Knowing the landing spot in advance, Rowen took the initiative, boarding the submarine and waiting. Following stealthily all the way, leveraging dual positioning, he trailed behind Burgess from a distance.
Every plan was crafted with the sole purpose of locating Teach, ensuring Rowen wouldn't stumble in the final pursuit.
Staying hidden inside the submarine, patiently waiting for any potential exposure to pass, Rowen finally emerged.
Upon emerging, he spotted Doc Q, leaning against a sickly horse, holding a telescope.
The rest fell into place naturally.
With Doc Q here and Burgess here, the remaining members of the Blackbeard pirate crew, Van Augur and Teach, naturally followed suit.
Allowing Doc Q, who had spotted him, to escape, Rowen continued his pursuit, leading him to this cavern buried underground.
Because Doc Q knew that even if he bravely offered himself to death, it wouldn't alter Rowen's ability to find Teach. Thus, rather than facing him directly, Doc Q opted to retreat, buying himself a few seconds to prepare.
This tactic proved effective. Teach remained hidden within the cavern, shielded from Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) detection by layers of rock. It wasn't until Doc Q made a noise that Rowen confirmed Teach's presence inside, granting Teach a momentary reprieve.
A figure darted around the corner of the cavern. Van Augur, prepared in advance, swiftly pulled the guns' triggers, initiating a rapid-fire sequence.
Bang!
The actions didn't cease, as he continued pulling the triggers, his movements as swift as lightning.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In a brief moment, Van Augur fired three consecutive shots. Such rapid shooting prowess was unparalleled, even among the Marines.
Ordinary guns wouldn't sustain such rapid firing; only the modified "Maxim" could ensure his combat effectiveness.
The three bullets flew toward Rowen, within the narrow confines of the cavern, there was no escape.
"Seastone bullets?"
Sensing the faint danger, Rowen didn't bother dodging but instead clenched his fist and a dark aura enveloped him.
Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), hardening!
Tekkai!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The three bullets landed on his forehead, heart, and right kidney respectively, yet contrary to expectation, there was no splatter of blood. Instead, there was a resounding clang, akin to striking a bell.
"How is this possible?!"
Van Augur stared in horror at Rowen. He was well aware of the power of the "Maxim". Even a meter-thick stone block would be pierced by its bullets.
Without such formidable power, it would be impossible to survive in the perilous New World.
Yet, despite such power, it couldn't breach Rowen's defenses!
"Retreat!"
Burgess flexed his arm muscles, charging forward towards Rowen. His specially crafted elbow guard gleamed black, emanating a dense Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) that made the air tremble continuously, emitting intense buzzing sounds.
Unsinkable Battleship Lariat·Elbow Strike!
Bang!
Although it was just a strike with his elbow, it felt as if a mountain was collapsing or an immensely colossal cannonball was hurtling toward him.
The narrow cavern walls were forcefully carved, leaving a distinct angular gap. Then, Burgess's elbow landed heavily on Rowen's chest.
Crash! Bang!
A deafening tremor, akin to hundreds of kilograms of TNT exploding, triggered a violent blast. The passage of the cavern was instantly opened into a trumpet-shaped void, revealing the sky beyond. All the rocks were obliterated in the explosion.
However, despite causing such terrifying destruction, Burgess felt no joy.
Because the object he had struck hadn't budged an inch throughout, akin to an immovable mountain, absorbing all the impact.
Crack... Bang!
A slight crack appeared on the hardened elbow guard, then it exploded like shattered glass. Burgess instantly felt an immense force gripping his elbow, screaming in agony.
"Aaahhhh!!!"
Creak... Creak...
Rowen's five fingers felt like iron pillars, gripping Burgess's elbow tightly.
Under the pressure, muscles and bones emitted an eerie creaking sound of being pushed to their limits. With one hand, Rowen lifted Burgess, forcing him to kneel on the ground, while Burgess weakly attempted to pry open the fingers with his other hand.
"Who gave you the courage to challenge my strength?"
Rowen is more confident in his own physique than in the Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder Thunder Fruit)!
His gaping maw resembled the sharp teeth of a beast, seemingly poised to devour its prey. Watching Burgess writhe in agony, Rowen's lips curled into a smirk.
"Great Electricity Producer!!"
Bang!
Suddenly, an immense Thunder Pillar erupted from the ground, piercing through layers of rock and reaching the sky. The terrifying electric currents filled the cavern with a destructive aura as if poised to annihilate everything in its path, illuminating the dim surroundings with its brilliance.
Burgess's screams were drowned out by the thunderous light. However, at this moment, Van Augur, who had awakened, decisively opened fire...
