Chapter 6: The Battle Begins!

"Um?"

The perception of Rocks and his crew was so sharp that even the slightest movement immediately caught their attention. Carl and his group, who had just peeked out from the alley, were instantly spotted.

Seeing that it was just a few kids, the Rocks Pirates quickly lost interest.

Linlin chuckled. "Well, well, just a bunch of brats. Were they captured as prey?"

Rocks stroked his chin, his gaze lingering on Carl with interest.

"That kid is interesting. He had fighting spirit just now. Even after seeing my strength, does he still want to fight me?"

But at that moment, Carl wasn't focused on Rocks' attention. He was clutching his chest, cursing under his breath.

"Damn, what's going on? Slow down!"

Ivankov and the others panicked, thinking Carl was having an "episode."

However, Carl didn't feel weak—on the contrary, he felt an intense rush of excitement. He had an uncontrollable urge to fight Rocks.

In fact, his current strength was shocking. With one hand gripping his chest and the other clenching the edge of the wall, he accidentally crushed it into rubble.

This had never happened before. A thought flashed through his mind.

"Could this be my return to glory?"

On the other side, Rocks lost interest and withdrew his gaze. Carl had barely piqued his curiosity. Instead, Rocks turned his attention to the Knights of God, led by Saint Garling and Saint Saturn, who were glaring in his direction.

Cracking his neck a few times, Rocks said casually,

"Newgate, how about using your ability to give those Celestial Dragons a proper welcome?"

A tall man with long blond hair—Newgate—stepped forward. Clenching his right fist, a translucent white aura surrounded it before he threw a powerful punch.

Crack!

The sound of shattering glass echoed as cracks spread from his fist. In an instant, the entire Valley of Gods trembled violently. Buildings collapsed, and the ground itself split apart.

This was the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, and in the hands of Newgate—who was in his prime—its devastation was unparalleled.

Kuma instinctively shielded Carl and the others from falling debris, but the quakes kept shifting the terrain. Eventually, Kuma rolled them all to safety before being buried under a pile of rubble himself.

At the palace, Saint Garling barked orders to the Knights of God, directing them to rescue the Celestial Dragons.

Newgate's attack hadn't been as concentrated as Rocks' initial punch, but the widespread destruction was far worse. Countless weak Celestial Dragons were crushed under the collapsing city.

Saint Saturn's patience wore thin. He had been stalling for time, knowing that the Knights of God alone weren't enough to face the Rocks Pirates. Now, rescuing the Celestial Dragons had become an additional burden.

But finally, after what felt like an eternity, the Marines arrived. Led by Fleet Admiral Kong, they charged onto the battlefield.

Garp landed first, cracking his knuckles. "Where the hell is that bastard Roger!?"

He had been enjoying his vacation, and if Sengoku hadn't mentioned Roger's involvement, he wouldn't have bothered dealing with the Celestial Dragons' mess.

Admiral Sengoku grabbed his arm, speaking in a serious tone. "Forget Roger for now. The Rocks Pirates are all here. This fight is going to be bigger than we expected."

Admiral Zephyr scanned the destruction around him, frowning. "That tremor just now... Newgate's doing. The power behind it is terrifying."

Rocks laughed, amused by their arrival. Mocking them, he sneered,

"Well, well. The Celestial Dragons' lapdogs have finally come to protect their masters!"

Many Marines bristled at the insult, but no one spoke up—because, deep down, they knew there was truth in Rocks' words.

Garp, however, wasn't one for words. His fists turned pitch black with haki as he shot into the air like a meteor, diving straight for Rocks.

"Fist of Bone: Meteor!!!"

Rocks didn't even flinch. Instead, Newgate jumped up, intercepting Garp mid-air with a haki-infused punch.

BOOM!

The collision was deafening. The sheer force shattered the clouds above, letting bright sunlight pour over the battlefield.

Both Newgate and Garp were knocked back, landing on opposite sides of the fight.

Meanwhile, beneath the rubble, Kuma's head popped out. He coughed, then shoved away the debris, revealing Carl, Ivankov, and Ginny—safe under his protection.

Carl's pupils shrank as he looked around.

The battlefield was a chaotic storm of powerhouses. The Rocks Pirates were caught between two enemies—the Marines in front and the Knights of God behind. Yet, Rocks remained utterly confident.

And Carl understood why.

Although Rocks' full strength had never been revealed in the comics, Carl had just witnessed it firsthand.

With a single punch, Rocks had forced Saint Saturn to retreat. Sure, Saturn had been protecting the Celestial Dragons, but even so, Rocks' sheer power was undeniable.

And it wasn't just him.

His crew was insane—Whitebeard (Newgate), Big Mom (Linlin), Kaido, the Golden Lion Shiki… It was a dream team of monsters.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several figures arrived—Saint Charlos and his elite squad of Knights of God. The moment they appeared, all the hidden government agents in the town also emerged, neatly forming ranks behind them.

Rocks barely acknowledged their presence. He lowered his arms and locked eyes with Saint Saturn.

"You World Government bastards sure have guts—stealing from me, Rocks. But today, not only am I taking back what's mine, I'm making sure everyone knows who really rules this world!"

Saint Saturn remained composed. His voice was calm, but his words were filled with arrogance.

"The Celestial Dragons are the rightful rulers of this world. Everything—every person, every treasure—belongs to them. You are nothing more than a filthy pirate."

Even some of the Marines grimaced at his words. Only the Knights of God nodded in agreement.

Rocks' expression twisted in disgust. He waved his hand and roared,

"Enough! Today, I'm wiping the Celestial Dragons off the map!"

The moment his declaration rang out, the battlefield ignited. But before things could escalate, Carl had already grabbed Ivankov, Ginny, and Kuma.

"Run!" he ordered.

Now was not the time to be spectators.