The Supernova "White Horse" Cavendish, who had recently entered the New World with a bounty of 280 million Berries, didn't even look at the subordinate beside him. His eyes were fixed on the distant sea as he exhaled slowly.
"Why wouldn't I go? Those two are peak powerhouses of the ocean. A duel of this caliber is a scene you only see once in a decade."
As he spoke, Cavendish thought back to when he had encountered Rowan at Sabaody Archipelago a month ago. Even now, the memory of Rowan's presence was enough to make him shudder.
The New World, Kingdom of Kano.
"Grandpa, are you really not going to take a look? The other seven Naval Fleets have already headed over," Sai, the 13th Vice-Leader of the Happo Navy, asked in confusion as he looked at the bald, kind-looking old man before him.
"This is a duel between Marine Vice Admiral Rowan and the World's Greatest Swordsman, Hawkeye Mihawk!"
Don Chinjao, the former 12th Leader of the Happo Navy and head of the Chinjao Family—a legendary pirate whose bounty exceeded 500 million in his prime—rubbed his smooth, bald head and laughed. "Forget it. A spar between youngsters holds no interest for me. If you want to see it, go yourselves."
"A spar between youngsters?" Sai's brother, Boo, stared with wide eyes. "Grandpa, Vice Admiral Rowan isn't a youngster. I heard he's over a hundred years old and carries the title of 'Marine Godfather'!"
"Over a hundred years old? Marine Godfather?" Hearing this, Chinjao seemed to recall something. His eyes snapped open, and a trace of fury flickered across his face; even his beard began to quiver.
"This fellow named Rowan... is he the adoptive father of Marine Vice Admiral Garp?"
Seeing Chinjao's sudden anger, Sai was baffled but answered regardless, "That seems to be the case."
"It really is that old fossil!" At that moment, a specific memory surged in Chinjao's mind.
If not for Garp's punch, the treasures of the Chinjao family wouldn't be eternally sealed beneath the ice. All of it was because Garp's punch had turned his drill-like head into a rounded, bald dome!
"Move! Take me there!"
Today, he was going to find trouble with Rowan. Why? Because that old man was Garp's father!
On this day, except for those like Crocodile or the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock—who had their own affairs or simply didn't care about the ocean's tremors—almost every major power on the Grand Line was focused on the duel that had been heavily promoted by the newspapers.
The World's Greatest Swordsman, one of the Seven Warlords, Hawkeye Mihawk!
And the Marine Godfather, Rowan, who had been a constant source of news lately and had even pummeled a Celestial Dragon without facing repercussions from the World Government.
What kind of sparks would fly when these two collided? Everyone interested in the duel waited with bated breath.
Time slipped away quietly. The next day, at high noon.
Dachik Island.
Under the shade of a tree, Rowan was reclining in his rattan chair, leisurely sipping fine wine and taking the occasional puff of his pipe.
"Ace, the fire is a bit low. If you roast it like that, when will this pig ever be done?"
Opening his eyes slightly, Rowan spoke to Ace, who was standing not far away. Currently, Ace was using his Flame-Flame Fruit powers to roast a massive wild boar. Hearing Rowan's complaint, a dejected Ace was forced to increase the intensity of his flames.
With a whoosh, the flames surged. Nearby, Luffy watched with excitement—though his excitement was directed at the aroma wafting from the boar, not Ace's devil fruit ability.
"The fire is too high! Too high! With a flame that big, the skin will turn to charcoal before the meat is even cooked!"
Rowan seemed to catch an off-scent. He walked up behind Ace and barked, "You can't even handle a simple task like this, yet you had the nerve to sneak out to sea behind my back? If you were stranded on a desert island and had to cook for yourself, you'd starve to death!"
Looking at the slightly charred skin of the boar, Rowan felt a pang of distress. A wild boar of this size was rare on such a deserted island. If Ace ruined it, who knew when they'd get another taste of high-quality wild game?
"Great-Grandpa... my Mera Mera no Mi is for fighting. You're asking me to roast a boar; how am I supposed to control the output that precisely?" Ace said, feeling somewhat wronged.
"You've been out at sea for a year and you've learned to talk back? Do you want a taste of the Old Man's Fist of Love?!" Rowan glared at Ace.
At the mention of the "Fist of Love," Ace shrank his neck and fell silent, immediately dampening the flames. The surrounding Marines watched the scene with amazement. To think that the world-renowned "Fire Fist" Ace would be so obedient and submissive when facing Mr. Rowan.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Vice Admiral Momonga, who was also waiting for the roast boar, knit his brows and turned his gaze toward the sea.
A massive pirate ship was slowly approaching. Trailing far behind it were hundreds of vessels belonging to various factions. When Momonga saw the mark on the pirate ship's sails, his pupils constricted, and his face turned grim.
"The Red-Haired Yonko's Red Force? Why is he here?"
But as the Red Force drew closer, Momonga understood. Aside from Shanks and his crew, he spotted the man Mr. Rowan had been waiting for: Hawkeye Mihawk.
Beside Ace, Rowan also saw the arrival of the Red Force. He took a few steps toward the shore, his gaze fixing on the sharp, intimidating figure of Mihawk. The corners of his mouth curled into a slight smile as he puffed his pipe and whispered:
"Finally here, eh? Hawkeye-brat."
"Mr. Rowan, long time no see."
As the Red Force neared Dachik Island, Red-Haired Shanks waved with a friendly smile. He showed no hostility toward Rowan despite being one of the Four Emperors. In fact, because of Luffy, Shanks held a fair amount of goodwill toward the old man.
However, as he looked at the razor-sharp, overwhelming presence of Mihawk beside him, Shanks grew increasingly curious about Rowan. Before this, Mihawk had kept his aura entirely restrained. But the moment Dachik Island came into view, his battle spirit erupted uncontrollably. The closer they got, the more overbearing it became. By the time he laid eyes on Rowan, Hawkeye was no longer able to suppress his emotions.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
⭐ Read chapters early on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/Bagga_10 ⭐
BONUS CHAPTER REWARDS
• Every 20 reviews = 1 bonus chapter
• Every 100 Power Stones = 1 bonus chapter
Your support directly unlocks more content and faster releases.