Chapter 27: Belief and future

Off the Coast of God Valley, at Sea

"W-What the hell is this…!?"

Government-owned God Valley loomed in the distance, its surroundings a scene of devastation. The Marines aboard the surveillance and escort warships could only stare in horror.

These were no ordinary sailors—they were elite Naval HQ soldiers, veterans of the Grand Line and even the New World. They had seen it all: freak weather, impossible currents, the madness of the sea itself.

But this was something else entirely.

"C-Captain!! The seas are too rough—we can’t get any closer!!"

"Tsunamis, earthquakes, the sky burning with lightning and fire…!! It’s like the end of the world!!"

Even from afar, the cataclysmic phenomena centered on God Valley were enough to freeze their blood. The waves battered their ships, tremors rattled their hulls—if it was this bad here, what fresh hell awaited on the island itself?

Yet the commanding officer, teeth gritted, roared over the chaos:

"Stand your ground!! Vice Admiral Garp is fighting out there!!"

"B-But with conditions like this, even approaching is—!! And there are still pirate ships in the area—!!"

"Tch…!! Just get us closer!! If we can get within artillery range, we can provide support!! Every inch counts!!"

"Y-Yes, sir!!"

The crew scrambled across the heaving deck, some stumbling, others barely keeping their footing. The sea itself seemed to rebel—no ordinary storm, but something worse.

"What in God’s name is happening on that island…!?"

The reports had been clear: the Rocks Pirates, the Roger Pirates, Vice Admiral Garp’s forces clashing, Celestial Dragons caught in the crossfire.

A government island, drawing monsters of the age. The officer suppressed a shudder.

And with that, the fleet pressed forward—toward the storm, toward the war, toward God Valley.

---

"Hah… hah… Ahahahaha…!"

The battle had been raging for some time now.

In terms of hours, it wasn’t that long—but even so, it was far more grueling than fighting nonstop for half a day.

Every single opponent here was strong. The Marines were one thing, but the Roger Pirates were on another level. Even without our infighting, we couldn’t overpower them.

It hurt. It was exhausting. Agonizing. People around me died. I killed. Screams echoed. Blood flowed. Fear took root.

By all rights, these were things humans should despise. No one truly likes war, they say. No one fights because they want to.

—Then I suppose those who do enjoy it… aren’t human at all.

"Oi, brat! Why don’t ya give up already?!"

The voice came from a familiar face—one of Roger’s crew.

Even as enemies, they must’ve pitied me. A girl, bleeding and gasping for air, still throwing herself into battle—any decent person would find it hard to watch.

I appreciated the sentiment.

But—I’d never stop.

"Pfft… Don’t joke around!! I can still go, and I’m here because I want to fight…!!"

"Worororo…!! Damn right…!! A battle this fun? No way I’m backing down…!!"

"Tch… Those damn monsters…"

Not far away, Kaido roared in agreement, his face twisted into the visage of a bloodthirsty beast—no, a demon. It almost made me laugh. What a terrifying expression.

But I was probably making the same face. I couldn’t see myself, but I knew I was grinning. Because this was fun.

The pain people hated, the suffering, the blood, the screams, the killing, the deaths—none of it weighed on me. To me, it was exhilarating.

Every sight, every sound, every sensation sent my heart racing. The thrill of battle was like a theme park—I felt like a child again.

"...You’re enjoying this way too much…!!"

"...Yeah. Our little apprentice… she’s always like this!!"

"GYAAAAAAAAAH—!!?"

"!"

A man went flying—literally launched into the air.

The cause? A clash between two legends—Silvers Rayleigh and "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate.

A storm of Conqueror’s Haki, Armament-infused strikes, their sheer will colliding. This was the kind of fight you only saw if you threw yourself into the fray. I wanted in. I wanted to challenge the strong, to savor the battle even more—but we were still too weak to truly enjoy this war.

And yet… one day, I would fight monsters like them.

"—Why do you fight so recklessly?"

"...Huh?"

In the middle of his duel with Whitebeard, Rayleigh asked me that. His eyes never left his opponent—just a genuine question tossed my way.

"You’re still young. Keep pushing like this, and even your toughness won’t save you…!"

"Tch…!"

