It is widely known that Rowen is not someone who can be easily threatened.
It's not a matter of pride, but rather that Rowen simply doesn't like situations where plans are out of control. After all, being threatened means that his plan has gone awry, and when that happens...
It needs to be corrected!
Boom!
Above the sky, clouds exploded, and the white Thunder Beast roared fiercely, leaping forward!
"Thunder Cloud·Qilin!"
Dragon didn't seem to expect Rowen, who had previously shown signs of cooperation - at least in his eyes - to be so decisive in his attack. He felt cautious, but couldn't help but sigh.
This appearance practically blocked any possible future cooperation between him and Rowen.
But he had no choice but to show himself!
Not only to protect Sabo, but also because he had figured out what Rowen was up to, and he needed to intervene.
Bang!!
"Smashed Hurricane!"
A terrifying hurricane, with a diameter of over a hundred meters, suddenly erupted from his palm. Both the release speed and the fruit ability's movement speed made Rowen extremely cautious.
In the blink of an eye, the hurricane, swirling like a giant python, collided with Qilin over a distance of over a thousand meters. The two blossomed in mid-air, silver serpents dancing in the storm, creating a scene reminiscent of a world-ending cataclysm.
The others on Mustache Island had never seen such a terrifying sight. Once they confirmed that the combatants were Marine Soryu (Azure Dragon) and Revolutionary Army leader Dragon, they couldn't even continue swinging their weapons and instead hurried towards the harbor to escape this place of turmoil.
When the world's top powerhouses clashed, a mere island could hardly be considered safe. Staying here was tantamount to waiting for death!
Boom... Bang Rumble!!
The hurricane and Qilin fought fiercely, causing a ring of flat shockwaves that blew them several dozen to a hundred miles away. It looked like an evenly matched battle, but in reality, Dragon had a slight upper hand.
After all, Qilin was a trap set by Rowen long ago, using a feigned intention to catch him off guard. Smashed Hurricane, on the other hand, was an improvisation by Dragon, relying on sheer force.
"Very well, it seems you truly intend to oppose me!" Rowen removed the thunder halberd from his back, his eyes gleaming with gloom.
"If you could give up your mad ideas, I would be immensely grateful!" Dragon calmly spoke, then suddenly retreated, evading a swipe that cleaved through the void.
Chi!
The sharp thorns sliced through his cloak, revealing an ordinary purple-black long-sleeved shirt. Dragon tore off the cloak with a lingering sense of fear in his eyes.
So fast!
Too fast!
Fast to the point where Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) warnings practically appeared simultaneously with the thunder halberd. If it weren't for the Hurricane-Hurricane Fruit allowing the airflow to be at his disposal, serving as a means to sense the surrounding space, the halberd would have struck him squarely.
"I'm curious, how did you evade my Kenbunshoku Haki?"
With a missed strike, Rowen didn't have much regret. He quietly watched Dragon, his eyes shimmering with killing intent.
The plan had been progressing smoothly all along, and victory was within sight. But suddenly, Dragon appeared.
When Hack contacted Dragon earlier, Rowen didn't pay much attention to it... How big could Mustache Town be? The entire island was under his Heart Network surveillance. It was akin to the original Enel's rule over Angel Island, where he knew everything that went on.
However, Dragon did indeed appear, and it was so sudden.
"Have you forgotten, Soryu (Azure Dragon), that I used to be a Marine..."
Dragon grinned before he clasped his hands together. A gigantic stormy blade suddenly appeared above Rowen, emitting an endless aura of sharpness, and it looked as if it could split heaven and earth!
It was a longsword formed by countless visible sharp airflows. As soon as it appeared, it shattered the clouds. Sporadic debris and objects twirled in the fierce wind, and even steel couldn't last a second.
"So, this is the kind of shielding device used in the Fleet Admiral's office?"
Rowen seemed to have an epiphany. If Dragon possessed a device that could shield against Kenbunshoku Haki's perception, and with the well-trained Revolutionary Army operating in coordination, hiding on a small island wouldn't be an unimaginable feat.
But this also indicated just how valued and trusted the former Dragon was. He even had control over such a device.
The thunder halberd swayed around his neck and was caught in his hand. Rowen swung it horizontally.
Heaven-Resisting Thunder Cry·First Style...
Nine-Dragon Coil!
"Fall!"
Dragon didn't hesitate for a moment as he brought down the hurricane greatsword straight toward Rowen.
Electric arcs crackled in the air as the tip of the sword made contact. In that instant, nine thunder dragons exploded open, piercing through the white thunder pool, causing the thunder dragons to entwine around it, transforming it into a sword of wind and thunder!
It appeared that Dragon's move was more powerful than Rowen's Nine Dragon Spiral, but both of them knew that Dragon was the one who lost this exchange.
After all, the destructive power of thunder surpassed that of a storm. The nine thunder dragons tore at the sword, and at this moment, the sword of wind and thunder was no longer under Dragon's control.
In the blink of an eye, without paying attention to the wind and thunder sword falling from above, Rowen lightly stepped, disappearing from his original position, holding the thunder crescent-sided halberd.
Thunderbolt Fury·Final Scene!
Chi!
Eight figures, after eight accumulations of power, finally converged into one, unleashing a slashing force comparable to Big Mom's Emperor Sword·Hahaba - Blade of Destruction, which could strike down a Giant tribe Hero at the age of five.
Dragon wasn't a brute force type, so he had to dodge this move.
Strength, speed, destructive power, strategy - Rowen was a perfect warrior, perfect to the point where Dragon couldn't help but sigh again.
If it weren't for the fact that Rowen's plan this time was too insane, there would have been no need for him to oppose him... A person like this could be a friend, even a superior or subordinate, but one should never make an enemy out of them.
Agile Body!
It wasn't an attacking skill, but a state skill similar to Luffy's Second Gear.
A faint breeze enveloped Dragon, making him faster and even more elusive.
Rowen swung his powerful strike, forcing Dragon to use a posture similar to a regular Rokushiki practitioner's Kami-e, closely avoiding the crescent blade of the thunder halberd.
In Marine Rokushiki, Kami-e was actually a terrifying move, essentially allowing one to evade attacks as long as they could sense changes in the airflow.
However, no one had been able to accomplish such a feat in front of Rowen before. After all, his speed was far beyond what the airflow could track... Sensing an attack before it happened was one thing, but avoiding it?
But now it had happened!
Sensing before the attack!
Dragon, wielding the power of the wind, sensed changes in the airflow in advance, allowing the seemingly ordinary Kami-e to unleash a jaw-dropping power in his hands!
Chi... Bang Rumble!!
The two passed by each other, and a burst of energy shot toward the island below.
Because of the explosion and Teach's self-destructed wrist, the ground suddenly split open into a massive abyss. Looking up, the entire ten-kilometer-long island was split in two under this strike!
Ace and the others who had fled to a safe distance couldn't believe their eyes. They stared at Mustache Island, which could now be seen through the gaping chasm, their eyes wide with shock.
Top Level Powerhouse!
This was the true pinnacle of power!
The speed at which the two clashed was incredibly fast. At this moment, the wind and thunder greatsword that had descended from the sky finally landed on the ground. With a deafening "Bang", Mustache Island was completely submerged.
The two had only fought for a few minutes, and an entire island had sunk right before their eyes.
Although Mustache Island was a small one, it was still an island!!
(End of this chapter)
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