Chapter 209: Rocks: My Brother and I Are Invincible Together!
"Something's not right."
At the Marine barracks on Oss Island, Sengoku suddenly sat up in his bed.
"Garp, didn't you notice when we came back earlier that there were fewer soldiers patrolling? Before, I could still see a few CP organization agents hidden in the shadows, but now I can't see a single one."
"Ah, really?"
Lying in bed, Garp yawned and dug in his ear. "They probably went somewhere to get a midnight snack."
"Garp, don't forget we're currently on a mission. Those pirate crews under the White Wolf Pirates could attack at any moment. And there's also the Roger Pirates. Didn't the Roger Pirates just cover the Rocks Pirates' retreat last time?"
"Roger! Where's Roger?"
Originally somewhat drowsy, hearing Sengoku mention the Roger Pirates, Garp instantly jumped up from his bed.
Crash!
Garp's bed collapsed directly under him.
"Ah, my bed! Damn you, Roger, you owe me another debt!"
Garp roared loudly.
"Alright, alright, stop making noise. Come with me to check things out. I just feel something's off."
"Okay, okay."
Though usually unreliable, having grown from Marine recruits to Marine officers together, Garp clearly knew his companion was more dependable than he most of the time. If he said something was wrong, then something was definitely off.
So Garp shook his head, instantly returning to his usual energetic appearance.
"Fully! Recovered!"
Garp struck a weightlifting pose, showing off his strong arm muscles, grinning.
Though they received Kong's instruction during the day, because they didn't know when enemies would arrive, each training session never exhausted their stamina, allowing them to recover quickly.
Now, Garp had already learned Armament Haki's internal destruction.
Though Sengoku was slightly behind, he wasn't purely a physical fighter but a Devil Fruit user.
Even though this world's future had changed, Sengoku ultimately obtained the Devil Fruit destined for him.
Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan Model: Daibutsu
So whether Garp or Sengoku, both now possessed strength approaching top-tier great pirates. If not for their already rapid promotion speed, they should have already been Marine vice admirals or even nominated as Admiral candidates.
Five years from Marine recruits to this level was unprecedented in the entire Marine history.
But this also showed the Marines and the World Government's determination against the White Wolf Pirates.
The two were now the Marines' star members. Their existence represented the Marines and World Government's current will.
As long as you possessed sufficient talent, not only would famous teachers guide you, but you'd also receive the Marines' resource support.
Though retired from important positions, former Fleet Admiral Xiang Shan and Chief of Staff Portman Nissen now served as Marine instructors!
Two former Admiral-level fighters personally instructing anyone with even a bit of talent allowed them to gain something from such guidance.
Facing threats, the World Government's massive war machine finally began operating.
Though results might be slow initially, once time stretched slightly, countless Marine rising stars would emerge.
However, in this strength-supremacy world, differences existed even between geniuses.
How could the Marines' passive net-casting compare to Silas actively seeking people? Not to mention, Garp and Sengoku hadn't fully grown yet.
Compared to true top-tier fighters, they still had considerable gaps.
"Someone's coming."
As soon as Garp and Sengoku approached, Rocks and Patrick Redfield discovered them.
"Take them out!"
Their goal was to evacuate Oss Island's scientists. As for those ordinary residents essentially held hostage, Rocks hesitated before finally having Shiki take extra effort.
If it were Rocks just starting out at sea, he wouldn't care about ordinary residents. But after staying long on Silas's ship, Rocks's behavior gradually aligned with Silas's.
Of course, Rocks would never admit this. He convinced himself: "If we don't agree to take those ordinary residents too, that old man Atsen won't obediently help us concentrate the scientists."
So they lurked on Oss Island for several days, finally deciding to act tonight.
Now all scientists were concentrated. Everything was ready except the east wind. Even being discovered now didn't matter.
"Move!"
As Rocks's words fell, Shiki on the side grinned. "All of you, float up!"
With a wave of his large hand, two huge landmasses began rising from Oss Island. One held scientists they'd knocked unconscious with Haki, while the other held Machine Island's ordinary residents.
The two landmasses, one large and one small, continuously rose with rumbling sounds, immediately attracting countless Marines and CP agents' attention.
"What happened?"
"The ground, the ground's rising?"
"The scientists are all up there, and Machine Island's residents!"
"Damn, we're under attack!"
"..."
No matter how slow Marine officers and CP organization leaders were, they understood this was an enemy's carefully planned assault.
As for who the enemy was, did they even need to think?
Almost within reach of the rising landmasses, both Garp and Sengoku saw their targets on those ascending masses.
"Roger!!!"
"Rocks Pirates!!!"
"..."
Seeing that straw-hatted figure on the landmass, Garp charged without thinking.
Shave!
Garp instantly closed the distance to the landmass.
Moon Walk!
Almost stepping on air, Garp maneuvered in mid-air, crossing over a hundred meters in less than a second, appearing before the straw-hatted figure.
"Haha, Roger, I won't let you escape this time!"
"Garp!?"
Seeing the suddenly attacking figure, Roger's expression changed. "Great, I was just looking for you!"
Ignoring Rayleigh's attempt to stop him, facing Garp's swinging iron fist, Roger swung his waist blade.
The Haki collision immediately shook the entire rising landmass.
"How did the Marines get here so fast?"
Seeing the attacking Garp and Sengoku, Shiki's mouth twitched. "I'm saying this upfront. Until the landmass completely rises, whatever enemies come, you handle them yourselves!"
He wasn't simply making objects float but separating the landmass from the island below. During this process, he had no energy to resist enemy attacks.
"Hmph, leave them to us!"
The moment the operation began, Rocks knew they'd have to battle these World Government lackeys.
