"Is the gap still this wide?"
On the ship, Ace clenched his fists, remaining silent.
Although he followed alongside Whitebeard, it wasn't often that he witnessed a powerhouse of Whitebeard's caliber in action. The reason Yonko were called Yonko was because they stood as tall as Emperors!
When ordinary challengers made a move, even the most famous Supernova of the first half often couldn't get past the regular crew members, forging the legendary status of Yonko as insurmountable figures.
If a Yonko personally took action, it often meant that the situation had developed to a point where urgent intervention was needed to turn the tide.
However, over the course of the Grand Line's twenty-year history, how many opportunities like this had there been?
Every time they met, Rowen was growing stronger, continuously challenging Ace's understanding... from being completely defenseless against Shanks in the past to now facing the most infamous criminal, Dragon, with no distinction of superiority or inferiority, Ace further realized his own insignificance.
"Someday, I will..."
Bang!
Just as Ace made a silent vow, suddenly, the sky split open! Quite literally at that!
Cracks resembling branches appeared on the sky's canopy, forming not just a "line," but rather a "plane"! Transforming the entire sky into fragile glass, emitting a mournful sound under the unbearable pressure.
Ace widened his eyes in astonishment, unable to believe what he was seeing.
"Pops!!"
In his memory, there was only one person capable of such incredible feats! In the distance, a massive blue White Sea pirate ship emerged on the horizon. The imposing black flag fluttered in the wind, exuding an incredibly daunting presence.
Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, had unexpectedly arrived at Mustache Island!
The cracks in the sky rapidly spread, as if on the brink of destroying the world, carrying with them a terrifying tremor that swept towards them.
Rowen and Dragon, who were in the midst of their confrontation, had no time to evade. The tremendous Tremor, with immense coverage, instantly surged through both of their bodies.
Bang! Bang!
Thunder and air currents explosively erupted, amidst the stormy thunder, and both of them simultaneously reformed their figures in the distance.
"Whitebeard..."
Rowen looked at the distant figure with a serious expression on his face, [The Moby Dick] had just appeared at the edge of his Heart Network's maximum range.
His Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) coverage area was calculated in kilometers. Even though the majority of it was used in his battle with Dragon, the residual coverage extended over fifty kilometers.
Fifty kilometers!
Assuming a sailing speed of 10-20 knots, an ordinary ship would take two to three hours to cover such a distance! It was over such an extensive distance that Whitebeard's Tremor had reached them, precise and unerring, striking them both and forcing out their Elementalization.
"The world's strongest, Whitebeard?"
Dragon smirked, "It seems like your plan won't succeed!"
"Who knows?"
Rowen shrugged and a mysterious smile played at the corners of his mouth. "Are you sure Whitebeard arriving early wasn't part of my plan?"
"Hmm?"
Dragon frowned, and was about to say something, when suddenly, [The Moby Dick] surged forward, cutting through the waves with incredible speed.
Behind [The Moby Dick], shockwaves continuously emanated and dispersed, as Whitebeard, using the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, propelled the vast ship rapidly forward, charging straight towards them.
That speed...
In ten minutes, [The Moby Dick] was already within arm's reach!
"Gūrarararara!"
"Having fun on my turf, huh! Dragon!"
On the bow of the White Whale, stood a tall and sturdy old man. He had narrow, dignified eyes, a bare upper body, and a white coat draped over his shoulders, revealing numerous healed wounds.
And most famously, a pair of mustaches that curled up like crescent moons below his nose.
A terrifying presence emanated from him. Although there was only one person, facing him felt like facing an unbeatable army.
The sky had darkened at some point, and rolling dark clouds followed [The Moby Dick] as it advanced, shrouding a large expanse of sea.
Rowen was certain that this wasn't something he or Dragon had done. Although they were both "Azure," they couldn't conjure such a commanding aura alone!
"Pops!!"
On a commandeered sailboat, Teach's face was full of joy, and he exclaimed in surprise, "I'm here, Pops! Ace... he..."
"Shut up, Teach!"
With a glare, Whitebeard's boundless Haoshoku erupted, shaking Teach to the point where he couldn't utter another word.
"Bring your friend over, Ace... We'll settle your matters later. Right now..."
Thud!
Whitebeard's naginata heavily landed on the deck. With his Haki radiating, he stood tall, gazing into the sky. "It's time to discuss our issues!"
Yonko, Whitebeard!
The moment he appeared, he exerted an overwhelming pressure, intimidating both Marine Vice Admiral Soryu and Revolutionary Army Leader Dragon.
The surroundings fell into a profound silence. Regardless of which faction or powerful individual they belonged to, no one dared to provoke Whitebeard's might.
"The World's Strongest." This title was forged by Whitebeard's every strike and punch, paving a path with the bones and flesh of countless challengers, crafting an immortal throne from their sacrifices! Even though Soryu (Azure Dragon) and Dragon were both renowned giants of the sea, they were inherently weaker than Whitebeard.
At this moment, Dragon smirked and glanced at Rowen. "Captain Whitebeard, I can assure you, the Revolutionary Army has absolutely no intention of starting a war with you. Please don't fall for someone's schemes!"
He wasn't admitting defeat. Someone as resolute as Dragon wouldn't even know what it means to admit defeat. The Dragon who dares to challenge the authority of the government, no one believes he would back down.
He was simply expressing his stance to Whitebeard as a junior, to prevent unnecessary sacrifices.
"Well, I agree! The Revolutionary Army's situation, I'll take it upon myself!" Whitebeard also thought so. At this moment, he nodded calmly and seriously, marking the end of the friction between their people and the Revolutionary Army.
Seeing this, Dragon breathed a sigh of relief.
