Since Sabo, this was the second time in Luffy's life that he felt death approaching so suddenly.
The dazzling blue blade, radiating thunderlight, was filled with boundless killing intent. Just a glance was enough to give one the misconception of being torn apart, let alone being impaled by it.
Mayor Slap didn't yet understand what had happened, but he sensed that something was wrong from the terrified looks on Luffy and the others. Luffy's eyes were wide, and his pupils contracted to a pinpoint, reflecting a faint blue light.
"So... he didn't hold back after all." Mayor Slap thought in his heart.
The next moment, everything went dark, and he lost consciousness.
Bang!!!
An invisible low pressure enveloped their hearts, causing the crowd around to fall into chaos. Vice Admiral Momonga watched in shock while murmuring, "Haoshoku Haki!"
Yes!
At this crucial moment, Luffy had astonishingly awakened the "Qualities of a King," Haoshoku Haki!
"Oh? Is that so?"
Rowen wasn't particularly surprised by this as Luffy was already a possessor of Haoshoku Haki, and he would go on to become one of the most dazzling figures in the "Great Pirate Era." It's just that he awakened his Haoshoku during the Summit War, right when Ace was about to be executed.
As a form of Haki that, like Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), didn't rely on physical attributes for support, Doflamingo had mastered it at the tender age of seven. Luffy awakening it at fifteen didn't seem out of place at all.
However...
"An eruption in a crisis, or is it an Eternal boost?"
Rowen pondered as he watched Luffy tightly gripping his arm.
In that instant, Luffy's speed was astonishing! If Rowen hadn't mastered Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), he wouldn't have been able to perceive his movements at all. It was so fast that it exceeded what the retina could capture.
Creak!
Veins popped out on the back of his hand, and Luffy's face turned terrifyingly dark.
"Hey, mister!"
"I told you, didn't I..."
"You're not allowed to harm our Grandpa village chief!!"
'Gomu Gomu No Gattaling!'
Without any visible buildup, Luffy explosively unleashed a fierce barrage of punches right where he stood, like a storm of fierce rain. The air resounded with the buzzing and booming as if it were a continuous downpour.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
The densely packed attacks struck Rowen, but to Luffy's surprise, his fists went right through Rowen's body.
Though there was a sensation of hitting something solid, in the next moment, his fists went through as if hitting thin air, directly penetrating the body.
"Wow!!! What is this?!!"
Luffy stared in amazement as the towering figure had been shattered into tiny electric snake-like strands. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh no, did I just kill the old man?!"
Vice Admiral Momonga: "..."
To the people of East Blue, Devil Fruits were considered legendary, and Devil Fruit Ability users were equated with wicked demons.
Despite Luffy being a Devil Fruit Ability user himself, in the barren land of the Goa Kingdom in the East Blue, he had only ever known himself as one. Naturally, he was unaware of the greatest advantage of Logia Ability users.
"Rather than worrying about me, you should worry about yourself..."
At this moment, Rowen's voice came from above. Luffy only had time to lift his eyes upward, unable to make any other movements with his head.
Immediately, a heavy pressure descended on him, driving him deep into the ground.
Overload·Lightning Kick!
Boom!
The ground undulated like dough, and in the face of Rowen's overwhelming power, the entire Windmill Village, no matter where they were, felt the violent tremors like an earthquake.
The streets, now turned into a battlefield, were completely destroyed, leaving behind a seemingly bottomless abyss at the center of the cobblestone path!
Vice Admiral Momonga was stunned for a few seconds, then brushed off the dust in front of him and reminded, "Rowen, you do know that you're responsible for compensating for this, right?"
Just like how he had previously stated that Rowen would be held accountable for everything he did to Ace, Vice Admiral Momonga was a man of strict principles.
All the losses incurred in battles with non-pirate entities should be compensated by the Marines themselves.
Zi Zi...
As the lightning flickered, Rowen calmly appeared by his side with a slightly disdainful smile on his face as he raised an eyebrow.
