Roger, 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 find out soon enough."

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

Although the two had left God Valley according to Annus's instructions,

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

Pointing at the ship Lilith and Yale were aboard, Annus asked Kuma, "Can you get to that ship by yourself?"

"I can!"

Receiving an affirmative answer, Annus felt somewhat relieved.

"Good. Once you get aboard, use your ability to send away two of my subordinates who bear wings like mine, along with the people traveling with them."

"They are a mother and son, and a pair of twins."

"Do you understand?"

Kuma nodded heavily, affected by Annus's solemnity. "Understood! I'll do it!"

"Then move immediately!"

Sensing Rocks's abnormal Haki surging in from behind once more, Annus hurled Kuma toward the ship. 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, not daring to easily trust this youngster who had appeared out of nowhere.

At that moment, Annus's voice rang 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?"

Upon hearing Annus's voice, Lilith hurried to the rail. After searching for a moment, she indeed spotted Annus's figure by the shore.

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

Yale also walked to the rail and looked toward the coast.

On the shoreline, Rocks stood like a demon, with the build of a Giant. He trampled the burning forest flat, wielding a greatsword coated in Conqueror's Haki as he slashed toward their ship!

A colossal sword wave, accompanied by black lightning, swept toward Lilith's ship like a hurricane!

"Rocks! I'm sorry, but going to meet that person to save us is still too early, isn't it?"

The instant she saw the transformed Rocks, Alice immediately understood what had happened.

This strong woman, who had not shed a tear even when she was captured and enslaved, could not stop herself from crying now.

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

The hurricane-like sword wave came hurtling in, its killing intent like raging waves! If they did not evade it, they would die!

With swift hands and sharp eyes, Kuma sent Alice, Teach, Shanks, Shamrock, Lilith, and Yale away in succession before vanishing from the spot himself.

Boom!

The very instant everyone on the ship vanished, golden heavenly lightning collided with the hurricane-like sword wave just over ten meters in front of the vessel!

Amid light that seemed capable of destroying heaven and earth, the sea caved in and the currents reversed. The ship that had carried Lilith and the others broke apart and sank amid boiling waves and terrifying impacts!

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

Annus's furious roar was like thunder, his fully unleashed Conqueror's Haki sweeping across the entire shoreline like raging wind and monstrous waves!

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

The transformed Rocks was actually so powerful that even Whitebeard had failed to hold him back for even two minutes!

From an undestroyed cliff in God Valley, Imu overlooked the horrifying scene offshore and listened to Annus's furious voice. Satisfaction appeared in those strange, terrifying eyes.

Within Imu's perception, the bloodline of the Davy Clan and the aura of those meddlesome Skypieans had all vanished in an instant.

[Very good... Davy. Next, kill the Skypiean 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, the transformed Rocks simply stood blankly on the shore, making no further move.

[Davy...]

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

If Imu had been closer, Imu would have seen what Annus saw in his 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 drew a deep breath.

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

Imu's abilities remained mysterious even now, and there was not much useful information to be gained.

Since Imu could use Black Transformation Domination on Rocks, Imu might be able to use it on him as well.

Although his mastery of Observation Haki surpassed Rocks's, the gap between Annus and Rocks in other aspects was very small.

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

As things stood, saving Rocks was already extremely difficult.

In his transformed state, Rocks was practically a war god. Ordinary Conqueror's Haki Coating could not even harm him; his defense was 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 still intended to give it a try.

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

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

His shout, bolstered 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 just a pirate..." Garp rubbed his fists, eager to fight.

"Garp, did you hear 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 their whites, but his body still swung its blade without his control.

"Leave it to me!"

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

"Garp, Roger! Cover me!"

"Don't order us around!"

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

"Thunder is the fury of the sky..."

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