No, You Won't

"There's not much time. Please forgive my rudeness. I'll explain everything afterward."

John carried Alice in his left hand and Teach in his right, then rose into the air and flew toward the valley battlefield.

All Alice could do was glare furiously at John, unable to say a word.

A strange electric current ran through her entire body, paralyzing her muscles, bones, and even nerves. She could not move in the slightest.

Poor Teach could not even cry.

John spared a glance at Teach and could not help smacking his lips.

"Why is this brat so ugly?!"

To be honest, while Rocks was not particularly handsome, he could hardly be called ugly. If anything, he possessed a wild and arrogant air.

Alice, meanwhile, was a classic beauty, with bright eyes and large pupils, carrying the boldness and decisiveness unique to a female pirate.

But how had Teach ended up looking like this...

Hearing John mock her son, Alice wished she could beat him to death with her eyes a hundred times.

That damn bastard!

Rumble—

Black lightning swept across the sky, and a bizarre, ominous aura spread through the air. The pressure made everyone uneasy, even breathing became difficult.

It was as though they had fallen into the deep sea.

A bolt of black lightning struck the valley, and a terrifying figure suddenly descended among the defeated, fallen members of God's Knights.

As the dust settled, the terrifying figure revealed its true form.

It was a horrifying monster slightly taller than Newgate, with grotesque spider-like limbs and enormous horns rising from its head.

One of the world's highest authorities, one of the Five Elders—Jaygarcia Saturn Saint, in his Ushi-Oni form!

"Saturn Saint? What happened? Why is he in that form?!"

"This has to be a dream, right? How could the World Government's 'justice' become something like this?!"

Garp and the Navy soldiers suffered another devastating blow to their beliefs.

Though judging good and evil by appearance was wrong, Saturn Saint's current appearance was impossible for them to associate with "justice."

They did not even know how to lie to themselves anymore!

"This... I really was ignorant after all. What a magnificent day for adventure!"

After a brief moment of shock, Roger broke into an excited grin.

To him, the more dangerous something was, the more captivating it became.

He could not get enough of it!

Rocks's gaze passed over Ushi-Oni Saturn and fixed on the Crown-shaped shadow behind him, barely concealing his restless eagerness.

"You're all curious about what that is, aren't you? Then let me tell you. That is... the 'world'!"

He had not expected that person, who had hidden in Mary Geoise all year round, to leave behind layers of protection and appear here.

This might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

One figure after another appeared around Rocks.

"Are you here to help me? I can't offer you anything in return." Rocks shifted his gaze toward the figure standing to his right, holding a naginata.

"Don't worry about it. I've been mooching drinks off you all this time, after all."

Newgate planted his naginata on the ground and grinned, filled with the loyalty of someone willing to risk his life for a friend.

The Azure Dragon circled overhead, visible excitement gleaming in his golden vertical pupils. He grinned like a child.

"Hey! You guys! Look! I've got a 'power' too now!"

"Let's test my strength on that weird-looking bastard!"

"Not bad, Kaido."

Rocks raised a brow and gave him an approving look.

"As far as I know, this is the happiest you've ever been, huh? Guhahahaha!"

He himself... was happy too.

He had not expected that, when danger came knocking, several people in this group gathered by profit would still stand by his side.

His heart felt warm!

"Kaido!!!"

A thunderous roar rolled in as Charlotte Linlin arrived riding a cloud.

"I'm going to kill you, you bastard!"

She seemed to have come seeking revenge over the stolen Devil Fruit, yet after arriving, she made no further move.

The current Linlin was not yet the future sea emperor who could openly say, "Even the pirate world has honor." Right now, she was still somewhat immature and tsundere.

She only dared to use settling scores with Kaido as an excuse to come help.

"Oi, you bastards!"

Just then, John arrived with Alice and Teach, landing beside the line of people.

"Stop posing and trying to look cool. We've already achieved our goal, so let's get out of here."

"John, I didn't expect you to come too."

"You coward who values treasure more than life itself have really made me see you in a new light today."

"Hmm... you're still a man, at least."

They were all extremely surprised by John's appearance. After all, the man's reputation was notoriously awful. He would do anything for treasure.

Yet instead of grabbing treasure, he had come here to help fight. It was as unbelievable as the Red Line collapsing into the deep sea.

Unlike Newgate, Linlin, and Kaido, who teased John, Rocks turned his gaze toward the woman and child John was carrying.

"John, what are you doing?!"

"Oh, right!"

John smiled faintly and met Rocks's eyes.

"These are hostages. I want to use them to threaten you. Now, immediately, leave this island with me!"

"And if I refuse?" Rocks narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"If you refuse? Then I'll kill them!"

John threatened him verbally, but his body had already tensed, ready to dodge Rocks's furious attack at any moment.

"John, what are you doing? Even if you won't help, don't turn traitor and drag us down at a time like this!"

"I thought you were pretty decent just now. Looks like I was wrong about you!"

"Traitor!"

Newgate, Linlin, and Kaido were stunned, and once they realized what was happening, they all began condemning him.

Yet Rocks instantly discarded his dangerous expression and bared his teeth in a grin.

"No, you won't."

"I will! If you don't listen to me, I really will kill them!" John said with a stern face, utterly serious.

Rocks shook his head lightly, an indescribable bearing in his smile.

"John, I trust you. You won't."

With that, he turned back toward Ushi-Oni Saturn ahead of him and did not even spare John another glance.

???!

John was dumbfounded.

You're David, not Nika! Why are you copying Luffy?!

Damn!

Just as John was weighing whether to slap Teach on the backside to scare Rocks...

"John, Alice and Teach are in your hands."

Leaving those words behind, Rocks raised the Western sword Eclipse and strode toward the Ushi-Oni ahead, whose vicious aura soared into the sky.

John froze, then quickly understood.

Before the Observation Haki of the Voice of All Things, his act had already been exposed!

Helpless, he could only switch to earnest persuasion.

"Rocks, forget it. We can't beat him. Let's go back and prepare some more."

"Can't beat him? How will we know unless we try!"

Rocks would not listen to any advice. Wild, violent Haki poured from him, whipping up sand and stones and making the forest sway.

From how they had defeated those fodder members of God's Knights earlier, the weakness of these monsters was Haki!