Unlike simple physical damage, Rowen had long developed immense endurance for pain through continuous practice and battles, forming a heart that even Zephyr would find admirable.
However, facing Big Mom's surprise attack, Rowen still felt a momentary weakness appear in his body. The intense pain tore at his body and mind, causing him to involuntarily loosen his grip, and he was sent flying by BIG·MOM.
"Pu!!"
Pi Li Pa La...
At this moment, the sound of bones being broken rang out in the area, and Rowen spewed out a large puddle of coagulated blood as his figure soared through the air like a cannonball, crashing heavily into a mountain a kilometer away.
"So, has Science Fiction finally turned back into Fantasy... This is indeed the right way to open up this world."
After a few breaths, the smoke dispersed, revealing Rowen standing on the edge of a spiderweb-like crater, his body showing no signs of injury.
Watching BIG·MOM rapidly approaching in the distance, Rowen moved his limbs to make sure there were no abnormalities.
"Thank goodness... Although it's an attack on the soul level, it doesn't possess the ability to cause irreversible damage to the soul or directly steal lifespan..."
Staring at the scar on his chest that was continuously healing, Rowen contemplated.
If BIG·MOM could directly inflict irreversible damage to the soul and strip away lifespan, there would be no possibility of other Yonko opposing her in the New World.
Soul Edge was just an extended ability of the Soul-Soul Fruit, a deeper application. Although its ability was hard to defend against conventionally, it still wasn't invincible and had its own drawbacks.
Otherwise, techniques like Soul Curse and Soul Deterrence wouldn't have a reason to exist!
"Chī Chī Chī!! Go to hell, asshole!!!"
At this moment, BIG·MOM, riding on Thunder Cloud Zeus, swiftly arrived at the location where Rowen had fallen, raising Napoleon and bringing it down heavily. The electric currents radiating from Rowen into the air couldn't even slow her down, they were ignored, and her face was filled with Killing Intentions as she arrived in front of him.
Clang!
Bang!
The giant blade fell, and dust billowed.
Rowen stood in the void, his eyes sharp.
"Gungnir!"
Ding... Boom!
Dazzling meteor-like bolts of lightning and sparks shot towards BIG·MOM's chest, but she raised her fist enveloped in Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) Haki and directly shattered them!
BIG·MOM moved her wrist while looking at Rowen in the sky from behind, her face twisted in a cruel smile.
"Are you out of strength? Soryu (Azure Dragon)!"
"Natural Destroyer," "Steel Balloon," the eerie and dangerous Soul-Soul Fruit, and combat experience at the top tier of the Sea - all of these combined to form the formidable old woman who stood over eight meters tall before them.
Yonko, BIG·MOM!
"I am a bit outmatched!" Rowen sighed inwardly, then grinned before launching his attack. "But it's not my limit yet!"
Electric light shot out, and Rowen appeared at an unparalleled speed to the left under BIG·MOM's arm.
In the face of the opponent's enormous size, Rowen was nothing more than a doll. But at this moment, the threat emanating from him made BIG·MOM appear minuscule.
Leveraging his speed advantage, Rowen extended both hands, pressing against BIG·MOM's ribs.
Zi Zi Zi!
Surging electric currents began to gather. BIG·MOM suddenly found herself surrounded by a ring of blue light. Endless electric power converged here, and charges surged into her body, leaving her completely numb and immobilized.
But as long as she exerted force, breaking free wouldn't be a problem... but Rowen wouldn't give her that time.
"Human Artillery!!!"
Suddenly, the blue light ring expanded sharply!
BIG·MOM felt her feet leave the ground. Before she could even think, her massive body, weighing tons, erupted with a wave of Sound Explosion, flying out several kilometers in the blink of an eye!
Then, a deafening and earth-shaking explosion burst open at the original location, and the smoke billowed out in a surging, circular pattern, accompanied by a fierce wind that crushed everything in its path.
Bang!
After developing the "Supercharged Travel" that allowed him to launch himself, Rowen had finally made progress in the "launching and being launched" category!
That is...
Launching others!
Except for some Logia users who could completely ignore the destructive effects of electric currents, ordinary people couldn't withstand the threat of high-intensity voltage eroding their bodies. And for those who could withstand it, like BIG·MOM...
Congratulations!
You're about to have an unprecedented and brand-new experience!
On Poli Island's coastline, Perospero, who had just managed to break out of Thunder Prison, weakly lay panting on the shore. Suddenly, a loud noise echoed, and he blankly looked up.
"MAMA?!!"
The enormous figure flying towards him from afar could only be BIG·MOM, no one else.
However, the figure didn't pay him any attention, nor could it.
Watching the giant figure get closer and closer, Perospero swallowed hard...
Once again, Perospero swallowed hard.
This seems... to be coming towards me!
Perospero thought so, and then he had no time to dodge.
