of there?"
At that moment—They had already returned to the ship, Queen Mama Chanter.
Unlike Joey and Custard, who were still hiding in the Mirror World, observing the battle outside—Katakuri and Mondée were standing right on the deck.
The two of them—Completely dumbfounded.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What the hell did I just do?
Everything had been way too easy.
Thanks to their big brother's flawless plan—Everything had been handled effortlessly.
"M-Maybe…"
Mondée shook her head silently, deciding not to say anything more.
Just then—Compote, Cracker, Hachée, and Effilée returned to the Queen Mama Chanter as well.
As soon as they got back on board, Compote asked, "Katakuri, how's your body holding up?"
Katakuri smiled. "Don't worry, Compote-nee, I'm fine."
Hearing that, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as he was okay, nothing else mattered.
Cracker leaned in and asked in a low voice, "Mondée-nee, what about that matter?"
Mondée didn't say much.
With just a single nod—Everyone understood exactly what had happened.
Katakuri then asked seriously, "What's the current situation on the battlefield?"
To be honest—None of them dared to let their guard down.
It felt like carrying a huge sum of money while walking down the street—They weren't paying attention to anything else, just feeling extremely on edge.
That was exactly their situation right now.
But now, they could finally relax a little and start asking about the battlefield.
Hachée reported, "As of now, the Rocks Pirates have the upper hand. The Navy, Army, Air Force, and CP agencies have joined forces, but they're still being overwhelmed."
Effilée scoffed, "Well, duh. Aside from the Navy, the rest of them are basically just watching the show. Or rather, the strength they've put into this fight is nothing to speak of. In that case, how could they possibly be a match for the Rocks Pirates?"
Everyone considered the situation carefully.
What would the outcome of this battle be?
After all—The entire plan hinged on the Rocks Pirates losing.
But what if—Even though it was just a possibility—What if the Rocks Pirates actually won?
That would be… a bit awkward.
However—Before they could overthink it, Joey's calm voice rang in their ears through the family crest.
"You brats are only seeing the surface! Look closely—do you really think the situation is as it seems?"
"Huh?"
Hearing Joey's words, everyone froze for a moment and focused on the battlefield.
Then, they suddenly realized—Something didn't seem right!
Indeed—At first glance—The Rocks Pirates had the advantage.
But it wasn't an overwhelming one.
The Army and Air Force were mostly there for training, so they weren't fighting desperately.
The CP agents? They were just throwing in a few punches and calling it a day—not seriously committing to the battle.
Meanwhile, Big Mom, Shiki, Whitebeard, and the others—They were just stalling.
Not defeating their opponents, but also not being defeated.
Joey's voice continued, echoing in their minds:
"Oftentimes, rulers aren't truly acknowledged by those they govern! This world is ruled by warlords, each of them a powerful force. Do you think they're really willing to submit to just one man?"
"Hehehe—"
Joey chuckled. "Think carefully about that."
Everyone fell into a brief silence.
Then—They all nodded in understanding.
Just as their big brother had said—Would they really accept such an outcome?
If Rocks actually took over the world…
The consequences would be completely different.
That was the most crucial point.
No one wanted another king above their heads, right?
Everyone craved power.
Everyone feared submission.
Joey continued, "This war… Rocks is doomed to lose. Even if he has the power to win, his own people won't want him to."
"And besides…" He paused briefly before chuckling. "The ones who'll change the tide of this battle… are here!"
"Hm?"
Swoosh!
Everyone suddenly heard the sound of an approaching pirate ship slicing through the waves.
The Oro Jackson!
A ship infamous across the seas.
Because—It carried some of the most legendary pirates.
The Roger Pirates.
A crew with relatively few members—Yet possessing terrifying strength.
At its helm—Gol D. Roger.
One of the few who never swore allegiance to the Rocks Pirates. Yet renowned across the Grand Line.
"Hahahaha—!"
Roger stood at the bow, laughing excitedly. "Oi! Oi! You guys sure are something! A battle this big, and you didn't even invite me?"
Standing beside him— Silvers Rayleigh and Scopper Gaban!Roger's right- and left-hand men.
Rayleigh grinned. "Roger, you better be careful. Your opponents aren't weak."
Gaban smirked. "We're talking about the infamous Rocks Pirates here. One wrong move, and you're dead!"
"Hehehe—"
Roger chuckled sinisterly. "Of course, I know that."
Boom!
He stomped on the deck and shot into the air.
In midair—His gaze suddenly paused.
