"Gyahahahaha! Now this is more like it!"
"Let's see if this world has made any progress!"
"I was once the man who would be King of the World."
Rocks's eyes narrowed before his furrowed brow instantly smoothed out, and he erupted into a booming laugh. As his roar echoed, the air of a true powerhouse returned to him.
He then whipped out the blade at his chest.
As black-and-red lightning crackled across the sky, he swung his blade, parrying Ryuuto's attack while simultaneously unleashing a cyan slash toward Ryuuto's landing spot.
This was the former King of the World! Utterly dominant!
"No wonder so many powerful people flock to your side. That indescribable confidence is truly moving!" Ryuuto remarked, watching Rocks.
But within his Domain of Lightning, Ryuuto held absolute control. An ancient-looking shield of lightning instantly materialized before him.
Bang!
Rocks's slash slammed directly into the lightning shield, producing a violent tremor. A shockwave swept out, whipping Ryuuto's purple hair into the air before dissipating into nothingness.
"Bring out your full strength!"
"An attack of this level won't even scratch me."
A slight smile touched Ryuuto's lips as he spoke to Rocks.
"Gyahahahaha! Then I'll show you the true fury of the sea!" Hearing Ryuuto's words, Rocks's lips curled into an incredibly arrogant grin as he spoke in a low, rumbling voice.
Under Ryuuto's watchful gaze, Rocks shot toward the sea's surface at incredible speed.
In an instant, countless black tides surged from beneath the waves, converging on Rocks and rapidly coalescing around his body.
Before long, Rocks had transformed into a colossal, octopus-like figure. The creature stood dozens of meters tall, with over ten thick tentacles thrashing against the ocean surface. Its entire body was composed of black seawater, exuding an indescribable coldness and the stench of death.
This was the true form of the Davy Clan!
Through some mysterious ritual, they had stolen a portion of the sea's power.
What a strange world! Ryuuto thought to himself.
The sight of Rocks before him defied many impossibilities. First, as a Dark-Dark Fruit user, Rocks should have been deathly afraid of seawater, yet now he was capable of wielding immense power within it.
This completely shattered the established rule that Devil Fruit users were weak to the sea.
It reminded Ryuuto of the rumors surrounding Devil Fruits—that they were cursed by the sea itself.
Perhaps this was the Sea God's resistance against the Forest God. He would not allow the Forest God's authority to extend into his domain.
And the Devil Fruits were the Forest God's proudest creation.
Now that Rocks possessed the power of the Sea God, he naturally no longer had to fear the sea's debilitating effects. Contact with seawater would no longer drain his strength. This was a conflict on a higher plane, a direct confrontation between two ancient gods.
"This might explain everything!"
Ryuuto nodded slowly. One by one, purple lightning spears materialized before him, each one radiating a terrifying might.
"Sigh... In the end, it's just a battle between gods!"
At this thought, Ryuuto's mood turned somber. He had already decided on his response. Taking the initiative, he waved his right hand, instantly sending the purple lightning spears hurtling forward.
"Chidori: Thunderfall!"
With Ryuuto's soft cry, thunder boomed as the volley of lightning spears descended upon the giant octopus.
"Gyahahahaha!"
"Dance of Death!"
Utterly confident in his power, Rocks let out a furious roar as his countless tentacles began to smash against the space before him.
Space rippled like the surface of the sea.
Waves of vibration were generated, rhythmically spreading forward to meet Ryuuto's considerable Chidori: Thunderfall head-on!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In that instant, countless collisions rang out as explosions rocked the space between them.
The aftershocks, like the wrath of heaven itself, spread out in every direction.
Purple lightning and black seawater crashed into each other, hissing and annihilating one another, sending sparks of electricity and drops of water flying everywhere.
This was the clash between the Thunder God and the Sea God.
The power was terrifying!
"What's happening over there? What's with that giant octopus that just appeared?"
Nami watched the scene through a pair of binoculars, her eyes wide with disbelief. She couldn't believe that someone was actually capable of fighting on even terms with Ryuuto. After all, even Imu, who had appeared not long ago, had been forced to flee from him.
"I can feel a terrifying stillness from that hideous octopus!"
Hancock's eyes narrowed, her expression exceptionally grave. She was starting to worry about Ryuuto.
"He looks incredibly strong. How exciting!" the Little Empress licked her lips and murmured, looking eager for a fight.
"You will stay right here!"
Hancock shot her a sharp glare, a clear warning. Though the Little Empress was strong, Hancock could feel that the power being displayed on that battlefield had already transcended the known limits of this world.
"I..."
The Little Empress started to speak but fell silent when she saw the fierce look in Hancock's eyes, swallowing the rest of her words.
Meanwhile, Ryuuto's figure vanished. In a flash, he reappeared beside Rocks. His head swelled to an immense size, and he lunged forward to bite Rocks.
The absurd method of attack left Rocks stunned.
"What the—"
"Dead Water!"
Suddenly, Rocks roared. Taking a deep breath, he instantly spat out a torrent of accumulated energy. The substance was as black as ink and carried a horrifying aura of death.
As it flew, the extreme cold accompanying the deathly aura began to freeze the very air around it.
The stream of Dead Water shot straight for Ryuuto's giant head.
"What the hell? You young punks fight dirty! We've barely started, and you're already spitting?" Though Ryuuto's words were crude, he treated Rocks's attack with the utmost seriousness. His head instantly exploded into particles of lightning, which then re-formed into a massive shovel of purple electricity that swung directly at the stream of Dead Water.
"Incredible!"
Rocks was shocked by Ryuuto's reaction.
It was just too imaginative.
