Pirates' Public Enemy

"Not good, quick! Get on the ship!"

Faced with the overwhelming crusade against them, John was badly startled. He hurriedly grabbed Alice and Teach, then leaped aboard the Golden Ship.

The instant his feet landed on the golden deck, surging currents spread from beneath them, controlling the entire ship as it shot a great distance toward the deep-sea region.

"You bastard! Get back here!"

"Out of my way! Don't block me!"

Gan Sui shoved aside the pirates in front of him, then picked his nose, gathered strength with a flick of his finger, and launched the booger away.

"Sky Serpent's Red Cannon!"

"Ugh, disgusting!"

Seeing the thumb-sized booger hurtling toward him, John's entire face twisted in revulsion. He raised a hand and controlled a Skillful Grade Blade to float forward and meet it.

Boom!!!

The instant the booger bomb struck the Skillful Grade Blade, roaring flames and shockwaves erupted, sending enormous waves of air surging skyward.

The Skillful Grade Blade was blown into fragments on the spot.

The flames and shockwaves did not lose momentum, continuing to expand outward in a massive circle. Wherever they passed, seawater evaporated, while the island's sand and soil melted into slurry.

Compared to the attack power displayed by Mr. 5, the future Bomb-Bomb Fruit user, this was like heaven and earth. Even Linlin, the "Steel Balloon," would probably lose consciousness for several seconds if she were hit.

Yet an electromagnetic shield rose around the Golden Ship and blocked every last bit of the shockwave, even pushing the ship farther away from the island with the blast.

"Gan Sui, you idiot! Don't attack recklessly!"

"What are you all standing around for? Jump into the sea and swim after them! Do you expect me, a Devil Fruit user, to do it?!"

For a time, countless pirates plunged into the sea like dumplings dropped into a pot. Freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly, dog paddle—every swimming style imaginable was on display.

The Devil Fruit users could only stand on the shore and glare helplessly, screaming in fury as they bitterly regretted eating that fruit that tasted even worse than shit.

That was a gleaming Golden Ship! It was right there before their eyes, far more tangible and enticing than the legendary, illusory "Golden City" or "Emerald City"!

"John, I beg you, come back! The Blazing Sun Great Grade Blade aboard that ship was a token of love from my wife!"

"My Spring Radiance Great Grade Blade was passed down to me by my father! It was a promise between men. Please, give it back!"

As the Golden Ship slipped farther and farther beyond their reach, the pirates struggling in the sea began to despair and had no choice but to plead nicely.

Standing at the stern and watching this unprecedented "swimming competition," John raised a camera that had come along with the treasure and pressed the shutter at them.

"Come on, everyone, smile! Say cheese!"

After all, any pirate who had survived this long had a minimum bounty of fifty million Beli. In the inflation-ridden Worst Era, that would be worth at least three hundred million.

Yet now, they were all floundering desperately through the sea. Such a sight was probably rare even once in a thousand years.

"You look like seals chasing after their dad for food. Here, seal, seal, seal."

After taking the photo, John offered a remarkably vivid comparison.

The pirates had never suffered such humiliation. Their eyes turned red with rage, and they nearly ground their teeth to pieces.

"Just wait, John! Forget the World Government's bounty—we'll put a bounty on you in the underworld too!"

"From this day forward, prepare to be hunted by both the Navy and pirates!"

"Both light and darkness will cast you out!"

Rumble—

Suddenly, an earth-shaking roar erupted from the island behind them.

The swimming pirates could not help turning back, only to see Shiki, Linlin, Newgate, Roger, and the others sprinting toward the shore. Behind them loomed a gigantic, terrifying black shadow.

"That bastard John! How am I supposed to fight Rocks without Murakumogiri?!"

"And my Hassaikai!"

"Give Napoleon back!"

"What the hell happened? Why is Rocks attacking us?"

Shiki looked at Newgate riding on the back of the Azure Dragon and suddenly felt as if the world had become utterly unfamiliar.

He had been too busy competing with the pirates for treasure to go help Rocks, so he had no idea what had happened.

When he saw Rocks's body grow enormous, he had gone up to ask, only to be kicked over. It took him quite a while to climb back to his feet.

"Don't ask so much, run first... No! Chase John first!"

Linlin rode Zeus, Newgate rode Kaido, and Shiki flew using the Float-Float Fruit. All three rushed across the beach and toward the sea.

The Devil Fruit user pirates left on the shore were in trouble. Gan Sui was directly cut in half at the waist by Rocks, who had come chasing after them.

His intestines and organs spilled all over the ground...

No one could withstand a single move from Rocks. With every sweep of his sword, another living life vanished.

Within a valley on the island, the Crown's black shadow stood atop a mountain and watched the scene from afar, believing Rocks had wiped out the Davy bloodline.

The descending consciousness returned to the "Holy Land" Mary Geoise in satisfaction.

Because of John's interference, Rocks never asked Roger or Garp to stop him.

Roger led his companions away by ship from the island's eastern side, while Garp remained behind to gather the soldiers and rescue the wounded.

After this battle, Rocks D. Zebek's whereabouts became unknown.

The Rocks Pirates, having lost their captain, disbanded!

Shamrock, the older brother of the "red-haired twins," was handed over to Garp by Dragon. However, after the Celestial Dragons issued a search order, he was reported by Navy soldiers and forcibly taken away by Garling.

In return, Garling bestowed upon Garp the title of "Hero" and publicly claimed that Garp had defeated Rocks.

The younger brother, Shanks, was separated from Dragon in the electromagnetic storm and was discovered and taken in by the Roger Pirates as they evacuated the island.

Thus—

The God Valley Incident, which the World Government had gone to great lengths to conceal, came to an end.

On the sea

Having lost its electromagnetic propulsion, the Golden Ship floated on the surface. The pursuing pirates had long since been left so far behind that they were nowhere to be seen.

Except...

"MAMAMA~ John, you're becoming more and more lovable!"

"Tell us, how are we splitting all this gold?"

"If we hadn't caught up to you, were you planning to keep it all for yourself, you bastard?"

The flying Linlin, Kaido, and Shiki, along with Newgate, who had hitched a ride, ultimately made it onto the deck.

John sat on the ship's rail with his arms crossed, looking at the four of them with helplessness in his eyes.

There was nothing he could do. Carrying such a huge Golden Ship, he truly could not move very fast.

Getting caught by people who could fly was inevitable.

Still, John was willing to share the loot with these guys.

Newgate, Linlin, and Kaido were righteous people. When danger came, they had been willing to step forward and help Rocks.

They were worth befriending!

As for Shiki, that blond bastard was a bit sly, but he treated those he acknowledged very well.

Besides, in the original course of fate, when Gan Sui ambushed John, Shiki had even stepped forward to speak up for him.

It was just a pity that Shiki had also suffered a backstabbing ambush from Gan Sui.

They were fellow sufferers, after all.