The Queen Mama Chanter.
Roger's eyes locked onto the ship.
With his unique ability to hear the Voice of All Things—He sensed an unusual presence.
Even though he hadn't yet seen who it was—Roger was staring at Joey.
And Joey was staring back at Roger.
For just a fleeting moment.
Then—Roger dived into the battlefield.
To outsiders, it only seemed like he had glanced at Katakuri— Once again reinforcing the belief that Katakuri was a terrifyingly talented young pirate.
"Gurararara—"
Whitebeard laughed. "Roger, you really showed up, huh?"
"Jiahahaha—"
Shiki sneered. "Roger, you bastard! Took your sweet time, huh? Here to pick up the spoils?"
"Hah?"
Roger smirked. "Don't lump me in with you guys! I'm not here to scavenge—I'm here to crush Rocks! That man… is in my way!"
He slowly drew his sword.
Roger's gaze locked onto Rocks.
After four days of battle— Even Rocks wasn't unscathed.
He was covered in injuries.
Which was to be expected.
In a battlefield like this, no one could escape unscathed.
"Huh!"
Rocks sneered. "Gol D. Roger… you want to fight me?"
Roger nodded without hesitation. "That's right! Rocks D. Xebec! You stand in my way… and I'm here to take you down!"
The battlefield fell silent.
After all—The Roger Pirates were known for their elite strength.
Their arrival changed everything.
— — —
Meanwhile, in the Mirror World
Joey murmured, "Just as I thought… The Rocks Pirates aren't just a threat to the World Government. They're a threat to all pirates. Even Roger has stepped up to face him."
The tallest nail gets hammered down first.
Everyone understood that principle. Rocks was that nail.
Though he was strong— The problem was, his foundation was already crumbling from within.
With enemies inside and out—His defeat and death were inevitable.
It didn't matter if he was at Silver Rank 5 or pushed himself to Silver Rank 7.
Even at Silver Rank 9, he was doomed.
Unless—Rocks could display power at the Gold Rank.
That would be a true transformation.
If that happened—He could turn the tide of battle.
Otherwise—His fate was already sealed.
Joey whispered, "This battle is over. It's time to witness the fall of a legend."
Clang!
Roger tightened his grip on his sword, eyes locked onto Rocks.
At the same time—Another figure approached.
Despite his terrifying injuries, his presence remained just as overwhelming.
Monkey D. Garp.
A Vice Admiral of the Marines.
A monster among men, his strength in this war was undeniable.
Roger glanced at him. "Garp! I have no intention of teaming up with you against Rocks."
Garp scoffed. "Not interested? Then do you think I'm?!"
"Just don't care about me."
Silence fell over the battlefield.
Hearing Garp's words, everyone smirked.
Honestly—Garp, who was usually so straightforward, actually said something like that?
It was clear—Roger's antics had ticked him off.
It didn't matter whether they were Marines or pirates.
Right now—They all shared one common goal: to bring down Rocks.
That was the only thing that mattered.
"Hehehe..."
Clang!
Together, Roger and Garp stepped toward Rocks.
At that moment—The battlefield fell into a deep silence.
All fighting ceased.
Every eye turned to the three men at the center.
Whitebeard murmured, "Captain Rocks has already lost."
Shiki smirked. "Well, time to start thinking about how I'm gonna build my own crew! I won't make the same mistakes as Captain Rocks."
John, Wang Zhi, and Silver Axe said nothing.
They had nothing to say.
Because, honestly—How many in the Rocks Pirates were truly loyal to Rocks?
None.
Not a single one.
The entire crew—Had been forcefully united under Rocks through sheer power, held together by wealth and dominance.
Strength and riches were his means of control.
And men like Whitebeard, Big Mom, Shiki, John, Wang Zhi, and Silver Axe?
They all had Conqueror's Haki.
They all had ambition.
There was no way they'd willingly bow to another forever.
Impossible.
Did Rocks know that? Of course he did.
That's exactly why—He started the God Valley War.
He intended to use them until their value was drained.
Unfortunately—The outcome was far from what he had planned.
Everything turned out differently.
And now, the battle had reached its climax.
Gol D. Roger.
Monkey D. Garp.
Rocks D. Xebec.
Three men who bore the Will of D, known as the enemies of the gods.
And today—In a place ruled by the so-called gods, the Celestial Dragons—They clashed.
Perhaps—No one ever expected this moment to happen.
But it was happening.
Right here, before everyone's eyes.
.
.
.