The year 1518 was barely half over, and various significant events were happening one after another. Civilians were living in fear, anxious about the audacious pirates who dared to attack Marine branches. In their eyes, it was because of these wicked individuals that life had become so arduous.
Some dream-driven pirates harbored their own ambitions and quietly lurked near G-5 Branch, waiting to witness the upcoming battle.
By 1518, the pirates who managed to break through the Marine's stringent defenses and reach the treacherous New World were powerful and ambitious. They had come to understand the survival laws of the New World: either integrate with a Yonko or challenge one. There was no third option.
For those who wished to challenge a Yonko, the lack of information was a significant hurdle. This was a golden opportunity to gauge a Yonko's strength.
It wasn't just pirates; various factions like the Underground World Emperors, the Revolutionary Army, and Hitman groups had all converged, lurking in the blind spots of Marine's territory.
Faced with these influential groups, each more formidable than the last, Marines couldn't take an iron-fisted approach; they had no choice but to watch and wait.
For a while, an invisible storm cloud hung over the New World, suffocating those beneath.
…
Huā Lā La!
A drifting boat collided with the solid hull of a Battleship, and the flimsy wooden vessel shattered instantly. A few Marine soldiers stared blankly at each other, and then one of them exclaimed in shock.
"Quick, look! Isn't that Vice Admiral Mozambia?!"
In the midst of the wreckage, a man covered in tattered bloodstained clothes drifted with the currents, his figure was on the verge of being swept away.
"It really is Vice Admiral Mozambia!"
"Quick, inform Tsuru Sama!"
"You three, lower a small boat to rescue him!"
Rowen received the notification and quickly rushed from the rear lines. This was a stage for Marines to showcase their might to the outside world, so he still hadn't gone to the G-5 Branch for the scheduled duel as they had yet to reach the location.
Thump, Thump, Thump!
After knocking on the door of the infirmary, Rowen entered.
Akainu and Tsuru, who were in charge of the vanguard, had already gathered there. Upon seeing Rowen, Akainu took large strides forward and extended his magma-covered arm, placing it on Rowen's shoulder.
"Make sure to kill him for me, Rowen!"
Akainu's face was gloomy. While he always had a fierce look on his face, like someone owed him 50,000,000 Belly, this was different.
Rowen's expression tightened, and he shifted his gaze to the sickbed.
On the monitoring device, Mozambia's heartbeat was barely detectable, often requiring a suffocatingly long wait for a single "Drip" sound.
His injuries had been treated, and his face was covered with thick bandages from head to toe, making it impossible to see anything from the outside. However, the blood-soaked bandages hinted at the severity of Mozambia's injuries.
He wasn't dead, but half of his body had already entered the Gates of Hell!
"The entire skin on his body has been peeled, some muscle tissue is missing, 76 bones were broken, and his right palm is crushed. Even if the Marines manage to heal him… there's no hope for a full recovery in this lifetime…"
Tsuru knew what Rowen wanted to know and remained silent for a moment before systematically describing the extent of Mozambia's injuries.
In summary, there was only one sentence: Mozambia was done for!
He had endured hellish torture and beatings, his injuries worse than Zephyr's lost arm. Even if he managed to crawl back from the Gates of Hell, he was now useless, incapable of even lifting a blade again!
Rowen squinted slightly and spoke.
"Even under Kaido's orders, 'Jack the Drought' lacks the intelligence to inflict such severe but non-fatal torture on someone… is it 'King of Conflagration'?"
"You're right!"
Tsuru didn't want to inquire about Rowen's sources of information, but her wrinkled face showed signs of worry.
"This is a challenge, but also a warning!"
"If our large army presses forward, King will join Jack in the fight!"
"So, Rowen, we need to change the plan a bit. Two of the Three Disasters are at the G-5 Branch, and it's too dangerous for you to go alone!"
The original plan was for Rowen to duel Jack, while they prevented the Hundred Beasts Pirates from attacking. When facing Kaido, the Madman, it was always wise to be cautious.
But the plan didn't account for 'King of Conflagration'!
The thought of him possibly joining forces with Jack at this moment made Tsuru extremely anxious.
With one against two, it was almost certainly a death trap!
"Perfect! Is this the pervert who enjoys torturing people?"
At this point, Akainu, with his killing intent surging, turned to Tsuru and said, "Let me go with him!"
