"Haa!", Leviathan took the lead, with the other three assisting in the assault.
The four of them abandoned all thoughts of escape, only wanting to inflict some damage on Rosse.
"Not a bad attitude."
Facing attacks from all directions, Rosse's lips curved into a smile.
Fighting with a belief in certain death, that's when it gets exciting.
Rosse gripped Vista's quality blade, with no intention of dodging, and met them head-on with crisp decisiveness.
BOOM!
The blade collided with Leviathan's fist, sending Leviathan's robust body flying.
Though Leviathan had A+ strength, Rosse not only possessed S+ strength but was also at the peak of all three types of Haki.
Even if he couldn't kill Leviathan in one or two strikes, each slash dealt devastating damage.
"Wah!", As Leviathan flew backward, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
He felt as though all his internal organs had shifted positions.
Rosse's strength, in his eyes, was no less than Whitebeard's.
But how old was Whitebeard? And how old was Rosse?
Rosse was still in his growth phase, how strong he could become in the future, Leviathan didn't even dare to imagine.
"Ah! Taste my fists!", Vista, with both hands coated in Armament Haki, and Marco from the opposite side, charged at Rosse.
At the same time, from the side, Carlo activated his Bubble-Bubble Fruit ability, attempting to envelop Rosse with bubbles.
"A swordsman using fists, truly shameful," Rosse chuckled lightly, actually ignoring their attacks, and reached out his left hand to grab Vista's throat.
Thud!
Their attacks landed on Rosse's body, but it was no different from scratching an itch.
Rosse's current body defense wasn't inferior to Kaido's or Big Mom's.
Marco and Vista, who hadn't grown to their full potential, had almost no chance of breaking through his defense.
"It's over," Rosse spoke softly and suddenly thrust the long blade forward.
Slash!
"VISTA!!", Marco cried out in alarm, watching as Rosse's blade easily pierced through Vista's heart.
With such an injury, even a god couldn't save him.
"My life… really was a disgrace…", Vista coughed up a mouthful of blood, a self-mocking expression on his face, before finally falling silent.
A swordsman had his blade taken, then was pierced through the heart by that very blade.
Such a death, for him, was too humiliating.
'I d-don't…'
But lacking in strength, what could he do? Even in death, Vista's eyes remained wide open. He could not rest in peace.
[Ding~ B-rank kill completed!]
"So… who's next?"
Rosse swung his left hand, flinging the blade that still pierced Vista's body, tossing his corpse to the side.
At the same time, a curtain of water suddenly appeared in front of him.
Carlo's bubble attack was effortlessly neutralized by this unexpected water screen.
If we're being honest, his fruit was definitely a superior version of the Bubble-Bubble Fruit.
Bubbles, soft and weak, couldn't harm him at all.
"ROSSE!!", Marco gritted his teeth, shouting with all his might, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Rosse.
'To kill someone and still be so indifferent, this man is simply a demon!'
'The one lying on the ground… is my friend!'
"What are you shouting for? I can hear you loud and clear. The louder you shout, the more you show your own incompetence. If you really had strength, come and kill me," Rosse let out a light laugh and suddenly stomped his right foot forward.
"So fast!"
Carlo's pupils shrank, within a blink, Rosse was already in front of him.
But as someone battle-hardened, Carlo instinctively coated his entire body in Armament Haki and crossed his arms as he retreated.
Seeing Rosse not follow up immediately, Carlo even let out a sigh of relief.
But suddenly, a whisper came from beside his ear, "Why retreat? If you think you're slow, does stepping back mean you'll get away?"
"What?"
Carlo's eyes widened, terrified as he looked toward the spot where Rosse had just been standing, only to find it was just an afterimage.
Shhh~
"AHHHH!"
Carlo let out a cry of pain, struggling to lower his head.
His chest had been pierced by a hand, and in that hand, a heart still beating.
'That heart… seems to be mine…'
Carlo's mind drifted into confusion, and from then on, he made no more sound.
[Ding~ A-rank kill completed!]
"Carlo," Marco stared blankly at the scene.
Carlo, who was even stronger than him, had been killed by Rosse so easily, his heart ripped right out.
"Here, a gift for you," The corners of Rosse's lips curled up as he tossed the bloody lump to Marco.
At the same time, seawater washed over his hand, cleaning the blood away.
Though the feeling of piercing through was nice, he still found it kind of gross.
Getting blood all over his hand, didn't feel so good.
Next time, he thought, better to use a more civilized method.
"AHHHH!!"
Marco instinctively caught Carlo's heart, and his spirit was on the verge of collapse.
It wasn't like he hadn't faced life and death before.
As a pirate, how could he not have witnessed comrades dying?
But to have a comrade die right in front of him, without even the slightest chance to resist, and he himself unable to do anything… this was the first time.
Marco fell to his knees, eyes momentarily lifeless.
He was not yet the experienced man he'd become twenty years later.
"You are just too well protected by Whitebeard," Rosse sneered, "Choosing to be a pirate, and you can't even handle a bit of blood? Are you playing house?"
He didn't even glance at Marco again, turning his gaze toward Leviathan instead.
Compared to Marco, who had lost his soul, Leviathan, the current First Division Commander, was holding up much better.
Even though he was filled with rage, he hadn't given in to despair or lost his mind.
"Come, don't waste time."
Rosse beckoned toward Leviathan. Two were dead, one was crippled, only Leviathan remained.
"Let's go!"
Leviathan took a deep breath, no longer hesitating, charging at Rosse with the resolve to die.
No way to win. Rosse's strength was already on par with Whitebeard.
With just the few of them, there was no way they could win. Against such a powerful opponent, even if he stomped on their faces and humiliated them, they were powerless to resist.
'Dying early… might be a form of release.'
After three moves—
[Ding~ A-rank kill completed!]
Leviathan's head was twisted off by Rosse and thrown in front of Marco.
The A+ ranked Leviathan was indeed more formidable than the others. If it had been Zephyr, he could've at least held out for a while.
But in front of Rosse, he still wasn't enough. If Rosse now fought with full power, there was no opponent on the seas who could match him.
The only people who could threaten him, were either dead and yet to reincarnate, or still sitting high above the world.
"All right. Now… it's finally your turn."
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.
https://discord.gg/bYAfGyp98y