"Under the gloomy sky, the sea surface, mirroring the thunderous light like black onyx, was shattered by the massive Pirate Ship. The cracked, mirror-like surface created rippling waves, making the silhouettes of those aboard unclear.
But there was no need to see their faces clearly— just the sight of the main sail, swollen and billowing in the wind, with a skull painted on it, and three scars marking the left eye, was enough.
"[The Red Force]"!
"Akagami (Red Hair)" Shanks!''
"Heh! I see, didn't expect him to show up too."
Rowen crossed his arms, slightly turning his head to glance over.
"Admiral, should we...?" Onigumo, leading the Battleship, came forward and asked quietly.
As the saying goes, "Strike first, gain the advantage!"
Having fought against the former "Yonko" Shanks, caution was essential.
Although most of their cannonballs had been used up, they were aboard a "War Behemoth"!
Each of these ships, aside from the artillery, was equipped with dozens of "Plasma Cannon Shotguns"—used for close combat and called "battlefield harvesters" by pirates. Additionally, under Akainu's command, they were armed with small "Super Electromagnetic Cannons" for defense.
With five Battleships firing together, no famous ship could withstand it unless they had a fruit ability like Whitebeard's, which defied logic.
"No need! I said it before— whoever comes will die."
Rowen calmly stopped him, letting out a light chuckle. "I'm sure Shanks won't think I'm joking. If he dares to make a move, I'll kill him!"
Rowen never joked when it came to pirates.
He was a man of principles and would never let anyone go just because of some absurd admiration.
Onigumo nodded at his words and stood at the bow of the ship, waiting for the enemy to draw closer.
Strictly speaking, Rowen wasn't a "War Faction" officer, but his iron-fisted style was sometimes more extreme than even Akainu's.
It was known that CP-9's "strongest genius" Rob Lucci was famous for killing 500 trapped Kingdom soldiers, but Rowen, on the other hand, personally ended the lives of 5000 Kingdom soldiers under a thunderstorm!
The reason? They had gotten too close, and Rowen had no interest in holding back.
He was a general with personal principles, and Onigumo wouldn't question him due to his rank. Instead, he respected Rowen's strictness.
Shanks' arrival caused a stir among the distant pirates who had been observing. They couldn't hide their astonishment.
"Even Shanks is here? Wait, maybe we have a chance..."
"You think the Marines will just let you pick up the scraps? Wake up! When it comes to snatching the spoils, the Marines are the real experts!"
"Captain, what should we do?"
"Let's watch for now. I think Shanks is going to do something earth-shattering."
"Huā Lā La..."
Surrounded by the Marine fleet, "[The Red Force]" pushed forward without hesitation, entering the enemy's arc of encirclement.
The position placed "[The Red Force]" between a rock and a hard place, trapped and unable to advance or retreat, yet Shanks pressed on. He treated the approaching Battleships as if they were nothing, his expression calm and serene.
Upon hearing the news, Zero stepped out from the Battleship and stood beside Rowen, his face grim. "Shanks, why aren't you staying on your own turf? What brings you here?"
"Yo! Long time no see, Zero... Oh, right, you're Zero too."
Shanks greeted him with a sunny smile, but suddenly paused, his expression becoming strange as he said something completely out of the blue.
"You brat! Didn't Rayleigh teach you to respect your seniors? Shanks."
Bald Zero didn't get angry at this, instead slightly raising his head to watch Shanks with a casual, weightless gaze. "This arrogance…"
"As expected, you are the heir of that name— a born criminal."
"Hua!"
"What did you say, baldie?!"
"Asshole, do you want to die?!"
"Captain, give the order to fire! We're not afraid of him!"
Seeing their Captain being disrespected like this, the crew aboard "[The Red Force]" was filled with righteous indignation.
The saying goes, "When the king is humiliated, the ministers must die." They quickly drew their weapons, their tempers flaring.
At that moment...
