"Your attacks are useless against me. If this is all you've got, then I'm afraid it's time to end this," Daz Bones said calmly, having yet to exert his full strength.
"Don't look down on me, Crocodile! Won't you fight me yourself?" Saris glared at Rosen, his frustration palpable. There was once a time when he believed he would rise above all others, unbeatable.
But the reality before him now showed just how far he was from the world's true powerhouses. Were all the pirates he had faced before just trash?
He had fought his way through countless battles, annihilating over ten pirate crews, always unstoppable—until now.
Rosen barely spared him a glance, offering no reply. Truthfully, the pirate captain's swordsmanship was impressive—fierce and relentless—but against a Devil Fruit user like Daz Bones, his lethality was severely limited.
In the end, he appeared little different from the usual cannon fodder.
"Not just anyone has the right to challenge our boss," Daz Bones frowned.
"Whirlwind Mad Blade—Frenzied Shadow Slash!" Saris erupted with fury, unleashing over a hundred slashes in an instant, each razor-sharp gust carving deep gashes into the deck.
"Finish this quickly. Repairs are a hassle… Oh, right—do you want to recruit some subordinates? Otherwise, you're still just a commander without an army." The first part was directed at Daz Bones; the second, at Hathaway.
"That's not true! Queenie has me—and Sister Lia! She's not alone!" Natalie protested.
"They're either weak or unpleasant. No thanks," Hathaway remarked, eyeing Saris with disdain.
"You bitch—!" Enraged, Saris turned to attack Hathaway.
Halsey's brows furrowed as she fixed her gaze on him. A tsunami of Conqueror's Haki crashed over Saris, freezing him in terror. For a fleeting moment, she loomed before him like an insurmountable peak.
"Since that's the case, I'll send you off. It's a bit wasteful to use this on you, but I might as well test it. Twin Blades—Divine Double Flash!" Daz Bones drew his twin swords, activating his ability. A flurry of unseen slashes pierced Saris's body before he could react.
"Impossible…!" Before he could finish, Daz Bones yanked him up and hurled him overboard, sending him plummeting like his first mate before him.
"Clean up the pirates, seize their treasure. Have some crew take their ship for now—it can be sold later. Should be worth over a hundred million Berries." Rosen was no stranger to pirate plundering.
The ship was sizable—it might prove useful later on their journey to Skypiea. No harm keeping it around. Mercy was a luxury Rosen couldn't afford when dealing with pirates.
"Understood." Daz Bones nodded, heading off with Mr. 5 to clear the remaining pirates. The entire skirmish lasted barely five minutes, but they decided to halt for the night as darkness fell.
The crew set about cleaning the deck, though the barbecue was canceled—corpses and blood weren't exactly appetizing.
With sentries posted, the night grew uneventful—until an unexpected snowfall draped the ship in silence, the stars above brighter than ever at this altitude.
In his lavish quarters, Rosen pored over historical texts borrowed from Robin while refining his plans for Enel.
Upon reaching Skypiea, his priority was taking Robin to the Poneglyph, securing gold, and testing Enel's strength. From the original events, it was hard to gauge just how powerful the self-proclaimed god truly was.
One thing was certain—his Logia ability was arguably the most destructive in existence. His "Raigo" could annihilate entire islands, rivaling even the legendary Ancient Weapons in sheer devastation.
In terms of destructive power alone, he might rank near Admiral-level—at least where his Devil Fruit was concerned. But his overall combat prowess remained a mystery.
If circumstances allowed, Rosen had two options for Enel: either reduce him to the same fate as Charles or attempt to recruit him into the Dawn's crew for further reshaping.
Rosen knew his future demanded more formidable allies—Enel, despite his flaws, was an ideal candidate. Though arrogant and reliant on his abilities, he wasn't truly insane. His attempts to recruit strong subordinates suggested ambition—laziness aside, he treated his crew decently so long as they weren't enemies.
If neither plan worked—if Enel proved unbeatable—they'd simply leave. With Hathaway as his ally, Rosen doubted Enel could overpower them all.
Knock knock.
Before Rosen could respond, Natali barged in, clad in pajamas. "Uncle, tell me a story! It's too early to sleep."
Incidentally, Hathaway and Robin had hit it off, leading the former—alongside Lia and Natalie—to stay in Robin's quarters, one deck below Rosen's.
"Here's a book full of sea legends—but it's your sister Robin's. Don't damage it, or you'll get spanked. No complaining to me then."
"My, is the boss calling for me? Or badmouthing me?" A pair of eyes and a mouth materialized on the wall—Robin's ability.
"Must you be so invasive? Even I deserve some privacy." Rosen sighed, though he couldn't deny how useful her power was for intel gathering—eavesdropping included.
"My apologies, boss. I was just looking for Natalie and the sea cow. I'll be more careful next time." Robin smiled. Rosen wasn't truly upset—just teasing.
"Sea Cow, why are you lurking at the window? Get back to your room." Rosen spotted the green figure peering in from the balcony. Back in his old world, this would've terrified him—but now, his tolerance for the bizarre had skyrocketed.
"Ah, boss—Hathaway asked if you entered her room earlier. Someone rummaged through her belongings."
"I didn't. And without orders, no crew would dare intrude. Couldn't she sense it herself?" Rosen frowned. Hathaway was on the deck below—even if briefly absent, she'd be nearby. With her Haki, how could anyone bypass her undetected? Even he would struggle.
"Strange. She's certain someone did. She thinks only you could've managed it."
"Could there be something else on Skypiea we missed? Unlikely." Rosen had no reason to rifle through her things, and Hathaway wasn't the joking type.
Had a crewmember acted out of line? Possible—but evading her Haki? Unthinkable.
(End of Chapter)
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