At the moment Conqueror's Haki erupted within the auction hall, golden blades and the CP0 slash struck again.
"Boom!!"
The violent clash carved two massive trenches into the ground.
The CP0 agent "Chameleon" swept up the corpse of Saint Rodnatz, his gaze landing on the spatial mark behind the neck. Two characters were engraved there: Spark.
At that same moment, Rowan, who had just teleported away, reappeared. The long blade in his hand descended, colliding with the CP0 agent's sword.
"Bang!"
Rowan retreated, pulling back his body. His physical strength had not yet reached the level of top-tier fighters. That was his disadvantage.
But at the instant his Conqueror's Haki awakened, as he gripped the Zanpakutō again, a new power stirred to life.
"Seastone didn't restrict your teleportation ability, which means you can leave at any time. Rodnatz Saint is already dead, yet you didn't do that."
The CP0 agent stared at Rowan as he retreated. "So what exactly is your purpose for staying?"
A golden flash descended, but Rowan evaded it with Observation Haki. "Purpose? After fighting this many times, I'm already getting bored. If I had to say… would killing both of you count?"
Kizaru withdrew his light, stepping back in an exaggerated manner. "How terrifying. It seems my life has also been targeted."
"Bang!"
The golden blade collided with the unsealed Zanpakutō. Black lightning crackled along the blade as Rowan's feet sank into the ground.
"But if this is all you have, a terrifying man like you will still be killed by me."
With that lazy tone, Kizaru's attacks grew faster and faster.
Blades formed from his Devil Fruit ability, his body transforming into light to seal off all paths. Every collision forced Rowan further back.
Conqueror's Haki exploded in the air, and with every head-on clash, it seemed to grow stronger within him.
Eighteen years had passed since Rowan came to this world. Since the destruction of God Valley seventeen years ago, he had lived too cautiously.
Back when he could only draw Bronze Treasure Chests, his understanding of this world made him take every step carefully.
After obtaining the Flying Thunder God technique, even when facing Admiral-level opponents, he avoided direct confrontation whenever possible.
That approach had been the safest choice at the time. But that same choice also meant Rowan could never awaken Conqueror's Haki.
In his memories, whether it was Koby shouting to stop the war at Marineford as a mere officer, or Luffy charging straight at the three Admirals even after witnessing their overwhelming power, both were reckless.
Were they foolish?
Compared to Rowan's constant strategy of achieving objectives through avoidance, yes.
But it was precisely that kind of reckless resolve that formed the foundation of Conqueror's Haki.
The root of power in this world was Haki. Even its name proved that it originated from one's will.
The Revolutionary Army needed time to relocate, and Rowan needed to hold the World Government's attention here.
Dragon and Kuma, even with Ginny and Ivankov, could at most handle three top-tier opponents. Any more, and everything would collapse.
That was why, from the very beginning, Rowan had willingly stepped into the trap, confident he could survive. His abilities did not come from a Devil Fruit, but from the treasure chests.
But once direct confrontation became unavoidable, and his teleportation ability was gradually understood, he had no choice but to fight head-on.
This was a real world. Every person here was not just a character from memory.
The values formed in his previous life made him fundamentally incompatible with this world.
The corpses along the shoreline. The tragic deaths of that family of three in the street. Everything he had seen since the age of one made Rowan, who came from a peaceful world, feel suffocated.
It shouldn't be like this.
Between people, or any beings with consciousness, there should be empathy.
This world should not be like this!
"Do you want to change this world?"
"I never stopped!"
"Call my name."
Slammed into the ruins, Rowan looked at the Asauchi in his hand. The voice rising from deep within just now… was the voice of his Zanpakutō.
The strongest fire-type Zanpakutō, and also Rowan's own Zanpakutō.
Rowan slowly raised his head and looked at Borsalino.
"Don't die too easily."
The moment his voice fell, an even more overwhelming Conqueror's Haki erupted. It exploded above the ruins, black lightning intertwining.
