Remnant of God Valley

Hachinosu · Shakuyaku's Extortion Bar

The once thunderously noisy tavern seemed to have had its mute button pressed, and everyone's emotions cooled at once.

Rocks, Roger, Linlin, Newgate... all those monsters capable of stirring the New World into a boiling mess fell silent.

Even though sparks were still flying between the Roger Pirates and the Rocks Pirates, with Shakuyaku collapsing, every conflict naturally died down.

—Because the rules of One Piece · Shakuyaku were the absolute law of Hachinosu.

"Any guest who enters this establishment is forbidden from fighting privately on the island. If you want to fight, get the hell out to sea."

Even a tyrant-level figure like Rocks had to obey obediently.

After Gloriosa helped Shakuyaku upstairs to rest, the tavern's atmosphere returned to its rowdy, uninhibited state.

Roger looked at the tightly shut door in the distance, sighed softly, and patted the shoulder of the silent Rayleigh beside him.

Meanwhile, West Blue · God Valley

The sea breeze was gentle, and sunlight filtered through the white clouds, spilling over this peaceful and prosperous nation.

A figure strolled leisurely down the broad streets.

His hairstyle was so exaggerated that it was unforgettable at first glance, curling forward in a strange crescent-moon shape.

His platinum Holy Knights cloak fluttered gently in the wind.

—This man was a member of God's Knights.

—Figarland Garling.

As a member of the Celestial Dragons' most secretive and powerful military force, he was currently nothing more than a young man out for a stroll.

"I never expected... that I'd come across such a peaceful country just by wandering around."

Saint Green's gaze swept across both sides of the street: clean and tidy stone roads, carefree smiling children, hardworking merchants...

"Its location is excellent, and its resources are abundant too..."

He looked at the beautiful scene before him and quietly assessed it in his heart. A nation capable of complete self-sufficiency...

Just as he was deep in thought—

"Ah!"

A red-haired woman approached from the side and nearly fell. Saint Green immediately reached out and caught her firmly.

The red-haired woman looked up, saw that handsome yet somewhat wild face, and her cheeks instantly flushed.

"Sir... thank you." Her voice was soft and shy.

Saint Green smiled faintly, his smile both elegant and heart-racing. "Think nothing of it."

Sunlight fell across the red-haired woman's shoulders, making her seem as though she were glowing. Saint Green was rarely stunned, but he froze for a moment.

"Interesting..."

A thread of fate quietly began to stir from that moment onward.

Time passed in the blink of an eye · Marine Headquarters training grounds

The sea wind howled beneath the blazing sun.

Yet deafening explosions echoed through the center of the training grounds.

"Bang!!!"

"Thud!!!"

"Boom—!!!"

"Iron Fist" Garp, the symbol of the Marines' strongest physique, was trading utterly unrestrained blows with Rock—the youngest Rear Admiral in Marine history!

Both men's arms were coated in Armament Haki. Their fists struck flesh, and dense shockwaves erupted at every collision.

Garp's iron fists were brutal and direct, every punch like a mountain crashing down, making even the air tremble.

Rock, on the other hand, moved as fast as lightning. Observation Haki let him predict Garp's attack trajectories, allowing him to keep up with this monster's speed even without using the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's power.

"Bang!!!"

Rock's fist slammed into Garp, but Garp did not budge. Grinning, he retaliated with a backhand punch that fell like a meteor and struck Rock squarely on the shoulder.

"Thud!!!"

Rock let out a muffled grunt. The ground beneath his feet instantly collapsed, sending rubble flying everywhere. Yet instead of retreating, his smile only grew more excited.

Seeing this, Garp burst into laughter. "Wahahaha!! Brat, you've improved a lot!!!"

"Last month, one punch from me would've left your whole arm numb, but now you can actually take it head-on!!!"

Rock licked the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Don't let your guard down... My training never stopped."

"Then come on! Try this punch again!!!"

"Gladly!!!"

The two figures collided once more!

"Boom! Boom! Boom—!!!"

The continuous, explosion-like gusts from their fists made the watching Marines turn pale.

