"One Piece: I, the Strongest Intern of the Roger Pirates"

Faced with pirates composed of former slaves, Dragon couldn't bring himself to fight them, so he led his men away.

With the Rocks Pirates now involved in the assault, he believed confronting them would better align with his sense of justice.

After Dragon's withdrawal, the pirates were left stunned.

"Boss... is he gone?"

The pirates still couldn't believe it.

"Seems like it. A man like him... he's not suited to be a Marine," the pirate alliance leader muttered softly, shaking his head.

Just moments ago, Dragon alone had stalled their entire advance, buying the Navy valuable time.

But just as the pirates prepared to press forward again, a group of unfamiliar figures in odd uniforms appeared. Judging from their insignia, they were also Marines.

At first, the pirates didn't take them seriously—there were only about a dozen of them.

But they quickly paid the price.

Though these mysterious troops weren't as powerful as Dragon, they were still far stronger than the average pirate, and their coordinated tactics inflicted heavy casualties.

As the pirate leader began to despair—thinking this might be the end—a booming voice echoed across the battlefield:

"So you're the Navy's secret unit? The great protectors of the Celestial Dragons? That's the best they've got? What a joke."

A solid, muscular figure—not tall, but broad—shouldered—stopped onto the field with a group behind him.

"Who is that…?"

Though the pirates didn't recognize him, they could all feel his terrifying presence.

The strange-uniformed Marines visibly tensed up at the sight of the newcomer.

"Don't engage him. Kill the rest of them first!"

The officer among the secret unit growled. He recognized who had arrived.

"Lord Rocks! You've arrived!"

The pirate leader quickly stepped forward and greeted the man respectfully.

Yes—this man was none other than the legendary pirate captain, Rocks himself.

"Kill them all? Aren't you underestimating us just a bit?"

John, standing beside Rocks, chuckled mockingly.

"Captain, leave this group to me," Wang Zhi said as he drew the sword from his waist.

Rocks and his crew didn't take either side seriously—not the pirates, and certainly not the Marines. To them, neither group warranted full attention.

"Attack!"

The commanding officer of the Special Forces bellowed and charged at the nearest pirate.

Their mission was clear: wipe out the pirates here.

As for the Rocks Pirates, Vice Admiral Zephyr was already en route to intercept them.

Their job was to buy time for the Celestial Dragons to evacuate.

But just as the officer was about to strike—

A flash of steel.

He was sliced clean in two.

"I don't mind chaos," Wang Zhi said calmly, sheathing his sword.

"But our captain made it clear—none of you are walking out of here alive."

The slash had come from him—instant and lethal, effortlessly cutting down one of the Navy's so-called elite.

"Then I'll leave the cleanup to you. I have business in the center of God Valley."

Rocks gave a faint smile and turned, heading toward the heart of the island—toward his true targets: the Celestial Dragons.

Meanwhile, after withdrawing from the harbor, Dragon rushed toward the location of the nearest Rocks Pirates member.

By the time he arrived, he found only a broad-shouldered man with short golden hair, finishing up a battle and preparing to move on.

"Edward Newgate… the infamous Whitebeard," Dragon immediately recognized him.

Newgate turned at the sound of his name—and saw a young Marine standing there.

"Boss Newgate, another lamb to the slaughter?"

"Oh~ Such a young Marine Commander… Looks like a tough one. Shame he picked the wrong opponent!"

The pirates around Newgate laughed mockingly.

Dragon didn't react. He was fully aware of how strong Newgate was—one of the strongest men on the seas.

"Newgate," Dragon called out, steadying his breath,

"You don't belong here."

"Brat, if you leave now, you still have a chance."

Whitebeard replied calmly.

"My justice doesn't allow me to bow to pirates. Let's go!"

Dragon drew his weapon and issued a challenge.

"Gurararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararar. Are you prepared to die?"

Newgate let out a hearty laugh.

"Taking my life won't be so easy!"

Dragon charged forward, but was effortlessly blocked.