"All sins in this world return to ashes. Ryūjin Jakka!"
At the instant the release command fell, the Conqueror's Haki that had spread across the ruins surged back like it was returning home, converging into the Zanpakutō in Rowan's hand.
"Boom!"
Crimson flames erupted from the blade, with strands of black flowing within, forming a flaming weapon.
The terrifying heat burned everything around into charcoal. Rocks turned into sand, sand melted and crystallized.
The explosive temperature spread outward. Borsalino retreated immediately, and for the first time, true shock appeared on his face.
As someone from the same generation of training camp, he had seen Sakazuki's magma. But compared to this temperature, it was like heaven and earth.
Ordinary flames without special fuel only reached a few hundred degrees, but this… judging from the melting sand alone, had already far exceeded that.
Rowan slightly raised his head and looked at the two of them.
"Now, it's my turn."
The moment his voice fell, Rowan rushed straight toward Borsalino.
Golden light flashed, crimson flames swept across, turning the ground into scorched black.
Borsalino did not choose to clash. The flames wrapped around the blade made him wary. Without understanding them, he preferred to let CP0 test it first.
Protecting Rodnatz Saint was CP's responsibility. He was only stationed at Sabaody as backup.
Pressing advantage was fine, but a clash that might cost his life… his first instinct was to retreat.
The speed of the Glint-Glint Fruit was not true light speed, but combined with his Observation Haki, avoiding battle was completely possible.
Rowan clearly understood this. When Borsalino retreated, his gaze immediately shifted to the CP0 agent, or rather, to the corpse he was carrying.
"Ah!"
Rowan instantly appeared behind him. Ryūjin Jakka slashed down, and scorching flames engulfed everything.
"Bang!"
The black blade formed by Armament Haki collided with Ryūjin Jakka for only an instant.
"Crack."
A crisp sound rang out. Even peak Armament Haki could not withstand such temperature, and the blade melted instantly.
"Pfft!"
The slash passed through. The wound was charred black, no blood flowing, but the internal damage still forced him to spit blood.
Rodnatz Saint's corpse, used as a shield, was split in two. The insides were burned completely black, not a single drop of blood falling.
"Haa… haa…"
Rowan breathed heavily, his gaze fixed on the opponent's neck.
Not being a Logia user had its advantages. In that exchange, without being blown away, he finally had the chance to leave a spatial mark.
Unlike Borsalino, who could always disperse into light the moment his Observation Haki reacted, avoiding any mark completely.
Rowan looked at Ryūjin Jakka in his hand.
It had absorbed too much Conqueror's Haki. After awakening, the Haki linked to his stamina was being consumed at a terrifying rate.
You should know that basic attacks are not part of Ryūjin Jakka's Shikai abilities, but even in this state, techniques like Matsumei or Torch would drain all of Rowan's Haki and stamina in a single strike.
A six-thousand-degree firestorm, that kind of power requires everything Rowan currently has.
Even just maintaining the current Shikai state cannot last long.
But even so, it is already enough.
In the next moment, Rowan appeared behind the CP0 agent.
The instant he vanished, the chameleon's pupils shrank violently.
From that last exchange, when Haki shattered, a named blade melted, and the wound burned into charcoal without a drop of blood, he already understood his fate.
In desperation, he had used the Celestial Dragon's corpse as a shield. Even if he survived, Mary Geoise would execute him.
Moreover, the spatial mark from Rowan's teleportation was already on him. In his heavily injured state, there was no escape.
"I'll be waiting for you, you filthy insect!"
"Boom!"
With a single strike, the great swordsman who specialized in ambush and assassination was reduced to ashes.
A breeze passed, scattering the dust into the blazing heat.
"Haa… haa…"
Rowan slowly raised his head, his gaze locking onto Borsalino in the air.
The scorching flames covered the entire ground. For the first time, Borsalino's expression turned completely serious.