His target was not Rowen but Burgess, who was caught and unable to break free from Rowen's grip.
Bang! Crack!
The devastating bullets from the "Maxim" instantly pierced Burgess's shoulder, tearing muscles and bones into a gruesome mess, while the thunderous light effortlessly destroyed half of his arm.
But this allowed Burgess to escape the devastating electric currents. Seizing the opportunity, he retreated, distancing himself from Rowen, his eyes filled with panic.
"What kind of monster is this?!"
Having reigned as the champion of the Underground World's fighting arena for several years, facing formidable opponents from both the New World's notorious pirates and the Marines' elite forced into gladiatorial combat, Burgess was extremely confident in his own strength.
If it weren't for Teach's ambitions and cruelty appealing to him, Burgess would never have joined him.
"Champion" Jesus Burgess never believed that there was much of a gap between himself and the pinnacle of the Sea.
So, he had always wanted to have a match with the Marine's rising star, the Soryu (Azure Dragon), to see who was stronger.
Previously, there had been no opportunity, but now there was... however when faced with reality, Burgess wished he could go back in time and slap his past self, urging "him" to abandon this foolish idea!
The Marine Soryu (Azure Dragon) was simply unbeatable!
"Disperse and flee!"
At this moment, Teach's voice came from behind, and without another word, he darted into a narrow passage deep within the cavern, disappearing from sight.
Burgess and Van Augur exchanged a glance, without hesitation, they abandoned resistance and dashed towards other side passages.
Rowen was alone, and his primary target was Teach. If they just ran away, their chances of survival were high!
"Any attempt to flee without considering the difference in speed is just asking for trouble, Teach!"
The interior of the cavern was intricate, like a maze. For anyone else, being hidden inside by the enemy would essentially mean defeat.
But the cavern wasn't a house; the large gaps in each passage couldn't hinder Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki). They could only rely on layers of rocks to cause slight interference.
So, the moment Rowen stepped into the cavern, he constructed a mental map of nearly half of it. Even with his eyes closed, he knew the positions of Teach and the others.
At this moment, raising his fist, a fierce Thunder Python crawled up his shoulder from behind, then suddenly swung down his fist.
"Thunder Python·Earth Walk!"
Zi Zi Zi!
The Thunder Python surged into the ground, transforming into countless lightning serpents.
The bright Thunderlight snakes seemed to come to life, swiftly crawling along the rock walls, bringing a glimmer of light to the cavern. Volcanic rock was a conductor-type anti-static flooring material, and the speed of electricity flowing within it was much faster than in the air.
Just as Teach had passed by one side of the rock wall, he instantly felt his body go numb. Lowering his head, he realized he was deeply immersed in a "snake pit," with lightning serpents biting at him, leaving him stiff and unable to move.
Even though it would only take a moment to break free, that time was already enough to be fatal.
"Heaven-resisting Thunder Cry·Third Style...
Scaling Dragon Kill!"
Chi——!
A black blade filled with endless ferocity pierced through the wall. Knowing where Teach was, Rowen didn't bother with Van Augur and Burgess, who were also paralyzed by the electric current. In an instant, he drew the Thunder Dragon Crescent-sided Halberd from behind him and launched an attack through the wall.
"Wū Wa!!"
The wounds inflicted by the Sky Piercer, famous for its dominance in battle, were terrifying. Unable to dodge, Teach's left shoulder was directly torn open by the crescent blade, revealing a gruesome scar that exposed his internal organs, causing his lips to tremble in pain.
Having succeeded in his strike, Rowen spun the painted pole and ruthlessly pulled it outwards.
Qiang!
Whether it was the thin wall or the hard rocks, they couldn't stop the Thunder Dragon Crescent-sided Halberd infused with the power of lightning. With one strike, it instantly split open a crack tens of meters long, engulfed in billowing smoke.
Puff!
At this critical moment, Teach, who didn't want to be beheaded, could only reluctantly raise the Iron Hook attached to his right hand, using it to delay the attack, and was sent flying like a baseball.
Embedded in the wall, Teach spat out a large pool of blood, as if dead, stuck in the spider-web-like recess.
(End of this chapter)
OPTM & EPHS-- You can read ahead up to 90 chapters on my patreon and I've also activated (date to date) subscription model on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395
For EPHS (Endless Plunder in High School DxD)and OPTM (One Piece Thunder God Marine)-
T1- 5$-10 Chapters
T2- 10$-15 Chapters
T3- 20$-30 Chapters
T4- 40$-60 Chapters
T5- 70$-90 Chapters
I have also posted 2 new novels on My website and web novel. They are-
1. I am not Interested In Devil Fruit
2. Marvel Disassembler