Rocks Band: I have 48 Imperial Arms.

Esdeath noticed it too, but being aloof, she rarely spoke up.

"Is it really me?"

Locke couldn't help but frown.

Constantly searching through memory.

fine……

Intelligence still matters.

A flash of inspiration.

He suddenly recalled that when he had just escaped from underground, he was brushing away the choking dust when he seemed to sense something approaching from the sky. However, he didn't have the energy to deal with it and was in a bad mood, so he directly unleashed a powerful Xingyi Quan strike.

but……

That punch just now was enough to take down 'Flame'!?

The World Government's flagship, the Marshal of the Armed Forces, Yan?!

Why can't I believe it?

Locke was speechless. It was like flicking a fly and having it bounce off a nuclear warhead.

Nobody can believe that!

"Hahahaha..."

"Rock, you brat! Well done! Ten Devil Fruits will be your reward for that guy's head!!"

"Don't worry! I'll give you all the Superman series!"

Rocks waved his hand dismissively.

With his biggest problem easily solved, the occupation of God Valley was now a foregone conclusion. With his great cause succeeding, he was naturally incredibly generous. If he wasn't worried about giving too many rewards at once and causing an imbalance, he would have been perfectly willing to give Locke all the Devil Fruits he had treasured.

Anyway! To him, this thing is no different from Pele; it's just a tool to reward his subordinates!

A resounding victory! A triumphant victory! Overjoyed, Rocks was completely willing to give up!

Once we have the Valley of the Gods, the fruits and such will be no problem at all!

"Ten?!"

Locke's eyes lit up, and the witty remark that was stuck in his mouth was instantly stopped.

Ten Devil Fruits—that's more than all the spoils he painstakingly plundered in God Valley. This free reward is like a pie falling from the sky. How stupid would he have to be to give it up?

With some editing and reductions, we can still recruit one or two more Imperial Arms!

"Ten Devil Fruits? And Paramecia-type ones at that?!"

"If it were auctioned on the black market, it would be worth at least tens of billions of Berries."

"Wow... As expected of Captain Rocks, this is incredibly extravagant!"

"This guy's luck is just too good..."

"Why not me? It's just good luck popping out of the ground. I should have stopped it!"

"..."

Lox's words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

A high-yield nuclear bomb was dropped onto the calm lake surface. The atmosphere, which had been somewhat deathly still due to Yan's tragic death, was instantly overturned by the heat wave. The extravagant reward struck the very souls of everyone.

Ten Devil Fruits!

And it's not just a filler Zoan type, but a rare and valuable Paramecia type!

Although it's not exactly a world-shaking treasure, the amount is at least tens of billions of Berries.

With Yan's terrifying strength, he certainly deserves this bounty, and it might even be far more than that.

but--

Locke didn't actually kill 'Flame'.

At worst, all we get is kills.

Defeated by Rocks and falling to his death, his life force was completely extinguished. Any random Marine Vice Admiral or Pirate Commander could easily achieve this. It's like a windfall from heaven. How can anyone not be envious?

Many people even started to regret their actions, wishing they had been the ones to strike.

Chapter 155: One Punch, One Emperor-Level!

"Ten Devil Fruits?"

"hiss……"

"No, that's not right."

For a long time.

Locke snapped out of his reverie, having recovered from Locke's arrogance.

His face, however, lacked the shock and ecstasy expected of others; instead, it carried a hint of...strangeness?!

'Ten Devil Fruits?'

'That's a lot, but can I really get my hands on this?'

Locke frowned slightly.

His face wore a complex expression.

He didn't doubt that Lockes would exaggerate and fool him. Although what he did was never exactly honorable, he was quite reliable when it came to keeping his word. In all his years on the ship, he had never broken a promise.

Or!

For these legendary pirates, keeping their promises is almost as important as their own lives; it's basically their bottom line. They don't have to worry about being deceived or going back on their word.

but--

Locke's worry was that he couldn't do it!

Unlike others who were smug and thought they had won the battle after seeing Rocks defeat Yan, Rocks knew very well that the battle at God Valley would end with Rocks' death!

The battle concludes with the result of the Pirate Great Collapse!

Although I don't know the process.

but……

In the original work, Garp, the 'hero' who made great contributions to the Battle of God Valley and was deified after the battle, and Roger, the 'Pirate King' of Chapter 303, haven't even appeared yet!

and……

The Rocks Pirates, seemingly full of talented and formidable Yonko-level powerhouses, were outwardly happy for Rocks' great victory, but what they truly felt behind the scenes was hard to say.

Unless the Locus above them dies and disappears, they will be like ferocious beasts that are always chained, dancing in shackles, and will never be free.

Locke couldn't be completely sure what others thought.

At least.

A golden lion with the ambition to conquer the world is definitely not the type to remain subservient to others for long.

Or!

Those who possess Conqueror's Haki and the qualities of a king cannot remain subservient to others for long. This is the pride of a king and a conqueror. However, if Rocks had not died, with his terrifying strength, they would never have been able to escape this great ship.

Dragon coils!

Tiger crouching!

Nothing more than that.

'There are far too many people who want him dead.'

Locke paused for a moment.

He felt a complex mix of emotions. It wasn't that he sympathized with Rocks; with his weakling strength, he had no right to sympathize with this domineering powerhouse who was striving to become the King of the World.

(chag)

He was simply heartbroken about the ten Devil Fruits he was rewarded with after the war!

Including the bounty for capturing Celestial Dragons, this is close to fifteen, enough for him to summon two or three Imperial Arms to expand his abilities, or to evolve or transform them, for the same number of Imperial Arms.

hiss……

Thinking about it this way makes it even more painful!

-

Just as Locke was feeling a pang of heartache and a bit dejected.

Above!

Just when everyone thought the matter was settled, the situation took another dramatic turn.

boom--

Sound waves!