"Despite having the qualifications to become kings, you follow the World Government's orders?"
Looking at Garp and Sengoku, Rocks snorted coldly. "Then all of you die!"
Seeing Garp already charge up, realizing the enemy's main forces and even Rocks might be above, Sengoku could only steel himself and follow.
"Daibutsu!"
Golden light burst from Sengoku's body. The golden glow dispelled the surrounding darkness, illuminating everything like daytime.
The next second, a giant golden Buddha appeared before the landmass, grabbing the rising mass.
"I won't let you leave!"
Sengoku's eyes were wise. Seeing the landmass float, he realized that besides the Rocks Pirates and Roger Pirates, the Golden Lion Pirates might also be here!
Though compared to Rocks, Golden Lion Shiki's reputation wasn't nearly as great, his ability to make everything float made Sengoku extremely wary.
Sengoku knew these scientists on the landmass were extremely important to the government. If the Rocks Pirates took them, their escort mission would fail.
However, Sengoku overestimated his own strength and underestimated the number of powerhouses on the landmass.
Even if he wanted to hold down the landmass, how could his body weight alone shake Shiki's floating power?
Moreover, a Conqueror's Haki-wrapped slash rapidly flew toward him. Facing Sengoku, far weaker than himself, Rocks had no intention of holding back.
Not even an Admiral candidate yet, even with his Devil Fruit transformation enhancing defense, facing this top-tier fighter's attack, Sengoku had zero ability to resist.
I'll die!
At this moment, Sengoku felt his death star flashing overhead.
Without holding back, this slash from Rocks could kill him!
But hearing a low shout, a figure making Sengoku feel utterly reassured finally arrived. Without even wearing his signature Admiral cloak, he appeared in casual clothes before him, blocking this strike.
"Rocks D. Xebec, as a top-tier fighter on these seas, you're attacking a young person with full force. Don't you feel ashamed?"
Kong shouted, using his fist to forcibly block Rocks's attack, though his fist now bore a deep, bone-visible wound.
Kong had expected this. After all, one-on-one, he truly wasn't Rocks's match.
"Hah? Young person?"
Hearing Kong's words, Rocks burst out laughing as if hearing something hilarious. "He's a young person, and I'm not? How many years older than him am I?"
Rocks said this, making Kong suddenly remember.
When Rocks first appeared beside Silas, he was just over twenty. Though nearly ten years had passed and Rocks had fully grown, his actual age didn't exceed thirty!
So, Rocks calling himself young truly wasn't wrong.
However, after Rocks answered, his Rocks Pirates crew members all fell silent.
Then muttered quietly:
"So this guy's still young?"
"I thought he was at least forty!"
"Sometimes I think he's older than Captain Silas!"
"..."
At the crew's words, Rocks, as captain, couldn't hold it together.
"You bastards think I can't hear you?"
Rocks cursed. "Hurry up and take out those Marines!"
The entire Oss Island was just a small island under ten kilometers in diameter. The Marine soldiers and CP agents stationed here were elite among elites.
So shortly after the Rocks Pirates caused a disturbance, a large group of soldiers and agents rushed over at sprinting speeds.
For ordinary people, a hundred-meter sprint exhausted all stamina. But for these elites, ordinary people's sprint speed was like walking.
In just minutes, the entire island's elite soldiers would concentrate here.
And this wasn't Rocks's biggest headache.
"Such audacity!"
A demon-like figure seemingly crawling from hell, radiating ominous aura, a giant spider suddenly appeared before Rocks's group.
"Hah, it's you again, you immortal old monster!"
Last time, relying on his immortal body, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn had forcibly delayed Rocks for an entire day.
But this time, there was no need for delays.
"Shiki, how much longer?"
"If you take out those Marines, I can fly immediately!"
"What if I can't take them out?"
"Five minutes!"
"You're trying to kill me, just say it!"
Rocks cursed because he sensed that besides Kong and Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, two more top-tier fighters were approaching.
No, not two, but four!
Besides Kong and Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, this island actually hid four more top-tier fighters!
"Abort, abort immediately!"
Without thinking, Rocks shouted. "Forget the scientists. If we get delayed here, we'll all die!"
Rocks didn't think Silas failed to pin down the World Government's top-tier fighters. Likely, the World Government's fighter numbers exceeded even Silas's expectations, preventing immediate countermeasures.
"Old man, even you miscalculate sometimes!"
If only four top-tier fighters, then with him plus Shiki, bringing Patrick Redfield and several other capable crew members, they could fight.
But six already completely exceeded his capability range.
"Only the old man could probably handle this many enemies."
The thought barely formed when Rocks fell silent.
He barely managed two.
But Silas, without other top-tier fighters restraining them, remained effortlessly composed even facing such numbers.
The gap between him and Silas remained vast!
However, just then:
"Rocks, wait!"
Patrick Redfield suddenly sensed something, then even Rocks felt it.
"Newgate!?"
Rocks's eyes suddenly widened, then filled with wild joy.
"Gihahahaha, men, begin counterattacking!"
"Our reinforcements have arrived!"
"Gurarara, Captain was right. This really is quite the scene."
Even from far away, everyone seemed to hear the man's laughter.
On the sea surface not far from Oss Island, a man stood on his ship, gripping a long naginata.
"Then I'll make the atmosphere even livelier!"
A milky-white glow gathered in his hand. The man punched the air.
BOOM!!
An earth-shattering roar suddenly erupted. The entire world seemed to freeze in this moment.
Hundreds of meters, thousands of meters, tens of thousands of meters!
Accompanied by tremendous tremors, mountains and seas were overturned.
Whitebeard Newgate, for the first time before the world's eyes, displayed his full power!