Captain Rocks' treasure!
It would only—and could only—end up in the hands of those who once belonged to the Rocks Pirates. It didn't matter who it was; the treasure absolutely could not fall into outsiders' hands. Otherwise, Arthur and the others would be completely disgraced. If that happened, it would be the most humiliating outco of all.
"Heh heh heh…"
"In that case…"
Redfield swept his gaze across the scene, then fixed his eyes on Shiki.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Redfield vanished. When he reappeared, he was already at Shiki's side. His cane-umbrella swept sideways, coated in Armant Haki, and ca crashing straight down toward Shiki's head.
"Shihahahaha!"
Clang!
Without even turning around, Shiki blocked it. He raised Oto and stopped that terrifying blow head-on.
BOOM!
Their power erupted, and a monstrous shockwave blasted outward, flipping the ground like a tide. Just like Whitebeard and Roger's clash, their collision sent the clouds overhead flying apart—the sky itself tore open, leaving a visible trace, like a rift.
This was another clash of high-level Conqueror's Haki—and their strength was clearly close.
In truth, Redfield was probably a little stronger than Shiki… but that "little" wasn't enough to decide victory quickly. This was what it ant to stand at Admiral level: at this realm, a winner rarely erged in the short term. To settle it, you needed prolonged, brutal combat.
Arthur's fight with Ochoku had lasted three days and three nights. To be honest, if they'd continued, ten days—or even longer—wouldn't have been impossible.
Because their gap wasn't big. That tiny difference couldn't beco the final straw that decided everything.
At this level, what decided victory in the end was foundation—who had the deeper reserves, who could endure longer, who could keep pushing when the other began to crack. Put bluntly: if you wanted a clear winner…
…it took ti.
Unless you were a monster like Captain Rocks, most battles between top-tier powerhouses were grinding collisions that dragged on and on.
BOOM! BOOM!
The thunder of their blows detonated endlessly. As Redfield and Shiki fully engaged, their fight beca terrifyingly violent.
Sparks snapped. Steel scread.
"A great swordsman," Redfield said with amused disdain. "What a sha. I've killed more than one 'great swordsman' already, Shiki. I look forward to you becoming the next."
"Shihahahaha!"
Shiki threw his head back and laughed. "Redfield! Who the hell are you looking down on? You really think you've got that kind of power? Don't underestimate !"
A savage gleam flashed in Shiki's eyes. He wasn't afraid in the slightest.
Their duel was brutal—purely strike for strike, counter for counter. Only those strong enough could truly understand how dangerous it was. One misstep, and the price you paid could be fatal.
Clang—clang—clang!
Their battle only grew more vicious. Their auras beca heavier, sharper, pressing down on each other like blades. Then, in an instant, a terrifying slash tore into the distance as if it ant to shred everything in its path.
It all happened too fast—everything erupted within monts, as though the world itself was about to split apart.
Clang!
Arthur remained calm, casually cutting down pirates who tried to strike him. Whether it was Zeff's Cook Pirates, Chinjao's Happo Navy, World's crew, or the Roger Pirates' elites… they all had plenty of officers. Gareth and Galahad had long since entered the battlefield, and the entire island had beco a boiling cauldron of violence.
This wasn't just a battle anymore.
It was a complete, all-out lee.
No one knew what the final outco would be—but everyone kept their eyes on their opponents. As long as you crushed the other side, that was enough.
Britannia.
The Golden Lion Pirates.
The Whitebeard Pirates.
The Big Mom Pirates.
The Silver Axe Pirates.
Ochoku's crew.
Captain John's crew.
Seven great forces fighting together—displaying power so terrifying it shook the island. Compared to the disbanded Rocks Pirates, they might have been weaker… but they were also bursting with montum, because these forces were only just getting started.
That was exactly why the Five Elders had tried to bury everything about Rocks—to erase it until nothing remained. The reason was that simple.
When these thriving forces intertwined again, the combined power beca even more horrifying. A group of monsters tempered by war—once they collided and converged—could erupt with strength that would make the entire world shudder.
That was what had to be stopped. No matter what.
"Hm?"
Arthur shifted slightly, avoiding a slash that swept past in an instant. Smiling, he said, "Rayleigh—this is our second ti eting, right?"
"Hehehe…"
This Rayleigh, with his slicked-back hair and the aura of a true powerhouse, was nothing like the future coating man who'd sell himself into slavery for booze. This was the genuine top-tier monster of the seas—the man known as the Dark King.
Step. Step.
Rayleigh approached with a smile, confidence radiating from him. "Arthur. Sorry about this. Our captain's too stubborn—he insisted on getting involved. And besides… I'm very interested in Rocks' treasure too."