"…………"

Even for Rayleigh, fighting Whitebeard was no joke. The gap between them wasn’t huge—if anything, Whitebeard seemed stronger.

But the fact that he bothered to ask… meant he cared. Honestly, everyone’s so damn worried about me. It was almost annoying.

Still, I answered. We weren’t strangers, and this was a chance to declare my resolve.

"—Because I have to get stronger."

"For your age, you’re already plenty strong…!"

"For my age, yeah. But I’m gonna be a great pirate. The kind who stands beside the strongest."

"...So Rocks is that important to you—"

"Ah, not the Captain. Don’t get it twisted."

"! Then—"

Seeing Rayleigh’s confusion, I grinned. No, it wasn’t Captain Rocks.

"—Kaido’s the man who’ll be the strongest pirate."

"!!"

My words made both Rayleigh and Whitebeard pause. What nonsense is this? they must’ve thought. But I didn’t care. This was my vow.

"So as his sworn sister, I’ve gotta be strong enough to stand with him…!! No time to slack off—you guys get it, right?!"

"...Yeah. I do."

"…………"

Rayleigh nodded, as if he understood.

But Whitebeard stayed silent. Ever since Roger slipped away earlier, he’d been… distant. He was fighting, but the fire in his eyes was gone. No, not his skill—his drive. Maybe he’d finally realized the gap between what he was doing… and what he truly wanted.

"You’ve got some nerve…!!"

"Guh!? Big Mom’s back up!?"

"Shit!! Fall back!! She’s charging up!!"

"Wha—!?"

Just as I was lost in thought, the rocky cliffs behind me exploded, and Linlin emerged with a face like death itself. She’s back already!? Oh crap—

" Raitei (Heavenly Thunder)!!!"

"Move!!"

I dodged upward as lightning ravaged the ground below. Those too slow—allies and enemies alike—were blasted away.

"Phew… That was close!"

"Oi!! You alright, brat?!"

"Somehow! More importantly—Kaido, now’s our chance!! That opening just gave us an advantage!!"

"! Right! Let’s move!!"

"Wait, don’t just charge in without thinking—ugh!!"

I sighed as Kaido nearly bulldozed ahead, clearly forgetting our actual objective. Guess I’ll have to take charge.

Using my flight ability, I soared higher, scattering UFOs around me as I scanned the battlefield.

"Now, where’s the treasure…? And Captain Rocks, Roger’s crew…?"

My Observation Haki wasn’t refined enough to pinpoint everything, but I could vaguely sense the chaos. The island’s center was a maelstrom of destruction—visible even from here.

Then—bingo. Piles of treasure chests!

"Kaidou~~~!! Over here!! Found it!! Follow me!!"

"! Which way!?"

"THIS way!! Come on!!"

"Ooh!! Anyone in our way gets crushed!!"

"Hey—get back here, you damn rookies!!"

I dropped back to the ground, leading Kaido toward the loot. Treasure meant rewards—or at least souvenirs. For our future independence, we needed all the wealth we could get! Even if it wasn’t the main prize, it’d still be worth it.

Plus, we might even catch a glimpse of Rocks and Roger’s battle!

Laughing, I charged ahead with Kaido. Voices and pursuers trailed behind us, but in this chaos? Two rookies like us could still slip through.

And if we were truly Rocks Pirates… we’d never hold back!

---

North of God Valley’s Center

The scene unfolding here marked the relentless advance of a single man—pushing his enemies to the brink.

"GEHAHAHA!! What’s wrong!? Came out all cocky just to disappoint!?"

"Tch…!!"

"To think… lowly surface scum would…!!"

Amidst the ruins and screams, Rocks stood triumphant.

Not even the Holy Knights could halt his rampage. Their faces dripped with sweat as the devil’s laughter echoed around them.

For Celestial Dragons—beings who saw themselves as gods—this humiliation was unbearable. Their entire elite force was on the defensive, barely avoiding casualties.

But time was running out.

"Once I finish you off, the rest of those worthless Celestial Dragons are next!! Time to drag you all to hell!!"

"Damn you…!!"

Rocks’ overwhelming Haki shook the very island.

