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

"Slash!!!" 

Without any surprise, as Segun lost his powers and lay helpless, a slash severed his head.

"Jihahaha, CP0 Deputy Chief, remember, it was I, Golden Lion, who killed you!" Golden Lion laughed maniacally over Segun's lifeless body.

With this victory, he had a notable achievement to boast about, having slain a CP0 Deputy Chief of the World Government. Now, he wouldn't fall behind when bragging with Li Yuan.

Environmental God Maz Saint, sensing Garlins Saint's aura vanish from the distant battlefield, didn't hesitate to break free from John's grasp, transforming into his full Itsumaden form to ascend into the sky.

"Retreat!!" Maz Saint shouted, signaling the remaining four Elders, who immediately grasped his intent.

Though reluctant to flee, the situation was dire. Staying longer might mean never leaving. The other four unleashed their might, repelling their opponents before using Moonwalk to ascend.

Alongside the Elders, Army General Hamadi Fisher, a steam Logia user, escaped Charlotte Linlin's grasp, using steam to propel himself skyward.

Maz Saint, in Itsumaden form with wings, carried the four Elders and General Hamadi on his back, flying away swiftly.

"Gurararara, those old guys ran when they couldn't win!" Whitebeard noted as the Elders fled, making no move to stop them. John and others shared Whitebeard's sentiment.

None wanted to detain the Elders. Despite their strength, they could have captured at least one, but chose not to.

"Hmm? They ran?" Li Yuan, retrieving the supreme-grade sword Rifting Wind Flowing Water, noticed the massive Itsumaden departing in the sky.

"These guys are just a coalition of interest," Li Yuan quickly deduced. Unlike him and Golden Lion, Whitebeard and the others weren't intent on diminishing the World Government's power.

"Jihahaha, Whitebeard, you let your opponent escape, while I killed mine!" Golden Lion laughed arrogantly.

"If you'd held them a bit longer, I might have finished them all. Killing a Five Elder must be quite the thrill!" he taunted.

"A mere Five Elder, there'll be more chances. The World Government won't take this lightly. They'll surely send forces to the New World once we return," Li Yuan remarked, approaching with Rifting Wind Flowing Water.

"Hmm? Li Yuan, did you kill that Divine Guard guy?" Golden Lion's keen eyes spotted the unsheathed Rifting Wind Flowing Water in Li Yuan's hand.

"Hahaha, how could I let him live? This is my trophy, the supreme-grade Rifting Wind Flowing Water, famed for its sharpness!" Li Yuan admitted openly.

"Jihahaha, no wonder you chose him as your opponent, eyeing that supreme-grade sword!" Golden Lion, a great swordsman himself, was envious. Collecting famous swords was a rare hobby, especially supreme-grade ones.

Li Yuan now possessed four supreme-grade swords, an extravagant collection!

"Yohohoho, enough talk, let's end this loot and divide the treasure!" John urged, eager for the treasure.

"Hahaha, let's wrap this up!" The captains quickly dispatched the remaining resistance on the island, sending their men to gather all the treasure aboard their ships.

Once finished, Golden Lion used his powers to lift the fleet, heading back to the New World.

"Yohohoho, so much treasure!" The nine captains gathered aboard Li Yuan's colossal Hades Underworld God ship.

Only this massive ship's deck could accommodate the mountain of treasure.

They'd agreed beforehand to pool their loot for distribution, avoiding mid-journey betrayals.

While some subordinates might have pocketed loot, it was tacitly accepted. Pirates, after all, were prone to such behavior.

"Hahaha, as we agreed, we'll split the treasure evenly. No objections?" Li Yuan proposed, eyeing the mountain of treasure. Without the gold from Shandora, his Infinity Pirates' wealth might not surpass this haul.

"Jihahaha, no problem. We agreed on this earlier, no breaking the rules," Golden Lion laughed.

"Yohohoho, I'm fine with it," John agreed, knowing he couldn't challenge Li Yuan, Golden Lion, or Whitebeard alone.

"Then let's have our men divide it," Li Yuan instructed, as the captains' crews began sorting the treasure into nine shares.

Once divided, the captains inspected, then moved their shares to their respective ships.

Meanwhile, Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr, en route to aid the Elders, watched grimly from their large warship.

