"Giants' ship?!"
"Doesn't matter! Sink it! No one gets to stand in our way!"
In an ordinary world, where naval technology is still stuck in the era of warships and giant cannons, the size of a ship could practically determine the outcome of a battle.
Large ships could utterly crush smaller ones, but on this sea, that's only one part of the equation.
At the very least, the members of the Rocks Pirates wouldn't be afraid of someone else's ship. Anyone who could make a name for themselves aboard this ship could easily destroy a ship or two.
Even seeing a ship whose sides were lined with Giants didn't instill fear in them. Charlotte Linlin's eyes even showed a greedy glint as she looked at the Giants.
[Mama~ mama~ These Giant troops… I really want them…]
"Wait!"
Just as the others shouted to sink the Giants' ship, Rocks stopped them.
"Rocks? What are you doing? Don't stop us!"
"Harald! Come out! I know you're on that ship!"
Rocks ignored the others and shouted toward the ship. He was certain that if the Giants dared to block them, then Harald had to be aboard.
And in fact, Rocks wasn't wrong. A giant, twice as tall as the others and sporting two horns on his head, stepped forward.
"We were ordered to stop your pirate crew, which has gone mad over a single woman, Rocks. You should know, it would be easy for us to sink your little ship."
"And it wouldn't be hard to sink your big one either, King of the Big Guys. Do you really think this will earn you merits with the World Government?
No matter what you do, in the end, you'll still be seen as a 'madman' trying to change Elbaf. Can we talk?"
Faced with Rocks' question, Harald didn't refuse. Instead, he allowed Rocks to come aboard his ship and had the other Giant soldiers step back to clear space.
"Nereus, you come too. You should hear this as well."
After a brief thought, Rocks called Nereus along before boarding.
The Giant soldiers didn't know what their king was discussing, and the Rocks Pirates were grumbling about Rocks wasting time.
But aboard Harald's ship, Rocks began to speak of a secret.
"Actually… I have a hidden name."
Nereus had been curious what Rocks was going to say, but the moment he heard the phrase hidden name, his thoughts jumped to something else.
On this sea, those with hidden names are never simple, like the mysterious "D." In the original timeline, even Law had a hidden name.
"That hidden name is Davy D. Xebec. The legendary pirate Davy D. Jones was our ancestor. The World Government has always wanted to wipe us out.
But we've clung to life in the shadows of the world… and somehow survived.
I've never told anyone this before. You two are the first outsiders to hear it… Nereus? Are you even listening to me?"
Rocks held up his massive sake bowl, speaking as if chatting casually, but when he turned his head, he saw Nereus seemingly distracted.
"I'm listening, go on. So, according to what you're saying, your clan is held in higher regard by the World Government than the Buccaneers or the Lunarians?"
Although he'd heard of the Davy Games and such, the moment Rocks mentioned Davy D. Jones, an old memory flashed in Nereus' mind, and a face like an octopus floated up.
Tied with the earlier mention of a hidden name, his mind had wandered a bit, drawing other associations.
"Hard to say. But we were definitely a clan targeted by the World Government. Two years ago, I had a child. Fearing my actions might affect them, I sent them back to my homeland.
And my homeland… is on God Valley."
"Don't tell me… the World Government triggered this just to lure you out?!"
Though Harald had claimed to be there to stop Rocks, upon hearing this, his expression showed a trace of concern.
"No. There are so many Celestial Dragons on that island. There's no way they want me to go there, right? It must've been a miscalculation."
"No, Xebec, you need to understand. There are two types of Celestial Dragons. One kind are the elite members of the Knights of God, and the other kind… is just ordinary trash."
Those trash make up the vast majority. Their lives and deaths aren't as important as you think. When you broke into Mariejois that year, didn't you see that person? Do you really think someone like that would care whether others live or die?"
Nereus refuted Rocks' view. Though he hadn't come into contact with Imu either, based on his own memories, he still understood a few things.
[To that person, even the Five Elders are just disposable tools to be replaced at any time. If dissatisfied, they're discarded without hesitation. If the Davy Clan really is in this situation, then casualties mean nothing to Imu.]
The rest remained in Nereus' mind. Some secrets were never meant to be shared.
"Maybe you're right. I used to think I was just unlucky, swept forward by the whirlpool of fate. But if it's really a conspiracy… that might make more sense.
Still, no matter what, I have to save my wife and child. Nereus, if your daughter were there, could you just stand by and do nothing?
Them capturing Shakuyaku is actually a stroke of luck. Their biggest mistake, really… otherwise, it would've been much harder to gather this many people on the island."
Rocks hadn't changed his mind. In the end, he even pleaded with Harald to help him, but Harald refused.
Afterward, according to information from a nearby surveillance ship belonging to the World Government:
Harald's ship suddenly caught fire, its mast was broken, and the Rocks Pirates were not stopped. They continued sailing straight for God Valley.
What exactly happened on Harald's ship, no one ever found out.
And it wasn't just the Rocks Pirates. Over time, other pirate crews, each with their own motives, also began moving toward God Valley.
Some came seeking treasure. Some wanted to make a name for themselves. Quite a few came for Shakuyaku.
The Roger Pirates were also headed for God Valley, and Garp, having received word from Roger, was likewise en route.
At this moment, God Valley seemed like the epicenter of a storm shaking the entire world, drawing in powerful figures from across the world.
Meanwhile, on God Valley, fear had begun to take root in the hearts of the natives and the slaves brought to the island.
The Celestial Dragons promised that anyone who could survive three weeks on the island would regain their freedom. That gave some people hope, making them believe this place wasn't necessarily a death sentence.
But in truth, it was a lie, meant only to encourage people to flee desperately, making the hunt more entertaining.
At the same time, others were plotting their escape from the island. Ivankov and Ginny, for instance, had already gathered together with a group of slaves, including Bartholomew Kuma.