As Garling, the Knights’ strongest, stepped forward to shield the others—

"—Fall back… Holy Knights."

"!?"

"—Hah?"

A figure descended from above, intercepting Rocks mid-strike.

The ground split, dust swirling. The Knights obeyed instantly, retreating as Rocks effortlessly dodged—but his eyes widened at the silhouette emerging from the smoke.

"! Well, well… another monster joins the fray!!"

"…………To think a single man could push the gods this far…"

"—Saint Saturn!!"

The name spilled from the Knights’ lips.

Jegarcia Saturn, Warrior God of Science and Defense.

One of the Five Elders—the highest authority of the World Government.

And his form… was anything but human.

Rocks’ grin twisted with glee.

"Saturn…? GEHAHAHA!! Now this is interesting!! The ‘pinnacle’ of the World Government—a fucking monster in disguise!! What’s your power, huh!?"

"No answer is necessary… Holy Knights, handle the rest. I will deal with this one."

"Tch… Understood!"

Saturn ignored the question, his focus locked on Rocks. He’d sensed the danger—if left unchecked, this devil would slaughter every Celestial Dragon here.

Meanwhile, Rocks’ curiosity burned brighter.

"GEHAHA…!! Fine, I’ll just beat the answers outta you!! Perfect timing, really… I’ve got questions for you bastards—and was planning to kill you all soon anyway!!!"

"Rocks D. Xebec… you are a blight. This ends here."

"GEHAHAHA!! Then STOP ME!! Though—something tells me you can’t!!!"

"…!!"

With that, Rocks lunged at Saturn—the devil charging the eldest god without a shred of fear.

---

As they neared the island's center, they witnessed the area plunged into absolute chaos.

Until just moments ago, God Valley had been an island of despair where enslaved people wailed in agony.

At first glance, little seemed to have changed—destruction and sorrow still reigned. The same screams echoed, yet now they stemmed not from one-sided slaughter but from genuine battle.

"Pirates are causin' mayhem!! I can't believe our luck’s finally turnin’!!"

"Hah…! Hah…!"

Hidden behind crumbling buildings, Ivankov and Kuma pushed forward, seizing their golden opportunity. Structures and terrain were being obliterated around them, stray projectiles whizzing past. The ground trembled violently, thunder roared, and fires erupted everywhere.

Beyond that, supernatural phenomena ran rampant. And permeating it all was an overwhelming presence they couldn’t yet comprehend—Haki.

To mere children like them, it was undeniably terrifying. But they couldn’t afford to freeze. Countless enslaved lives, including their own, depended on their success. Their mission was clear: snatch survival from the jaws of doom.

"Waaaah!!"

"!?"

"The building—!!"

Suddenly, a structure near the island’s core exploded.

The blast seemed like cannon fire from afar, though its true origin mattered little. What did matter was the shattered altar and the treasure chests now scattered across the ground.

"Hey, look!!"

"Yeah!! That’s it!! Run, Kuma!!"

Ivankov’s shout sent Kuma sprinting. With no guards or marines to hinder them—none who’d spare a glance their way—they pried open chest after chest.

"Open every last one!! If ya find somethin’ fruit-shaped, yell!!"

"Got it!!"

Inside lay rare artifacts, tournament prizes, even valuables like gold—useless to them now. Their only goal was escape.

And that required the ocean’s hidden treasure—

"Found it!!"

"Yeah, me too!!"

Clutched in their hands: Devil Fruits.

They knew these held the Nikyu Nikyu Fruit’s power to repel people across islands, and one other invaluable ability. Their plan was simple: eat them, claim that power—

"This one, right!?"

"Damn straight!! Who cares which is which—chow time!!"

But this island teemed with treasure-hungry pirates.

"—Hey, don’t you DARE eat those!!"

"!!?"

"Iva-chan!!"

Inevitably, interference came.

The children never saw it coming. Literally. A small girl—around their age—descended from the sky, flanked by four UFOs (red, blue, green, and rainbow), and dropkicked Ivankov square in the face.

"Score!! First one retrieved!! Gotta catch ’em all, so—hand it over!!"

"…!!"

They didn’t know who this girl—Nue—was. But one thing was clear: she was a powerhouse, a true threat in this battle for treasure.