One Piece: Three Devil Fruits, Beginning with Darkness

"Mm?"

The keen senses of the Rocks Pirates immediately picked up on the faint disturbance. Without hesitation, their sharp gazes turned toward the alley where Jiger and his companions had poked their heads out.

However, upon realizing that it was just a group of kids, the pirates quickly lost interest.

Lingling let out a chuckle, her lips curling into an amused smile. "Ma~ma~ma! Just a bunch of little brats, huh? Even kids like these are being hunted as prey now?"

Rocks, however, did not dismiss them so easily. Stroking his chin thoughtfully, his piercing eyes locked onto Jiger, studying him with intrigue.

"That kid... he's got some fight in him," Rocks murmured. "Even after witnessing my strength, he's still brimming with battle intent? Interesting."

But Jiger wasn't paying the slightest attention to Rocks' words. His heart pounded violently against his ribs, an unnatural rhythm hammering through his chest. He clenched at his torso with one hand, his face twisted in a mixture of shock and frustration.

"Damn it... What the hell is happening to me?! Slow down! Now!!" he growled under his breath.

Ivan and the other two noticed his distress and immediately panicked, assuming he was suffering from some kind of attack or illness.

"Jiger?! What's wrong?!"

But Jiger felt nothing like weakness. On the contrary, an electrifying rush coursed through his veins, setting every fiber of his being ablaze with exhilaration. His mind was screaming at him to pick up a brick and charge at Rocks himself.

His body, too, responded in kind. Without realizing it, the hand clutching his chest had crushed the stone ledge beside him into crumbling dust.

This wasn't normal. Not even close.

A chilling thought flickered in his mind.

'Is this... my last burst of life before death?'

On the other side, Rocks had already lost interest, withdrawing his gaze. Jiger had piqued his curiosity for a fleeting moment, but his focus was now set on a far greater concern—Saint Garling and Saint Saturn, leading the Knights of God, who were standing in formation, poised to strike.

Rocks rolled his neck, a deep crack echoing from his joints as he spoke nonchalantly,

"Newgate, why don't you send those Celestial Dragons a proper greeting?"

The moment the words left his lips, a towering figure stepped forward—Newgate, his long golden hair flowing in the wind. His massive right fist clenched tightly, a translucent white halo of power forming around it.

Then, with a terrifying force, he swung.

**CRACK!**

The sound of shattering glass reverberated through the air as jagged fractures spread outward from Newgate's fist. In an instant, the entire Valley of the Gods trembled violently. Buildings collapsed, stone structures crumbled, and the very ground beneath them split apart.

The Tremor-Tremor Fruit's devastating power had been unleashed. And in the hands of the Whitebeard of his prime, its sheer destruction was nothing short of apocalyptic.

From behind, a massive shadow moved. Kuma, standing guard, moved on instinct, throwing its massive body over Jiger and the other two as debris rained down. Bricks and shattered stone pelted its thick hide, but it remained unmoving, enduring the brunt of the destruction.

Yet, the real danger had only just begun.

Newgate's devastating attack had triggered violent tremors, shifting the entire landscape of the battlefield. The very ground beneath them began to fracture and collapse. As the terrain twisted and cracked, the bear lost its footing. Clutching Jiger and the others tightly, it rolled with the impact, desperately shielding them from harm.

But in the end, it wasn't enough.

A tremendous landslide of rubble surged forward, swallowing them whole. Dust and smoke filled the air, obscuring all sight as the battlefield continued to unravel into chaos.

Meanwhile, far from the collapsing ruins, within the heavily fortified halls of the royal palace, Saint Garling expression was grim. The situation had deteriorated faster than expected. The Rocks Pirates were running rampant, and with the Celestial Dragons at risk, action had to be taken.

His cold gaze swept across the battlefield before he turned sharply to the elite forces at his command.

"Knights of God! Secure the Celestial Dragons at once!"

At his command, several members of the Knights of God broke away from their positions, their movements precise and disciplined. Their first priority was clear—rescue and evacuate the Celestial Dragons, no matter the cost.

Meanwhile, Saint Saturn stood alongside Garling, his fingers clenched tightly behind his back. His patience had worn thin. From the start, he had been stalling, delaying engagement for as long as possible. He was well aware that the Knights of God alone were not enough to defeat Rocks and his monstrous crew. Worse yet, they were forced to split their forces to protect the Celestial Dragons.

They needed reinforcements.

And finally, as he waited with mounting impatience, the reinforcements arrived.

A thunderous voice boomed across the battlefield.

"The Marines have arrived!"

