Harald, the king of the Giants with Ancient Giant Tribe blood.
As the king of Elbaf, the world's strongest nation, Harald possessed strength not inferior to Rocks's.
He was also someone Rocks could never forget.
But two years ago, the Five Elders took advantage of Harald's desire to lead Elbaf toward peace and proposed that he kill Rocks, ultimately causing Harald and Rocks to break apart after a great battle.
After that, the two never met again, seemingly content to never have anything to do with each other for the rest of their lives.
But now...
"You're asking me to go deal with Harald with you?"
Annus was somewhat surprised. It seemed Rocks still had not given up.
"That's right! That bastard Harald said he'd abandon everything to make Elbaf join the World's Wheel. He's clearly been incited by those World Government bastards!
"He even wanted to kill me because of it! He completely abandoned a warrior's honor!
"But that fool being used will never understand that the World Government only sees the Giants as military strength! No matter how hard he tries, Elbaf will ultimately be treated as nothing more than a slave nation!
"That bastard being exploited doesn't understand that at all!"
The moment Harald was mentioned, Rocks became agitated despite himself. By the time he reached the painful parts, spit was flying everywhere.
Annus silently wiped the table clean.
"So what? Didn't you swear never to look for Harald again? Why are you asking me to do something like that?"
"Because the more I think about it, the angrier I get!"
Rocks slammed his hand heavily onto the table.
"Besides, that Devil Fruit in Elbaf can only reach its greatest potential if Harald eats it! Join forces with me, Annus! With you and me together, we'll definitely defeat that bastard Harald! I'll beat some sense into him!!"
Rocks would not have proposed such a plan without absolute confidence.
Relying on his own strength, he could only match Harald evenly and could not defeat him. But adding Annus changed everything.
Annus was one of the few experts whose strength came infinitely close to his own, possessing power greater than a Marine admiral's.
If the two joined forces, Harald would stand no chance.
"It's useless, Rocks. You should understand what a stubborn man Harald is."
Yet Annus calmly shook his head at Rocks's proposal.
On these seas, anyone capable of becoming a top-tier powerhouse was a terrifyingly stubborn madman. Once they had their own convictions, no one could change them no matter what.
Even within the Rocks Pirates, where betrayals came one after another, dreams were something none of the officers would betray.
Everyone stubbornly held fast to what they believed was right, marched unwaveringly toward their dreams, and would walk that path to the end without ever looking back. That was the core reason they could become strong.
"What! Even you don't agree with my plan!?"
Rejected by Annus, Rocks displayed the same irritation as Shiki.
Rocks truly could not understand why Annus would refuse. Wasn't Annus his most trusted companion?
But Annus offered no explanation and merely intended to see him out.
That angered Rocks.
"Annus! Let's fight!"
"Huh?"
"You bastard, just like Harald, you're too disappointing! If I don't beat you up, I won't be able to vent this fire in my heart!"
Rather than make a mess inside the Heaven-Piercing Tower, Annus and Rocks tacitly chose a barren island outside Hachinosu as their battlefield.
News of their impending battle also drew the officers to watch.
"Jihahaha! Who do you think will win this time?"
Shiki wiggled his eyebrows as he asked Whitebeard, Kaido, Linlin, and the others beside him.
"Who knows? It'll probably end in another draw, right? As far as I remember, Annus has barely lost in recent years." Linlin thought for a moment before speaking.
It's a shame Annus won't agree to have a child with me... Linlin silently thought.
"Then I'll bet on Annus winning!" Kaido grinned. "What about you? Who are you betting on?"
"Gurarara! Then I'll bet on Rocks! After all, I owe that guy quite a bit of money for booze!" Whitebeard laughed.
While the officers talked, Annus and Rocks had already begun their battle in the island's central region.
"Take this, Annus! Let me see how much you've improved!"
Furious, Rocks immediately unleashed a fierce offensive, swinging his Rapier to send out slashes powerful enough to blast away everything around him.
This was Rocks's own unique swordsmanship.
Unlike ordinary swordsmen, Rocks's slashes were renowned for being as heavy as warhammers. Though they were slashes, their effect resembled cannon bombardments. Put simply, overwhelming strength could overcome anything.