After months of tempering, Rock could now skillfully use Armament Haki with astonishing hardness. Combined with his exceptional Observation Haki, he could often trade the smallest cost for the greatest counterattack.

But the gap in Haki was still obvious—

With the same force behind a punch, Rock needed five punches to match the damage of one from Garp.

That was the terror of "Iron Fist Garp," of course, provided Rock did not use the Rumble-Rumble Fruit to enhance himself.

The Marines at the edge of the training ground watched with numb scalps. "R-Rear Admiral Rock can actually trade blows with Vice Admiral Garp like that?!!"

"His Armament Haki... he's only trained it for a few months?!"

"Keep your voice down! What if he turns into lightning and gives you a blast later?!"

Someone swallowed. "Now whenever I see lightning, I instinctively want to kneel..."

Although no thunderclouds descended over the training grounds today, the image of Heavenly Punishment that had shaken Marine Headquarters had long been deeply branded into every Marine's heart.

After training · Marine Headquarters cafeteria

Garp and Rock had spent an hour beating each other up in the training grounds, and now they sat in the cafeteria, crazily stuffing themselves as though devouring clouds and mist.

The cafeteria auntie watched the way they ate and began questioning her entire life.

Garp grabbed an entire roast and tore into it, sending grease flying everywhere. "Wahahaha!! Nothing feels better than having a huge meal after training!!!"

Rock had been completely led astray by him, and his table manners were just as wild. "Yeah! This is awesome!!!"

As they ate, they shook the table, like two giant beasts that had been starving for three days fighting over food.

Just then, Zephyr arrived carrying a tray. Seeing this scene, he deeply furrowed his brow.

"You two, do you really have to make eating look like a second round of fighting...?"

Even so, he sighed and sat beside them. The three exchanged greetings.

Garp sprayed food as he spoke. "Zephyr, you came too!"

Zephyr pressed a hand to his forehead. "Don't talk while eating! You old child..."

Rock slurped from his soup bowl. "Big Brother Zephyr!"

—The cafeteria continued to shake.

After a meal that swept through the food like a raging storm, the three finally wiped their mouths and sat up straight.

Rock suddenly turned to Zephyr. "Big Brother Zephyr, do you have any missions coming up?"

Zephyr raised a brow. "Me? Nothing recently. Why?"

Rock's lips curved upward. "Then come out with me."

"Ever since joining the Marines, I've stayed at headquarters learning. I've already mastered everything I needed to learn—"

"It's time to go out for a bit. My hands are itching."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zephyr froze. An image flashed through his mind: over the past few months, Rock had either been fighting Garp or fighting him.

Sengoku had come to complain countless times, telling him to hurry up and let Rock "go out and stretch his legs."

Thinking of that, Zephyr silently pressed a hand to his forehead, then nodded. "Fine."

Garp snorted in dissatisfaction. "Hey, brat, why don't you ask me to take you out for some fun?"

Rock shot him a glance. "Ask you? Are you kidding?"

"If I go out with you, pirates will see your Dog-Head Battleship from several kilometers away and run for their lives."

"You little punk..."

Rock spread his hands helplessly. "I'm going out to clean up pirates, not to travel around with you and soak up the sun."

Garp glared furiously. "Say that again!!!"

Watching the pair of "living treasures" who could never sit still, Zephyr could not help shaking his head with a smile.

"Alright, alright, you two. This is the cafeteria. If you want to fight, do it outside. If you break the tables and chairs, they'll deduct it from my allowance."

He then turned to Rock. "Rock, tomorrow it is. We'll depart on my ship."

Rock answered simply, "Alright."

However, deep in his eyes, a sharp glint that was hard to catch flashed past in an instant.

That subtle change did not escape Garp's notice.

He was stuffing a rice cracker into his mouth, his cheeks moving as he chewed. Yet his chewing paused almost imperceptibly before he resumed his usual carefree expression.

His gaze merely drifted thoughtfully between Zephyr's broad back and Rock's profile. In the end, he said nothing.