Collapse of the Lawless Group

Although Garling's choice of timing had been impeccable, he had still underestimated Annus.

Even isolated and severely drained of strength, Annus remained a mountain the weak could never surmount.

After only a few exchanges, two of the three God's Knights had collapsed, convulsing after being unable to withstand the blows of Soul Special Attack Thunder.

Only Garling remained, stubbornly resisting.

"I never thought you had grown to this extent... Annus... In a few more years, perhaps you will surpass even me?"

Having recovered a little of his vigor, Rocks sighed with emotion. Of everyone in the pirate crew, he had witnessed Annus's growth most clearly.

From a brat who could not even use Haki to someone who had honed all three types of Haki to their limits, only seven years had passed in total.

Even from Rocks's perspective, such talent was terrifying.

Considering Annus's age, he still had plenty of room to advance further in the future.

And Annus already stood near the pinnacle of the world, completely on the same level as him.

Other than the king of those gutter rats in the World Government, or legendary figures such as Joy Boy, Davy Jones, and Elbaf's "God of War" returning from the dead, who else could stop this young man's advance?

"Still not planning to give up?"

Annus had grown tired of Garling's struggle. The island's foundations were already showing signs of sinking; he could not drag this out any longer.

"Davy's bloodline must be exterminated! Those who shelter Davy's Blood—even if you escape this island, we will hunt you to the ends of the earth!"

Garling's face darkened as he uttered that vicious threat.

But aside from making threats, there was nothing else he could do.

"Finished? Were those your last words? If you are done, then you can rest."

Garling's threat gave Annus no cause for concern. Raising the war spear formed from the Golden Scepter, he cleanly severed Garling's head.

Under the devastation of Conqueror's Haki, Garling's headless body fell to the ground, electricity writhing from the severed neck.

After observing for several seconds and confirming that Garling and the other two God's Knights, Maffy and Somaz, had temporarily lost the ability to move, Annus finally left without concern.

At the shore, Rocks' Fury had already been surrounded from all sides. Few ships that had yet to set sail remained, and most of them were Marine warships.

However, for the sake of keeping his departure concealed, Annus ultimately chose to seize a pirate ship.

A warship might have been more comfortable, but it would have brought more trouble.

He was not in good condition, had no subordinates by his side, and was also burdened with Rocks. He would avoid trouble wherever possible.

"Calamity! And Rocks! Great, they are both injured! This is our chance!"

Seizing the pirate ship was not complicated. That group of pirates believed their numerical advantage was enough to let them reap a massive reward by taking the heads of Annus and Rocks, making names for themselves in the process.

So they charged in without a second thought.

Rocks no longer possessed the strength to fight, but Annus was another matter. Killing these pitiful weaklings took no more than a thought.

"Before I act, I need to ask: who is in charge of sailing this ship?"

To sail on the sea, one needed a navigator and a boatswain.

The former had an extremely high technical threshold, responsible for judging wind direction and currents, then charting the route.

The latter was responsible for managing the pirates, acting as the navigator's hands and feet to operate the entire ship.

Without these two positions, a pirate crew could not be established, because the ship itself could not even function.

Operating a ship at sea was a technical skill, and Annus was not particularly good at it. He usually left that work to his subordinates.

With no subordinates at his side now, he could only borrow the pirates aboard this ship.

"Where are we going next? Back to Hachinosu?"

After Annus dealt with the pirates who had tried to kill them and subdued the ship's navigator and sailors through absolute force, Rocks took the initiative to start a conversation.

"I will not be returning to Hachinosu. I intend to make a trip to Water 7, reunite with my subordinates there, and then return to the sky."

After placing the unconscious Dragon in a cabin and ordering a sailor to take good care of him, Annus answered Rocks.

He had no intention of looking for Lilith, Yale, and the others.

For one thing, he did not know which island Kuma had sent Lilith and the others to when he used his ability at the end.

For another, he trusted that Lilith, with her intelligence, would definitely think to head to Water 7 on her own and reunite with the main force.

Just as his subordinates trusted Annus deeply, Annus also trusted his subordinates deeply.

"You are going back to Sky Island?" Rocks froze upon hearing that.

"Of course. I have had enough of the Blue Sea..."

Annus walked to the stern again and casually sent down several bolts of lightning, destroying the Marine warships attempting to pursue them.

"Why are you asking so many questions? Shut up and rest. Until you recover your full strength, you will follow my arrangements. As for what you plan to do after you recover, I will not interfere. Just do not drag me down with you."

"Walhahaha, how cold, Annus. I am your captain, after all!"

Rocks laughed. Exhausted in both body and mind, he leaned against the deck and looked up at the sky.

"Stop dreaming, Rocks. That lawless group, the Rocks Pirates, will never be reassembled."

"..." Rocks fell silent.

Indeed, just as Annus had said, the Rocks Pirates had already disbanded. From the moment he, their captain, had personally killed his crewmates, he had lost the influence he once possessed.

"I understand... But can I ask you to take care of my wife and child? Only by entrusting Alice and Teach to you can I rest easy."

"I was planning to do that anyway. Later, I will take your wife and child back to Sky Island," Annus replied casually.

"Sky Island? That works. In a place like that, they should be able to avoid the World Government's arrests." Rocks thought it over and nodded in approval.

If there were places in the world beyond the reach of the World Government's lackeys, then aside from Fish-Man Island deep beneath the sea, Sky Island ten thousand meters above the sky was undoubtedly one of them.

Carrying out arrests in such extreme locations was usually far more troublesome than on ordinary islands.

Several hours later, aboard the pirate ship they had seized, Annus successfully escaped the waters of God Valley with Rocks.

Not long after Annus's ship departed, countless branching bolts of enormous lightning tore through the sky. The island of God Valley completely collapsed and gradually sank into the sea amid thick fog.

Thus, the God Valley Incident, which had altered the course of history, finally came to an end.

The World Government classified the incident as a top-level S-class "absolute secret." Only Marine Headquarters, the Marine G-11 Branch, and CIPHER POL No. 6 retained records of the confidential missions and special rewards related to it.

The participant list for the Human Hunting Tournament was also abolished.

All recorded information on the venue, God Valley—including its location, area, population, and more—was erased.

Number of deaths caused by the incident—unknown.

Although the World Government attempted to bury the incident completely in darkness, the collapse of the lawless group known as the Rocks Pirates, led by Rocks D. Zebek—the man who had once thrown an entire era into turmoil—became an echo that could not be hidden, shaking the world.