"Boom!!!"
A thunderous pillar of white lightning, several meters thick, descended right beside "[The Red Force]", instantly evaporating the surrounding seawater and leaving a deep, bottomless crater.
"The Thunder Piller" drowned out all the noise, as pirates felt their hearts gripped, unable to breathe, while gazing at the imposing figure standing at the "Qilin" ship's bow. They could feel a tingling sensation on their skin and they felt as if their very souls were being seized.
"Noisy..."
Rowen, holding his Thunder Dragon crescent-sided halberd, stood firm as currents of electricity crackled around him like a descending Thunder God. His eyes glowed a deep blue, flashing with sparks.
"Shut your mouths, trash! You don't have the right to speak here!"
An electric net surged behind him in the sky, reaching tens of thousands of meters high, creating an image that resembled the "Doomsday" of the world. The oppressive energy swept across the sea, with the faint sound of a dragon's roar echoing.
The Pirates, feeling provoked by Rowen, turned red with anger, but in front of the Marine "Soryu (Azure Dragon)", who had personally taken down two Yonko, they lacked the courage to speak out.
"So..."
With a sharp command to stop the useless arguments, Rowen shifted his gaze toward Shanks, who was watching him. "Did you come here today to die? Captain of the trash."
Upon hearing this, Shanks and his key crew members' expressions turned grim. They knew that the Marine "Soryu (Azure Dragon)" was cunning and ruthless, but they hadn't expected him to be this malicious.
One sentence had labeled every member of the "Akagami (Red Hair) Pirates" as "trash."
This statement broke any chance of reconciliation from the outset. If Shanks didn't step forward now, his crew would never be able to lift their heads again.
The issue of their comrades' honor and disgrace made "Beckman", who understood Shanks' intentions, seethe with anger. He opened his mouth to speak: "Soryu (Azure Dragon)!"
"You provoke war without even asking our intentions. Aren't you afraid of the "Gorōsei" (Five Elder Stars) blaming you?!"
As a former Yonko, and now the most famous pirate in the world, Beckman had the confidence to ask such a question.
However, Beckman had a sense of unease; Rowen's reaction seemed too abnormal. It was almost as if he was deliberately trying to stop them.
But why would Rowen know what they were planning?
Beckman couldn't understand.
"Afraid? Why should I be afraid?"
Upon hearing this, Rowen swung his Thunder Dragon crescent-sided halberd to his side, causing his Justice cloak to billow with the wind, casting dark shadows over the area.
"I am Marine, a Marine of Justice!"
"No matter what you think, I am the representative of Justice! As a Marine, killing pirates is the execution of Justice!"
"What is there to fear?!"
"You...!!!"
Beckman faltered, unable to respond.
Indeed, just as Rowen said, no matter what they planned to do, they could not change their stance as pirates.
And pirates, as a group, could never embody Justice.
In the Marine Corps, wicked people were few.
In the pirate world, good people were scarce.
This was an unchangeable fact!
"Step back, Beckman."
At that moment, Shanks spoke quietly, stopping Beckman.
"Understood."
Beckman took a deep breath and stepped aside.
Shanks took a step forward, his face solemn and serious as he looked at Rowen. His voice was calm yet powerful as he said, "Justice?"
"What a grandiose term! Hearing that from your mouth really opens my eyes!"
Rowen frowned silently, uncertain of Shanks' intentions.
Suddenly, Shanks shook his head. "But that's your business. I'm not interested in getting involved."
"However, Soryu (Azure Dragon)..."
"Clang!"
A clear, sharp sound rang out as Shanks drew his sword, "Griffin", with his remaining right hand. He raised it in front of him, his eyes burning with fury.
"Even if their strength is incomparable to yours, even if they are weak in your eyes, they are my most treasured companions, the family I can entrust my life to!"
"You..."
"If you provoke me, Soryu (Azure Dragon)!!!"
(End Of Chapter)
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