One Piece:Becoming the King of the World from the Rocks Era

Sergio Island, East Blue: 

The New World was in chaos. Many great pirate crews had set their sights on the territory left behind by Walde. 

But John had no interest in that. His vision extended beyond the New World to the entire world. 

"Yohohohoho! The World Government and the Celestial Dragons' base has been blown to smithereens by Walde. The entire world is in turmoil, and the World Government and Marines are stretched too thin. This is the perfect time to plunder treasures." 

"In the past, we could only loot at the edge of the Calm Belt, but now we have the opportunity to raid on a grand scale!" 

"Those short-sighted fools are fighting over scraps of territory in the New World while ignoring the vast wealth and treasures of the Four Seas. What a waste!" 

John chose a path opposite to that of the other great pirate crews in the New World. 

He wasn't interested in controlling territory. Even if he seized Walde's old turf, he wouldn't know how to manage it. How much wealth could he make from mere protection fees every year? Nowhere near as much as raiding the Four Seas even once. 

Taking advantage of the World Government's distractions and the New World pirates' territorial struggles, John secretly led his crew to the so-called weakest sea: East Blue. 

While East Blue was known as the weakest sea, this referred to the average strength of its pirates. The pirates' weakness meant fewer attacks on the kingdoms, resulting in flourishing commerce, prosperous kingdoms, and higher average wealth among its citizens. 

This made East Blue John's primary target. 

"Captain John, we're almost at our destination!" 

Edison Quintana exclaimed excitedly. 

John had chosen Sergio Island, a wealthy island near the Calm Belt, as his first target in East Blue. 

"Yohohohoho! Get ready, boys! Once we land, take all the treasures on this island for me!" 

As John gazed at the island, excitement filled him. He could almost smell the treasure. 

"Yes! Treasure!" 

"All the treasure is mine! Don't try to take any from me!" 

"Long live the Captain! With him, we'll never lack for treasure!" 

The pirates cheered wildly, eager to begin their plunder. Among them, however, were many veteran pirates who had been with John for years. Though their expressions seemed joyful, their eyes held a hint of concealed fury. 

Edison Quintana and Gastro Tack, John's trusted lieutenants, were particularly frustrated. They both had an extreme obsession with treasure. 

John not only refused to share his plunder with them, but he also seized a portion of their own loot under the guise of "safekeeping." Their resentment toward John had grown over time. If they were stronger, they would have killed him already, taken back their treasures, and claimed his wealth for themselves. 

Unaware of his crew's brewing betrayal—or perhaps indifferent to it—John only cared about treasure. To him, loyalty among his subordinates didn't matter as long as he could maintain control over them. His approach was almost identical to that of Rocks in the past. 

"Run! Run for your lives! Pirates are here!" 

"Damn it! Why is John, one of the great pirates of the New World, here?" 

"Mommy, I'm scared!" 

As John's pirates charged onto the bustling island, screams and panic erupted everywhere. People fled in all directions, but most couldn't escape. Against the pirates, the civilians were far too weak, and with the harbor under control, there was no way off the island. 

"John, you're going to die here!" 

Not long after John stepped onto the island, Garp burst out from hiding like a raging demon. Black lightning crackled around him, and his Conqueror's Haki swept through the area, knocking out the majority of John's pirates. 

"Garp! What are you doing here?!" 

John was shocked to see Garp, and his shock quickly turned to fear. 

Garp's presence meant that the Marines and the World Government were aware of his whereabouts. His location had been exposed! 

In the Four Seas, being discovered meant imminent danger. 

"Run!" 

Without a second thought, John transformed into his Devil form, spreading his wings and taking to the skies, heading back toward his ship. 

As the user of the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan Model: Devil Form, John possessed the ability to fly and was incredibly fast. 

But just as he took off, a massive golden Buddha descended from the sky. 

"Great Buddha Palm!" 

A giant golden hand, brimming with terrifying shockwaves and infused with Conqueror's Haki, slammed down with immense force. 

Caught off guard, John instinctively tried to dodge, but Sengoku's premeditated strike hit him squarely in the back. 

"Crack!" 

The powerful palm broke John's devil wings, sending him plummeting from the sky like a falling plane. 

"Yohohoho! John, today's the day you die!" 

Garp laughed heartily as he leaped toward the falling pirate. His fist, shining with a combination of Armament and Conqueror's Haki, glowed like a red star. 

"Bone Fist: Meteor!" 

Garp's figure disappeared in an instant, reappearing beneath the falling John. Like a meteor rising from the ground, he unleashed a devastating punch. 

Already injured from Sengoku's attack, John tried to defend himself. He conjured a wall of demonic flames and covered his arms in Armament Haki, but it was futile. 

"Crack!" 

Garp's punch shattered John's flames and defense, slamming into his chest and sending him hurtling skyward. 

"Great Buddha Palm!" 

Sengoku, stationed in the air to block John's escape, struck again. His golden hand, infused with dual Haki and shockwaves, slammed down on John. 

The two legendary figures played ping-pong with John, leaving him no chance to counter. Only his Mythical Zoan's incredible vitality kept him alive. 

"Garp and Sengoku are here! Let's run!" 

"Our captain is doomed! Can we take his treasure for ourselves?" 

Edison Quintana and Gastro Tack wasted no time. Seeing John surrounded, they rallied the crew to flee, taking as many as they could with them. 

"John, you're finally going to die, and all your treasure will be mine!" 

As Edison fled, he glanced back at the battlefield with a sinister grin. 

He had waited for this day ever since John had taken his treasure. Finally, his patience had paid off. 

"Damn it! Who leaked my location?! And those bastards—none of them are coming to save me!" 

John's fury boiled over. He hadn't shared his plans with any other pirates, so the betrayal had to come from his own crew. 

Seeing his trusted lieutenants abandon him confirmed his suspicions. 

"Yohohoho! Pirates will always be pirates. Rocks was betrayed by his crew and fell to my fists. Now you, John, betrayed by your own men, will meet the same fate!" 

Garp laughed as he pummeled John relentlessly. 

Sengoku remained silent, but his strikes grew heavier. 

With the World Government heavily weakened by Walde, Li Yuan, and Shiki, they couldn't afford to target the major powers. Instead, they focused on eliminating weaker yet notable pirates like John. 

Deprived of his wings, John was unable to escape Garp and Sengoku's relentless assault. Ultimately, he fell unconscious. 

"He's still alive. Send him to Impel Down." 

Seeing Garp ready to deliver a finishing blow, Sengoku stopped him. 

John's Mythical Zoan fruit was too rare. Killing him would only release the fruit into the world, potentially falling into the hands of another pirate. 

"Fine, let's take him back." 

Garp produced a pair of Seastone cuffs and secured them on John. 

*(End of Chapter)*