Thunder plummeted from the sky, and [The Donut] didn't even hold up for a second, instantly disintegrating in the Thunderlight. Vast stretches of seawater evaporated in the explosion, surging and sweeping up the seabed sediment, forming colossal waves that crashed in all directions.
The dense Thunderlight intertwined with the seawater like a liquid, causing countless marine creatures to suffer an untimely demise, their vitality extinguished in an instant.
Within the enveloping range of Qilin, there were hardly any living beings left.
Almost…
"Oh? Is it Fruit Awakening?"
Standing in the center of the explosion, letting the waves devour the distant shores of Poli Island, Rowen raised an eyebrow, showing a keen interest in what lay below.
"You truly live up to being the Head of the Four Sweet Commanders! I didn't expect that even when you launched an attack while your mind was elsewhere, you managed to evade it. From this perspective… you're indeed more formidable than your younger brother."
He knew that Katakuri's Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) had advanced to the point where he could glimpse into the future. In matters concerning his own life and death, the death warnings triggered by Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) were unreasonable.
However, there was one condition…
That was to remain calm!
Unlike Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), which strengthened with anger, even to the point of breaking through limits to reach the next level, Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) did not mesh well with emotions. If one couldn't maintain a cool head, they couldn't even achieve the basic effect of using Haki.
That's why, while beheading Oven with a single strike, Rowen also detonated the Thunder Cloud Halberd, launching an attack towards [The Donut].
At that moment, Katakuri would definitely lose his composure due to grief and anger. Even if it was just a brief moment, it would be enough for Qilin to cover a distance of thousands of meters.
However, he miscalculated…
Katakuri had been mentally unsteady since yesterday, and it became even more unbearable when he approached Poli Island. So, he remained highly vigilant at all times.
Even in the face of such a significant event as Oven's death, he didn't completely lose his composure amidst the discomfort and anger.
Thus, he foresaw the arrival of Qilin.
At the moment Rowen detonated Qilin, Katakuri immediately activated his Fruit Awakening, assimilating a large section of the deck, and then wrapped clusters of mochi around himself, enhancing it with Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) to withstand the attack.
So even though the crew members on [The Donut], including Baron Tamago, were annihilated beneath the Thunderlight, Katakuri remained alive, and he was perfectly unscathed!
Crack… Bang!!
A burnt and foul-smelling mochi shell floated on the surface of the sea. Suddenly, cracks appeared on it, and in the instant Rowen finished speaking, those cracks instantly widened, revealing a figure wielding a trident, charging straight toward Rowen.
"Tch! What a troublesome ability!" Rowen pursed his lips, and the Meteor Spears he had been charging had to disperse.
Through his precognition with Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), Katakuri had obviously detected the subtle movements Rowen had concealed. So, he turned from being passive to taking the initiative, launching an attack on him first.
In close combat, under the formidable proficiency of Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), Katakuri was exceptionally confident.
Just think about the original story, this was a Monster who could foresee and evade every one of Luffy's Second Gear Hawk Gatling punches. Faced with attacks at such a speed that they could produce Sound Explosions, he would preemptively dodge them, making it look like the attacks were ineffective.
"Soryu!"
In mid-air, Katakuri moved as fast as lightning, crossing over a hundred meters in the blink of an eye. His right hand, wrapped in a clump of mochi, gripped his trident weapon. His arm spun continuously, tearing through the air to create a small storm.
He recognized Rowen, but because of this, he couldn't forgive him even more!
A mere Marine actually dared to harm his most precious family!
It was simply unforgivable!
The trident, which was spinning wildly, emitted a hint of orange, which was the astonishing heat generated from high-speed friction with the air.
However, this move carried a killing intent as cold as ice, making it extremely uncomfortable.
Katakuri's concentration was unprecedented, and in the blink of an eye, he arrived in front of Rowen, ruthlessly thrusting forward.
Mochi Multi-Puncture!
"This is getting interesting…"
This move, in terms of angle, speed, and strength, deserves Rowen's careful attention. Although Katakuri has a gap in strength compared to his current self, before obtaining the Thunder Cloud Dragon pattern (growing stronger scientifically), the odds were at most 70-30.
