It's widely known that the weaknesses of Devil Fruit Ability users are quite apparent, something even a random kid from the seas outside East Blue could analyze with confidence.
Seastone renders Devil Fruit Ability users powerless, while seawater drains their stamina.
This is common knowledge!
So, to deal with Devil Fruit Ability users, either toss them into the sea or restrain them with Seastone handcuffs to completely nullify their threat.
But knowing is one thing, how to go about it is another.
Why don't others prepare in advance knowing where their weaknesses lie?
So, the difficulty of execution is a problem!
And a significant problem at that!
At the same time, effectiveness is also an issue… take someone like Kaido, a Monster who has endured countless battles to reach where he is today.
Aokiji and Akainu have had several opportunities to knock Kaido into the sea, but he was always prepared. The moment he hit the water, he dispersed the tons of surrounding seawater with the sheer power of his muscles, forcibly breaking through the surface.
In the end, it's a matter of not being fast enough!
If someone's speed were fast enough to catch Kaido off guard, they could cause Kaido to fall into the depths of the sea, he couldn't defy the nature of the Devil Fruit.
Coincidentally, Rowen possessed this kind of speed!
Simultaneously, the timing and environment were just right; Aokiji's Ice Mass provided a perfect stage. The Ice Mass was restrained by high temperatures, melting into a pool of seawater below.
However, the magma wasn't fast enough, and Kaido simply ignored this threat. Kizaru's lasers were fast enough, but the temperature needed to bloom after the explosion, providing Kaido an opportunity.
Only Rowen's lightning! It was not only fast but also high in temperature, and could be wielded like an arm, requiring no waiting for an explosion!
The falling Thunder Pillar was like a red-hot iron rod piercing through the ice, "Stabbing" Kaido into the ocean floor. Afterwards, it didn't explode, but rather shook off the seawater, leaving Kaido with no chance at all.
Naturally, luck played a significant role in this. It was lucky that Kaido was foolish enough, or rather, so confident in his own defense that he didn't even become wary when he sensed the gathering thunder in the air. This allowed Rowen to delay him for a long enough time.
Complex calculations and coincidences intertwined, forming a subtle chemical change, allowing Rowen to achieve the feat of defeating Kaido!!
…
On the battlefield, silence reigned!
Akainu and Aokiji stared at Rowen with strange expressions on their faces, wanting to say something but unable to find the words.
What should be said?
Should Rowen be reminded that this was the killing blow to the undying Kaido?
Aokiji didn't insist on freezing the sea to provide a stage, but rather, without the ability to fly, he and Akainu needed Kaido to stay on the surface to face them. Otherwise, if Kaido transformed into a Dragon and burst out, both of them could only stand here helpless!
The Marines had considered drowning Kaido before, but without exception, every attempt had failed.
Sea, Land, and Sky, he is the strongest creature everywhere!
This was a Freak that could survive in any environment!
Even Akainu, with his magma, couldn't kill him after enveloping him for three days and nights. Instead, he gave Kaido a full three days to recover his stamina.
And seawater, at most, restricted his mobility, but he would eventually find a way to break free.
But did they need to kill Kaido?
They certainly did!
It's just that so far, no one has found a way to do it.
The Super Electromagnetic Cannon might be the most promising weapon, but the charging and cooldown times were too long; it still couldn't make it to the stage of killing someone like Kaido.
After thinking it over, Aokiji pursed his lips and dryly said, "Well, nicely done, Rowen!"
"Thanks for the praise!" Rowen bit on his cigar as he spoke while nodding with a smile.
Although he paid the price of Thunder Cloud Sword, the result was still excellent!
"Hmph! Crafty little devil!" Akainu's face looked a bit unpleasant as he spoke a blunt truth.
They had both worked so hard for so long, only to prevent Kaido from escaping. Yet, as soon as Rowen entered the scene, he sent Kaido plunging into the deep sea, ending the battle.
In Akainu's eyes, this was a disgrace!
Regardless of who the target was!
"Indeed, the next time Kaido is on guard, he won't give you the chance for a sneak attack. So, as Marines, the most important thing isn't just tactics, but strength!"
