All-Out Melee, Devil Fruits Secured!

"Report! The Rocks Pirates have broken through the blockade on the East Coast and forcibly landed on the shore..."

"Someone get over here! We can't hold them back..."

The Den Den Mushi in the marine's hand beside Saint Saturn transmitted a cacophony of noise. Before the report could even finish, Vikengam saw a slash tear through the jungle in the direction of the East Coast.

Then, a faint yet exceptionally bold voice rang out.

"Rocks Pirates, charge with me!!!"

The instant he heard that voice, Saint Saturn's expression sharpened. "Rocks!"

But before matters here could settle, intense explosions erupted from the West Coast as well. Right afterward, the Roger Pirates arrived on the battlefield!

However, Roger clearly was not as important as the Rocks Pirates in the World Government's eyes. Saint Saturn kept his attention fixed on the East Coast.

A large number of Celestial Dragons began fleeing in this direction. On a nearby street, Vikengam saw Garling appear with a group of God's Knights members, apparently making arrangements.

"Maffie, a marine just reported that someone took my two sons. Go help me find them."

"Somaz, guard the warehouse where the treasures are stored. Keep a close eye on my future wife for me."

"The rest of you, come with me to face the Rocks Pirates!"

Very soon, the God's Knights split into three groups. That old woman Maffie went to help Garling find his sons. And if nothing unexpected had happened, it was Monkey D. Garp's son, Dragon, who had taken Shanks and Shamrock.

Somaz, meanwhile, came this way toward Vikengam and Saint Saturn, grumbling curses under his breath.

"That Garling, at a time like this, he's still going on about women, women. Not romantic at all... If you ask me, we should just kill her. Those pirates came to rescue that woman anyway. After they've struggled all this way, only to find that the woman they wanted to save has become a mangled corpse... wouldn't that be heartbreaking? That's art!" Somaz muttered.

And sure enough, in the original story, he had truly intended to do exactly that.

As the young master of the Shepherd Family, he really did not fear Garling. It was just a woman. If he killed her, he killed her. He could easily make it look like the pirates had done it, and Garling would not turn against him over something like that.

Still muttering, Somaz arrived and respectfully greeted, "Saint Saturn."

But Saint Saturn's attention was entirely on the East Coast, and he did not respond at all. Somaz did not mind and instead looked at Vikengam. "Vikengam, you really didn't participate in the competition."

"Because there was no point, wasn't there? I don't like doing meaningless things either." Vikengam smiled.

Just then, an invigorating voice came through the marine communications Den Den Mushi.

"Vice Admiral Garp! Vice Admiral Garp is here!"

"Reinforcements have arrived!!!"

"Wooooah! We're saved!!!"

There was no doubt that Monkey D. Garp held enormous prestige within the marines. The moment he appeared, the morale of the entire force visibly surged!

"Roger!!! Where the hell are you hiding, you bastard!?"

Garp's booming voice instantly echoed across the entire island.

Unfortunately, he had landed from the East Coast, while the Roger Pirates were on the West Coast. So although Garp desperately wanted to find Roger and take him down, he encountered the Rocks Pirates first.

Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido were rushing together toward the central area. Along the way, they had casually cut down Maffie, who had nearly killed Dragon, only for Garp to catch up behind them.

Garp was ruthless. Without a word, he coated his fist in Haki and blasted a Galaxy Impact straight at the three of them.

Whitebeard and Charlotte Linlin were decisive as well. They had no intention of fighting Garp and immediately chose to run.

Kaido, that thickheaded fool, was the only one who kept chasing after Whitebeard and Charlotte Linlin while grumbling, "Why are we running? Aren't we going to fight him?"

"Give it a rest. You little brat have no idea how terrifying that bastard Garp is!" Charlotte Linlin snapped.

Whitebeard wore an equally disgusted expression as he pumped his arms and ran. "I'm outta here..."

"Dammit, Whitebeard! Didn't you say there were no scars of retreat on your back!?" Kaido cursed.

Were these two senior pirates really that lacking in nerve? He was just a marine! Could the three of them working together really not beat him?

Just then, lightning and fire intertwined in Charlotte Linlin's hand as she gathered a wave of energy and fired it backward at the pursuing Garp. "Heavenly Fire Thunder!!!"

The violent energy instantly swallowed Garp, triggering a massive explosion that sent many pursuing marines flying hundreds of meters away.

