Garp had always hoped that his grandchildren would become Marines, but in the past, he couldn't find ready-made examples to educate them. He resorted to verbal teachings, often accompanied by punches and kicks.
However, ever since Rowen appeared, Garp couldn't help but mention him every time he returned to East Blue.
"What a young age to become the top recruit in the barracks."
"The youngest Rear Admiral in history."
"The former Admiral's prized disciple and the future hope of the Marines."
In short, he exaggerated every aspect.
He was the epitome of the "other people's children"!!!
At the same time, he imposed Rowen's self-destructive training regimen on Luffy and Ace, never once mentioning Rowen's extraordinary self-healing abilities. This left the two brothers struggling in silence, harboring a deep resentment towards the unseen Rowen.
However, they were also unwilling to admit defeat. If others their age could achieve something, why couldn't they? They began to train even harder.
If Luffy's previous dislike for Rowen was only because he saw him as his older brother's enemy and felt an unspoken need to vent...
Then now, Luffy was looking at the mortal enemy he vowed to defeat!
Rowen, lost in his training, had completely forgotten about these trivial matters. He looked bewildered. However, Vice Admiral Momonga remembered it all too clearly. He occasionally heard Trane muttering about it when they met, causing him no small amount of frustration.
Currently, with his mustache slightly curled, he couldn't hold back.
"Pu Chi!"
The children from other families were undoubtedly the greatest enemies in every child's heart! The fighting spirit emanating from Luffy seemed to ignite into a flaming blaze in his eyes. He clenched his fist, pushed off with his foot, and once again dove down.
"This is utterly senseless!" Rowen glanced strangely at Vice Admiral Momonga, unable to understand what he had done to incur Luffy's hostility. But he didn't dwell on it. He always believed that fists were more convincing than words.
Swoosh!
As expected, Luffy's punch missed again. But before Rowen could make a move, Luffy suddenly stretched his neck outward, using his forehead to hit the ground to adjust his posture. His right foot swung upward in an acrobatic kick.
This move came without any warning, transcending the usual boundaries like a gazelle's graceful leap with an artistic flair.
Presumably, no one but Luffy could deliver such a natural and unrestrained attack.
"Good!"
Vice Admiral Momonga's eyes lit up as he saw this scene. To be honest, judging from his combat talent alone, the little guy in front of him was the most formidable he had seen, second only to Rowen.
But one failed attack, and he had already found a countermeasure!
For an ordinary person, faced with such a clever attack route, they might indeed be caught off guard.
However, despite the ingenious offense, it couldn't contend with the all-encompassing suppression of speed and strength through sheer power. Rowen, seemingly indifferent, raised his palm and caught the clog aimed at his temple.
Swoosh... Crack!
A crisp impact echoed in the air. From an outsider's perspective, it seemed like Luffy had handed over his own foot to Rowen.
Then, Rowen abruptly swung his arm, sending Luffy, in a whirlwind motion, hurtling upwards.
"Allow me to show you a little magic!" Rowen lightly said as his arm raised towards the sky where Luffy was flailing and shouting.
Boom!!!
To Vice Admiral Momonga's astonishment, a terrifying lightning bolt that even he wouldn't dare to confidently face head-on shot out from Rowen's palm.
The thick blue lightning arrogantly surged through the air. Mayor Slap and the others instantly felt a hair-raising ionization approaching, causing their skin to tingle and their hair and metal accessories to stand on end without any wind.
The dazzling thunderlight soared into the sky, illuminating the entire Windmill Village as if it were daytime.
"Have you gone mad?!"
Vice Admiral Momonga was about to say this, but the sky was still filled with screams. The little devil, who should have been severely injured, was now plummeting rapidly. He crashed onto the street in a spread-eagle pose, leaving a pitch-black crater in the ground.
Vice Admiral Momonga: "..."
"What's going on?!"
He had thought that Luffy would be struck down by Rowen in a single blow, but after enduring such a terrifying electric baptism, aside from his clothes being slightly singed, he was miraculously unharmed!
"How did he do that?!"