For once, Aokiji didn't argue. Instead, he followed up on Akainu's words.
He was feeling quite frustrated too!
The fact that Rowen managed to accomplish what even they couldn't achieve together, despite the glaring difference in strength, is something none of them can accept.
And he even taunts us as foolish!!
In response to Aokiji's words, Rowen rolled his eyes and asked with a sardonic look on his face. "Admiral Aokiji, should I pass on these words to Tsuru Sama and Fleet Admiral?"
The top brass of Marine Headquarters, known for their cunning strategies that even Yonko feared, would surely take issue with this statement.
Aokiji: "…"
"Cough, Cough… Since Kaido hasn't resurfaced for so long, he's probably not going to. So, moving on…" Aokiji sensibly changed the subject and then turned to look at the battlefield.
"It's time to put an end to this war!"
With the enemy's main forces depleted, only one, King, remained struggling… or rather, enduring a beating. The situation was already quite clear.
Once again, Garp ruthlessly landed a punch on King and King spat out blood in large mouthfuls, creating distance between them, and locked eyes with Garp across the expanse.
Surveying the heavily damaged ranks of their own camp, he angrily raised his weapon, which ignited into flames, and gave a loud order.
"Hundred Beasts Pirate Crew, retreat!!"
…
Several days later, news of this sudden war ending just as abruptly spread throughout the seas!
It all began with the duel between Lirisk and Rowen being disrupted by "Jack the Drought". The Hundred Beasts Pirate Crew attacked the G-5 Marine Branch located in the New World, detonating a conflict that quietly swept across the world.
Countless forces in the seas eagerly anticipated this war, casting countless curious gazes toward it.
In this day and age, "Marine Justice" was no longer just a proclamation. It was an absolute authority established with iron, blood, swords, and guns, erected by the lives of countless unruly pirates!
In the first half of the Grand Line, the pirates were defeated without any chance of resistance! On the other hand, after Rayleigh appeared and clashed with Kizaru, the flames of war finally spread to the level of the Yonko in the world of pirates.
The Yonko were the pillars of the Pirate Era, and if one wanted to know how this era would continue, one had to see if the Yonko could win against the Marines.
Now the results were out…
The Hundred Beasts Pirate Crew, utterly defeated!! Instantly, the entire world was in an uproar!
"Well, although we knew Kaido would lose, this time it seems like he lost too thoroughly, doesn't it?" On a little-known island in the New World, Shanks held a newspaper and spoke with a grave expression on his face.
"Jack the Drought" was killed, "King the Conflagration" was half beaten to death by "Marine Hero" Garp, and the tens of thousands of pirates ultimately escaped pursuit with less than ten thousand remaining. The Hundred Beasts Pirate Crew's grand fleet was nearly wiped out!
Although the devastating "Queen the Plague" didn't appear on the battlefield for some unknown reason, the Marine side didn't deploy all their forces either!
With Admiral Kizaru stationed at the Marine Headquarters and two Admiral candidates, Momousagi and Chaton, whose strength was nearly equal to that of an Admiral, joining the battle, how much power could Queen's dreaded plague really exert?
In the end, the outcome couldn't be changed!
"The war potential of the Marine needs to be reevaluated. They are now a pack of wolves armed to the teeth. If the Yonko continue to fight amongst themselves, they are very likely to be picked off one by one by the Marine!" Shanks made a decision and stood up.
"Beckman, have someone send a letter to old Whitebeard for me!"
Beckman, who was nearby, looked up from organizing his weapons and looked at him seriously. "You know this won't do any good, Shanks."
"At the very least, it's a glimmer of hope! We won't lose anything by trying!" Shanks forced a smile as he spoke.
Then, his expression grew somber as he clenched the newspaper.
"I truly regret it now, not finishing him off back then…"
"'Hundred Beasts' Kaido Suffers a Brutal Defeat!!! The Culprit? 'Undying' Vice Admiral Rowen?!!"
This was the news about the war between the Hundred Beasts Pirate Crew and Marine, but the headline was this.
(End of this chapter)
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