As expected, the black water slammed into the purple shovel.
For a moment, the black water corroded Ryuuto's lightning shovel, but before it could eat all the way through, the shovel, empowered with boundless force, struck the glob of water like a cannonball and sent it flying.
As it flew back, it left a trail of frozen space in its wake.
"Hey, hey... you can't do that! You're not playing by the rules at all!"
Rocks was speechless with frustration.
He was beginning to realize that his attacks posed no real threat to Ryuuto.
His opponent was terrifyingly strong!
What's wrong with this world? He had just re-emerged, and both Imu and now Ryuuto were opponents he couldn't defeat.
What was the point of all his years of hiding and scheming? Was it all just practice for enduring hardship?
Rocks was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
I can't waste any more time. If I drag this out, Imu will catch up to me! Rocks's expression grew grave, his face shifting through a range of emotions as he weighed his options.
"In that case..."
"Ryuuto, let's work together!"
Suddenly, the giant octopus's mouth uttered words that Ryuuto found hard to believe.
"What? We're not fighting anymore?"
"Cooperation? On what basis could we possibly cooperate?"
Ryuuto asked, confused. He had no idea what Rocks was planning.
"You can't look at it that way. As far as I know, we have a common enemy: Imu! So why can't we cooperate? No matter how we get there, our goal is the same—to defeat Imu!"
Rocks spoke slowly, trying to persuade Ryuuto. As he talked, an expression of utmost sincerity appeared on his face.
"Imu? Why can't I defeat him myself? Why would I need to cooperate with you?" Ryuuto couldn't help but question the proposal, feeling not the slightest bit of interest in Rocks's idea.
"You may not be aware, but Imu's power has grown tremendously."
"And you may not believe this, but Imu will be here very soon! When that happens, both this giant ship, Noah, and Fish-Man Island will be reduced to ash, becoming nothing more than history."
"Therefore, there is only one path left for us—to join forces and defeat Imu!"
Rocks's words were filled with a rousing passion.
"It seems you've convinced me!" Ryuuto first gave Rocks a suspicious look. He still didn't know what had happened with Imu, but since it involved him, Ryuuto had to be extremely cautious. After all, Imu had eight hundred years of history; there was no telling what other tricks he had up his sleeve. So, Ryuuto decided to tentatively agree.
He wanted to see what Rocks had planned.
Besides, as the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
He and Rocks certainly had a common ground for cooperation.
Just then, Shirahoshi, lying in the Ryugu Palace on Fish-Man Island, grew even more distressed, moaning as if in immense pain.
"Tell me, what is it that you seek?"
Ryuuto then asked the question to Rocks.
"The Sea King!"
Rocks replied in a deep voice.
"Impossible!"
Hearing this, Ryuuto rejected him instantly.
"Don't be so quick to refuse."
"Everything has a price. I will trade you ten Devil Fruits for the Sea King."
A smile played on Rocks's lips, and he seemed incredibly confident. As he spoke, he even dispelled his giant octopus form, standing before Ryuuto with a grin.
"Devil Fruits?"
"I couldn't care less about those things!"
Ryuuto said with disdain. With the vast amount of reputation points he had accumulated, there wasn't a Devil Fruit in the world he couldn't obtain.
"Tell me your true purpose."
"I have my suspicions, but I'm missing a few pieces to connect everything."
Ryuuto then turned the tables, stating his own demand. More than any physical objects, he was concerned about the power boost Rocks would gain from the Sea King and what his ultimate goal was.
He had a growing suspicion—it likely had something to do with the "Sea God" power Rocks had displayed.
"Gyahahahahaha! Then I'll tell you the truth. I need the other part of the Sea God's power. Only then can I truly defeat Imu."
"The Sea God never admits defeat!"
Rocks bellowed, holding nothing back. This was the forthrightness of a true powerhouse, and it allowed Ryuuto to learn everything from his own mouth.
"I see."
"Then how do you plan to obtain the Sea God's power from the Sea King?"
Ryuuto asked curiously.
At the same time, he deactivated his Domain of Lightning. It seemed a fight was unlikely for the time being, so he might as well conserve his energy for any unexpected developments.
"That's my secret. All you need to tell me is whether you agree or not."
Rocks said calmly. After speaking, he clapped his hands, as if giving a command to his subordinate.
"It seems we can't come to an agreement!"
Ryuuto shouted, his gaze turning sharp once more.
Thump, thump, thump...
Soon, a figure in armor approached, carrying ten wooden chests. It was one of Rocks's former crewmates, Silver Axe, a man of astonishing power.
A formidable aura emanated from him. It seemed Rocks had summoned his true soul as well.
"Here are ten Devil Fruits. Our offer is always on the table!" Rocks said, closely watching Ryuuto's expression. But no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't glean the information he wanted.
"How much do you know about this world? Would you like to hear my story?" Seeing Ryuuto unmoved, Rocks tried to play the sympathy card.
He proceeded to tell his tale, from the secrets of Imu to the God Valley Incident, and from there to the mission his Davy Clan had borne for generations.
Ryuuto listened to the story of Rocks's rather unhappy life.
The man had carried too many burdens.
However, that didn't seem like a valid reason for him to take the Sea King.
As far as Ryuuto was concerned, taking the Sea King meant taking Princess Shirahoshi. That was unacceptable; Shirahoshi was their dear friend.
"I can feel the Sea King's suffering!"
Suddenly, Rocks looked at Ryuuto and spoke in a low, solemn voice.
Only then did Ryuuto understand that Rocks had long since discovered Shirahoshi's identity as the Sea King.
"I can end her suffering!"
With that, Rocks threw out another massive temptation.