At the Same Time.
The New World, somewhere across the vast sea—onboard the Rocks Pirates' flagship, their ship cut through the waves, sailing with an almost eerie silence.
At the bow of the ship stood Rocks D. Xebec, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. His expression was grim, a rare sight for the most fearsome pirate of his era.
"Ayr, Shiki, Edward, Linlin… you lot better not have fallen on Hive Island!"
Rocks' voice was like a storm ready to be unleashed. He clenched his fists so tightly that the wood beneath him creaked under the pressure.
How did he know about what happened on Hive Island?
Simple.
Ayr had gone to Hive Island on a personal errand, something even Rocks himself didn't fully understand. However, Rocks had his own ways of keeping tabs on his key crew members, and this time was no different.
Among the forces under his command were numerous affiliated pirate crews—not direct members of the Rocks Pirates, but those who flew his flag out of fear, respect, or ambition.
It was the same way Whitebeard later had 43 allied pirate crews during the Marineford War in One Piece.
Through these affiliates, Rocks had received two crucial pieces of information:
1. Ayr had been seen on Hive Island.
2. The Marines had launched an all-out assault, deploying their entire top brass.
Knowing this, Rocks had immediately set sail toward Hive Island, trying to reach Ayr and the others.
But no matter how many times he tried to reach them via Den Den Mushi, no one answered.
A cold, uncomfortable silence.
Rocks knew what this meant.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
Had they fallen?
For the Rocks Pirates, losing Ayr, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and Charlotte Linlin would be an unrecoverable blow. These four were not just members—they were pillars.
If they were gone… his dream of ruling the world was as good as over.
On the deck, murmurs broke out among the crew.
"Damn Marines, sending an entire armada just to deal with Captain Ayr and the others!"
"It's over… Even Captain Ayr can't escape this."
"Four of our strongest fighters, gone in one battle… Our crew will never be the same."
Hopelessness spread like wildfire.
For the first time, the Rocks Pirates—the most feared crew in history—felt a creeping sense of defeat.
Even worse, there were some who were… happy.
Behind Rocks, Silver Axe, leaning against the mast, sneered.
"Captain, I don't think we need to waste time going to Hive Island," Silver Axe said, voice dripping with venom. "You know as well as I do, Ayr and the others are finished."
His hatred for Ayr was no secret. Ever since Ayr defeated him years ago, his pride had been shattered, and he was ridiculed by the likes of Golden Lion and Linlin.
Now, with Ayr possibly dead?
To Silver Axe, it was poetic justice.
Next to him, Ochoku nodded in agreement.
"Silver Axe is right, Captain. There's no point in risking our ship for ghosts."
Unlike Silver Axe, Ochoku had no deep hatred for Ayr. But in the Rocks crew, rivalry ran deep. If Ayr was dead, it only meant more room to rise in rank.
Then, John, the ever-greedy pirate, grinned.
"We should focus on raiding more allied nations instead, Captain. Why waste time on the dead when we could be filling our treasure chests?"
John was an opportunist. If Ayr, Whitebeard, and the others were dead, that meant their share of treasure was up for grabs.
Rocks turned slightly, looking at the three men.
His piercing gaze made them tense up.
He didn't say a word.
Because deep down, even he knew they might be right.
He didn't want to admit it, but if the Marines truly deployed all their top forces, Ayr and the others were likely… gone.
Still, he refused to believe it until he saw proof.
Then—
A sudden shift in the air.
Rocks' expression changed. The atmosphere felt different.
Then, from the edge of the horizon—
A massive tsunami appeared.
But it wasn't just any tsunami.
Standing atop the towering wave, like gods descending from the heavens, were—
Ayr, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Charlotte Linlin… and Kaido!
For a moment, silence gripped the deck.
Then—
"C-Captain Ayr?!"
"I... am I seeing things?! That's Captain Ayr, Edward, Shiki, and Charlotte Linlin!"
The entire crew erupted in disbelief.
"There's no way… How did they survive that Marine ambush?!"
Even Silver Axe, Ochoku, and John—who were just arguing to abandon them—stood frozen, faces pale.
They were certain that Ayr and the others had perished.
But now… they were back.
Not just back—returning atop a massive tsunami, like an unstoppable force of nature.
"Damn it!!! They're really alive!!!"
"What the hell happened on Hive Island?!"
The Rocks Pirates erupted in cheers, confusion, and awe.
None of them could believe what they were seeing.
Because just moments ago, they thought their future was lost.
But now—
Ayr and the others had returned.
And they weren't just alive.
They looked stronger than ever.
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