The God Valley Incident was like a watershed in history, causing the Rocks Pirates to splinter apart.
These heroes and tyrants who had once belonged to that lawless group were like wild horses unleashed from their reins, stirring up tremendous storms across the seas.
"Ochoku actually took over my Hachinosu?"
When the news was delivered from the distant New World to tranquil Water 7 by newspaper gulls, Rocks nearly lost control of his emotions.
The newspaper was filled with major events that had recently taken place in the New World. After the Rocks Pirates disbanded, Ochoku, who had remained on Hachinosu, naturally took over the territory that had once belonged to Rocks and founded a sect made entirely of pirates.
Although Ochoku had once been famous under the title of "Pirate Patriarch," this pirate sect was on an entirely different level from the previous one.
"What, are you going back to settle everything?"
Annus did not react much. To him, Hachinosu was already a thing of the past; it did not matter who occupied it. Instead, he was more concerned with the other contents mentioned in the newspaper, such as the movements of the Roger Pirates.
"Shiki and Xiong are getting awfully cocky too! Without me, there really isn't anyone on these seas who can keep them down!"
Like Ochoku, the other members of the Rocks Pirates had also begun their own activities.
Whitebeard had formed a pirate crew with a pirate named Boro Gram. That pair of sworn enemies, Shiki and Xiong, had each established the "Flying Pirates" and the "Silver Axe Pirates," standing in direct opposition to one another.
Even John had formed his own pirate crew and led his subordinates in raiding the treasury of a certain affiliated nation.
These were all the major events recorded in the newspaper. The other former members of the Rocks Pirates had not caused any major disturbances, so they were likely still lying low.
"It's not bad to let them make some noise. They probably think you're dead, don't they? Without you, these seas are much livelier than before." Annus smiled.
Before the Rocks Pirates disbanded, they had loomed like a mountain over every pirate in the New World. Aside from the Roger Pirates, no matter how much attention other pirate crews drew, they were unworthy of comparison with the Rocks Pirates.
Now that the Rocks Pirates had disbanded, their officers had scattered in every direction, each becoming a new star shining over these seas.
Even before the Rocks Pirates disbanded, these people had been amassing strength. At least judging from the newspaper, they did not seem to feel the slightest sorrow over the collapse of their former crew. There was only excitement and naked ambition.
"Hmph, it's all just petty squabbling. Speaking of which, Annus, I'm planning to build a reliable force again! Interested in joining hands with me?"
Having recovered his strength and rested for some time, Rocks had already stepped out of the shadow of defeat and was preparing to make his next move.
Or rather, someone like him could never live a peaceful life forever. He had been born to whip up towering waves and raging storms.
But his defeat at God Valley had made Rocks realize one thing: although the Rocks Pirates were powerful, they could not support his grand ambition of conquering the world.
To accomplish something like that, he needed people he could truly trust.
Before, he had been too impatient and too confident.
He had always wanted to drag those sewer rats from their thrones at the fastest possible speed, capture the Holy Land Mary Geoise, and believed that even if those beneath him harbored ulterior motives, it would not matter. In the end, he could still use their strength to pluck the fruit at the very top.
But reality had proven that he could not do it.
That being the case, his plans would have to change.
"What kind of force?" Annus asked.
"A force like a pirate crew is too easily noticed by the World Government! That's not conducive to advancing my plans. At least until I find the 'key' that can bring down the 'Holy Land,' I won't show myself openly again!"
Rocks had repeatedly emphasized that to seize the world, he had to obtain two legendary Devil Fruits. One of them was the Nidhogg Fruit, passed down through generations in Elbaf. The other was even more mysterious.
The rest was to obtain the power of the Frozen Giant Warband.
Yet until the God Valley Incident arrived, Rocks had made no progress at all.
"God's Knights and their king both know you're still alive. They won't give up on killing you. You understand that, right? You, who bear Davy's Blood and possess such great strength, are a target they must eliminate."
Imu would not let Rocks go. Imu would certainly try every possible method to kill or control him, because Rocks was a descendant of Davy D. Jones. Annus understood this very well.
"That's why I plan to hide! Annus! The pirates' game is over. Let Ochoku have that trash heap, Hachinosu! I'm going to weave a 'network' in the shadows! A 'network' that obeys me completely! One that will help me obtain the 'key'!"
"Do as you please. I have no interest in that sort of thing."
"Damn it, Annus, how many times have you rejected me? Then do you have a better plan?"
"My goal is different from yours. You want to become the 'King of the World,' but I only want to reshape this world according to my own will...
Although the Celestial Dragons are our common enemy, the method I choose will be different from yours. Next, I plan to return to Sky Island first and establish a unified 'Heaven.'"
"Worohahaha! Isn't that still becoming a 'king'?"
"No, Rocks. You've always gotten one thing wrong. What I want to become is... a 'god.'"
Leaving Annus and Rocks's conversation aside for now, the Marines were already overwhelmed by the "Rocks remnants" who had recently been stirring up trouble across the seas.
Inside a towering, attic-like fortress, in a room used for meetings, Dragon personally witnessed the quarrel among the Marine higher-ups.
"Garp! Can't you stop obsessing over Roger? There are already too many criminals on the seas for us to catch! Because of the treasury robbery, the king of an affiliated nation has repeatedly demanded that the Marines dispatch forces to capture Captain John! Yet you were clearly nearby at the time, but refused to obey deployment orders!"
Sengoku was reprimanding Garp over a recent incident.
But Garp clearly did not buckle under pressure. Picking his nose, he said dismissively, "I almost caught Roger! How could I possibly give up?!"
"If you were talking about catching him, you would have done so long ago. But you should not have disobeyed orders!" Sengoku roared.
"Don't use the word 'orders' to pressure me. I don't care!" Garp also grew angry.
The Marines' attitude during the God Valley Incident had already left him deeply dissatisfied. If he had not wanted to remain behind to protect those ignorant rank-and-file soldiers, he would have resigned long ago.
"Aren't you afraid of being demoted?!" At that moment, another vice admiral beside them shouted angrily.
"Do whatever you want! I said I don't care!" Garp crossed his arms and looked down at them coldly.
"You!!"
Sitting at the head of the table, the then-admiral Steel Bone Kong rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Enough. Now is not the time to argue. These seas are already chaotic enough. What you should be doing is suppressing those pirates, not bickering here!"
"Also, there is an opening for a Marine admiral. The higher-ups intend to find someone to fill it. Garp, you are currently the most suitable candidate..."
At those words, the gazes of the officers present could not help but fall upon Sengoku's face, where a complicated expression had appeared.
Everyone knew that if there was anyone who most wanted a promotion, and had put in the greatest effort and sacrifice for it...
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