Such flames, such temperature, and a teleportation ability unaffected by Seastone. If contact was made, he would definitely be cut down.
How do you even fight that?
If the opponent cannot be pinned down, then fighting is meaningless.
"You're next."
Hearing this, Borsalino looked at Rowan.
"You can't maintain that state for long. But as long as your teleportation isn't restricted, I can't keep you here either. You can't kill me. I'm not like that CP0 guy."
Rowan snorted. He didn't like it, but it was true.
Even though both were at Admiral-level combat power, the one just killed had been heavily disadvantaged.
The Celestial Dragon's corpse had a spatial mark. That was the key to landing the first strike.
Caught off guard by Rowan's sudden eruption, the opponent never expected his defense to fail.
Ryūjin Jakka's six-thousand-degree heat had no reference point for him. Unlike Borsalino, who could compare it to Sakazuki's magma, he misjudged it and chose to clash head-on.
After that first hit, the spatial mark was set. The chameleon's ability became useless, and in his severely injured state, death was inevitable.
All these factors combined into a guaranteed kill on an Admiral-level opponent.
"Boom!"
The flames contracted and withdrew. Ryūjin Jakka's Shikai state was released, and all the fire returned to the blade.
The Zanpakutō was sheathed, sparks scattering.
Although he had not reached his absolute limit, Rowan would not drag it out once he knew he could not keep Borsalino.
The ground was charred black. Smoke rose in strands, and the vast crystallized sand made Borsalino, still hovering in the air, feel his eyelids twitch.
What kind of power was that temperature?
Back when Vegapunk was still around, there had been rumors about giving weapons Devil Fruit abilities, but it was never completed.
And what kind of fruit could even produce something like this?
For a moment, the battlefield that had just been filled with killing intent fell into silence, one in the air, one on the ground, both watching each other.
"How terrifying…"
Borsalino spoke. "By exposing that kind of power, from today onward, you will become the greatest threat to the World Government. That level of strength cannot last long. You should understand the consequences."
Rowan glanced at the sky. From the moment he arrived here and notified the Revolutionary Army until now, seven or eight hours had already passed.
Still not enough…
But an ability capable of killing an Admiral-level opponent in a single strike, along with heat intense enough to keep Borsalino from even landing, was already enough to force those people to shift their focus onto him.
Drag it out a bit longer. Say a few more words.
And plant something in that monkey's mind while at it.
"When facing a crisis, smart people have their own way of doing things, just like you. But if everyone is smart, the final result is that all the smart people perish together."
Rowan's words made Borsalino frown slightly.
"Everyone in this world knows how disgusting the Celestial Dragons are. But as long as you pay the Heavenly Tribute, there is a high chance you can survive."
"The top combat forces of the Navy all know what true justice is. But for temporary stability, for the sake of letting the majority live, they choose to sacrifice a minority."
"But people like us… we are all fools."
Rowan's gaze was unwavering.
"Some of us have seen our homelands destroyed. Some have watched their families sold into slavery. Some have witnessed their entire families slaughtered by pirates. Others have been crushed by the Heavenly Tribute to the point where they had to take their own lives just to reduce the burden on their families."
"We are a group of fools who would rather use our lives to awaken this world than continue struggling on, not even knowing if we will live to see tomorrow."
"Borsalino…"
Rowan met his eyes.
"Back then, the light at your fingertips made children cheer. They called it light."
"But that family of three who just died on the street, that little girl whose eyes were gouged out by that piece of trash, Rodenaz… she will never be able to see the light again."
"Do you think… you can still be her light?"
"If you returned to that place in your memories, do you think those children would still call you light? When the blade falls, it might be that very light that kills them."
"I know the consequences. The World Government's top forces can wear me down, right? Once they restrict my teleportation, whether it is finding my base or setting new traps."
"But if someone like me compromises, then they will truly never see the light of the future."
After that long speech, Borsalino's eyes slowly narrowed in the air.
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