"It seems you still don't know, Vice Admiral Momonga."
"I, the shareholder of the Century City, am quite wealthy!"
...
Due to the severe kick that Luffy received, the originally planned set-off time for the journey had to be postponed by a night.
The doctor in Windmill Village wasn't the renowned hidden master healer from the Twin Lighthouses. Instead, it was the accompanying military doctor from the Qilin Ship, who took on the heavy responsibility of treating Luffy.
As the first rays of sunlight began to illuminate the village, accompanied by the morning song of birds, a gentle breeze brought a refreshing coolness to the summer morning.
In a pristine medical room, Luffy lay on a bed, his body wrapped in bandages. His face contorted as if he had tasted something foul. Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide and shot up.
"Oh no!"
"What?!"
The sight of the white walls made Luffy feel a bit disoriented. His memory was still stuck in the moment when Rowen's kick sent him crashing into the ground. The tranquility before him made it hard for him to distinguish between reality and illusion.
And being Luffy, it made it even more bewildering!
"Oh, you're awake?"
Suddenly, the door to the medical room was pushed open. Rowen, noticing Luffy's awakening, blinked his way to the doorway and entered.
"Wow, it's you!"
Luffy instantly remembered who he was before he hopped off the bed with a "thud," raised his hands, and struck a defensive pose.
"Back Off! Where am I? Did you kidnap me?!"
Rowen: "..."
Was this kid kidding?!
"Don't you even recognize the clinic in your own village?!!"
"Naturally not! I've never been here before! If something's not right with me, I just sleep it off!" Luffy countered confidently.
Watching this little guy, who had been on the brink of death from internal bleeding just last night, now lively and jumping around, Rowen was at a rare loss for words.
Unbelievable!
Can't provoke, I can't provoke him!
At this moment, a head timidly peeked out from behind Rowen. Seeing Luffy awake with a pleasantly surprised expression, she asked, "Luffy, are you okay?!"
Makino had been looking after Luffy all night, only falling asleep just before dawn. With Rowen's sudden appearance, it took her a few seconds to grasp what had happened.
"Makino Nee San!"
Luffy also looked at her with pleasant surprise. Suddenly, he remembered something, extended his arm around Makino's waist, and pulled her towards him.
"Be careful, that guy is very dangerous!"
"Don't talk nonsense, Luffy. If it wasn't for Vice Admiral Momonga, the doctors in the village wouldn't be able to treat you." Makino scolded Luffy with a slightly angry pat, then cautiously examined Rowen's expression.
"You must be hungry after sleeping all night. I'll go get you some food!"
Growl...
Luffy's stomach conveniently rumbled like a thunderstorm. He released Makino, grinning mischievously.
"Sure! I want meat, lots of it!"
"Alright, alright. Meat it is, okay? I've got it."
After saying that, Makino bowed to Rowen, then hurried out of the ward.
Once Makino left, Luffy's cheerful expression suddenly faded. He sat back on the bed with a thud, panting heavily.
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead and slid down his cheeks, and dripped onto the floor. His face was as pale as tin foil, his lips cracked.
He wasn't like Rowen, with a physique like a monster. Although compared to ordinary people, his vitality was at a monstrous level, how could his injuries from last night heal so quickly?
He had been in excruciating pain when he just jumped down. If it weren't for Rowen and Makino showing up one after another, he wouldn't have been able to hold on.
Sitting at the head of the bed, it took Luffy a long time to recover.
"You're really strong, Ossan (old man)! You held back at first, didn't you?" Luffy asked as he recovered.
"Oh? You figured it out?" Rowen pulled a chair over, sat down, and lit a cigar, taking a puff before he spoke.
"That's right. If you had unleashed that kind of speed from the start, I wouldn't have had a chance to counter!" Luffy openly admitted the gap between himself and Rowen. Then, his expression hardened, and he looked at Rowen with determination.
"But if you still want to harm everyone in the village, I won't let you off!" He said it with utmost determination!
(End of this chapter)