Roger and Garp, Come Help Me!

Kuma froze. Exhausted as he was, it took him several seconds to recognize Annus.

"Please, let me save a few more people!"

After recognizing Annus, Kuma pleaded.

"There's no time, Kuma. Listen, this island is about to be destroyed... Can you still use your ability?" Annus asked.

"I can! Lord Annus, who do you want me to save?" Kuma nodded.

"You'll know soon enough."

Lightning flashed swiftly, and Annus quickly found Lilith and Yale.

Although they had already left God Valley according to Annus's orders,

they had not gone far from these waters. Instead, they remained in a sea area visible from the edge of God Valley, waiting for Annus to return.

Annus pointed at the ship where Lilith and Yale were and said to Kuma, "Can you get to that ship by yourself?"

"I can!"

With that affirmative answer, Annus felt somewhat relieved.

"Good. Once you get aboard that ship, use your ability to send away two of my subordinates who bear wings like mine, as well as those traveling with them. They are a mother and son, and a pair of twins."

"Do you understand?"

Kuma nodded heavily, infected by Annus's seriousness. "I understand! I'll do it!"

"Then move at once!"

Feeling Rocks's abnormal Haki surging toward him again from behind, Annus hurled Kuma toward the ship. While still in midair, Kuma hurriedly used the Paw-Paw Fruit's power to repel himself, softening his landing.

"Who are you?"

The moment he landed on the deck, Kuma saw an exceptionally beautiful woman holding a blade to his throat.

"I was sent by Lord Annus! Lord Annus told me to take you away from these waters! There's no time to explain!"

Kuma hurriedly said.

Lilith and Yale exchanged glances, unwilling to trust this young man who had suddenly appeared.

Then Annus's voice rang out in their minds.

Lilith, Yale, this kid is a new subordinate of mine. Let him use his ability to send you away!

"Lord Annus! Where are you?"

Hearing Annus's voice, Lilith quickly leaned over the railing. After searching, she indeed spotted Annus by the shore.

"And that abnormal Haki... Is that... Rocks?"

Yale also walked over to the railing and looked toward the coast.

There, along the shoreline, Rocks stood with the bearing of a demon and a body as massive as one of the Giants. He trampled through the burning forest, wielding a greatsword coated in Conqueror's Haki, and slashed down toward their ship!

An enormous slash, accompanied by black lightning, swept toward Lilith and the others' ship like a hurricane!

"Rocks! I'm sorry, but it's too soon for you to come see us, isn't it?" The instant Alice saw the transformed Rocks, she immediately understood what had happened.

This strong woman, who had not cried even when she was captured and enslaved, could no longer stop her tears from falling.

"There's no time for this! I'll send you away right now!"

The hurricane-like slash came hurtling in, its killing intent like raging waves! If they failed to evade it, they would die!

With swift hands, Kuma sent Alice, Teach, Shanks, Shamrock, Lilith, and Yale away one after another before vanishing himself.

Boom!

The instant everyone aboard the ship disappeared, golden heavenly lightning collided with the hurricane-like slash barely a dozen meters in front of the vessel!

Amid light that seemed capable of destroying the world, the sea caved in and the currents flowed backward. The ship that had carried Lilith and the others broke apart in the boiling waves and terrifying impact, sinking without a sound!

"Rocks!! Are you trying to die?!"

Annus's furious roar was like thunder, and his fully unleashed Conqueror's Haki swept across the entire coast like raging winds and waves!

If Kuma had not sent Lilith and the others away in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable!

The transformed Rocks was actually this powerful. Even Whitebeard had failed to hold him back for even two minutes!

From an undamaged cliff in God Valley, Imu looked down upon the horrifying scene near the shore. Listening to Annus's furious roar, satisfaction appeared in those eerie, terrifying eyes.

Within Imu's senses, the bloodline of the Davy Clan and the auras of those meddlesome Sky Island people had all vanished in an instant.

Excellent... Davy, now kill the Sky Islander standing in your way, then extinguish every "Life Lamp" on the island!

However, the transformed Rocks did not move.

After being furiously berated by Annus, he simply stood blankly by the shore without making another move.

Davy...

Imu was secretly shocked. Rocks's will had not completely sunk away?

If Imu had been closer, Imu would have seen the sight in Annus's eyes...

"What kind of... expression is that?"

Tears and snot streamed down the transformed Rocks's cold, cruel face!

Kill me... I want to die! I want to die!

Annus... if it's you, you should be able to do it!

In a daze, Annus heard Rocks's inner voice.

Annus took a deep breath.

Originally, he had not planned to get involved in this trouble.

Imu's abilities remained mysterious even now, and there was not much useful information available. Since Imu could use Black Transformation Domination on Rocks, Imu might be able to use it on him as well.

Although Annus's Observation Haki was more refined than Rocks's, the gap between them in other aspects was extremely small.

An enemy Rocks could not defeat would be difficult for Annus to defeat as well.

At this point, saving Rocks was already very difficult.

In his transformed state, Rocks was practically a god of war. Ordinary Conqueror's Haki Coating could not even harm him; his defenses were absurdly powerful.

And it was not merely his defense. The strength granted by that transformation was several times greater than Rocks's normal power!

In a one-on-one fight, Annus was not confident he could kill the transformed Rocks.

Even so, Annus intended to give it a try.

Fortunately, the situation was not too bad. He still had help.

"Roger! Garp! Come help me at once!"

The shout, empowered by Conqueror's Haki, echoed across the entire island. Before long, Roger, who had intended to stay behind for his companions, and Garp, who had been preparing to cover the Marines' retreat, arrived at Annus's side.

"Don't order me around, Annus... You're nothing but a pirate..." Garp rubbed his fists, eager to fight.

"Garp, did you hear it? That voice?" Roger gripped his sword as well, his expression grave.

"Yeah, I heard it..."

Annus... Garp... Roger...

If you join forces... you can definitely do it...

Please... kill me!!

Tears instinctively flowed from the transformed Rocks's eyes, which showed only the whites, but his body uncontrollably swung his blade.

"Leave it to me!"

Annus shouted in a low voice. His elemental body rose into the sky, and at the same time, the dark clouds above God Valley seemed to answer his call, swirling together to form a massive black eye. Black lightning manifested from Conqueror's Haki gathered toward its center.

"Garp, Roger! Cover me!"

"Don't order us around!"

Despite their words, Garp and Roger charged out in perfect sync, stopping the transformed Rocks as he tried to attack Annus.

"Thunder is the wrath of the heavens..."

"Are you ready to receive it? Heaven's Judgment!"