Bang!!
"Pu!!"
The terrifying impact and electric currents instantly engulfed him. Perospero's eyes rolled back, and he spat out a mouthful of coagulated blood, sending him flying sideways, falling into the still lingering Zenith Tempest - Prison of Bright Heavenly Thunder.
This was a genuine stroke of misfortune!
Bang Rumble!!
Sensing the attraction of bio-electricity, the dark clouds, which had been slightly dimmed due to discharging their electricity, suddenly let out a roar. A thunderous pillar, several meters thick, descended from the sky and struck him.
Perospero, down.
Strong individuals like him weren't actually that easy to kill. Even if they couldn't win, escaping wasn't a problem.
But when one's luck turns sour, even drinking cold water can lead to disaster. His position on the shore happened to be in the path where BIG·MOM was flying out, causing him to be directly struck, losing consciousness, with his bones and tendons shattered.
If Roger could be killed by two ordinary executioners, in this world, apart from a few rare Monsters, everyone was just at the level of ordinary people, lacking the ability to resist or fight back.
But for BIG·MOM, being blocked by him was good news.
Originally, she would have been sent to an unknown sea location by Rowen's cannon shot. Unless she could find something to float on, drowning was the only outcome... or at least there was a high probability of drowning.
But now, at least one-third of the lightning entwined on Perospero had been absorbed by him. At the time, he was soaked in seawater while standing on solid ground, making it easy to conduct the electric current.
As the ground was blasted into a charred pit and Perospero was smashed half to death, BIG·MOM finally gained control over her body.
Bang!
The electric light entwined around her was instantly dispersed by her, turning into thousands of dazzling stardust!
In mid-air, BIG·MOM looked up to the sky and let out a long roar.
"Zeus!!"
"Coming, Mama!"
A dark cloud shot up from the ground. In mid-air, the seemingly clumsy body agilely flipped and landed on Thunder Cloud Zeus's back.
Maintaining a kneeling posture, BIG·MOM held Napoleon slightly while panting. She looked into the distance, still trembling with fear.
"You bastard, I almost got you!"
Battle wasn't just about sheer size, the process was crucial. Especially in the world of One Piece, where there were magical things like Devil Fruits.
Even when facing an Ability user one knew inside out, one had to be extremely cautious. After all, who knows what trump card the opponent might pull out to turn the tide?
One moment of carelessness, and they almost didn't even have a chance to fight back! Although it might not be fatal, it would definitely be as frustrating as what happened to Kaido!
"Soryu (Azure Dragon)"
Rowen, he truly is a formidable adversary!
Taking a slight breather, BIG·MOM let go of the tiny trace of disdain in her heart, stood up, and extended her empty left hand forward.
"Soul Hurricane!"
Woo woo!
Suddenly, a cold and eerie wind blew, carrying with it a sound akin to the wailing of the undead, sending shivers down one's spine.
"This will work!!"
In the distance, Rowen looked on in astonishment.
To have the upper hand in a fight by feigning carelessness was his favorite way to battle. He had thought that this shot would at least make BIG·MOM suffer a major blow, just like when dealing with Kaido. But he hadn't expected Perospero, who had "passed away" out of nowhere, to block it, giving her a chance to escape.
"Next time, I'll need to charge up earlier and make the attack even stronger!"
Rowen made a silent decision, then looked up at the sky.
There, a Soul Storm, stirred up by a sudden gust of wind, shattered the dark clouds. The second hidden move, Qilin, that Rowen had prepared, was thus broken without being used.
At the same time, the wailing faces slowly gathered and faded away with the storm, turning into the most primitive soul energy. With a majestic aura that covered the entire Poli Island, it surged towards him.
Clearly aware that Rowen's speed gave him the upper hand in the battle, BIG·MOM promptly launched a soul attack that even a Logia Ability user couldn't completely evade, and it was also a "map shot"!
"Perfect!!"
However, faced with this terrifying attack that made his alarm bells go off just by looking at its momentum, Rowen didn't panic. He held the Thunder Dragon Crescent-sided Halberd and swung it backward, conjuring a Thunder Dragon that extended for over a kilometer, appearing in the sky above him.
Heaven-Resisting Thunder Cry·First Style·Dragon Halberd!!
Then, the Thunder Dragon Crescent-sided Halberd was suddenly swung forward, enlarging and virtualizing in the process. The kilometer-long Thunder Dragon roared and plunged into the amplified Thunder Halberd Phantom, drawing a brilliant sapphire arc in the night sky.
Just as the arc and the Soul Hurricane were about to collide, suddenly the sky cleared, and a dazzling golden radiance illuminated the earth. It wasn't like daylight, but even more dazzling!
Heavenly Fine Lance!!!!
Marine Headquarters, Admiral "Kizaru," finally arrived at the center of the battlefield at this moment.
(End of this chapter)