He was afraid that Whitebeard might think the Revolutionary Army had other motives because of the clash between Sabo and Ace. If that happened, a war declaration from the Yonko against them would be something Dragon absolutely didn't want to see.
With Whitebeard's words, a war was directly diffused.
As for why he agreed...
The person currently being taken to the infirmary is Sabo!
Whitebeard hasn't stooped so low as to fight someone else's subordinate and then treat it as a favor bestowed upon them. The pride of a pirate doesn't allow him to do such a thing.
They gained an advantage in this situation, so naturally, they are in the wrong.
"And... what about you?"
The narrow eyes of Whitebeard gently shifted, looking at Rowen, who stood calmly in mid-air with his lower body still in Elementalization.
Shanks had approached him several times seeking an alliance against the Marines because od this one person and now had grown into a Character that he had to treat with caution.
In the previous battle, Rowen and Kizaru couldn't be considered defeated by Big Mom. It was only because she didn't dare to continue fighting and was forced to retreat.
But Whitebeard was well aware of how ruthless Big Mom could be... If there was even a glimmer of hope, how could she accept such a humiliating outcome?
Therefore, Whitebeard looked down on Big Mom!
In fact, he looked down on all the other Yonko. In his eyes, the other three were just a bunch of little devils playing pirate games, not worthy of being called pirates, let alone them acquiring the title of Pirate King.
But he couldn't deny the power possessed by the other Three Emperors, which was enough to stand on par with him.
To force Big Mom to swallow her pride and even cancel this year's tea party was enough to showcase the enormous threat posed by Rowen.
Therefore, Whitebeard needed to know his stance!
The attitude of this crazy, fearless, cunning as the sea Marine Soryu (Azure Dragon)!
But Rowen didn't answer him. Instead, he looked at Dragon, who was in the same half-elementalization state as him, floating in mid-air.
"You made a smart decision, Dragon San... In my plan, I was going to kill Sabo afterward, frame Ace, and spark a war between the Revolutionary Army and Whitebeard's pirate crew... Now, there's no hope."
Rowen spoke the truth. The Revolutionary Army was an important piece in his plan, with crucial uses.
But unfortunately, he underestimated Dragon. Not only did he secretly come to Mustache Town, but he also saw through his plan... Rowen still couldn't figure out where he went wrong.
Why did Dragon provoke him with that joke? Only Dragon knew in advance how much damage his actions would bring to the vulnerable Revolutionary Army, so he had no choice but to choose opposition.
Rowen Understood this well.
"Our information network is larger than you imagine, Soryu!"
Dragon didn't feel complacent. Instead, he reminded solemnly, then shook his head. "What I said about favors earlier, consider it nonsense. No one else will know."
Secretly handing over the favor Rowen gave him to the Marines would indeed create a lot of trouble for Rowen, but it wasn't enough to shake his current position in the Marines.
A centipede never dies but always remains poisonous... This phrase, often used to describe villains, had no problem being applied to Rowen. It would only bring about an undying and relentless enemy for the Revolutionary Army.
From its inception to its current state, what the Revolutionary Army needed more was accumulation rather than seeking battles. Naturally, Dragon didn't want to provoke Rowen at this stage.
"A very clever decision! I hope you can keep this to yourself..."
Seeing this, Rowen nodded in satisfaction.
He didn't trust Dragon, but he wasn't afraid of him either.
If it weren't for his identity being a burden but also having many uses, based solely on Dragon's attitude today, he would make the Revolutionary Army pay in units of "ten thousand" lives to quell the matter.
Then, Rowen looked at Whitebeard and nodded.
"Thank you for listening quietly, Captain Whitebeard."
"Gūrararara! Quite a poisonous plan, Brat!"
Although Whitebeard was laughing, the killing intent in his eyes was about to overflow. "If it weren't for Dragon taking the initiative to explain the situation to me earlier, I'm afraid I would have lost a large number of sons and daughters and been kept in the dark by you."
No wonder Whitebeard arrived so quickly!
Rowen's pupils shrank, then he calmly said, "The Levely is about to convene, and in order to ensure that the Kings of various countries can discuss how to deal with your issues in harmony and tranquility... as a Marine, I naturally have to give you something to do, so you don't cause trouble when you come out."
"I hope you understand the so-called matter of position."
Shua!
A stone thrown caused a thousand ripples!
The expressions on the faces of the people on [The Moby Dick] turned cold one after another, and the ones with more excitable temperaments couldn't wait to charge forward and strike Rowen down.
What does this guy take them for?
Toys?!
But Whitebeard didn't make a move, and they didn't dare to attack. Even commanders like Marco, who were usually friendly, were now enveloped in an Undying blue flame, ready to launch an attack at any moment.
"Hmph! Put away your schemes, Soryu (Azure Dragon)! Trying to stir up trouble in the New World is not going to be that easy!" Whitebeard angrily shouted. He wasn't afraid of enemies who fought him face to face, but he was afraid of enemies who played tricks and conspiracies.
Before the Pirate Era, why was Sengoku assigned to face Whitebeard as Fleet Admiral? It was precisely because Sengoku recognized that Whitebeard was a player-driven by emotions rather than reason.
Emotional people often didn't like to use their brains, and they were the favorite opponents of rational players who liked to use their brains.
"Oh? You're quite confident, Whitebeard..."
In response to this, Rowen remained calm.
"Enough with the nonsense! Leave... or face war!!"
Whitebeard didn't have the patience to continue arguing with Rowen, he gave the order to drive them away directly.
"Calm down, calm down... Rest assured, there won't be any more schemes or tricks."
Rowen's words put Whitebeard at ease, but the next moment, he immediately gripped his large naginata.
"Because what I'm about to play with, is a strategy!"
Bang!!
...
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