Kill Me

In Nereus's eyes, Garp and Roger had never been particularly serious people. It was hardly strange for them to have a screw loose and do something outrageous.

Nereus just hadn't expected their condition to have started this early...

"You're still able to speak normally. You really haven't been controlled..."

"Nereus, things here are complicated. If you get controlled too, we really won't be able to handle it."

It wasn't as if they had never fought before. They knew exactly what Nereus was capable of. Rocks alone had already given them a terrible headache; if Nereus was added to the mix...

Worse still, God Valley was now shrouded by rain. In this environment, the combat power Nereus could unleash would be even more terrifying.

Though Nereus could not exactly be considered an ally, at least he could listen to reason while conscious. No matter what, that was far better than having him controlled.

However, the two of them seemingly hadn't heard what Nereus said. Seeing that Nereus's expression and words differed greatly from Rocks's, Garp let out a sigh of relief.

Roger did greet him, but he and Garp seemed to realize something else at the same time and suddenly asked Nereus:

"Wait! Who did you call a cripple?!"

"And what do you mean, senile dementia?! Am I that old?!"

"Sigh..."

Nereus did not answer them. Instead, he covered his face in exasperation.

At that moment, Nereus felt that he had made a grave mistake. Comparing the minds of those two to normal human standards had indeed been inappropriate.

Although Garp and Roger had just been driven back, Rocks had likewise been sent flying. He had already gotten back on his feet and swung his blade at Nereus.

Boom!

After a deafening crash, Nereus blocked Rocks's blade with both claws and clearly sensed the changes in him.

"His strength is greater than before... His reason seems to be gone, but his fighting instincts remain? The amount of Haki hasn't diminished either, but something else seems to have been mixed into it..."

"Be careful! That guy isn't the Rocks you know anymore!"

Roger slashed at Rocks from the side. Though he failed to break through the Haki protecting Rocks, he forced him back once again.

[Nereus... kill me. I'm begging you... With Roger and Garp helping... you can definitely do it...]

As Rocks was forced back, Nereus heard Rocks's voice. More accurately, it was his inner voice.

This ability was commonly known as the Voice of All Things. Some people possessed it.

Those with this ability could hear sounds that ordinary people could not.

The voices of creatures such as Zunesha and the Sea Kings were like this.

Roger and Garp could hear Rocks asking them to kill him because they possessed this ability.

Nereus already had this ability. He would even communicate with the Fighting Fish and Sea Beasts he raised, making him an extremely rare individual even among the Fishman Race.

Unlike Mermaids, who could naturally communicate with fish, most Fishmen could not understand fish at all. Only a small number could do so.

Nereus's ability to listen was even rarer.

"Kill you... Xebec... So that's it. It was because of this... How ironic."

Nereus now had his answer as to why Garp and Roger had joined forces.

"You heard Rocks too, didn't you? Let's join forces for now! Something is seriously wrong with his current state!"

"How did he end up like this?"

Nereus had originally returned to fight the Celestial Dragons who possessed the Holy Knights' immortality and study that immortal ability.

Now, however, it seemed he had discovered something even more troublesome.

If someone as powerful as Rocks could be controlled by this method, then the plans ahead would need to be rearranged. At the very least, they had to find a way to avoid this control before taking further action.

"Earlier, we encountered something pitch-black. Rocks fought it, and then he became like this.

"As for what that thing was, I don't know."

Roger took Nereus's words as agreement to join forces and explained what had happened earlier.

"That giant spider was one of the Five Elders, the World Government's highest authority. I think his name was Saturn. As for that black shadow... I don't know either."

Garp walked over as well and shared what little he knew. But just because they didn't know did not mean Nereus didn't.

Nereus remembered that the Five Elders' greatest losses so far had all been caused by Imu.

The Five Elders, who seemed impossible to kill, had turned into dry bones at a single thought from Imu.

Apart from Imu, there was no one else the black shadow Garp and Roger mentioned could have been.

Even without knowing the details of God Valley, the answer could be inferred from his memories and the events unfolding before them.

Boom!

Before Nereus and the others could finish speaking, Rocks, in his blackened state, moved again. He brought down a powerful slash at the three of them.

It was the command received by Rocks's body. Every living creature on the island was a target for his attacks.

Though all three avoided the strike, the remaining mountain on God Valley was left teetering under the aftershock, as if it could collapse at any moment.

Fist Bone Impact!

Divine Departure!

The shockwave from Garp's fist and Roger's slash arrived together. Though they drove Rocks back once more, both of them could sense that Rocks had suffered no fatal injury.

Instead, the aftershock of their attacks completely destroyed God Valley's last remaining mountain, and the entire island began to crumble apart.

"That still didn't work... Armament Haki is already a power no weaker than Devil Fruit abilities. Our attacks were infused with Conqueror's Haki. They shouldn't be ineffective..."

"That guy is using Conqueror's Haki for defense too. Our attacks are being canceled out. If this drags on, we'll definitely lose. We can't outlast that monster physically..."

Garp panted heavily as he answered Roger's question.

A prolonged battle required both sides to be close in strength, but Rocks had clearly surpassed that threshold.

"The quality of your Haki isn't enough. You can't break through his defense like this. Do it again. Combine your Haki.

"As long as you can wear down part of Rocks's defense, I can break through his guard."

A blood-colored vortex gathered in Nereus's hand. Massive amounts of Conqueror's Haki compressed and condensed in his palm, poised like a drill.

In a one-on-one fight, Nereus would have struggled to decide victory or defeat against Rocks in this situation. But with Garp and Roger able to help, the result was different.

"How ugly... Xebec..."

Rocks was now streaming with tears. Strange growls escaped his mouth from time to time, while only three words remained in Nereus's mind.

[Kill me...]

For Rocks in this state, death was instead a form of release.

"It seems this is the only way. Nereus, you'd better not miss! Kagutsuchi of Fire: Wisdom!"

"Infinite... Fist Bone!"

Fist shadows and blade light flashed, and a faint crack appeared in the invisible armor around Rocks's body.

Unlike the original timeline, because of Nereus's presence, Garp and Roger had not exhausted all their Haki and still retained some strength. But that was enough.

"Blood Kill: Hell Thrust!"

The balance had been broken. Faced with Nereus's assault, Rocks could no longer defend himself. The Haki between Nereus's claws pierced through his chest.

[Tha... nk you...]

That strange sensation vanished from his body, and Rocks began to regain his senses. Yet in those final seconds, he seemed to hear...

"River of Death"