At the forefront of the navy's forces was none other than the Supreme Commander himself—Admiral Kong.

And leading the charge alongside him were legends in their own right.

Vice Admiral **Monkey D. Garp** had barely stepped off the warship before he bellowed furiously, his voice shaking the air.

"Where the hell is that bastard Roger?!"

Garp had been enjoying a well-earned vacation. He wouldn't have lifted a finger for the Celestial Dragons' sake—except for one reason.

Sengoku had informed him that **Gol D. Roger** would be here.

And that was all the motivation Garp needed.

From beside him, *Sengoku*, still a general at the time, placed a firm hand on his shoulder, his expression grave.

"Forget about Roger for now!" he said sternly. "Look around you, Garp. *Every* member of the Rocks Pirates is here. Today's battle is going to be far more disastrous than we ever imagined!"

Not far from them, another figure surveyed the battlefield in silence. *Admiral Zephyr*, his sharp gaze scanning the ruins, spoke with a grim tone.

"That level of destruction… that was Newgate, wasn't it?" he murmured, frowning. "Even in his youth, the raw power he possesses is terrifying."

The arrival of the navy did not faze Rocks in the slightest.

Standing tall amidst the battlefield, he regarded them with a smirk of utter disdain.

"Well, well, well. The Celestial Dragons' *dogs* have finally arrived to protect their masters," he sneered.

His words struck a nerve.

The navy bristled with fury, yet none could immediately refute him. No matter how they justified their duty, Rocks had spoken the truth.

But one man didn't give a damn about words.

Garp exploded with rage.

"Shut the hell up, you bastard!!"

His fists darkened, coated in a dense layer of **Armament Haki**, as he launched himself forward with incredible speed.

In the blink of an eye, his figure vanished—only to reappear above Rocks and his crew, descending like a meteor from the heavens.

His iron fists gleamed in the sunlight, radiating an immense force.

**"Fist Bone: Meteor Smash!!!"**

Yet, just before the devastating blow could land—

**BOOM!!!**

Another figure intercepted him mid-air.

With an earth-shaking collision, **Newgate** met Garp's strike head-on, his massive fist wreathed in crackling shockwaves.

The impact that followed was cataclysmic.

A deafening explosion of power erupted as their fists collided, sending an unfathomable shockwave through the battlefield. The very sky split apart, clouds dispersing violently as the sheer force of their clash tore through the heavens.

The onlookers below could only watch in awe.

When the collision subsided, Garp and Newgate both separated, flipping through the air before landing back within their respective groups.

A tense silence followed.

Then, amidst the settling dust, a pile of rubble trembled.

From beneath the debris, Kuma, though battered, heaved a slab of stone aside, revealing Jiger and his companions safely nestled in its protective grasp.

As Jiger's vision cleared, his breath hitched.

The battlefield before him was a gathering of legends.

Whitebeard, Big Mom, Kaido, and Shiki—**all in their prime**.

The lineup before him was something out of a nightmare.

A dreamlike assembly of some of the **strongest pirates in history**.

And they were just getting started.

**WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!**

Several more figures descended upon the battlefield.

Saint Saturn, leading the **Knights of God**, had finally joined the navy's ranks.

As he arrived, a wave of black-clad figures emerged from the ruins—his **elite enforcers**, standing in precise formation behind him.

Rocks, however, remained utterly unimpressed.

Lowering his arms, he turned to Saint Saturn with a grin that was anything but friendly.

"You government lapdogs really have some balls," he said coldly. "Stealing *my treasure*…? Do you honestly think you can get away with it?"

His voice grew sharper, more venomous.

"Not only will I take back what's mine today… but I'll make sure the whole damn world knows **who the true master of this world is!**"

Saint Saturn's expression did not waver. He remained composed, unshaken.

"The Celestial Dragons are the rightful rulers of this world," he said calmly. "Everything and everyone—exists to serve them. You're nothing but a lowly pirate."

His words sent a ripple of unease through the navy.

Even among the marines, those who followed orders without question couldn't help but feel a flicker of disgust.

Yet, the Knights of God held no such reservations. To them, it was nothing less than absolute truth.

Rocks' patience snapped.

With a wave of his hand, his grin twisted into a snarl.

"I've heard enough," he spat.

His booming voice echoed across the battlefield.

"**Kill them all! I'm wiping out every single Celestial Dragon today!!**"

As his words thundered, the battlefield ignited into an all-out war.

But even before the first clash of blades and fists, Jiger had already made his decision.

Grabbing Ivan and the others, he hissed, "Run. Now!"

They were no longer spectators in this war.

If they stayed, they wouldn't live to see how history unfolded.