Rowen wasn't deceiving Sengoku; these matters were genuinely minor.
Firstly, as mentioned earlier, the majority of the New World seas were divided among the Yonko. In terms of proportion, three-quarters were directly or indirectly managed by the Yonko.
Territories indirectly managed included places like Sabaody Archipelago below the sea and Fish-Man Island located ten thousand meters deep underwater.
Whitebeard's influence naturally didn't extend as far as Sabaody, but Fish-Man Island was unquestionably under Whitebeard's control, a point accepted by all parties.
That pirate flag guaranteed everything.
With such a significant commotion now, Yonko had no intention of going to war and would not allow their subordinate islands to continue warring without end. At the first sign, they would order a comprehensive ceasefire. Refusing to cease-fire would mean opposing them.
Even those with great ambitions, sheltering under someone else, would have to carefully consider the consequences of opposing the Yonko.
Well, excluding the brainless ones like Hody Jones.
If he really managed to kill Neptune and raised the "Fish-Man, the World's Number One" flag in open defiance of Big Mom, he probably wouldn't even wait for the Straw Hats to encounter him; the Anger Legion would likely turn him into sashimi directly.
The trigger for the Yonko to take action could be an order from the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) to suppress, or it could be something initiated by Rowen.
Secondly...
...
In the new Dressrosa, the "Country of Hope and New Life."
Since a massive explosion had shattered Dressrosa into four pieces, the former "Land of Love, Passion, and Toys" had welcomed back King Riku, who had endured humiliation for years in his quest to rid the island of Doflamingo.
Sugar, having fainted inside the Celestial Dragons' warship, and the freed toys exposing Doflamingo's wicked face, endeared King Riku even more to the people. Many rallied under the protection of the King Riku lineage, starting to rebuild their homes.
Everything seemed beautiful; although the citizens had suffered heavy casualties, without Doflamingo as a looming threat, Dressrosa stood up amidst sorrow and worked towards a better tomorrow.
However, on this day, when Germa was crazily manufacturing wars, Dressrosa became a target.
The forces attacking were complex, including pirates who were untrustworthy, opportunistic, and previously forced to rely on Dressrosa's status as an Allied Kingdom Member to avoid capture by the Marines.
There were also those who, having lost Doflamingo's oppression, were now extending their influence into the Underground world of the New World.
And various opportunistic henchmen who came after catching wind of the situation.
In the new Dressrosa, the first area.
"Hurry, bring the injured over here!"
"Where's the doctor? Get a doctor, we have wounded here!"
In the smoke-filled battlefield, King Riku's forehead was wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage. The soldiers reinforced the defenses, preventing the enemies from breaking in.
The other three areas had already fallen consecutively, but King Riku decisively destroyed the large bridge connecting the four regions, preserving this last piece of territory.
Perhaps it would be better to say that it was temporarily preserved.
Among the enemies was a user of the Ishi Ishi no Mi (Stone-Stone Fruit) Ability... Yes, the same Devil Fruit power was once possessed by Pica, the former highest-ranking officer of the Donquixote household's Spades Army.
After being crushed by Rowen in the Underground a year ago, the Ishi Ishi no Mi (Stone-Stone Fruit) reappeared, conveniently finding its way into the hands of someone who had become an enemy of Dressrosa. It was a twist of fate.
Under his control, even if the bridge was blown apart, he could manipulate stones to extend new bridges.
The only fortunate thing was that this person hadn't consumed the Ishi Ishi no Mi (Stone-Stone Fruit) for long, and he couldn't reach the terrifying extent of turning the entire royal highland into his body, giving King Riku and his allies a chance to catch their breath.
"Your Majesty, someone has climbed up from the rear cliff!"
At this moment, a mustached man dressed as a gladiator rushed over. Tank Lepanto, after Doflamingo's downfall, had returned to his position as the commander of the self-defense force. He was a formidable warrior highly valued by King Riku.
"Where's Kyros?"
Without waiting to inquire about his injuries, King Riku was acutely aware of the terrifying consequences of being cut off by the enemy. Fighting alone and being surrounded by enemies was a situation with predictable outcomes.
"The military commander is being restrained by that user of the Ishi Ishi no Mi (Stone-Stone Fruit) Ability. They need reinforcements!"
Lepanto quickly answered, suddenly hearing a resounding "thud" behind him. Turning around, he saw Kyros, who had been entrusted with great expectations to stop the Ishi Ishi no Mi (Stone-Stone Fruit) Ability user, now carrying burn marks as he was thrown through the air in the explosion.
At the edge of the third area on the opposite bank, an artillery piece emitting blue smoke emerged from the shattered cover.
"Kyros!"
"Father!"
King Riku and Rebecca exclaimed as the Ishi Ishi no Mi (Stone-Stone Fruit) Ability user took advantage of the moment, summoning a sharp stone spike while Kyros was hit by a cannonball, piercing straight through him.
Hot Iron Tear·Eye Whale!
In this critical moment, two whale-like creatures, seemingly made of metal, flew out from behind. One from the left and one from the right, intersecting and enveloping Kyros in between.
Hiss...
