On the other side of the New World, the Roger Pirates had chased Garp right out of the Hell Pirates' territory. The two forces clashed in the chaotic buffer zone of the pirate seas, sparks flying in a battle for the ages.
Roger, wielding Conqueror's Haki Coiling, found himself locked in a titanic duel with Garp. Despite his overwhelming power, he couldn't crush the Marine hero. Garp's monstrous Armament Haki and raw physical prowess were almost too much, even for Roger.
Did Garp have Conqueror's Haki hidden up his sleeve? Roger couldn't tell. The man shrugged off Roger's Conqueror's Haki like it was nothing—a true monster!
Garp's Armament Haki alone matched Roger's Haki-infused strikes blow for blow. No surprise there; he was a D, after all!
"Haha! What a thrill!"
Garp's fist slammed into Roger's legendary blade, Ace, with a grin that could light up the seas. Roger's crew had grown stronger at a breakneck pace, nearly surpassing him.
But Garp wasn't slacking either. Since entering the New World, his growth had been nothing short of insane. He'd outpaced his old partner Sengoku and was itching to spar with the Admirals.
Today, he could finally go all-out against Roger, and it felt good. But just as the fight reached its peak, a piercing alarm cut through the chaos.
"Vice Admiral Garp, fall back! The Rocks Pirates are here!" a Marine lookout shouted, panic in his voice.
"Roger, we're pulling out!"
Rayleigh's voice boomed as he spotted the threat. Rocks' reputation was no joke—not some pretender like Saracha. This was a real danger, one that could wipe them all out.
Without a second thought, both sides scattered. The Roger Pirates retreated to Brook's territory, while Garp fell back to the World Government's allied defense line.
...
Rocks was hot on the trail of Eric Darn, captain of the Royal Pirates. Originally, he'd planned to crush the remnants of Vesper's crew, but Brook had lured Shirokiri into a trap, forcing Rocks to switch targets.
Naguri, that sly fox, slipped away the moment Rocks closed in. The Royal Pirates, unlucky enough to cross his path, became the scapegoat. Naguri escaped, leaving Eric Darn to face Rocks' wrath.
The commotion from Roger and Garp's battle caught Eric's attention. Desperate, he tried to redirect Rocks' focus toward them, but both Roger and Garp were too fast, vanishing before Rocks could pivot.
"Jiehaha! Pirate Gol D. Roger and Marine Monkey D. Garp—two Ds duking it out! That's some serious firepower!"
From afar, Rocks witnessed the explosive clash between Roger and Garp. Their strength surpassed even his own in his younger days. He wanted them both—every D in the world—by his side to topple the Celestial Dragons!
"Those two slipped away as fast as Naguri, that little weasel. But I didn't come to the front lines of the New World for nothing!"
The Rocks Pirates surged forward, chasing down the Royal Pirates before they could reach Brook's territory. Brook's Pirate Guild had become a magnet for prey, infuriating Rocks enough to hunt personally. He even toyed with the idea of copying Brook's guild model.
Eric Darn didn't make it to Brook's sanctuary in time. Cornered by Rocks, he faced a grim choice: death or submission. "Willingly," the Royal Pirates' captain joined the Rocks Pirates.
With that, Rocks' crew absorbed three supernova crews: the Karnz Brothers, Ibadonbo, and now Eric Darn.
Brook, meanwhile, had only one supernova affiliate, Byrnndi World. Roger, Chinjao, and Woonan remained loosely tied to his Pirate Guild as independent members.
...
"Jiehaha! The Marines have their share of heavy hitters too. Sengoku, Tsuru, and two Admirals—all Devil Fruit users, three of them Mythical Zoans! I'd love to take 'em all down!"
After subduing the Royal Pirates, Rocks set his sights on the Marines. Other pirates were too cowardly, scattering like roaches and hiding where he couldn't find them.
The Marines were different. Attack their allied nations, and they'd come running. Maybe he could even take out an Admiral—or at least Sengoku, whose Mythical Zoan Buddha form caught Rocks' eye as a prime target.
The New World's dominant force, the Rocks Pirates, lingered in the chaos zone, planting flags and claiming islands. Were they eyeing the World Government's allied nations?
By seizing the neutral buffer zone everyone had tacitly left alone, Rocks' territory now bordered the Marines' defense line.
Rocks had no intention of letting the Marines hold sway in the New World. His plan: drive them out, split the allied nations with Brook, and eventually take on the Celestial Dragons in God Valley.
But first things first. Since Brook didn't want the chaotic buffer zone, Rocks would claim it, even if it meant facing the Marines head-on.
He wasn't afraid. In fact, he was already plotting to team up with the Hell Pirates for a joint strike against the Navy!
...
Meanwhile, Brook had left Amber and Depo on Merveille, a beast-infested island where survival was a daily gamble. It was a blatant setup, and Shirokiri couldn't resist. He rallied the remnants of Vesper's crew to rescue the mother and son.
No matter how much Salem tried to dissuade him, Shirokiri wouldn't listen. Salem knew Brook wouldn't let Amber and Depo die easily—it was a trap, plain and simple.
Salem refused to join this suicide mission. Ravena and Jokade exchanged a glance, agreeing to follow Shirokiri to save Amber and Depo. In the end, Shirokiri and Salem parted ways.
"Shirokiri, you fool. Ravena and Jokade aren't going to save them—they're using you to defect to the Hell Pirates!"
Salem muttered as he watched them leave. He'd seen through his former allies' intentions but couldn't stop Shirokiri. The new Vesper Pirates were doomed, crumbling once again.
Salem had once dreamed of controlling the crew through Shirokiri, but that was arrogance talking. With Rocks and Brook dominating the New World, and Ravena and Jokade too accustomed to their cushy officer roles, why would they start over with Shirokiri?
"Forget it. I'll take my daughter and start a new crew. Maybe joining Brook's Pirate Guild isn't a bad idea. But can that bastard really let his members roam free?"
As the former steward of Vesper's crew, Salem was reluctant to abandon his position of power. Being second only to the captain was intoxicating.
Now, reduced to a crew without a territory, the fall was brutal.
As expected, the Vesper family was captured by the Hell Pirates. Ravena and Jokade defected, reclaiming their roles as managers of one of the Ten King Islands.
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