This strike targeted Annus's chest and was coated in powerful Armament Haki. If Annus tried to evade with simple elementalization, the blade's force would instantly smash through his chest!
But Annus did not dodge. He chose to meet it head-on! The Golden Scepter in his hand softened beneath the refinement of lightning, transforming into a blazing spear.
Lightning Metallurgy.
By injecting an electric current into metal he touched and heating it until it melted, Annus could reshape the Golden Scepter in his hand into any form.
Ten years of using the Rumble-Rumble Fruit had allowed Annus to master this technique perfectly.
But that was not all. As Annus infused Armament Haki into the spear, the weapon, gleaming all over with lightning, reflected the unique jet-black luster of Armament Haki.
"Rumble!"
The instant the spear touched the sword's edge, the air exploded. The calm sea churned violently under the aftershock, and the entire barren island began to tremble as though it could not bear such power.
The two had fought countless times in the past and knew each other's strength well. Thus, this battle skipped the probing stage from the start, every move brimming with killing intent.
"Is that all, Rocks? An attack of this level won't be enough to make me look bad."
Framed by lightning around his body, Annus, holding the golden spear, looked like a god descending upon the world.
"Don't get cocky! You disappointing bastard!"
Rocks's tone was full of grievance, as though Annus had betrayed his sincerity.
"That's because you're too self-righteous."
Annus swung the golden spear and thrust it at Rocks. Lightning surged like a sea, instantly flooding the entire barren island. Violent currents traveled through the ground into the ocean, and countless sea creatures, charred by electricity, floated to the surface.
"This is the one thing I hate about you, Annus! You always stand above everyone else and judge them!"
Terrifying Conqueror's Haki burst through the sea of lightning!
Rocks emerged from the brilliant light, his Rapier coated in tangible Conqueror's Haki and emanating a heart-pounding aura.
Those with the potential for Conqueror's Haki were said to appear only once in a million people. Yet among those with such potential, only a tiny handful could comprehend the power of Conqueror's Haki Coating.
This power was practically an entry ticket to the summit of the path of Haki.
Unlike ordinary Conqueror's Haki users, who could only use this power to intimidate enemies and knock out fodder, advanced users who had grasped Conqueror's Haki Coating could wield it just like Armament Haki.
When the gap in strength was vast, enemies could not even break through the invisible defense formed by Conqueror's Haki.
In terms of appearance, this effect was somewhat similar to a protective aura.
And when Conqueror's Haki was coated onto a weapon for an attack, it displayed power and effects far beyond Armament Haki Coating.
"Abyss... Curse!"
Rocks gripped the Rapier coated in Conqueror's Haki with both hands and brought it down heavily, its power enough to split mountains and rend seas.
But Annus had no intention of evading. He tightened his grip on the golden spear, and terrifying Conqueror's Haki no weaker than Rocks's erupted from within him, coiling around the golden spear like dragons and serpents.
"Eternal... Chaos!"
The golden spear shot forth and clashed with the Rapier through the air. The two terrifying Conqueror's Hakis collided, and even the sky above the barren island seemed cowed by the spreading force. The light dimmed as dark clouds slowly split apart to either side, revealing a massive gap.
Even the surrounding sea churned violently beneath the collision of those two powers.
Under their feet, the barren island's ground began to crack, as though it would collapse from the impact it could no longer withstand.
"Hey, hey, has that guy Annus gotten even stronger?" Shiki cursed as he flew into the sky. The ground where he had been standing had already collapsed.
"Mamamaha! Annus! You still have room to improve?" Linlin stared greedily at Annus's back.
No matter what, I have to find a way to have a child who inherits that bastard Annus's bloodline!
That child would definitely be incredibly strong, right?
Kaido, watching the battle, revealed an envious look. Even now, he had yet to master the power of Conqueror's Haki Coating.
Those two are truly powerful... Haki really is what surpasses everything else!
The figures of Annus and Rocks reflected in Kaido's pupils, and amid the blazing flash of lightning, they carved themselves deep into his memories.
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