As the battle between Dragon and Whitebeard erupted, out at sea near God Valley, two ships raced toward the island—one a pirate vessel, the other Garp's dog-head warship.

"Sir, reports confirm a pirate assault on God Valley. Among them… is the Rocks Pirates. HQ has issued a command: Protect the Celestial Dragons at all costs! Vice Admiral Zephyr is already en route. We should head there too!"

Garp's adjutant, Pokato, reported solemnly.

"So that's what this is all about. I was wondering why Roger kept heading this way... He's using this whole situation to stall me! Damn it, so sneaky!"

Garp sighed dramatically.

Pokato could only shake his head.

Of all the key points he just mentioned—Celestial Dragons, the Rocks Pirates—how is Roger the one Garp focuses on?!

Unlike Garp, the Roger Pirates, watching smoke rise over God Valley, looked visibly serious.

"Captain! The port's in chaos—clear signs of combat!"

From the crow's nest, Gollan reported.

"And it looks like it's getting intense!"

"Move in closer," Roger said with a nod.

"Wait… What's that?"

Rayleigh pointed toward the island with a frown.

"Not just the port—there's activity on all four sides of God Valley!"

Gollan confirmed, adjusting his telescope.

"They're trying to surround it… But with the Navy's strength, how could they be breached so easily?"

Rayleigh looked to Roger, brows furrowed.

"There might be a trap here, Captain."

"Speed up. Let's get to the port first."

Roger gave no long speech, but he too felt something was off.

When they finally arrived at the port, the truth quickly became clear.

The harbor was nearly deserted—just a few pirates cleaning up.

The ground was littered with the corpses of pirates and Marines.

"So they teamed up with the Rocks Pirates… to kidnap the Celestial Dragons?"

Rayleigh looked stunned.

He and Roger had believed this attack was purely to free slaves, not for treasure or personal gain.

But now, with the Rocks Pirates involved, everything had changed.

"Did it never occur to you... How would this all end?"

Roger asked one of the pirates left behind.

"End? We rescue the slaves and leave. That's it. The boss said Rocks would handle the rest."

The pirate replied with a confused expression.

"Roger… We can't let this go on,"

Rayleigh said gravely.

"If anything does happen to the Celestial Dragons, the World Government and Navy will go berserk."

God Valley wasn't just hosting a few Celestial Dragons—it was a specially-built royal retreat.

The number of them here could rival even Mariejois.

If Rocks succeeded in taking them hostage… it would trigger a cataclysmic response.

Listening quietly, Fang Yi's heart was in turmoil.

"God Valley… Roger… Garp… and now the entire Rocks Pirates are here. This is it—the battle that wipes them out, isn't it? But how? Just Roger and Garp alone… how could they possibly defeat monsters like Whitebeard, Big Mom, Shiki, and Rocks all at once?"

He couldn't make sense of it.

"Let's go stop them!"

Rayleigh's words jolted Roger back to full focus.

Yes—if the Celestial Dragons died here, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Meanwhile, none of the Rocks Pirates' elite officers attacking from the four directions had advanced.

After clearing out the defenses on his flank, Shiki sat down and relaxed, with no intention of moving further.

Charlotte Linlin and Silver Axe made the same choice.

"Lady Linlin, aren't we going to keep advancing?"

Her crewmates asked in confusion.

"Mama~ No rush. Let the captain finish dealing with those people—then we'll go collect the treasure,"

Linlin giggled.

"Ah, makes sense. You're always thinking ahead, Lady Linlin!"

The pirates were thrilled—less fighting, more looting.

After they scattered to rest, Linlin turned to a short figure beside her.

"Streusen, I hope your instincts are right."

"Don't worry. My instincts don't lie. Captain Rocks... doesn't intend to just kidnap the Celestial Dragons."

The man known as Streusen, Linlin's closest advisor, squinted knowingly.

He had recognized Linlin's strange powers early on and had nurtured and guided her.

Now, she had become his golden ticket to wealth.