Black Transformation Domination

"Saint Saturn... how did you become like that?!"

"Is it some kind of ability?"

The Marines were terrified. One of the most exalted figures they were supposed to protect, a member of the "Five Elders," had suddenly turned into a gigantic "Ushi-oni." From its back stretched a tall, slender shadow as black as ink, like some demon god.

"How unsightly..."

The deep voice seemed to echo from the depths of the earth. The monster spoke in human words, startling everyone.

As the voice fell silent, the monster Rocks had called "the world" raised its enormous spider leg. The black markings on that leg stretched out eerily, splitting into dozens of black spider legs.

The nearby Marines sensed something ominous, but before they could flee, those sinister black spider legs pierced through their bodies.

"Why is it attacking Marines? Aren't they on the same side as that monster?" The pirates were dumbfounded as well, unable to make sense of the situation.

The monster had clearly been transformed from a Celestial Dragon, so why was it attacking the Marines?

But the pirates quickly realized that this monster's attacks were completely indiscriminate!

As though they possessed tracking abilities, the spider legs kept stabbing toward nearby Marines and pirates. People died every second!

The pirates fled clutching treasure, and the Marines retreated in terror, but neither side was fast enough.

In only a few seconds, every nearby Marine and pirate who failed to escape had become a corpse...

The monster displayed terrifying power the moment it appeared, clearing out the surrounding battlefield!

But that also drew Roger and Garp's attention...

"That damned monster! How dare it hurt my comrades!"

"What? Is that one of the Five Elders? The maggots' leader really does look disgusting!"

Yet the monster's target clearly was not those insignificant insects, but Rocks. After clearing away the humans that offended its eyes, it stopped attacking.

A pair of abyss-like eyes stared fixedly at Rocks, who stood firm with his blade in hand.

Rocks grinned. "You've come to kill me, haven't you? Hey! King of the gutter rats!!"

The gutter rats naturally referred to the Celestial Dragons. Rocks had never held those Celestial Dragons in any regard.

In his eyes, the Celestial Dragons hiding atop the Red Line were little different from rats in a sewer, and their king who could not bear the light was merely the largest rat in that sewer.

Having seen him once in the Room of Flowers, Rocks recognized him immediately... that was the very "Your Majesty" spoken of by God's Knights and the Five Elders!

"I never expected it to be you... Davy Jones!!" The monster's terrifying eyes glared viciously at Rocks.

"You've got the wrong person... I've never met that guy." A hysterical smile appeared on Rocks's face. "But the 'promise' must be fulfilled!"

The ancestors of the Davy Clan had passed it down by word of mouth: in the distant past, their forefather, Davy Jones, had made a promise with a certain king. But later, that king betrayed their forefather and seized the world...

"That is why you must be erased! Erased from 'history'!!"

"Mu's world has not yet been completed!!"

The monster's terrifying eyes suddenly erupted with inexplicable fury. Its dreadful voice, as though from deep beneath the earth, rose sharply as pale spider legs stabbed down at Rocks!

But Rocks was not one of those weak insects. Even in his exhausted state, a single slash severed that pale spider leg, and black blood poured down over him.

Annus silently watched the battle between Rocks and Imu from behind.

After observing them, he had reached several conclusions.

First, Imu, possessing Saturn's body, seemed unable to exert his full strength. Though his attacks looked earth-shattering, they were actually soft and powerless, unable to threaten true powerhouses.

Perhaps Saturn himself was too weak, or perhaps there was another reason. In any case, this version of Imu was nothing to fear.

Second, this monster's regenerative ability far surpassed that of God's Knights.

The wounds cut open by Rocks's Conqueror's Haki Coating-infused slashes rapidly healed, as if it had never been injured.

Third...

This area was about to become extremely dangerous!

Just as Annus reached those conclusions, Garp, Roger, Rocks, and Whitebeard unleashed powerful attacks at Imu simultaneously.

"Galaxy Impact!"

"Kamusari!"

"Abyssal Curse!"

"Sky Splitter!"

Several powerful Conqueror's Haki Coating-infused attacks intertwined. The immense shockwave shattered the clouds above God Valley, as though the end of the world had arrived.

Facing such a horrifying onslaught head-on, Imu's monstrous body shattered inch by inch, like a fading afterimage being dispersed.

Annus narrowed his eyes. After taking an attack of that magnitude, he still had not died?

Within the range of his Observation Haki, Imu's presence had not weakened. The only presence that had weakened was Saturn's!

