One Piece: Chronos of the God Valley

Chronos's New Path and the Oro Jackson's Demise

After listening to Rayleigh, considering his body's need to take damage to get stronger, and recalling Garp the old scoundrel's history of smashing Captain Roger's three famous swords with his iron fists, Chronos made a decision that would profoundly impact his future.

"Alright! I've decided! From today on, I'm training in hand-to-hand combat! One day, I'll be as tough as that old geezer Garp! Boss Jabba, from now on, you're my true boss! Boss Rayleigh, don't look for me anymore, I'm afraid Boss Jabba might get the wrong idea!"

Having made his decision, Chronos ruthlessly abandoned his shabby little sword and scurried off to find Jabba, who was maintaining his axes at the stern of the ship.

Among the Roger Pirates' three super-giants, Roger and Rayleigh were master swordsmen; their hand-to-hand combat skills merely kept pace with their swordsmanship. Of the three, Jabba, who wielded an axe, had the best hand-to-hand combat abilities. After all, axes don't require as many intricate techniques; their path is one of overwhelming power. Just looking at Jabba's bulging pecs, anyone could tell he was a beast!

"You (＃｀)凸, Chrono..."

Watching Chronos walk away as cleanly as a scoundrel, Rayleigh, in his anger, recalled the past: So that's how they felt back then...

"Chrono, you should have come to learn from me long ago! Your body is naturally suited for hand-to-hand combat. A man should rely on straightforward power. Tricky things like swords are for women!"

Jabba, who had been bored sharpening his axe at the stern, saw Chronos running towards him with an admiring look, so excited his small sunglasses almost fell off his nose. A few days prior, after Chronos ate the Devil Fruit, he awakened Armament Haki without any prior training, which delighted Jabba.

Although he and Rayleigh were jointly known as Roger's "Right Arm" and "Left Arm" on the seas, Roger predominantly used his right hand. Coupled with Rayleigh's somewhat unkempt appearance, Jabba's reputation on the seas was far less than Rayleigh's.

If he could just teach a direct subordinate, then during battles, that subordinate could suddenly declare, "I am a direct subordinate of Roger Pirates' Celestial King—Jabba!" How impressive would that be?!

Unfortunately, when he talked to this kid a couple of days ago, Chronos firmly rejected his slightly brutal training methods due to fear of pain. But unexpectedly, just a few days later, the kid had changed his mind.

"Are you serious, Jabba?! You seem to have a problem with my sword-wielding! Want to go one-on-one?"

No sooner had Jabba finished belittling Rayleigh than a powerful burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted from the ship's bow. Rayleigh casually drew his N-th long sword, walking over with palpable killing intent. Shanks and Buggy clung to Rayleigh's legs, unable to hold him back; they were merely dragged along.

"Bring it on! You think I'm scared of you? Am I weaker than you, you damn scoundrel?! Today, I'll show you the charm of a rugged man!"

In front of his new subordinate, Jabba certainly wouldn't back down. He too unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, clashing against Rayleigh's. However, the two were evenly matched, unable to determine superiority.

But this caused significant distress for the Oro Jackson beneath their feet.

"Screech!~"

With a wail, the Oro Jackson's deck and railings began to crack and break...

"Ray... Vice-Captain Rayleigh, Boss Jabba, the ship... the ship can't take it anymore!"

The surrounding crew members were flattened on the deck by the shockwaves from the clash of Conqueror's Haki. Thankfully, Roger's crew followed an elite path, so no one was knocked unconscious by the Haki.

"Oh my god, my ship!"

Roger groggily emerged from his captain's quarters. Witnessing the clash of the two Conqueror's Haki, his own Conqueror's Haki involuntarily burst forth, forming a three-way standoff with the other two.

Finally, after witnessing three Conqueror's Haki clashing, the Oro Jackson fulfilled its mission and completely fell apart!

"Captain! Help! I ate a Devil Fruit, I can't swim!"

"My ship! My ship! Rayleigh, Jabba, you %￥#@%%"

An ear-splitting, soul-shattering wail came from the wreckage of the Oro Jackson. Chronos, clinging to a piece of deck, looked in the direction of the sound. Roger was in the water, embracing the debris and sobbing loudly—looking even more distraught than if his own father had died!

"Alas, those who do not plan far ahead will find trouble near at hand. Perhaps this is fate! Captain, what do we do now?" Chronos asked once everyone had transferred onto a Sea King that had been knocked out by Conqueror's Haki.

"Rayleigh, what do we do now?"

When in doubt, ask Rayleigh—this was a habit Roger had developed over many years; he couldn't be bothered to use his brain.

"Let's salvage the pirate flag and the Berries first. Then, let this Sea King take us to a nearby island. It's about time we got a new ship anyway. The Oro Jackson has been with us for decades; it's simply too old..."

As one of the main culprits, Rayleigh found a perfect excuse.

Oro Jackson: Rayleigh, may your mom's groceries always increase in price! Eating from the bowl, then cursing the cook—that's you...