One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 172: Azure Dragon on the Left, White Beard on the Right!

Whitebeard stood side by side with Rocks.

Two powerful figures stood there.

They faced the King of the World, the Five Elders, and the Knights of God.

It is a grand gathering of the world's most powerful monsters.

But the energy emanating from the two of them soared to the sky, showing no sign of being suppressed.

Instead, they resembled two swords about to be drawn from their sheaths, their sharpness fully revealed, bracing against the overwhelming power of the opposing force.

Dead silence.

On the battlefield, only the whistling sound of the wind whistling through the corpses could be heard.

The air was taut like a string.

Rocks suddenly turned his head and glanced at Newgate beside him.

His face, which had been extremely solemn, suddenly cracked open, revealing his gleaming white teeth.

"Newgate".

He shattered the deathly silence with a mocking tone.

"Those guys over there aren't just small fry."

"Each one of them is as strong as a monster."

"Are you sure you want to stay here? I'm afraid we won't get anything out of this."

The white-bearded man didn't even glance at him; his eyes remained fixed on the figures ahead.

He simply hoisted the massive naginata "Murakumogiri" onto his shoulder.

His movements were bold and unrestrained.

"Gurararara... Enough talk, Rocks!"

His voice was deep and domineering.

"I've been getting plenty of free drinks on your boat all the time!"

"My wine isn't for nothing!"

No further words were needed.

The phrase "The wine isn't for nothing" carries a weightier promise than a mountain.

It's a friendship so deep you'd give your life for it.

However, at the very moment when this great battle was about to break out...

hold head high!!!

A loud, high-pitched dragon roar, filled with excitement and wildness, exploded from the sky!

The dragon's roar was like a thunderclap, instantly shattering the solidified oppressive atmosphere on the battlefield.

Everyone looked up.

Rocks.

Whitebeard.

On the other side are Im and the Five Elders.

it's dark.

A giant azure dragon blocked out all the light and coiled above the two of them.

The ferocious dragon head, the iron-gleaming dragon scales, and the giant eyes burning with purple flames all proclaim the ultimate form of a creature.

Kaido!

Kaido, who just obtained the Mythical Zoan-type Fish-Fish Fruit in its Azure Dragon form!

He is extremely excited now, you could even say he's carried away with his pride.

Its massive body tumbled wildly in the air, stirring up the wind and clouds, completely disregarding the world-shattering spectacle on the ground.

For him, nothing was more important than the new power he had just acquired!

"Brother Lox! Brother Newgate!"

From the dragon's mouth came a shout of youthful excitement.

His tone was exactly like that of a child who had just received a new toy and was eager to show it off to his older brother.

"Look! Look!"

"I finally... I finally have Devil Fruit powers! Hahahaha!"

His enormous dragon head slid down, almost poking Rocks and Whitebeard in the forehead.

The dragon's eyes were filled with pure joy, waiting to be praised.

Seeing Kaido's foolish appearance, Rocks' tense face finally relaxed.

He raised his head and looked up at the huge dragon head. The smile on his face was no longer manic, but warm.

"Congratulations, Kaido."

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached Kaido's ears.

"I haven't seen you this happy in a long time."

A simple greeting.

There was no boasting about strength, no assessment of power or weakness.

But this made Kaido's huge dragon eyes blink, and the satisfaction of being acknowledged made him let out a low growl of excitement.

On the other side, Whitebeard ignored Kaido's boasting.

He simply looked up and scanned the opposing Five Elders and the Knights of God with his hawk-like eyes.

Then, he withdrew his gaze, shouldered the naginata, and spoke to Rocks in a deep voice.

"Lox, you've got quite a few enemies, haven't you?"

He grinned, revealing teeth that tasted of blood.

"But this is for the best... Now, at least we can finally have a proper fight!"

Upon hearing Whitebeard's words, the smile on Rocks' face slowly faded.

He looked ahead again, and the last trace of warmth faded from his eyes.

Instead, it has become sharper than ever before.

It is a blade that can cut down even gods.

Don't underestimate Newgate!

"What we are facing now..."

His voice was deep and hoarse, carrying a weight that made one's heart tighten.

"Perhaps, this is the world government's 'strongest' in eight hundred years."

Rocks.

Whitebeard.

Kaido.

At this moment, the two future emperors of the sea officially gathered on the battlefield of God Valley.

Their terrifying drive to tear the world apart finally made the high and mighty world king on the other side look at them seriously for the first time.

The Saint Satan, possessed by Im, swept his inhuman eyes over Lox and Whitebeard, then looked up at the Azure Dragon in the sky.

Finally, his gaze returned to Lox.

He spoke slowly.

The voice was devoid of emotion, neither loud nor soft, yet it carried the power of rules, clearly resounding in every corner of the battlefield and penetrating everyone's ears.

It is a divine oracle.

"Locus".

Im, or rather, Satan Saint, called out the name of the sea overlord in an ancient and indifferent voice.

"Hmm, I'll give you a chance."

The moment those words were spoken, everyone in the room was stunned.

Rocks and Whitebeard!

Even the Five Elders and Garin Saint behind Im had expressions of disbelief on their faces.

They couldn't understand why this supreme king would say such things to a pirate in such a deadly situation.

Im ignored everyone's shock.

He simply stared at Lox with those empty eyes and continued to proclaim his "gift" in a divine tone.

"Submit to Mother".

"You can not only survive."

"Even your David clan will not be hunted down."

"Hmm, I can also grant you the status of a Celestial Dragon, making you a world noble, allowing you to enjoy divine honor forever, and placing you second only to one person among thousands."

boom!!!

This sudden offer of amnesty and these earth-shattering conditions were like a nuclear bomb exploding in everyone's minds!

To become... a Celestial Dragon?

To become a world aristocrat?

So they're going to offer amnesty?

It's an invitation from God!

For a man whose lifelong ambition is to "become the king of the world," this is a deadly poison.

In an instant, the entire battlefield fell into a deathly silence.

All eyes were fixed on the man with long black hair and covered in wounds.

Even Kaido, who was just showing off excitedly, now retracted his dragon form, transformed into human form, and landed behind Rocks.

He and the white-bearded man stood on either side of Rocks, both silently watching him.

There was no urging, no worry, and no doubt in their eyes.

Only complete trust.

It seemed that no matter what choice Rocks made—whether to fight or surrender—they would follow him to the very end.

Time seemed to stretch out.

The image freezes on Lox's face, which reveals neither joy nor anger.

A slight smile lingered on his lips, but his unfathomable eyes held a calm abyss, and no one could discern what he was thinking.