It wasn't comfortable having one's body pressed against the scorching whales. Kyros groaned from the burns, smoke rising from his back. However, this at least avoided the lethal stone spike from the enemy.
Hiss... Bang!
The whale and the stone spike collided, both shattering into pieces. The enemy, infuriated, wanted to continue but suddenly remembered something, sneering, and began manipulating stones to form bridges.
No need to engage in a life-and-death struggle with the opponent. As long as a significant force was sent over, dealing with them later would be a piece of cake.
King Riku surveyed left and right. Rebecca, wielding a sword, stood in front of the unconscious Kyros. Violet, with red eyes glaring, systematically took down enemies who came too close. In the background, the sounds of fierce fighting indicated that enemies had broken through the defenses.
"Again, is it?"
King Riku stood weakly in the center of the battlefield. How much suffering did this country still have to endure? Even in Hell, it should be coming to an end!
…
Rowen didn't know what Doriki Kūō was thinking, nor was he interested. After confirming several major enemy gathering points through Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), thunderous bolts struck down swiftly during high-speed flight.
Heavenly Punishment!
Bang!
The deafening thunder overwhelmed all other noises on the battlefield, bringing a sudden calmness. Everyone stared upward, watching the Zipper Thunder streaking across the sky, seemingly still in shock.
The next moment...
Bang, bang, bang!
Hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of thunderbolts exploded in the sky above the new Dressrosa, dense like a rainstorm! Each thunderbolt seemed like a judgment from the gods, illuminating the sky and King Riku's somber eyes.
Due to these lightning strikes, they all hit the enemy's position!
Against this dreadful destructive force, no armor, Haki, or defensive structure could provide the slightest protection. As the thunder fell, everything turned to ashes.
"It's the Marine Soryu (Azure Dragon)!"
"What? Weren't the Marines in Punk Hazard? How... Ah!"
Without answering or accepting surrender, the merciless thunder showered down on the ground. The resulting shockwaves created ripples in the sea, spreading outward.
As the thunderlight dissipated, King Riku gazed blankly into the distance. Suddenly, he realized that the enemies who had attacked Dressrosa this time were now reduced to a few scattered individuals, not even forming a legion.
And the one responsible for all of this had not stopped for a single moment.
Hiss!
Is this the Marine Soryu (Azure Dragon)?
King Riku took in a sharp breath. Fortunately, he was no longer the weak and compassionate ruler who would weep in the face of disasters. He quickly snapped back to reality, roaring with all his might, "Attack! Drive them out!"
Marine Soryu (Azure Dragon), I have noted this favor.
...
Rowen, casually unleashing lightning to deal with several thousand, or perhaps even ten thousand people, did not linger for a moment. For him, Dressrosa was the seventh Allied Kingdom Member he had encountered since Luffy arrived. Except for giving it an extra glance due to being a part of the original plot, he had no sentimentality.
When he received requests for assistance, it wasn't that Rowen didn't want to take action but rather that he was waiting!
He waited until requests for help came from almost every place. Then, he carefully selected the best route on the map and swiftly dealt with the situation in one go, taking the shortest path.
Secondly...
Disasters that were enough to destroy countries and wipe out entire populations were, in Rowen's eyes, just a venting of powerlessness, not even qualifying as a game.
"My stamina is still at seven parts, enough..."
Mastering Life Return, Rowen's awareness of his body seemed as if it had opened a data template, crystal clear.
"Two days to wrap this up, then back to enjoy the show!"
Rowen muttered to himself, saying something that would make others burst into laughter.
With so many countries seeking assistance simultaneously, and with many islands separated by ten days to half a month of sailing, even if Kizaru had been there, it would have been impossible to completely resolve the situation in just a few days.
While his flight speed was indeed comparable to Rowen's, he couldn't, like Rowen, simultaneously unleash precise, wide-ranging, and powerful attacks during Supercharged Travel, solving enemies for the Allied Kingdom Members.
It was like a broom sweeping away all the debris on the ground with a single sweep.
To complete the mission, the time could only be 10x, or even more than 20x. Completing it in just a few days was simply impossible!
However, Rowen's Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) measured in kilometers and the Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder-Thunder Fruit) endowed him with a unique AOE talent, turning the impossible into possible. Only then could he fulfill his ambitious plan of ending the battles within three days.
"If you want to hide, then hide thoroughly, Teach!"
Heading to the next destination, Rowen's lips curled slightly.
No one could have anticipated that he could swiftly end the battles in different seas simultaneously in such an incredible manner. The plan of the pirate league to instigate Germa 66 and disrupt the New World was doomed from the beginning.
This was also the reason why he dared to state in front of Sengoku, "Naturally, it's nothing significant."
Rowen was curious. After Teach learned of his failed plan, would he still appear?
If not, the pirate league would dissipate, and all the scheming would be in vain.
But if he did appear, Rowen had prepared a grand gift for him!
Giving and taking, isn't it? Since Teach seemed so eager to die, Rowen naturally had to fulfill his wish! Without Whitebeard backing him and without finding the Dark-Dark Fruit, Teach was useless in front of him.
(End of this chapter)
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