If Rowen had a bad attitude, this could be understood, but now that Rowen's demeanor was decent… So weren't they deliberately causing trouble here?
However, King Ramen had underestimated Rowen. He had witnessed Rayleigh and Shanks' Haoshoku Haki, and these sporadic and feeble displays of Haoshoku in front of Rowen were less threatening than a Seastone.
Barking dogs might make people angry, but a snarling ant would only be ignored…
With a carefree attitude in the face of several Haoshoku Haki waves, Rowen took his seat on the right side closest to the main seat. He raised his head and scanned the room slowly.
The people he laid his gaze upon felt their souls tremble and they felt as if they had seen their own demise. The Haki within them instantly became chaotic!
Rowen found it somewhat amusing. Just with a single glance and a trace of killing intent, and they couldn't bear it… and they still called themselves strong for having the "Qualities of a King"?
"Undying Vice Admiral Rowen, you truly do live up to your reputation!"
A middle-aged man with a braided hairstyle and the appearance of an old dynasty warrior was inwardly praised as he removed his Haoshoku Haki, which had been exerted.
The others noticed this and quickly followed suit, sitting obediently in their seats.
"Cough, cough. We gathered here today for no other reason."
Seeing the tension ease, King Ramen, quickly spoke, "Vice Admiral Rowen has traveled a long way, and as the host, we will discuss matters another day!"
"Yes!"
Upon hearing King Ramen's words, the eight Pillars of the Happo Navy immediately clasped their hands together and bowed respectfully to King Ramen before taking their seats.
The banquet began, and with the King's instructions, the eight Pillars, as the official forces, naturally refrained from causing trouble. A few Pillars of State expressed their support for Sai becoming a Shichibukai and took the initiative to engage in small talk with Rowen, igniting a lively atmosphere.
After a few drinks, both sides began to engage in subtle conversations, and during this opportunity, Rowen managed to grasp some information about the Happo Navy.
As mentioned before, all Happo Navy were official pirate forces established by Kano Country. However, each navy had its own specific responsibilities, aside from the shared task of conducting plundering missions to maintain domestic expenditures.
The One Treasure Navy to the Three Treasures Navy constituted an essential part of Kano Country's defense forces and rarely ventured far from the country's borders.
After all, the neighboring countries surrounding Kano Country held unfriendly attitudes towards it, and in case they found an opportunity to launch a surprise attack, there wouldn't be enough time to call for reinforcements.
The Four Treasures Navy to the Six Treasures Navy were primarily responsible for plundering within the entire West Blue range. The remaining Happo Navy Treasures belonged to free individuals, often working as mercenaries in foreign battles.
During Chinjao's tenure as Commander-in-Chief, they even ventured into the Grand Line, showcasing their formidable combat strength.
Gojiro, The 10th Pillar of the Three Treasures Navy, said after taking a sip of his drink, "The Happo Navy is the strongest overall, but if we're talking about who is the strongest among us, naturally, it would be Kai, the Pillar of State of the Two Treasures Navy!"
Kano Country's ability to come up with names was nothing to boast about, but upon hearing this, Rowen shifted his gaze and looked at the middle-aged man with a braided hairstyle seated at the first position on the left.
The man noticed Rowen's gaze and raised his glass in acknowledgment from a distance.
After finishing his drink, Rowen calmly asked, "I heard that Chinjao, the 12th Pillar of the Happo Navy, hasn't officially passed on the position of Pillar of State to Sai. Why isn't he present today?"
Although Sai was the designated 13th Pillar of State, he could only assume the position officially after becoming a Shichibukai and establishing himself as the link between the government and Kano Country. Only then would Chinjao pass the position on to him.
Currently, Chinjao still held the title of Pillar of State of the Happo Navy, but only Sai was present at the banquet.
"Uh… Well…"
Rowen's voice wasn't particularly loud, but today, everyone's attention was focused on him. Even a slight cough would be carefully scrutinized to ensure it wasn't some sort of signal.
Now, upon hearing his question, the banquet fell silent.
Gojiro found himself unable to speak, his expression freezing.
Observing the expressions of everyone in the room, Rowen's lips curved into a cold smile.
"You want benefits, yet you don't want to lose your pride… Is there anything in the world that works like that?"
"Or is it that the Kano Country thinks that the Marines are weak and can be taken lightly?!"
Thunk!
Without any visible movement, the low table in front of Rowen sank downwards, breaking in the middle and causing the drinks to spill onto the floor.
The faces of the Pillars of State and King Ramen immediately turned grim, and some individuals even showed signs of preparing to take action.
To openly turn hostile at a banquet was an outrageous act of provocation by Marine!
Ignoring the expressions of anger and surprise around him, Rowen played with the wine glass in his hand, seemingly oblivious to their anger.
He had no problem acting this way; he could explain it all to Sengoku.
The greatest unknown factor in this mission was Chinjao, who had a grudge against the Marines. Marine needed Chinjao to make a statement.
Moreover, Chinjao's behavior of taking out his anger on Luffy after being unable to defeat Garp was something Rowen strongly disapproved of.
It wasn't a matter of believing in the concept of not involving family; it was the fact that Chinjao, who didn't dare to lay a hand on Garp, redirected his hatred. His cowardice made Rowen view him with disdain.
If Chinjao dared to kill Luffy in front of Garp or even just a few ordinary soldiers, directly challenging Garp in battle, even if he died, Rowen would commend him as a true man.
But he didn't dare…
Rowen wouldn't let off someone so shameless.
Perhaps King Ramen refrained from inviting Chinjao to the banquet due to the grudge between him and the Marine, but as a Marine, Rowen sought the attitude of the entire Kano Country!
Chinjao couldn't be an exception!
In the past, the Marine's invitation to the Shichibukai wouldn't have been so assertive, but times had changed!
As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, Kai, the Pillar of State of the Two Treasures Navy, and King Ramen exchanged a glance, preparing to speak.
At that moment, Sai, the 13th Pillar of State of the Happo Navy, who had been acting as a bystander, suddenly spoke up.
"My grandfather left for Capone Island a few days ago to undertake a mission, so he couldn't be here today."
(End of this chapter)
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