Kael kicked aside the four empty chests at his feet, irritation gnawing at him.
According to the intel, the treasure vault of God Valley was supposed to be overflowing with rare treasures, including at least six Devil Fruits.
Yet after all that effort, he had only watched the Fish-Fish Fruit and the Paw-Paw Fruit get snatched away, while he walked away empty-handed.
Damn it! Where the hell are the other four fruits?
Four empty boxes was this some kind of joke? This haul was a loss beyond repair.
Just as he was weighing whether to search another sector, a strange, bone-deep tremor rolled up from the earth itself.
Boom!!!
Not an earthquake, but close enough. The whole island of God Valley seemed to groan in agony.
The ground under Kael's boots shook violently. He steadied himself, golden eyes narrowing as he turned toward the distant sky.
That was where the real storm was raging.
The once-clear heavens had turned into a battlefield of darkness, streaked with black and crimson lightning that tangled together like a monstrous net clawing at the land.
It was not nature's lightning. It was the collision of pure wills Conqueror's Haki made manifest.
Three distinct auras, each suffocating in its own right, tore and crushed at one another in the island's heart, warping the weather and painting the skies with fury.
Even from kilometers away, Kael felt the pressure shake his soul.
"Holy crap, they're tearing the heavens apart." He clicked his tongue, but instead of fear, his lips curled into a grin of pure excitement.
There were only a handful alive who could cause this much chaos.
Rocks D. Xebec.
Gol D. Roger.
Monkey D. Garp.
That's right the D's were throwing a party.
"The real show is finally starting." Kael slung his black-and-gold naginata over his shoulder and strode out of the cave. "A clash of gods like this, and no entry fee? Count me in."
With a stomp, he launched forward, his body blurring into a black streak racing toward the thunderous battlefield.
…
The closer he drew, the more terrifying the scene became.
The lush forest had been reduced to nothing but scorched earth and ruins.
The ground was torn into yawning ravines. Massive slabs of bedrock were ripped from the earth and smashed apart by sheer force.
Kael climbed a relatively intact cliff, masking his presence as he peered down.
The sight nearly stole his breath.
For thousands of meters, the battlefield was hell on earth.
At its center stood a towering man with flame-like hair, his figure exuding a presence so overwhelming that space itself seemed to warp.
He gripped an ancient blade in hand, his aura more fearsome than any demon. Just by standing, he twisted the world around him.
Rocks D. Xebec, captain of the Rocks Pirates and ruler of the seas.
Facing him were two figures who matched him blow for blow.
Roger, laughing wildly, his sword Ace wrapped in black Armament Haki. Every slash carried the weight of a king who could cleave destiny itself.
And beside him, Garp shirtless, his bronze muscles crosshatched with scars. No weapons. His fists alone were his deadliest tools. Each punch cracked the air, releasing shockwaves that howled like tortured spirits.
"Holy shit…" Kael swore under his breath.
This wasn't a battle. This was a natural disaster.
Rocks bellowed with laughter, slamming a fist into the ground.
"Abyssal Surge!"
A wave of darkness erupted from his fist, spreading like a tide. Wherever it passed, rock and soil alike dissolved into nothingness.
"Don't get cocky, Rocks!"
Garp roared back, meeting it head-on with his own fist.
"Iron Fist: Meteor!"
Boom!!!
The two strikes collided one devouring all, the other smashing stars.
For a heartbeat, silence reigned. Then a cataclysmic shockwave erupted outward, flattening everything in sight.
Kael's cliff split apart beneath him, half collapsing into rubble. He scrambled back hundreds of meters, cursing as he steadied himself.
"Hey, Garp! Don't hog the spotlight!" Roger's voice cut through the thunder like a blade. "His Haki drags you in if you're not careful!"
Even as he spoke, Roger leaped high, his blade descending in a titanic arc.
"Divine Departure!"
The slash split the heavens, a black-and-red strike of Conqueror's Haki that threatened to carve Rocks in half.
Rocks only grinned wider, answering with his own slash infused with pitch-black lightning.
"Supreme Sea!"
The black strike crashed into Roger's attack, Conqueror's lightning clashing with black-red energy. The resulting storm twisted the clouds into a colossal vortex.
Watching from afar, Kael's heart pounded.
This this was the pinnacle of the seas.
Men who could rewrite landscapes and topple nations with every swing.
Compared to this, his "Seismic Roar" was child's play, his "Light Blade" a flickering spark against a blazing sun.
"So this is advanced Conqueror's infusion… bypassing defenses, striking the soul and body at once." Kael's eyes gleamed. "Learned something today."
Of course, he wasn't about to step in.
Jumping into that storm was suicide. The backlash alone would knock him out cold.
He even patted his pockets, half-hoping for peanuts or popcorn. No luck only stale ship rations.
Still, his gaze never wavered.
Once, he thought his Wave-Wave Fruit and years of Haki training already put him among the strong.
But today, he had seen a Five Elder's inhuman power… and now this clash of legends. And beyond them lurked Imu, the ancient shadow at the world's heart.
But so what?
If the mountain is high, the climb is worth it.
And the higher the summit, the sweeter it will be to stand at the top.