Vice Admiral Momonga's eyes widened as he suddenly recalled the Gomu Gomu No Mi (Gum-Gum Fruit) that the other party had consumed. He stared back at Rowen in stunned disbelief.
"Could it be an attribute restraint?"
"A Paramecia?!!"
Rowen looked at him with a hint of amusement as he said. "Who said that Logia's attribute restraint is limited to within Logia?"
"I've tried it. Even the high-resistance insulators researched by Vegapunk have only a minor restraining effect on my lightning. Moreover, the high temperature generated by energy transfer can destabilize the molecular structure of the material, rendering it ineffective."
"But the Gomu Gomu No mi (Gum-Gum Fruit), which is also a Devil Fruit, not only ignores your lightning, but it even disregards the high temperature associated with the lightning. How is that possible?"
Vice Admiral Momonga wasn't a scientist and couldn't fully grasp the intricacies of these advanced theories, but he understood Rowen's explanation.
Aside from Seastone, the Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder Thunder Fruit) was impervious to any real-world material, a conclusion Vegapunk had firmly established!
No matter how strong the resistance of an insulator, it only prevents the flow of electrical current. The destructive power of the lightning itself could easily break through these insulators.
According to what he said, aside from Seastone, there was nothing else in the world that could perfectly restrain Rowen.
However, this conclusion did not account for unknown Devil Fruits.
After all, even though people had compiled an extensive catalog of Devil Fruits, there were still over a dozen new Devil Fruits being discovered every year, and the number of unknown fruit types was incalculable.
Whether there would be a fruit in the future that could restrain lightning, no one could say for sure.
But now, Vice Admiral Momonga could answer that it had already happened.
The Gomu Gomu No Mi (Gum-Gum Fruit), as a fellow Devil Fruit, not only disregarded the lightning but also eliminated almost all of the destructive effects associated with the energy transfer during the lightning's transmission.
Such an unreasonable restraint...
"It's truly miraculous!"
After hesitating for a moment, Vice Admiral Momonga could only exclaim in this manner.
"Yes, it's quite miraculous, just like magic!" Rowen also marveled.
The scientific principles in the world of One Piece were truly mystical!
Crocodile's Suna Suna No Mi (Sand-Sand Fruit) was only restrained by liquids, and the crystallization and destruction caused by high temperatures didn't fall under the category of restraint.
Could you believe it? And how could flames, something intangible, be restrained by magma, something with a physical form? This was used to explain Akainu's punch piercing through Ace?!
It made sense for the Gomu Gomu No Mi (Gum-Gum Fruit) to ignore the electrical current, but it even disregarded the associated effects, defying the Goro Goro No Mi (Thunder Thunder Fruit).
The only way to describe it was "miraculous" and "incredible."
"Luffy!"
"Luffy, are you okay?!"
Wood Slap and the others watched as Luffy was struck by the thunder, the immense power of the heavens leaving them horrified. They rushed to the edge of the crater, calling out anxiously.
In the large pit, Luffy, looking disheveled, moved his fingers in a dazed manner and then suddenly jumped up.
Looking at the surprised and tearful faces of his hometown residents, Luffy scratched his head in confusion.
"Huh? What happened?"
Mayor Slap: "..."
Smack!
"You brat, why are you still standing there? Quickly apologize to Vice Admiral Momonga!"
Mayor Slap didn't know that Rowen had held back. He simply thought that Rowen was just trying to scare Luffy, so he thought nothing of it even after enduring such a terrifying thunder.
Slightly bewildered by the slap, Luffy stared at the elderly man before him, his eyes wide. "What nonsense are you talking about, Chief? That guy was trying to kill you all!!"
"You... You're really getting on my nerves!" Mayor Slap's lips trembled in frustration when he heard Luffy's answer. He was about to say something when suddenly a bolt of lightning streaked towards him, standing just behind Mayor Slap.
"Heh!"
The blade of lightning danced restlessly on Rowen's arm, carrying an edge sharp enough to cut through the sea. It ruthlessly stabbed the defenseless elderly man.
"No!!!"
(End of this chapter)