"Monster? I haven't heard that term used to describe someone in a long time," Rowen said, looking up at the sky. He was unsure of the origin of his self-healing ability, but he knew that it wasn't unlimited.
On Earth, it merely allowed him to speed up the healing of his injuries and engage in high-intensity exercise without worrying about further harm.
However, there was still a limit to his abilities and he could still die, especially if he suffered a sudden heart attack or pushed himself too far with his exercises.
But in this world, his powers had taken on a life of their own, completely beyond his control. With the ability to quickly heal even a broken heart, Rowen was unsure of what could actually kill him in this world.
He had never attempted to drown himself, burn himself to ashes, or destroy his brain, as he feared that it would be a waste of his abilities if he really died.
Hearing the evaluation of "monster" again, Rowen smiled and said, "So Shanks, do you still think I'm 'lucky' rather than a 'disaster' now?" With that, he burst forward at an incredible speed.
Shanks, his expression serious, looked at Rowen and said, "You know you can't take Ace away from us. So why are you looking for me?"
With that, he swung his blade toward Rowen.
Boom!!
The sound of the two blades colliding was like thunder as they clashed in mid-air. The wind whipped around them as Rowen grinned, his eyes shining with deadly intent.
"Purpose?" Rowen asked. "Didn't I already tell you? I came here to test your strength against mine, Shanks!"
"100 Million Volt Return of Thousand Birds."
A brilliant flash of lightning erupted behind Shanks, guided by the electricity Rowen had infused into the lower deck. In an instant, a thick, transparent white light shot straight toward the back of Shanks.
"Captain!" The crew members shouted in alarm.
"Watch out, Shanks!" Others warned.
The sudden attack left everyone aboard Shanks' pirate ship horrified, as they never expected such a terrifying move to be hidden in plain sight.
Except for some particularly talented individuals, the physical defense of most powerful individuals in this world is not much different from that of an average person, at most being several times stronger.
This was why the Pirate King was killed by seemingly "cute" people wielding an axe, earning them the title of "Axe King."
The deadly nature of Rowen's lightning has been established. If Shanks fails to dodge or defend against it, the lightning bolt has the power to penetrate his heart.
But unlike Rowen, Shanks lacks the ability to self-heal. This was a dangerous situation.
Despite this, Shanks remained unfazed and comprehended Rowen's warning.
"I understand," He said. "Do you want to test your strength against mine?"
In the face of this critical moment, Shanks no longer wore his laid-back smile but instead exuded a calm and powerful aura, like a towering mountain.
He whispered to himself, then smiled, and with a look of surprise from Rowen, he lifted his weapon, Gryphon. "In that case, allow me to demonstrate the power of the world's top-tier fighter."
Buzz!!!!
In an instant, the atmosphere shifted dramatically and the situation seemed to change all of a sudden.
With the crisp, melodic sound of a sword, a strong gust of wind swept across the sea, causing the endless waves to seem alive as they converged towards the Redforce, lifting it up into the air.
From a distance, it appeared as though a Sea King was rising from the ocean and lifting the ship with it.
The world changed color as dark clouds gathered overhead and lightning crackled and thunder boomed.
The sea was as dark as ink and churned wildly, creating a scene reminiscent of the end of the world.
Facing the incoming attack from both front and rear, Shanks calmly lifted Gryphon, standing out in the darkness.
"Emperor Overlord Sword!" he proclaimed.
Bang!!!
In a split second, Rowen was overcome with shock as an unimaginable, crushing pressure descended upon him. The lighting and Chidori spear that had been condensed on his body instantly dissipated into nothingness.
Time seemed to stand still, space was frozen, and the only thing that remained was the brilliant sword light and the proud figure that symbolized absolute dominance and rulership.
"This is my strength!" Shanks declared.
Sii!!!
With a swift motion of the blade, Rowen's eyes grew wide.
The water that had been rising from the sea's surface suddenly stopped and then receded with great force. With just a glimpse of the sword's shadow, Rowen saw a crown, and the Redforce was its shining centerpiece.
"Puff!!!"
Rowen coughed up a mouthful of foul-smelling blood mixed with viscera and murky things. He suddenly woke up, half-kneeling on the ground.
Everything was now calm, the sky and the sea no longer held the ominous aura they had just a moment before. It was as if everything that had just transpired was only a dream.
However, the massive wound in Rowen's chest, which almost penetrated completely through his body, proved that it was not a dream.
Shanks, with his unwavering belief and mastery of Haki, had incorporated it into his sword techniques and created a spiritual world of his own.
This was Shanks' world, a world entirely of his own making.
"So that's the gap between our strengths…" Rowen muttered to himself before collapsing to the ground unconscious.
Ace stood in the distance, staring blankly at the scene, and asked, somewhat bewildered, "What happened?"
From his point of view, Shanks seemed to have been killed for a moment, but the next second, his vision was obscured by the sword light.
When he regained his senses, Shanks had already sheathed his blade, and all the attacks had completely dissipated. Rowen was on the ground, unconscious.
Ace's current state made it impossible for him to comprehend the power he had just witnessed.
Beckman shook his head and didn't answer, instead walking towards Shanks with a scowl. "Don't use this technique with just one arm! It's too taxing on your body!" he scolded.
"I apologize. Seeing such a lively young man, I couldn't help but get impulsive," Shanks said before pointing to Rowen. "By the way, Beckman, do we have any Seastone handcuffs? Let's cuff him and try to ransom him to the Marines for a drink."
At that moment, the wound in Rowen's chest, which had been penetrated by Shank's attack, was rapidly healing.
The sight of the new tissue intertwining was chilling. It was estimated that within a few tens of seconds, it would be fully healed and as good as new.
"Hiss… This guy is really troublesome!" Beckman was stunned for a moment before he took a breath and then shook his head with a wry smile on his face, and turned to look for the Seastone handcuffs.
On the other side, Yasopp squatted down and said to Ace who was slumped on the ground: "If you really want to name that power, I can only tell you…"
"This is the power of a Yonkō (Four Emperors)!"
Four… Emperor…
Ace's pupils constricted before he clenched his fists.
Is this the power of a Yonkō (Four Emperors)?!
Did that man, Roger, stand on top of them and become the Pirate King?! How powerful was he?
You can read ahead upto 20 chapters on my patreon and I've also activated (date to date) subscription model on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395/posts.