"Later, stick close to Gion. Remember, you are mine. No matter who is standing in front of you, you never need to lower your head," Rosse spoke softly into Black Maria's ear, then let go of her, though she was still reluctant to part.
Right now, Black Maria was still just a child. He didn't have that kind of interest in her. At least, wait a few more years.
"Okay!", Black Maria nodded heavily, her dark green eyes fixed on Rosse, without the slightest intention of looking away.
In her heart right now, Rosse was her everything.
Rosse stretched his body a little. Instead of going deeper into the pleasure quarters, he turned and walked out.
Originally, today he had come planning to enjoy some entertainment, but now it seemed there was no chance.
But he didn't feel regret. What level was Uzuki Tempura anyway, playing with the same kind of thing as him?
Although Rosse would sometimes use f*rceful methods, more often he preferred the other side to take the initiative.
Besides, how could he ever stoop so low as to f*rce himself on a c*urtesan little girl? That would be far too disgraceful.
Today's trip to the pleasure quarters left him rather disappointed, but since he gained Black Maria, it was still a stroke of luck.
Otherwise, this fine seedling might have been caught in the battle today and buried in the ruins of the Flower Capital.
When Rosse left the quarters, Kozuki Oden and the others also arrived at his location.
Rosse had never concealed his movements. In fact, he knew full well Kaido's Observation Haki had been locked onto him the whole time.
But with Kaido's personality, let alone killing just one daimyo, even if Rosse killed Kurozumi Orochi, Kaido likely wouldn't bother stepping out to say anything.
"ROSSE!!!"
Enemies meeting face-to-face, the anger burned hotter. The instant Kozuki Oden saw Rosse, his eyes turned blood-red, hatred and fury glaring straight at him.
"Yo, long time no see. You planning to make a move on me, Kozuki Oden?", Rosse smiled and waved casually, not caring at all about Oden's rage.
Or rather, the angrier Oden was, the happier he felt.
"That's Lord Kozuki... Oden?", Behind him, Black Maria clearly flinched when she saw Kozuki Oden, instinctively blurting out in surprise, but upon seeing that his relationship with Rosse wasn't good, she hurriedly corrected her address.
"Yeah, a coward who doesn't dare face sacrifice," Gion said lightly.
Whether he was a coward or not, Black Maria wasn't too sure.
But recently, she had heard...
"But, wasn't it said before that he died?", Black Maria blinked her eyes.
Though she lived in the quarters, her news was still a bit behind. She had only heard about the time it was said Kozuki Oden died.
"You're the one who died! This great man is alive and well!"
With his strength, Oden naturally heard Black Maria's voice. Not knowing she had only just joined Rosse today, he thought she was mocking him, and in a rage he cursed furiously.
"As long as Master is here, I won't die. The one who will die is you," Black Maria's face went cold, glaring right back at him.
She didn't care about some Daimyo of Kuri or a descendant of the Kozuki family. Just a moment ago, a lofty, high-ranking figure had already died by her hand.
The courage Rosse had given her.
"AHHH!!!", Oden had already been seething, and now, being insulted by a girl who looked like a maid, he completely exploded.
Conqueror's Haki surged from his body, crashing straight toward Black Maria.
"Kozuki Oden, you're only good at bullying little girls," Rosse smiled, patting Black Maria's head, as his own Conqueror's Haki burst out, meeting Oden's head-on.
In an instant, the two waves of Conqueror's Haki collided in the air.
But shockingly, Oden's full-force Conqueror's Haki, upon clashing with Rosse's, was like a small ripple meeting a raging tidal wave. Instantly swept back in reverse.
BOOM!
Seeing this, both Golden Lion and Whitebeard simultaneously released their own Conqueror's Haki.
Two of the strongest peak-level auras fused with Oden's collapsing Haki, and only then could they barely hold against Rosse's.
Feeling the force of Rosse's Conqueror's Haki, Whitebeard and Golden Lion's pupils contracted, and they instinctively exchanged a glance.
Rosse's Haki... was beyond the standard.
This quantity and quality had already surpassed Rocks in his prime. Reaching a level they had never before witnessed.
And judging by Rosse's relaxed expression, he was clearly at ease, in complete control.
Both Golden Lion and Whitebeard felt their hearts sink, realizing the danger.
Conqueror's Haki still held some relation to strength.
It was true, weak Haki didn't mean weak strength.
But Haki this overwhelmingly powerful, Rosse's actual strength had to be far beyond what they had imagined.
"Together," Golden Lion said in a deep voice, floating with the Float-Float Fruit, ready to rush at Rosse.
Whitebeard also nodded slightly. The two, once teammates and rivals for over ten years, understood each other's thoughts perfectly.
Rosse was too strong. Today, he had to be stopped.
"Wait!", But before the two could act, Kozuki Oden blocked them.
"What are you doing? You won't go after him, and now you stop us? What's that supposed to mean?", Golden Lion's face showed displeasure, 'At this moment, Oden can't still be thinking of protecting Wano, can he?'
"Rosse!", Oden stopped the two, then shouted at Rosse, "If you're a real man, then fight us properly outside! We won't gang up on you, fight you one-on-one!"
'The hell?'
Golden Lion gave Oden a strange look, cursing in his heart.
'Such a good chance, why not seize it now?'
If they delayed and Zephyr's side got the message and rushed over, it would cause a lot more trouble.
Even though their lineup was still stronger, and Kaido would join the fight too, why waste time and energy going around in circles?
And Rosse gave him a very bad feeling. If they really followed Oden's way, they might actually lose.
"Properly? Sounds reasonable, but I refuse," Rosse looked at the three with leisure, then glanced at Kaido, who was already in place, silently standing aside. With a smile, he beckoned at them, "Come on then. I'll stand right here. Four against one, if you've got the ability, kill me right here."
"You cowardly bastard! If you've got the guts, don't use the people of the Flower Capital as hostages!", Oden cursed out immediately, feeling the situation was impossibly tricky.
What a joke, if a battle really broke out in the Flower Capital, tens of thousands of people would die at the least. That was a price he couldn't possibly pay.
But if Rosse wasn't killed, then future trouble would only get worse.
His heart right now was filled with conflict and hesitation.
"This is it?", Rosse pointed at the wavering Oden, mocking as he looked at the others, "This is the guy, Kaido, that you thought was your opponent?"
Kaido gave a cold snort, looking at Oden with disdain.
'What can I say? I overestimated him.'
The fight was practically handed to him on a silver platter, and this guy was still tangled up about the issue of sacrifice. No wonder Rosse schemed him out of even Wano itself.
If only he had known this method was so effective, he would've driven Oden out of Wano long ago.
He should've already been lying down in the middle of the Flower Capital, openly telling Oden: 'If you don't leave Wano forever, I'll kill everyone in the Flower Capital.'
'Damn it! If I knew this back then, Wano would have already been mine, and Rosse wouldn't even be here now.'
'Seriously...', the more he thought about it, the angrier he got.
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