"Nicely done!" Kaido said excitedly. "Let's counterattack while we—"

But before he could finish, he turned back and saw a hulking figure, like a demon god, standing completely unscathed amid the scorching explosion. Garp even said arrogantly, "That little fire isn't even enough to grill beef ribs, Linlin!"

Well, well, well. Shiryu had received an epic buff!

"Fuck, I knew it!" Without another word, Charlotte Linlin chased after Whitebeard, who had already run two miles away.

Kaido was dumbfounded too. Was that even human? As a little brother who was frequently "educated" by Charlotte Linlin, he knew exactly how strong she was. Garp had taken one of her full-force attacks head-on and was completely fine. Was that reasonable?

He swallowed the words about counterattacking. The advice of those two veteran pirates had to be heard. He still had much to learn!

As a pirate, wasn't it only natural for him to run when he saw marines? There was nothing shameful about it!

"Wait for me, Boss Linlin, Brother Whitebeard!!!" Kaido started running too, pumping his arms.

At the same time, perhaps because he sensed that Garp was fiercely attacking the Rocks Pirates and that this might be an opportunity, Saint Saturn, who had remained inactive until now, felt Imu's consciousness calling to him. He no longer had time to care about Vikengam. With a tap of his foot, he vanished from where he stood and appeared atop a mountain, looking down over the battlefield at God Valley.

Once Saint Saturn left, Somaz let out a sigh of relief and rubbed his nose. "Your old man's presence is really terrifying. I didn't even dare speak loudly while he was here..."

Just then, Whitebeard's towering figure was the first to appear before them. He spotted the stage in the central area at once and was about to rush over when another figure burst out from the street opposite him. It was Roger!

"Whitebeard!!!" The instant Roger saw Whitebeard, he swung his blade without another word.

Whitebeard did not hold back either. He swung Murakumogiri and struck Roger's blade directly, and the two immediately began fighting.

The powerful shockwaves and Haki aftershocks from their clash instantly swept across the entire plaza, sending many marines and Celestial Dragons flying.

"Master!" Bartholomew Kuma stepped forward and stood before Vikengam. He slammed a large shield, which he had somehow picked up, into the ground to resist the raging gale.

In the blink of an eye, Vikengam noticed that Somaz had disappeared...

With both Saint Saturn and Somaz no longer in the way, Vikengam immediately called out, "Kuma, come with me!"

Elsewhere, taking advantage of the chaos, Ivankov and Ginny, who had long been lurking nearby, slipped into the treasure vault. They had just pried open the chest containing the Devil Fruits and were about to reach inside when Vikengam kicked open the doors.

"Stop!" Vikengam shouted.

As his shout rang out, the chained axe wrapped around his left arm instantly loosened and lashed outward. Like a long snake, it swept over and wrapped around the chest before Ivankov, yanking it back in one pull.

Almost at the same moment, a slash broke through the wall from the adjacent room, carrying Somaz's upper body with it as it violently crashed inside. Rubble flew everywhere, knocking Ivankov to the ground, while the terribly unlucky Vikengam was sent flying when Somaz's half-body slammed directly into him.

"Master!" Bartholomew Kuma caught the Devil Fruit that Vikengam had dropped as he was flung away and cried out worriedly.

Before the smoke had even cleared, Vikengam shouted, "Eat it, Kuma! Eat it!"

Everything had happened too quickly. Vikengam had not even seen which Devil Fruit he had just snatched. But the one Ivankov had been holding should have been the Azure Dragon, right?

But the situation was too chaotic. Whether it was the Azure Dragon or the Paw-Paw Fruit, Bartholomew Kuma had to eat one first!

Bartholomew Kuma had long grown accustomed to obeying Vikengam's orders. On instinct, he bit into the Devil Fruit in his hand. Before he could even swallow the flesh in his mouth, another towering figure smashed through the wall. It was Charlotte Linlin.

She grabbed Ginny by the throat, snatched away the Devil Fruit Ginny had been holding against her chest, and casually tossed the child aside. After all, Charlotte Linlin never killed children.

"Mamamama! This Devil Fruit is mine now!"

But before she could celebrate for even two seconds, there was a bang. A thick spiked club swung in from behind and smashed brutally into the back of her head, driving her face-first into the ground and sending the Devil Fruit in her hand flying.

Then Kaido, without even having time to retract his spiked club, leaped up and swallowed the Devil Fruit in one bite.

At that very instant, Vikengam activated his one-tomoe Sharingan. Through a gap in the lingering smoke, he clearly saw that the Devil Fruit Kaido had swallowed was the Azure Dragon!