Chapter 512: Chapter 512: God Valley Arc — The Curtain Call of a Real Man

While the events at Elbaf and Hachinosu Island were unfolding without pause, on an island called God Valley a group of uninvited guests also arrived. At the head of them was a man with yellow spiked hair, wearing armor and a cloak. He seemed to have discovered something different on the island. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

...

Heroes surge, destinies converge—everyone’s fate begins to be rewritten from the story of God Valley...

On a day shrouded by heavy rain, the atmosphere on Hachinosu Island became oppressively heavy. Orin, who had returned from roaming the seas, noticed that the mood on the island was solemn and strange. Countless pirates were crying silently, lying on the ground and weeping, and faintly there was even the spread and rampage of Conqueror’s Haki.

"What’s going on!!!"

Keek, who had come back in high spirits, couldn’t help but change her expression when she saw this scene.

Orin seemed to sense something, his brows knitting slightly.

"Could it be..."

"Orin!!!"

Along with a sobbing shout, a figure ran over from the distance. Orin focused his eyes and saw it was Gloriosa. At this moment she was in tears, completely crying her eyes out.

"Shakky, she... she... was kidnapped!!!"

"Waaahhh!!!"

Orin had already had a premonition, so he merely narrowed his eyes slightly. But the rest of the crew on his ship were in disbelief, and then began to wail.

"Shakky!!!"

"No!!!"

Orin raised his hand and cast a vacuum barrier, blocking the rain above their heads. He patted Gloriosa on the shoulder and, without saying anything, headed toward the center of the island.

At this time, Rocks and Newgate also looked grim, gritting their teeth with downcast eyes.

Orin took it all in, his gaze strange. It wasn’t that Shakky wasn’t important or that he was cold-hearted, but because of a single female pirate, more than half the world was thrown into panic and even the world economy had come to a standstill—no matter how you looked at it, that was a bit too...

But they would probably get the news very soon.

That major event was about to begin, wasn’t it?

Amid the oppressive atmosphere and wailing, Orin looked up at the sky. Keek stood beside him, her face full of dejection, yet not a single raindrop fell on her.

Sigh,

It was about time to leave...

During these days, Hachinosu Island received a piece of intelligence. In the oppressive, deathly still atmosphere, Orin sat in a house at the center of the island and received a mysterious message.

"Hello, may I ask if this is the Rocks Pirates of Hachinosu Island?"

On the Den Den Mushi, a bird head slowly surfaced, a smile on its face.

"Yeah. Who are you?"

Orin replied casually, while also observing the bird head imitated by the Den Den Mushi. Why did it look so familiar?

"You don’t need to care who I am. You only need to know that I have in my hands what you desperately want..."

"You’re Morgans, right?"

Orin cut him off directly.

"???"

Morgans, who had just been imagining pushing a huge event forward, froze for a moment, then fell silent.

"You want to say that Shakky is actually at God Valley, that the Celestial Dragons will likely go there too, and that you’re notifying us on purpose?"

"..."

There was a stretch of silence from the other end of the Den Den Mushi. Morgans’s excitement about plotting a huge event even cooled by a few degrees because of this.

I haven’t even said anything, and you already laid it all out for me?

"...I consider myself an expert in intelligence. Who are you, and how did you know all this?!"

The young king of news felt a strong sense of vigilance and wariness in his heart.

"My name is Orin. Presumably, we’ll get to know each other in the future, King of News."

It was probably through the information passed out by Ginny that he learned of the existence of the God Valley incident. Morgans, who loved big news and stirring up trouble, naturally wouldn’t keep this under wraps. He would much rather have the Rocks Pirates and the Roger Pirates charge into the Celestial Dragons’ camp so he could make a huge headline.

Orin wouldn’t stop him. Under the wary gaze of the birdman, he hung up the Den Den Mushi and then informed everyone of the news.

Rocks naturally chose to go. It wasn’t only for Shakky, but even more for his wife and children—they were still on that island.

The Rocks Pirates set out together, advancing toward God Valley. But the voyage wasn’t so smooth. A gigantic ship blocked their way.

The Elbaf royal warship!!!

Looking at the enormous vessel carrying giants, Orin, with a black gun on his back, didn’t seem to have much fluctuation in his eyes.

"Harald, huh...

So? Want me to sink this ship?"

Orin turned to look at Rocks and asked casually, as if he didn’t fear Harald’s formidable strength at all—or rather, as if he were very confident he could do it.

"No... I want to talk with Harald."

"Orin, if you want, come with me."

Rocks had never told the crew anything about his wife, children, or family, but Orin already knew, so there was nothing to avoid.

Rocks and Harald sat together drinking, while Orin sat to the side listening, holding a Den Den Mushi in his hand as if he were filming something.

When the two looked over,

"Don’t mind it, just a personal collection."

They didn’t care, and instead started drinking and chatting. Rocks slowly told Harald, the friend he acknowledged, the reason he had to go to God Valley.

"...As long as my wife and children can be safe, that’s enough for me."

"But this time I don’t seem to be very lucky. Help me once, Harald."

Between close friends, there is always some sentiment.

Harald was "defeated," and the Rocks Pirates continued their voyage.

Orin, who had witnessed everything, looked at that man who was calm on the surface but had a trace of urgency in his eyes. Holding a black gun, he seemed to be standing at a crossroads of fate.

"So this is fate..."

Then he looked into the distance at Keek, who was quietly sharpening her blade among the pirates, extremely excited for the coming battle.

"..."

"What’s wrong? You look like something’s off."

Newgate, carrying his naginata, seemed to notice Orin’s mood and walked over to ask casually.

"Nothing. I was just thinking that fate is unpredictable. Newgate, have you ever thought about what your own death would be like?"

"Me? It probably wouldn’t be dying of old age in bed. Compared to that, dying in battle would be more..."

Newgate understood Orin’s character and didn’t feel offended; instead, he answered after thinking seriously.

"To die in battle, huh?"

The corner of Orin’s mouth lifted slightly, and the originally oppressive feeling in his heart gradually brightened.

"Yeah..."

"The curtain call of a real man—shouldn’t it be a bit more spectacular?!!!"

Orin gripped the black gun at his side, and his thoughts slowly drifted away...