— — — — — — —
Roger and Garp joined forces against Rocks.
This battle—It was the most intense, the most unimaginable fight on the entire battlefield.
The Navy and pirates working together?
No one had ever thought such a thing was possible!
"Hmm—"
Joey looked at the battlefield, suddenly finding the situation amusing. "I wonder… did the Seven Warlords of the Sea exist because of this battle?"
Custard asked curiously, "Big Bro! What did you say?"
Joey shook his head. "Nothing, just talking to myself."
"Oh!" Custard nodded obediently, not asking any further, instead focusing on the battle before them.
BOOM!
The fierce battle raged on.
"Hah!" With a powerful shout, Garp clenched his fists and slammed them down like a pile driver, unleashing devastating force.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The battlefield echoed with deafening roars.
In just a short moment, an overwhelming power erupted.
Every punch had the strength to split mountains and shatter stone.
"Hmph!" Rocks sneered, unfazed. "Garp, you brat! You're still too weak. Do you really think you can defeat me with this?"
Facing Garp's iron fists, Rocks countered with even greater power.
Fist met fist in a brutal clash.
BANG!
In the end—Rocks sent Garp flying with sheer force.
BOOM!!!
A thunderous crash resounded.
Everyone watched the battle in awe.
Katakuri muttered, "Is he no match for him?"
Indeed.
At this moment, it seemed like Garp and Roger weren't on the same level as Rocks.
To Katakuri, the outcome was already clear—Rocks was bound to lose.
Even though he understood from his brother's words that the result was inevitable, no matter what happened.
In the end—Rocks had blocked the path of too many people.
With so many forces against him, his survival was impossible.
No one would let him live.
But the real problem was—Garp and Roger weren't strong enough to defeat Rocks!
That was the key issue.
"Ahh!" Garp roared as he climbed out of the crater, his fury exploding.
At the same time—He exchanged a look with Roger.
They nodded in silent agreement.
And then—They attacked together.
At an incredible speed, the duo launched a terrifying assault.
Their teamwork was flawless, as if they had trained for this moment all their lives.
You might wonder why Sengoku and the others weren't joining in.
The truth was, Edward and the other captains still had their pride.
They could hold back, but they wouldn't let the Navy gang up on their captain.
Even if they were to break away in the future, such an act would be utterly disgraceful.
The three-way battle had now reached its peak.
This time—Even for Rocks, defeating these two wouldn't be easy.
"Hah!"
"Black Hole!"
Rocks spread his arms wide, unleashing a bottomless darkness that threatened to swallow everything.
"Hmm?"
John narrowed his eyes. "So this is the infamous Dark-Dark Fruit, known as the most wicked Devil Fruit?"
Wang Zhi stroked his beard and nodded. "Indeed. I never expected Captain Rocks to be a Devil Fruit user—let alone possess the Dark-Dark Fruit."
Why was it called the most wicked Devil Fruit?
The reason was simple.
It allowed the user to hunt down other Devil Fruit wielders.
By killing a Fruit user, the power could be extracted and transferred.
Whether it was to make others into ability users or something else entirely—It was a terrifying ability.
Not to mention—The destructive power of the Dark-Dark Fruit was beyond imagination.
"Jihahahaha—"
Shiki hovered in the air, laughing. "Captain Rocks is even revealing his trump card! Looks like this battle, which has lasted four days, and the earlier fights against Steel Bone, Byakko, and Karasu, have really pushed him to the limit!"
Undeniably—Rocks had a unique way of enhancing his strength.
Even if it seemed cost-free—Was it really without a price?
At the very least—The toll on his stamina must have been enormous.
From beginning to end—He had fought for four straight days.
And before that, he had battled against the former three Admirals.
Even for Rocks, his endurance was reaching its limit.
Battle after battle—Clash after clash—The intensity only grew.
Garp and Roger—Their combined strength was finally starting to match Rocks.
From being completely suppressed to fighting on equal ground.
The tide of battle had shifted.
Everyone was taken aback by the turn of events.
Edward remained silent, watching the battlefield closely.
Silver Axe approached him. "Whitebeard, what's on your mind?"
Edward shook his head. "Nothing… Just thinking how even a monster like Captain Rocks is gradually meeting his end. Is there really anyone who can rule the world forever?"
"Hmph!" Silver Axe snorted arrogantly. "Of course! The future will belong to others."
Clearly—Silver Axe had his own ambitions.
Apart from Edward, who never took things seriously as a pirate, everyone else—including Linlin—had once harbored ambitions of world domination.
However, Linlin's reason was different. She wanted to build Totto Land, and conquering the entire world would essentially make it her ideal land.
That was her original plan—until Joey changed her mind.