A day away from Baladi Kingdom, they knew all major New World pirates, except Roger's crew, had gathered there.

"Admiral, it's Sengoku!" Sengoku received a call from Kong.

"Sengoku, return to base. No need to assist," Kong ordered.

"What? Could it be..." Sengoku speculated.

"Yes, the pirates left, and the Elders retreated. Except for the Elders and an army general, all Celestial Dragons and Marines perished!" Kong reported.

The World Government and Navy suffered heavy losses, seven vice admirals and numerous elite Marines, a quarter of their mid-level force.

"What!!" Sengoku trembled, clutching the transponder snail.

Damn it, if not for the World Government's insistence on guarding Baladi Kingdom, those Marines wouldn't have died.

If not for the Celestial Dragons' inhumane celebration, pirates wouldn't have been drawn to plunder!

"Return. I sense war is imminent," Kong warned.

As Fleet Admiral, he foresaw the World Government and Celestial Dragons seeking revenge, igniting war with the New World pirates.

Once war began, the Navy would be on the front lines.

"I understand," Sengoku sighed, ordering the fleet to return.

"Those bastards, let's see if they dare hold such vile celebrations again!" Garp cursed.

Zephyr, the non-killing admiral, agreed. Upon learning of the Celestial Dragons' celebration, he'd wanted to intervene, but couldn't.

Now, even pirates thwarting the Celestial Dragons seemed just, though he lamented the lost Marines.

"Enough, let's head back," Sengoku resignedly ordered.

Aboard the Hades Underworld God:

"With the treasure divided, let's sort the Devil Fruits next," Li Yuan declared, eyes turning to the nine large crates filled with Devil Fruits.

"Gasp!!!" As the crates opened, even the seasoned captains gasped at the sheer number of Devil Fruits.

"Sixty-five Devil Fruits total. I and Golden Lion each killed a top fighter, so we get eight each."

"The remaining seven of you get seven each. Any objections?" Li Yuan asked after a quick count.

"Gurararara, Li Yuan, that's fair. You and Shiki were outstanding this raid," Whitebeard acknowledged, noting they only gained one more fruit than the rest.

"Mamamama, no problem here," Charlotte Linlin agreed, as did the others, lacking grounds to dispute.

"To be fair, Whitebeard picks first, then clockwise. One fruit per round," Li Yuan proposed.

Whitebeard first, then Charlotte Linlin, John, and others, followed by Li Yuan and Golden Lion.

With no objections, they began selecting fruits.

With everyone satisfied, Li Yuan laughed, "This partnership ended well. I hope we can collaborate again!"

"Jihahaha, a great partnership. We'll do this again," Golden Lion agreed, pleased with the outcome, despite not capturing the Elders.

"Mamamama, count me in next time," Charlotte Linlin laughed, grateful for the opportunity.

The others were eager for future collaborations, ready to join as often as possible.

"Unfortunately, the Celestial Dragons' celebrations will be more secretive or trap-laden next time," Li Yuan mused.

After two raids, he wouldn't target their celebrations again, knowing they'd be prepared.

Future celebrations might exclude treasure and Devil Fruits, distributing them later at Mariejois.

To be safe, Li Yuan wouldn't raid them again soon, maybe in a decade or so, once vigilance waned.

The return journey to the New World was smooth, with Golden Lion kindly dropping each captain in their territories.

"Jihahaha, Li Yuan, do you really think the World Government will attack the New World?" Golden Lion asked upon reaching the Infinity Sea.

"Absolutely. The Celestial Dragons' losses will be public knowledge," Li Yuan explained.

"To maintain their image, the World Government must retaliate, or risk undermining their rule."

"Public knowledge? Are you broadcasting it?" Golden Lion inquired.

"Yes, I invited the World Economic News to join us beforehand," Li Yuan revealed.

"They captured photos and videos. By tomorrow, the world will know of our great feat."

Li Yuan grinned, eager to boost pirate influence and diminish the World Government's prestige.

"Jihahaha, meticulous as ever. I'll await the World Government's response!" Golden Lion laughed, eager for the impending clash.

In recent years, they'd slain many of the government's top fighters. This was a chance to test the World Government's strength.

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