Confrontation

(I read the comments; the earlier chapters have been revised.)

At that moment, Kaido and Charlotte Linlin, having sensed the abnormal Haki, also rushed over.

Kaido still wore the same furious expression, but when he saw the demonized Rocks, even he could not help but look surprised.

"What's going on? Rocks..."

Anyone with eyes could tell something was wrong with that terrifying appearance. Some kind of mutation had definitely occurred within Rocks!

"Get lost!"

The next second, demonized Rocks flashed in front of Kaido and grabbed one of his horns.

Before Kaido could react, his vision blurred...

The Conqueror's Haki Coating wrapped around demonized Rocks made Kaido falter for an instant, but an instant was all it took!

"Boom!"

The mountain shook, and shattered stones flew everywhere. Before Kaido could launch any counterattack, demonized Rocks casually flung him into the nearby mountainside, kicking up a huge cloud of dust!

"Hey! You bastard, Rocks! What are you doing to your own crew?!"

Charlotte Linlin had originally wanted to ask about the situation and, while she was at it, tell Kaido that Annus had stolen the Azure Dragon Fruit, provoking a conflict between the two of them. But she had no mind for that now.

After seeing demonized Rocks turn on his own and attack Kaido, she raised her great blade and charged at him.

Unlike John, Ganzi, Shiki, and the others, who had already withdrawn from the center of the battlefield after snatching their treasures, Linlin still cared somewhat about the Rocks Pirates as a group.

Because of her childhood experiences, Linlin had always lacked love. Called a monster since childhood, she longed to find others like herself, and the Rocks Pirates were undoubtedly a nest of monsters.

Therefore, unlike the others, Linlin did not think it would be fine if the Rocks Pirates disbanded.

She still felt a certain sense of belonging toward this notorious pirate crew.

And within the Rocks Pirates, the only one Linlin admired was Rocks. This man possessed fascinating ambition and boldness; he was worth following.

But now...

Anyone else could betray us! But not you, Rocks!

Unfortunately, demonized Rocks could not understand Linlin's anger. Faced with her slash, his attack struck first despite coming later.

"Boom!!"

With only a simple knee strike, Charlotte Linlin—called a "monster" and an "Iron Balloon" since childhood—spat out blood, rolled her eyes back, and flew backward in a somersault before crashing into the mountainside like Kaido.

However, perhaps because Linlin's body was sturdier, the impact this time was even more dramatic.

"Hey, Annus, what exactly happened to this guy?"

Whitebeard watched Rocks rage mindlessly, clearly having lost his sanity, and an impenetrable gloom gathered between his brows.

In his view, only Annus, whose Observation Haki had reached the pinnacle, might know what was happening.

Annus pursed his lips and glanced toward the sea beyond the island, a faint unease stirring in his heart.

But faced with Whitebeard's question, he still gave a brief answer.

"I don't know the details either, but simply put, something has controlled him. He has lost his mind now, and the other party..."

Annus could not finish his sentence, because after dealing with Kaido and Linlin, Rocks launched another attack against him.

Demonized Rocks swung his sword down. Black lightning, manifested from Conqueror's Haki, coiled around the blade, carrying a terrifying force.

"Are you still conscious, Rocks?!"

As he demanded an answer, Annus also counterattacked. Combining Conqueror's Haki with lightning, bolts specially effective against the soul continuously struck demonized Rocks.

But demonized Rocks neither dodged nor defended. He endured the lightning strikes head-on and charged straight in!

A shadow instantly crossed Annus's eyes. Under the electric voltage, his golden scepter distorted into the shape of a spear. Annus gripped it tightly, his muscles swelling as he unleashed his Conqueror's Haki to the fullest!

Eternal Chaos!

The golden spear coated in Conqueror's Haki collided with Rocks's sword through the air. Terrifying Haki shockwaves spread outward, far more violent than the aftermath of Rocks and Annus's previous clash.

Demonized Rocks displayed strength beyond all reason. After a brief stalemate, as he exerted even greater force, Annus's pupils suddenly constricted. Unable to bear the pressure, he could only divert it to the side!

"Rumble!!"

A deafening explosion, far more violent than before, reverberated across the entire island. Demonized Rocks's attack shifted toward the towering cliffs of God Valley. At the base of the cliffs, enormous cracks spread from within, the mountain trembled violently, and the sea churned wildly!

Moments later, the mountain completely split apart and collapsed toward the island's ground. Its shadow covered everything, threatening to crush all in its path!

"Run! The mountain is collapsing!!"

Along the northeastern coast, the fleet of warships hurriedly turned around, while the pirates on the island scattered to both sides...

"Bang!!"

A tremendous crash, as though heaven and earth had been split apart, shook the island. Countless people felt their hearts stop for an instant.

In the static hiss after the disaster, the commanding officers quickly issued orders to the Marines.

"Several warships have been crushed and sunk! All ships, move away from the island immediately! Prevent the cliffs on the other side from collapsing as well!!"

"That was close!! Who should be punished for this? Unforgivable!!"

On the shore, several Celestial Dragons who had not made it aboard in time were terrified, their hearts pounding wildly.

"My lords! Please hold on tight!"

The Marines responsible for escorting the Celestial Dragons swallowed nervously as well.

What kind of monsters had to be fighting to cause such a disturbance?

Was this island going to be destroyed?

"Don't set sail! If you leave us behind, every last one of you will be executed!!" the Celestial Dragons cursed.

"Please hold on tight!"

At the center of the battlefield.

"Annus! Are you all right?"

Whitebeard came to Annus's side, staring solemnly at demonized Rocks.

"I'm fine..." Annus took a deep breath. "Newgate, consider this a favor I owe you. Help me hold that guy back for two minutes!"

"What are you going to do?"

"There's no time to explain. In two minutes, no matter what happens, leave this island immediately."

"And Rocks..."

"I'll save him!"

As soon as he spoke, Annus transformed into a flash of lightning and vanished.

"You've really dumped a mess on me..."

Whitebeard muttered. Across from him, demonized Rocks was already swinging his blade down with overwhelming pressure!

"What the hell happened, Rocks?!"

Whitebeard's expression darkened as he slashed out with his bisento coated in Conqueror's Haki!

Meanwhile, Annus, who had vanished in a flash of lightning, swiftly found Kuma on the southwestern side of the island.

Kuma had just sent away the last nearby "Escape Rabbits" wearing target-pattern prison uniforms. Panting, he sat on the ground, drenched in sweat.

Having only just obtained his Devil Fruit power, using it at such an excessive rate placed a severe burden on his body, which had not had a full meal in a long time.

Yet Kuma still forced himself to stand and headed toward the coast. He still wanted to save people, even if he could only save one more.

At that moment, Annus appeared in a flash of lightning, seized Kuma by the shoulder, and rapidly flew toward the shore.

"Lord... Annus?"