Honestly, his mother's idea was way too bizarre.
It was better to change it sooner rather than later.
Edward, however, shook his head and said, "The era of Captain Rocks will inevitably come to an end. And what about the new era? Even if a new age dawns, it will eventually fall as well. Everything has its time—sooner or later, it all fades away. That's the only truth. Sometimes, isn't that just how things work?"
"Hmph!"
Silver Axe scoffed and walked away.
Like hell he'd listen to such talk.
"Ha ha…"
Edward chuckled softly, shaking his head.
There was no point in arguing.
The truth wasn't always what people wanted to hear.
"But still…"
Edward's gaze shifted to the Queen Chanter, where Linlin sat with Katakuri and her children, watching the battle unfold.
Edward pondered, "That crazy woman… No! That brat named Charlotte Joey… What is he really thinking? Is he truly not here?"
Considering that possibility—Edward found himself unable to be certain.
A battlefield like this—Would that kid really not show up?
Besides—Charlotte Amande was missing.
The Charlotte Family was acting strangely.
"Something's not right…" Edward muttered. "Just what are they up to?"
He shook his head.
There was no time to dwell on it.
Right now—The battle was all that mattered.
Rocks. Garp. Roger.
Their fierce clash continued.
Blood and sweat mixed together.
Fists and blades clashed.
This fight—Would end in death.
As time passed—
One day?
Three days?
Five days?
Ten days!
The battle had raged for ten whole days and nights. Everyone could feel it.
Both sides had reached their limits.
It seemed as though the smallest movement could cause either side to collapse.
Yet—They still stood firm on the battlefield.
No one knew what kept them going.
Perhaps—This was the perseverance of the strong.
A terrifying persistence.
An overwhelming power.
They clashed over and over again.
Even with bodies covered in wounds—Neither side would fall.
But—Anyone with eyes could see it.
Rocks was doomed to lose.
"Sigh..." Joey let out a deep sigh. "Rocks D. Xebec… Such a legendary figure, and yet in the end, he lost to his own body. How pathetic."
Yes.
Rocks had lost.
He truly had.
But!
Not because of Garp and Roger teaming up.
He lost to his own body.
Call it fate, or just dumb luck.
Just like how Roger became Pirate King but was doomed by an incurable disease.
Just like how Edward later reached his physical limits and eventually fell.
Rocks was the same.
His body had reached its breaking point.
His body and mind were no longer in sync.
It was clear to see.
Rocks hadn't completely broken down yet, but he was damn close.
At this point—Everyone knew it.
Rocks had lost.
But not simply because of Garp and Roger.
Both men stood there, panting heavily, staring at the still-standing but barely conscious man before them.
They exchanged a glance.
"Galaxy Impact!"
"Kamusari ~ Divine Departure!"
Both attacked at once, their combined power crashing down.
BOOM!!!
A massive shockwave spread outward.
But it wasn't over.
The battle raged on.
Even though Rocks had lost.
Even though he had reached his limit.
But!
This man wouldn't fall so easily.
He was Rocks D. Xebec!
The undisputed ruler of this era!
The man who dared to raise his blade against the Celestial Dragons!
A man like that—How could he possibly lose so easily?
That was impossible!
"AAAAAHHHH!!!"
"Devouring Void!"
With a furious roar, Rocks spread his arms wide.
His entire body transformed into a massive, all-consuming void.
He was ready to devour everything.
And with this final move, the battle began to reach its inevitable conclusion.
Joey shook his head. "It's over."
The system's notification was more accurate than anything else.
Rocks' power had dropped again and again. Now, he was only at Silver Level 2.
And Garp and Roger?
Even though they were battered and bruised—They had surpassed their own limits.
Now, both were at Silver Level 4.
The tides had completely turned.
Meanwhile, Custard had already passed out from exhaustion.
After all, she was just a child.
A ten-day, ten-night battle?
No way she could stay awake through that.
"Mmm...?"
Sensing Joey's movement, Custard sleepily opened her eyes and mumbled, "Big brother... Is the fight over?"
Joey sighed. "Yeah... it's over. The legend has fallen. And next—comes a new era. An era for everyone. An era that belongs to the Charlottes."
"Hah!"
"HAAAH!!!"
With a final battle cry, Roger and Garp struck Rocks with their ultimate attacks.
And at last—With this final blow—
Rocks' movements ceased.
His head lowered.
His heart and chest—
Both pierced by a fist and a blade.
"Heh... heh..."
In his final moments, Rocks chuckled weakly. "What an ironic sight... A pirate and a marine working together... And in the end, I fell at the hands of two D's. How laughable..."
With one last deep look at his two opponents, he slowly closed his eyes.
And thus, a legend fell.
.
.
.