So, Sengoku would never admit that Rowen had any connection to Fujitora, even if he personally agreed!
That's why Zephyr had referred to Ain's opinion from a woman's perspective because this obstacle was sure to be overcome. Kizaru's stance was essentially Sengoku's stance; the crisis had already dissipated.
'Akainu, you bastard!!' Hearing that Akainu was still going on and on, Sengoku's teeth clenched with a creaking sound, wishing he could give him a good pounding.
But he couldn't; he could only glare at the two engaged in their back-and-forth, clenching and unclenching his fists.
"Pff…"
Garp, standing by, saw through the situation clearly and couldn't help but spew out some donut remnants. When he saw Sengoku's red eyes glaring at him, he quickly focused on his breath, gazing intently at his nose and quietly minding his own business.
"Fleet Admiral!"
Akainu, seeing that Rowen remained stubborn, turned around and said, "I request an immediate summons for Fujitora Issho to come to Headquarters and confront Rowen face-to-face!"
Rowen shrugged, "Feel free to do so…"
"That's enough!!"
Sengoku finally couldn't tolerate it any longer and interrupted them. His golden radiance surged, and he appeared to be a majestic giant Buddha. With a roar, he silenced Akainu, took a deep breath, and solemnly declared: "Now, it's time to conduct a comprehensive investigation into Rowen's case. Those in favor, raise your hands!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Onigumo, Doberman, and other officers from the War Faction, who stood with Akainu, promptly raised their hands. After scanning the conference room and finding no other movement, Sengoku continued.
"I hereby declare that Rowen is not involved in this matter! The meeting is adjourned!!"
…
Mary Geoise, Nibelung Family's residence.
"Hahaha! Is this true, Zero?"
Lirisk, bare-chested, laughed uproariously, lacking the grace befitting an heir of the Nibelung Family. Zero stood respectfully on the side and felt the muscles on his face trembling uncontrollably. Then, using a strained, forced smile, he replied:
"Yes, my lord."
It was said that only a few individuals, including Akainu, had raised their hands in agreement that day. Admiral Aokiji had even taken half a day to wake up from his slumber after the meeting adjourned. He then asked Sengoku if it was over, only to be kicked out by Sengoku— quite literally, with a fist.
"Ha! Haha!!"
Lirisk was so amused that he choked on his own saliva, his face turning bright red as he laughed in fits and starts.
"Indeed, you're the guy who dared to wound this lord. You're truly interesting!"
Zero: "…"
Amidst the laughter and jesting, that particular statement was no joking matter!
Seeing that Zero remained silent for a while, Lirisk made a disapproving sound and suppressed his smile as he sat down. There were maids who had been waiting for a while already, rushing forward with towels and foot massages.
While enjoying the maids' massages, Lirisk wiped off his sweat and asked, "By the way, Zero, in your opinion, how much of a gap is there between me and him now?"
Zero shook his head decisively.
"My Lord, forgive my straightforwardness. No one has the right to harm the descendants of Celestial Dragons, who are the creators. This duel…"
"If you have something to say, just say it. I don't need all this nonsense!" Lirisk snorted coldly, his expression showing a hint of impatience.
He knew it would be this outcome, but he still wanted to ask.
After all, if he merely wanted to find someone to fight, he could easily mobilize CP0 at any time. So, for what reason did he have to go find Rowen? And if it was for a breakthrough, the pressure Zero could exert on him was undoubtedly greater than that of Rowen!
But unfortunately, no one dared to lay a hand on him.
It was because he was a Celestial Dragon!
Only Celestial Dragons could harm Celestial Dragons!
However, if he were to go to his own father and request a duel, following the rules of the Nibelung Family, Orrick wouldn't stop until he had beaten him to death… Lirisk wasn't that foolish!!!
"Furthermore… Even Im-Sama has no objections. Who do you think you are? You think you can stop me?!"
Pū Tōng!
Zero immediately half-knelt on the ground, bowing his head low.
"Forgive me, my lord!"
"Hmph!"
Seeing this, Lirisk snorted and took the drink handed to him by a maid. He took a sip and waved his hand, saying impatiently, "Hurry up, how long do you want me to wait?!"
"Yes!"
With a wry smile on his face, Zero shook his head. He had no choice but to truthfully relay his speculations, "Currently, in terms of physical ability, there isn't a big gap between you and Vice Admiral Rowen, my lord. He has the Thunder-Lightning Stimulation Method to strengthen his physique, along with the amplification from the Violent Ape of Hell and Thunder God Seal. Similarly, you have the Zoan Fruit enhancement and the subsequent second-stage transformation."
"However, in terms of speed, my lord is not a match for Vice Admiral Rowen. The latter also possesses the 'Blink' technique that could force my lord into a rather passive role. My Lord, you can only use beast intuition combined with Kenbunshoku Haki to seize moments of vulnerability and launch counterattacks."
"Moreover…"
Seeing Lirisk's expression growing increasingly grave, Zero sighed and gave up on holding back: "Moreover, the other party is an Ability user of the Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder-Thunder Fruit). He has the Over-The-Horizon striking ability. If he wants to win, as long as he continuously launches thunder strikes from above, he is almost… invincible!"
After some thought, Zero replaced "Invincible" with "Almost Invincible."
He was a veteran who had experienced legends and the establishment of an era. He knew well how tricky those guys like Golden Lion, who were invincible in aerial combat, could be. This tactic had been brilliantly executed by the Marines on their war aircraft, its effectiveness clearly evident.
If Rowen was determined and shameless, Lirisk… well, he couldn't think of any method Lirisk had to counter him.
After all, all Lirisk had eaten was an ordinary Green Iguana fruit, and the gap in starting points was just too enormous!
"Ah… The disadvantage is quite significant!" Lirisk ruffled his hair in frustration. "And that guy could almost be named an Undying. Even if I resort to Seastone, I might not necessarily win against him."
Zero: "So, my lord's intention is…?"
"Don't panic! The problem is huge, but panicking won't help!" Lirisk waved his hand, and then his lips curled up slowly. "But you got one thing wrong, Zero."
"Hmm? My lord, please forgive me!"
With an apologetic expression, Zero kneeled on one knee. "I don't know where I went wrong."
"Do you wanna find out?"
Lirisk glanced at him.
"But I won't tell you!"
(End of this chapter)
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