The shattered afterimage twisted and swayed like flame. The next second, an overwhelmingly powerful and ominous Conqueror's Haki, unlike anything Annus had ever felt, erupted and engulfed all of God Valley!!

Black lightning burst forth. In an instant, the sounds Mantra could sense drastically dwindled.

There was no need to think about it. Countless weak Marines, pirates, and natives had been knocked unconscious by that ominous Conqueror's Haki shockwave!

At the center of the battlefield, the snake-like writhing liquid afterimage and Saturn's slowly regenerating Ushi-oni body looked utterly bizarre.

"I see it... ships docked in the nearby waters, winged Skypieans, and the 'harmful lives' that must never be liberated—the women and children of the Davy Clan..."

"You bastard!!"

Rocks flew into a rage and charged forward with his sword raised. Anyone who set their sights on his wife and children had to die!!

Though his sharp blade, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, cut the snake-like liquid afterimage into several pieces, the tentacles extending from that afterimage pierced through Rocks's body as well.

Annus's expression instantly turned grave.

"What is this? An attack that doesn't hurt or itch..." Rocks looked down. The black tentacles piercing through his body seemed like mere light and shadow, as though they possessed no physical form.

"Mu will do nothing. You will personally exterminate your entire clan, kill your wife and children... as well as those meddlesome Skypieans..."

"Are you an idiot!? I would never do something like that!!"

"That is not up to you... Black Transformation Domination!!"

"Aah!!!"

Rocks suddenly groaned in agony, his body curling up as every bone in his body creaked and crackled.

Only then did Whitebeard, Roger, and Garp realize something was wrong with Rocks.

"Hey! What's wrong with you, Rocks?"

"Did that spider monster's attack work after all?"

"Quite tenacious... Mu is surprised..."

Black Transformation Domination did not take effect immediately. Rocks resisted Imu's corruption with astonishing willpower, but once Black Transformation Domination was activated, it could not be reversed.

"Don't underestimate humanity! Davy D. Jones was the name of the former King of the World!"

Though he was already at the end of his strength, Rocks still wore a mocking smile, driving Imu into a furious rage.

"Do not speak such nonsense!! That man never sat upon the throne of the world for even an instant!! The bond between Mu and Davy has nothing to do with you!!"

"Wororororo! Then don't be afraid! Afraid of the mere name 'Davy'!!"

Having successfully broken through Imu's composure, the battered Rocks let out one last triumphant laugh.

"You've always been afraid, haven't you? Afraid that Davy's will would be inherited! That one day, someone would fulfill the 'promise'! Which is more terrifying? Davy D. Jones, or Joy Boy?"

"Stop dreaming!! Those people will never appear again!! As long as you are destroyed!!"

After his outburst, Imu gradually calmed down and regained that lofty tone.

"Davy... Mu has found 'excellent soldiers,' a 'giant' yet 'harmless' race, a race filled with 'confusion'..."

Rocks was shocked. "The Giants? You bastard! Don't touch Harald! They have always hoped for peace!!"

"Indeed, Davy. A once-in-a-century opportunity. Such a readily controlled 'king' will never appear again...

Just like you now, quickly bring it to an end... end Davy's dream!!"

"Aaargh!!!"

As Imu intensified Black Transformation Domination, Rocks's consciousness was gradually stripped away.

"Bang!"

The black tentacles withdrew, and Rocks crashed heavily to the ground. Annus immediately approached him to inspect him at close range.

"Can you still hear me, Rocks? What happened? How were you controlled?"

Black Transformation Domination had clearly been completed. Annus's Observation Haki told him that Rocks was now filled with something "abnormal"—his pounding heartbeat, his uncontrollably trembling body, his mouth full of fangs, and his pupil-less eyes...

Damn it... am I going to disappear?

The last faint trace of Rocks's consciousness could no longer control his body enough to speak.

"Exterminate Davy with your own hands, Rocks! Erase every life connected to God Valley from existence! And those meddlesome 'Sky Island people' as well..."

Imu looked down at the demonized Rocks, greed, madness, and killing intent flowing from his terrifying eyes.

"Hey! Rocks! What's wrong with you?" Whitebeard shouted.

Rocks did not respond to anyone, because he could no longer do so. His trembling body gradually calmed, and he slowly rose from the ground, his figure now unmistakably that of a demon.

Pitch-black bat wings, swollen muscles, veins crawling all over his body like snakes, hyena-like fangs...

"That guy... did he get bigger?!" Roger stepped back.

"Move aside... all of you... possess bloodlines that must be erased from 'history'!!"

The demonized Rocks spoke in a deep voice, and Annus's expression turned solemn.