Hmm… Anyway, relying on the Fruit advantage, even opponents stronger than Rowen couldn't secure more than a fifty-fifty chance of victory. At most, they could force Rowen to retreat.
However, the current Rowen is far from what he used to be. He doesn't need to go through the trouble of flying a kite.
Faced with the oncoming killer move, his left hand instantly reached behind him to the Thunder Dragon crescent-sided halberd's painted pole, and then he pulled it out with a reverse grip.
Chi… Kuang Dang!!
A deafening clash of metal reverberated through the sky, and dazzling sparks burst forth in the Void. Katakuri's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the thunder halberd held in front of the trident.
"How is this possible?!"
In his precognition, this thrust should have completely pierced through Rowen! The opponent's Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) was not strong enough to stop this strike! Why did the future change?!
"Because the future you saw was based on what you saw before…"
As if understanding what he was thinking, Rowen grinned as he spoke, "Even if it's precognition, it can only foresee the future up until the moment it's 'seen,' right?"
"If you saw me with no intention of resisting, I would naturally be pierced by you… but after you finished seeing, I decided to fight back."
With that said Rowen casually raised the Thunder Halberd, enveloped in surging electric currents, and the nine dragon patterns danced and intertwined. Finally, they transformed into a beam of light and swung down heavily.
Bang!!
"Pu chi!"
Caught off guard, Katakuri was instantly sent flying by the Thunder Pillar, his chest charred! This time, it wasn't that his precognition didn't work; even if he had detected the attack, he was suspended mid-air and couldn't evade.
"Damn it! What kind of monster is he?!!" Katakuri's heart was ice-cold as he cursed. Indeed, what Rowen said was true.
He didn't possess the ability to know everything, but it was Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) that granted him the ability to see future images in a short period of time.
What he couldn't get around was his own reaction time!
If the target had no intention of resisting, then the future seen by Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) would naturally be a future without any counterattack. However, in the moment between seeing the future image and reality, where he could change his mind, deceiving his perception was only a theoretically feasible method.
After all, the reaction speed of a strongman at his level was incredibly keen!
Rowen not only had to turn his thoughts into actions ahead of time but also couldn't afford to be even the slightest bit slower. Otherwise, even without precognition, based on combat experience alone, Katakuri could detect the problem.
In simple terms, using his unique Thunder-Lightning Human speed and his current superhuman reflexes, Rowen managed to create a small time gap for Katakuri to react.
In the instant Katakuri finished seeing the future image and changed his actions, he completely nullified the greatest advantage of his Future Prediction!
"No, I have to escape!"
His greatest cheat had been broken by the opponent with an even bigger plug-in. Thinking of Charlotte Linlin's instructions before, Katakuri was drenched in cold sweat.
"You're not truly all-knowing, Katakuri."
"Trying to deceive your perception is too easy…"
These were the words BIG·MOM had said to him when he became one of the Four Sweet Commanders. In the past, he didn't believe anyone could do such a thing, but he didn't dare to refute his mother's words.
"Inform everyone, in the future, when you encounter Marine's Kizaru and the Soryu (Azure Dragon), you can abandon any ongoing missions. You are all my children, don't waste your lives in vain."
These were the words BIG·MOM had told him after the defeat of the Hundred Beast Pirates in the previous battle, which also piqued his curiosity about Rowen, whom he had never met.
What kind of opponent could make his mother give orders to abandon missions?
Now Katakuri understood.
So, this was the difference!
"I must relay this information back and have Mom prepare!!"
Making a decisive decision, as Katakuri was flying backward, he shot out a clump of mochi from under his feet, then flipped and bounced off it.
"Any escape attempt that doesn't consider speed is futile. Are you being a bit too naive, Katakuri?!"
Not giving Katakuri a chance to struggle, Rowen raised his hand, and small thumb-sized black crystals burst from his fingertips. At the same time, he gathered lightning in his palm, forming a fist-sized black sphere.
Raigo – Thunder Greeting Planet!!
(End of this chapter)
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