Arthur's smile deepened, utterly unbothered. "Isn't that normal? If a pirate wasn't interested in Captain Rocks' treasure, that would be the strange thing."
"Hahaha!" Rayleigh laughed. "You're not wrong. Then I'll have to apologize in advance—because today, I can only defeat you here."
At the sa ti, Gaban and Kaido's battle ignited.
Kaido roared furiously, "One after another, one after another—are you bastards looking down on ?! Huh?! You bastards!"
"ROOOAR!"
He threw his head back and howled, shifting straight into his hybrid form. A brutal aura spread outward. With his kanabo on his shoulder, Kaido charged directly at Gaban.
But Gaban wasn't weak.
The three strongest of the Roger Pirates were truly terrifying—Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban, known as gold, silver, and copper.
They possessed Admiral-level and near-Admiral-level strength. Give Gaban ti to grow, and he would absolutely reach Admiral level as well—three "Admirals" in a single crew, if you didn't count the rest of their elites.
That was the Roger Pirates' true threat.
Shiki's crew relied on sheer officer numbers to contend. Whitebeard's crew also leaned on elite strength—especially with Kozuki Oden involved. Without Oden, it was hard to say how things would really turn out.
Clang! Crackle!
Arthur and Rayleigh crossed in a blur. Their exchanges were blisteringly fast—strike, block, counter, evade—faster and faster.
"Hah." Arthur's lips curled. "Rayleigh… no wonder you were one of the ones said to have 'defeated' Captain Rocks. You're strong."
"Defeated?" Rayleigh shook his head.
"Don't be ridiculous. I don't know whether others understand the truth… but I know you do."
Arthur asked with amused curiosity, "Oh? And why's that?"
Rayleigh thought for a mont. "No reason. Just a feeling."
Whoosh!
They collided again.
Rayleigh's feeling was correct. So people believed Captain Rocks had truly been beaten… but those who knew better understood: could Rocks' strength really be brought down by a re "ganging up"?
Don't make laugh.
That was impossible. Unless sothing had gone wrong with Rocks himself, he would never have fallen that way. But once Rocks lost, most people didn't care about the real details anymore.
For them, the result wasn't what mattered.
Only this: Rocks was dead. And only then did they feel truly free of the Rocks Pirates—because Rocks had been too strong. So strong it inspired genuine fear without end.
Under those circumstances, did anyone really go all-out at God Valley?
Don't be ridiculous.
No one did. There was no need to doubt it.
And Rayleigh—soone who had truly lived through that war and witnessed Rocks firsthand—understood better than anyone what kind of monster Rocks D. Xebec had been. A terrifying existence taken to the extre.
That was a fact.
No argunt. No doubt.
Arthur didn't press the topic. So things didn't need to be said aloud.
Step. Step.
Their exchanges only sped up—while all across the island, battles erupted everywhere.
"Keep fighting!"
"Hahaha—keep going!"
World grinned wildly, madness and ferocity twisting his face. His goal was to surpass Rocks and beco the "World Destroyer"—how could he accept losing even to Captain John, a forr Rocks commander?
And John? John didn't care at all. Co on, then. Fight. Who's afraid?
John couldn't have been less bothered.
"Moa Moa: Fifty Tis Speed!"
"Glug—!"
John took huge gulps of alcohol, yet his reactions were unbelievably fast, like afterimages. His blade snapped up and blocked World's attack cleanly—unfazed even with speed multiplied fifty tis.
"A Paracia… the Moa Moa no Mi," John said with a grin. "That really is powerful. A top-tier Devil Fruit, no question."
Then he added calmly, "But attacks like that still can't escape my Observation Haki."
With that, John knocked World back with a single strike and surged forward at terrifying speed, launching an even more ruthless assault—clearly aiming to cut him down. The follow-up was decisive, ferocious, and unbelievably fast.
At the sa ti, Roger and Whitebeard's fight remained just as violent—shockwaves spreading outward like an ocean swell, threatening to swallow everything.
"Get back!"
"Move!"
"Everyone, get away from this area! This place has turned into the most dangerous battlefield on the entire island!"
"Hurry!"
"AAAAH!"
Amid furious shouts, Gareth and Galahad retreated quickly. The battle was spreading outward in waves—these monsters' clashes carried power that would sweep everything away. That much was beyond doubt.
Collision after collision.
Interlocking battles, overlapping devastation.
That was the truly terrifying part.
Everyone pulled back at high speed. Gareth whispered, "The King will win."
Galahad nodded—then glanced slightly toward the ship behind them.
Soone was hidden there.
A knight ranked among the very strongest even within the Round Table—an existence whose strength would only keep rising as ti passed. Among the knights, he stood near the top: terrifying, overwhelming… a monster in his own right.
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