As the various factions of onlookers, big and small, departed, the sea returned to tranquility, as if the colossal giant ape and mammoth elephant had never appeared here moments ago.
Naturally, the G-5 branch, which had served as the battlefield, was gone and there was nothing left but a vast expanse of water.
The vastness of nature was beyond human reach, and even a massive trauma was insignificant to the sea. Akainu paid no attention to King, who had fled to the Hundred Beasts Pirates. Instead, he landed back on the icy path created by Aokiji's Raving Pheasant Beak, crossed his arms, and raised his head slightly.
"Hundred Beasts, Kaido!"
"Later, you are responsible for protecting Vice Admiral Tsuru and cooperating with the fleet to eliminate their main forces," Aokiji said, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Akainu. He turned slightly to address Rowen, who was clearly exhausted behind them.
The Thunderlight Penetration Cannon was not a small move and had greatly depleted his stamina. Even with Rowen's current physical strength, he would find it difficult to unleash it a second time after expending so much energy defeating Jack.
Kaido, realizing that he had lost his pride by losing Jack, was sure to seek retribution. Leaving Rowen, who was not in peak condition, to attract the firepower on the front lines would only make them hesitate.
It's commonly known as being a hindrance!
It was cruel, yet practical…
Rowen nodded, without stubbornly insisting on participating in the battle. Just dealing with Jack had nearly depleted his stamina. King's attacks had almost overwhelmed him.
Now, facing Yonko "Hundred Beasts" Kaido, who ruled over the New World, it would be futile to remain on the front lines. It was better to coordinate with the fleet to eliminate the Hundred Beasts Pirates' crew.
By personally killing "Jack the Drought" in the Marine-Hundred Beasts Pirates war, Rowen would shine brilliantly in this battle, regardless of the outcome.
"You… It's you who killed Jack!"
At this moment, a robust and god-like figure emerged from the explosion and landed on the deck of the nearest pirate ship.
"I'm going to make you pay!"
"Hundred Beasts" Kaido swung the club in his hand, roared in anger and threw a punch at Rowen across the distance.
Bang!
The air was instantly compressed to the extreme, and a white light sphere, accompanied by explosive sounds, shot toward Rowen. Along its path, the sea surface was plowed into elliptical craters hundreds of meters wide! For a Yonko, even a distance of kilometers was insignificant!
As expected, contrary to Aokiji's expectations, Kaido did not ignore the loss of pride from Jack's death and ignored their coordinated efforts with Aokiji, and his first target was Rowen.
"Your opponents are us!"
Akainu flashed forward, intercepting the air cannonball. He clenched his right fist and ruthlessly struck forward.
Ryusei Kazan – Meteor Volcano!
Bang, Bang, Bang!
One gigantic magma projectile after another, each the size of a battleship, shot out continuously, pounding the air cannonball. Its destructive power was enough to pierce through a mountain, and it rapidly melted the air cannonball until it completely dissipated, exploding halfway.
Boom!
As the lava scattered with the explosion, Aokiji raised an ice wall to block the hot, splashing magma, all while grabbing Rowen by the collar and throwing him outside.
"Go!"
Rowen: "…"
"Kaido-Sama!"
King fluttered his wings to reach Kaido's side, extinguishing his flames and falling to one knee.
"I'm deeply sorry!"
His mission was to clear Jack's disgrace to the Hundred Beasts Pirates before Kaido arrived. If Jack had failed, Rowen would have been killed to redeem their honor.
Results mattered more than excuses or reasons to the Hundred Beasts Pirates!
If the mission wasn't completed, it wasn't completed, and perhaps Kaido would spare him if he admitted to dereliction of duty.
"Useless! All of you are useless!"
As expected, Kaido roared in anger, his voice like a booming bell. His terrifying voice spread out with Conqueror's Haki, making countless pirates dizzy and some of the weaker ones collapse, foaming at the mouth. The description of overwhelming power was not an exaggeration!
Facing Kaido's roar, King knelt low to the ground, trembling, his head bowed. No matter how powerful and renowned he was in front of outsiders, before Kaido, he would always be just a minor character.
The strength at the level of a Yonko was unparalleled, and there was no room for resistance or objection.
"Come with me! Kill them!"
Ignoring King, Kaido couldn't contain his battle intent any longer. He roared and ordered his fleet to attack with full force.
"Yes, sir!"
The captain's orders were absolute. Even if Kaido hadn't given the command, King was burning with a desire to vent his frustration.
…
"Vice Admiral Tsuru, the enemy, led by Kaido on his current pirate ship as the flagship, is approaching in a spear formation!"
On a War Behemoth, Rowen, who had been thrown by Aokiji, blinked over to the Marine Headquarters Great Staff Officer Tsuru, who was overseeing matters. Still unsteady on his feet, he quickly reported the information he had observed with his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki).
The number of enemy combatants was overwhelming, as far as the eye could see. The Hundred Beasts Pirates had come in full force, forming a battle formation on the sea. Their battle formation was only slightly smaller than that of the Marines!
Such a vast number of enemies charging towards them, with each pirate ship connecting to form a dark cloud, seemed boundless and endless, with no end in sight.
