(Vol 4) CHAPTER - 25 { Towards World Domination }

Grm!

The loud thunder reverted in the rocky mountains, inside a small cave extending not too deep, two figures sat around the fire keeping them warm and also providing light to see.

"Damn it. If only I had come earlier!"

Ace punched the hard ground with his bare fist, his face was livid. Marco on the other side of the fire held his injured belly.

"Not your fault. They were just too strong. Why wouldn't they be, after all, they have been on the sea for more than a hundred years."

But instead of showing anger or frustration, Marco had already accepted their miserable defeat.

He was deeply affected by this event, his mind collapsed in the weight of numerous thoughts.

Ace clenched his jaws and gritted his teeth. He took in deep breaths to calm himself.

"Marco, what do we do now?"

He asked. Marco raised his head and looked at Ace for a second before returning to stare at the red flame.

"I don't know. I, I can't think of anything…"

Marco's voice shook slightly, a line tear flowed down his cheeks and dripped on his lap.

The atmosphere in the cave was silent and filled with sorrow. Ace and Marco didn't even get to retrieve Whitebeard's dead body.

"So this is where you both have been hiding."

An old but aggressive voice entered the cave. A shadow appeared towards the deeper end of the cave where Ace and Marco were seated.

"Bastard!"

Ace roared in rage while Marco showed a grim expression on his face.

At the mouth of the cave, Rocky stood with his black hat on and a burning cigar between his teeth.

"Fuu… I searched you two for quite a while, you know. Now finally, I can finish my mission."

Rocky threw the cigar away and took off his hat. His deadly eyes glanced around the cave to see for any traps.

"This cave, it will be the grave of you two."

"No! It will be yours!"

Ace brought his hands forward and burst of flames came out his open palms heading towards Rocky.

Bam!

Rocky clenched his left hand fist tightly and punched the air before him. The flames were blocked by the wind and sound waves produced.

"Ahhh!"

Ace dashed forward, his body let out orange flames while Marco narrowed his eyes at Rocky.

"Ace, stop!"

Noticing that Rocky didn't show any change in his experience, Marco thought of something.

And his guess was correct as Rocky pulled out his revolver and shot three consecutive bullets at Ace.

Thud!

Ace kneeled on the ground, his eyes wide open in shock as they stared at his chest which had three bullet holes from where red blood squirted out.

"S-Sea stone b-bullets?"

Ace said with struggle, his body then fell on the ground as he fainted. Marco rushed and tried to heal him but the sea stone bullets were a big problem.

"Y-You! You took everything from me! What have we even done to you!"

Marco shouted at Rocky. His hands were clenched tightly, tears welled in his eyes, Marco lost in despair.

"What did you do wrong? Nothing."

Replied Rocky, he stepped in the cave while putting his revolver back and wearing the black hat. His huge body seemed to cast a shadow on Marco and Ace.

The fire in the cave had long extinguished due to Ace's sudden charge at Rocky.

"But it's just that you were too weak."

Hearing it, Marco couldn't control himself as he stood up and punched Rocky. Unfortunately, his injuries weren't healed yet.

Rocky caught the fist, his face still maintained the indifferent look as he twisted Marco's wrist and broke it.

"Ahge! I-I will kill you!"

Marco endured the pain from his right wrist, and he slashed at Rocky's face with his left hand.

Grab.

Yet again, Rocky caught his left hand easily and broke it from the elbow.

"Ahhh!"

Marco's screams resonated in the cave. Rocky stared down at Marco, and decided to end it.

Releasing his hands, Rocky grabbed Marco by his neck and lifted his whole body up in the air.

Marco resisted and tried to break free from the dire situation but he couldn't.

"L-Leave him!"

Rocky, confused, looked down to see Ace grabbing his leg and glaring at him with hatred.

"I have to say, both of you are exceptions."

Splash!

Blood dyed the ground red, brain matter flew and spread in the ground below Rocky.

He killed Ace with a single stomp of his foot. Marco was unable to process anything.

"A-Ace? Ace!"

Marco shouted, his face was already purple due to the blood accumulating in his head.

"It's over for the Whitebeard Pirates."

It was the last words Marco heard before his vision blanked out. Darkness enveloped as he died unknowingly.

Thud.

Rocky released his grip on the neck as Marco's dead body fell on the hard ground with a pool of red blood.

In the dark cave, Rocky stood alone. Two corpses lay before him, the only thing left was silence.

"What am I even doing? This isn't what I wanted. I thought once I had strength, I would not need to follow anyone but…"

Those words were like a bolt of lightning in Rocky's head as he came to realize.

Back when Rocky wasn't a pirate, he was a dedicated marine soldier.

He obeyed everything the higher ranks ordered him to do but never did he get rewarded.

Years went by, nothing changed but he did. Rocky understood what the true world was.

"As long as you have power, who can stop you? The World Government, people listen and follow their rules because they are not justice or the righteous side. It's because they had the strength to back them while the people didn't."

Finally Rocky got a chance to turn his life around. The base he was in was attacked by a mysterious pirate group.

There he fought and fought until he killed all the pirates, but nothing was left. His fellow soldiers, all killed in the invasion.

It was then, where he met with a huge creature. Maba, and the pirate group was none other than the Devil's Pirates.

Maba presented an offer, seeing the thirst of power in Rocky's eyes, which couldn't be refused.

The offer, it was a secret serum to turn Rocky into a super soldier in return that Rocky worked for them.

At that time, Rocky was truly blinded and couldn't see the truth hidden.

Ultimately, nothing had changed.

"I truly lost… And lived a wasted life."

Rocky sighed, he turned back and left the cave. He looked up at the dark clouds in the sky.

One mission was completed, but another came. It was to overtake the Beasts Pirates.

Rocky walked down the valley and soon met up with his crew. Currently, they were in Wano.

Also the main base of the Beasts Pirates.

* * *

In the sky, a huge creature swam forward. No birds came near it in fear and horror.

Akuma was not far from Wano, where the Devil's Pirates would clash with the Beasts Pirates.

Last time, due to the interference of Marines. The war between them had to be dropped in the middle.

This time, Akuma was going to end it for good. If Marines came again, he would like to see could fight him.

"I was not in my prime before, now I dare anyone to step in front of me and fight me to death."

Akuma lowered his body and observed the sea, not long after, he saw the huge pirate fleet of the Devil's Pirates.

It was led by Mint.

"Father!"

As her eyes looked up in the sky, she called out with a smile on her bright face.

Akuma swam down and came next to the Devil's Contract (the main ship).

"Is everything ready?"

Mint nodded her head. Akuma's body shook as he turned back to his human form and landed next to Mint.

"Inform Irish to load the missiles. Destroy as much land as you can and leave only a few people alive. But not a single samurai."

Akuma said in a plain voice. Mint bowed and headed inside the ship's control room where Irish was.

The sea waves started to get more intense as their ships got nearer to Wano.

The weather was also turning bad. Dark clouds were gathered and strong winds blew.

Akuma stood on the bow with his hands crossed over his hands.

His black hair moved with the air current, his eyes glowing in multi-color continued to look forward.

His body was unmoving like a mountain. His dreadful presence was enough for gigantic sea creatures to stay far from him.

"I will wait for you… I hope you come, Angel."