"Isn't he the one who enjoys torturing prisoners and then keeps them as art pieces in his collection? Well, I'll turn him into an art piece!"
"An art piece of torture!!"
"No! If Admiral Akainu acts first, we'll lose even if we win this battle!" Rowen interjected, stopping Akainu in his tracks.
Since the enemy had released the message to lure Marine, forcing Rowen into a duel with Jack, Akainu attacking first would make Marine appear weak. Tsuru heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that Rowen understood and was choosing to step back.
However, Rowen calmly added, "Justice cannot be tarnished! If they've come for me, then let me handle it."
"That's impossible!" Tsuru stood up, her gaze fixed on him. "You know, Rowen, that Two of the Three Disasters have already surpassed your capabilities. It's suicidal behavior!"
If it were the top officers under other Yonko, Rowen might have a chance of victory. For instance, in Big Mom's pirate crew, where there were numerous children and officers, Marines only viewed a few of the Sweet Commanders and a handful of ministers as threats.
Among the Sweet Commanders, apart from Katakuri, the rest posed no real danger to the Marines.
But Kaido's Three Disasters were different. Even in terms of notoriety, they overshadowed the Sweet Commanders. These three monsters had followed Kaido into battle for many years, and they were undoubtedly among the world's top-level combatants.
In their previous clash, Rowen had only managed a 64 percent chance of victory, and that was with the advantage of his Devil Fruit powers.
If Jack and King joined forces, they might even keep an Admiral occupied for an extended period. While Jack indeed had to duel Rowen, if he won, could King afford to miss the opportunity to capture Rowen?
Such a thing was unthinkable. And if Jack lost, the merciless Hundred Beasts Pirates would make sure Rowen and Jack paid the price, further tarnishing the Marines's reputation and increasing their notoriety.
Once again, it came down to one resisting two. Rowen's decision was tantamount to a suicide mission.
"Death? Heh… That's even better!" Suddenly, Rowen sneered. "An enemy who can't kill me isn't worth my time!"
"I joined the Marines to fight strong opponents, to grow stronger! Tsuru Sama should be aware of this, right?"
Justice wasn't the only reason Rowen had joined the Marines. From the beginning, Garp had explained his true motivations to Sengoku and Tsuru when he first joined. This also led to the loyalty test involving the Flower Capital incident. However, Rowen's core remained unchanged; he was still the same Rowen as before.
Rowen only sought to challenge himself and embrace death. Even his lofty goal of ruling the world was just a slightly more challenging, time-consuming objective on his journey of self-discovery.
"If I die here, it just proves I'm nothing more than a man of this caliber!" Rowen's words resonated with conviction.
Akainu's gaze slightly changed. He had to admit that at this moment, Rowen had impressed him. If the situation were reversed, he wouldn't back down either. But that was because his sense of Justice wouldn't allow it. He would still feel fear and hesitation, considering various factors.
But Rowen didn't. Death had no meaning to him; it was how he died that mattered. He embraced challenges for the sake of growing stronger. This kind of pure dedication to self-improvement, just for the sake of growing stronger and nothing else, was a rarity in the world.
Rowen's pursuit of strength without being bound by Justice made him an outlier in the Marines. But what did it matter?
"Very well! Then go!" Suddenly, under Tsuru's astonished gaze, Akainu, who had his wrists crossed over his chest, broke into a rare smile and spoke. "No one has the right to stand in the way of someone's dream. If you want to do it, then do it!"
"But remember, Rowen!" Akainu's face darkened. "If King doesn't intervene, even if Jack kills you right in front of me, I won't make a move. Do you understand?"
Rowen was equally surprised by Akainu's words. In his perception, Akainu was a stern and unyielding figure. Yet now, he was saying these words. It was truly a cognitive dissonance.
However…
"No offense, Admiral Akainu, but if one's dream only benefits themselves and serves their personal desires, I cannot condone it." Rowen shook his head. "Pirates dream of becoming Pirate Kings too. Would you approve of that?"
"They talk about their dreams, but I respond with my fists!" He saluted Tsuru and Akainu and then turned to leave.
Akainu, still in shock, muttered to himself, "That brat! He knows perfectly well what I mean!"
Tsuru rolled her eyes helplessly, ignoring Akainu's outburst. She turned and contacted Den Den Mushi.
"We're almost at G-5. Everyone, prepare yourselves!"
"Understood!"
(End of this chapter)
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