If it weren't for Rowen's unparalleled Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) coverage, the Marines would have only discovered the difference when they engaged in close combat.
It was evident that faced with the mighty Marine ships and artillery, the Hundred Beasts Pirates aimed to break through the battle formation as quickly as possible, minimizing the firepower gap and forcing a direct confrontation.
This was an incredibly daring strategy! One wrong move could result in their deaths halfway through the charge. Even if they managed to break through the war zone, if the losses during the charge were too great, it would be akin to walking into a trap.
But this was precisely the strategy of the Hundred Beasts Pirates and Yonko Kaido!
He had always believed in directly destroying his enemies and scorned playing tricks and schemes.
The battlefield was ever-changing, and Tsuru had no time to exchange pleasantries with Rowen. Her eyes, filled with wisdom, cut through the murky haze, and she picked up a Den Den Mushi, loudly issuing orders, "Cancel Backup Plans 2 and 3! Proceed with Plan 1!"
"Yes!"
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, the familiar Vice Admiral Momonga swiftly responded. This time, half of the Marine's elite forces were deployed, including the cream of the crop from the Headquarter Vice Admirals.
Rowen was somewhat surprised, looking at Tsuru with amazement.
Plan 1? This sequence number indicated that even without his report, Tsuru had long anticipated what arrangements the enemy would make and had prepared accordingly, prioritizing it.
The subsequent Plan 2 and Plan 3 would only involve a portion of the forces in the battle formation as reinforcements and wouldn't affect the overall strategy.
Was this foresight? Or was it knowing the enemy as well as knowing oneself?
"Hmm… Vice Admiral Tsuru, you're truly exceptional!"
Regardless of the truth, the fact that Tsuru, a Vice Admiral, could override two Admirals as the overall commander was astonishing.
After arranging the forces, Tsuru finally had a moment to turn around and size up Rowen. Her face, filled with wrinkles, was now benevolent, like a kindly old grandmother patting Rowen's… arm.
"You did well, young man!"
Rowen's expression hardened, and he lowered his voice, saluting her. "It's my duty, and it cannot be shirked without dishonor!"
"Don't sweet talk me! Do you think I don't understand you?" Tsuru suddenly let out a displeased hum and gazed at Rowen, as if trying to see through him.
Just when Rowen was awkwardly wondering what he had revealed, Tsuru changed the subject and asked, "The real battle has just begun. How long until you can recover your stamina?"
This was the second time Rowen had heard this question in a matter of minutes, and its implied meaning was clear.
"Wait a moment… Let me calculate!" The matter was crucial and couldn't be rushed.
Rowen nodded, activating Life Return.
Gulugulu…
His muscles trembled continuously, as if they were alive, emitting a unique sticky, squelching sound of flesh and blood in motion. His muscles surged and receded, and Rowen closed his eyes, clenched his fists, and sensed his body's condition.
After a moment, he exhaled deeply and reported, "If there's enough food… I can recover eighty percent in half an hour!"
Eighty percent was his limit!
Stamina was easy to recover. His self-healing ability allowed him to replenish energy frighteningly fast. However, the mental strain was a different matter.
Rowen couldn't return to his optimal condition in a short time. He wasn't like Aokiji and Akainu, who had abundant energy and could fight relentlessly for ten days and nights without rest on Punk Hazard.
The Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder-Thunder Fruit) focused on explosive power, consuming a lot of energy with each use. Every action had its own balance.
"Half an hour!"
Rowen wasn't satisfied with this speed. With some additional training in relevant aspects, he could shorten it to ten minutes. However, when Tsuru heard this, she widened her eyes, staring at Rowen from head to toe like he was a monster.
"What is your body made of?!" Normal people couldn't recover their stamina with just half an hour's rest after exhausting it. She had prepared for Rowen to need a few hours to recover his stamina, which would have been more than sufficient given the Marine's current strength. But who knew… it only took half an hour?!
Was he made of rubber or something?! But now wasn't the time to dwell on this. Tsuru nodded decisively, beckoning for a messenger, and pointed at Rowen. "Prepare food for Vice Admiral Rowen, and make it a lot!"
Then, Tsuru looked at Rowen seriously and took a deep breath. "We can maintain our firepower coverage for a maximum of fifteen minutes. After fifteen minutes, I need you to intercept King the Conflagration!"
Today, "Queen the Plague" wasn't present, which was a comfort to Tsuru. Every time they clashed with the Hundred Beasts Pirates, Queen's damage output was more exaggerated than Kaido himself!
And fifteen minutes was the shortest time Rowen, including Tsuru and the other Headquarter Vice Admirals, could buy him. Not the longest, but the shortest! But for every minute beyond that, countless Marine soldiers would perish under cannon-fire!
Tsuru wasn't like Akainu, who favored the War Faction. If using high-end combat power would save more ordinary soldiers, Tsuru would undoubtedly do it!
So that's it…
Rowen quickly understood why Tsuru had set fifteen minutes as the limit. He nodded, no longer speaking, and followed the messenger swiftly to the mess hall.
Fifteen minutes? It seemed like the battle had only just begun!
(End of this chapter)
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