Rosinante's expression was extremely grim—he hadn't expected Charlotte Katakuri to show up this time.
In fact, from the moment Perospero's ship arrived in the Kingdom of Joromia, Rosinante had faintly sensed a lurking threat. While fighting Perospero, he had to divide his focus to remain alert to that presence. That was the real reason he got swept into the candy waves so easily. Otherwise, with his level of Observation Haki, Perospero would've never landed a clean hit.
At first, Rosinante hadn't known where the threat was coming from. But when Katakuri appeared, everything became clear. He hadn't imagined that the Big Mom Pirates would dispatch one of their top commanders—Katakuri himself.
Katakuri and Perospero weren't even in the same league. Despite being the younger of the two, Katakuri's bounty was already an astronomical 800 million berries. A true Emperor-class pirate. Even among the likes of Sakazuki and the others, Katakuri could stand as an equal.
"What a troublesome opponent…" Rosinante muttered as he swiftly dodged Katakuri's flying kick.
What bothered him the most was how perfectly Katakuri's abilities countered his own. Whether it was Observation Haki or Armament Haki, Katakuri was superior in both. Especially with Observation—though it wasn't clear if Katakuri could actually see the future, Rosinante could tell just by how early he'd sensed the threat: Katakuri's level was higher.
Rosinante's entire fighting style was built atop his Observation Haki. His Silent-Silent Fruit relied on perception to mute and suppress—whether sound, flame, or energy. But if Katakuri's Observation disrupted his own, it dulled his power considerably.
Worse, the Mochi-Mochi Fruit itself was a natural counter. As a Special Paramecia, its malleable and sticky properties allowed Katakuri to alter his form freely, making him extremely difficult to strike. If Rosinante couldn't make physical contact, then he couldn't apply his fruit's abilities.
Katakuri was exactly the type of opponent Rosinante least wanted to face. If he had known Katakuri was among the Big Mom Pirates dispatched this time, he might've thought twice before engaging them at all.
Maybe things had been going too smoothly lately. Maybe he'd let his ego swell—thinking that he was already capable of challenging New World-caliber pirates, without hesitation diving into battle with Perospero.
"Mochi—Heavy Strike!" Katakuri roared, swinging a punch.
There was no flash or flair to Katakuri's attack—just brute force enhanced by his fruit's properties and that monstrous Observation Haki. It was the kind of raw, refined attack that achieved overwhelming results through sheer mastery.
Rosinante met it head-on, his Silent power condensing around his longsword. A look of firm resolve spread across his blood-streaked face.
He knew dodging would be useless in the face of Katakuri's precognition.
The longsword—imbued with the will to mute everything—slashed out and collided with Katakuri's devastating fist.
BOOM!
Rosinante was sent hurtling backward like a ragdoll, slamming violently into a cliff wall.
"Pffft!" Blood burst from his mouth. That one hit had seriously injured him.
In strength, Armament Haki, and even physical prowess—Katakuri completely overpowered him. Though Rosinante's Silent power could neutralize the Mochi's stickiness, Katakuri's superior Observation interfered with Rosinante's ability to read and nullify the force behind his attacks. That punch came in full—unmuted, unstoppable. And it damn near broke him.
The Charlotte Family's physiology, inherited from Big Mom herself, was monstrous. The sheer physical might in that single punch had exceeded Rosinante's worst expectations.
Katakuri drew back his fist, frowning. He hadn't sensed any of the usual resistance. Normally, anyone struck by his Mochi-infused punch would get stuck, trapped in that sticky binding. But not Rosinante. He hadn't been adhered to at all.
"Seems like you're not completely worthless," Katakuri muttered.
When Rosinante's name had first reached the ears of the Big Mom Pirates—along with his fight against Borsalino in Loguetown—so had his abilities. Somehow, the intelligence had made its way quickly to Big Mom herself. Possibly thanks to moles in the Navy, Big Mom had learned Rosinante possessed the Silent-Silent Fruit.
"But it's a pity. You actually thought you could oppose Mama. Such foolishness. Take your delusions… and die with them in hell," Katakuri said coldly. His fists began to blur as he launched a flurry of blows, each wrapped in dark Armament Haki, pounding toward Rosinante with relentless force.
"Haaah!" With a cry, Rosinante kicked off the ground, soaring skyward to escape the barrage.
"Flight ability?" Katakuri muttered, watching him ascend out of reach. In the world of pirates, flight was rare—hence why the Golden Lion's airborne fleet had once been so legendary. Katakuri had some ranged options with his Mochi powers, but if Rosinante kept his altitude high enough, he'd be out of range.
"So strong…" Rosinante panted in midair, catching his breath. "Thank you for showing me how far I still have to go in this world of sea emperors. As thanks… let me repay you with everything I've got!"
He straightened up. Something in his eyes changed.
Katakuri frowned. While others might have thought Rosinante was bluffing at death's door, his own refined Observation told him otherwise—there was a rapidly growing sense of danger radiating from Rosinante.
If Katakuri had the ability to fly, he would have struck immediately to snuff that threat before it bloomed.
"Body Self-Limitation—Silent Release!" Rosinante pressed a hand to his chest.
Suddenly, a tremendous wave of energy surged from his body. It was staggering.
"Releasing the body's natural self-limiters to unleash its full potential?" Katakuri muttered, brows furrowed.
The human body imposes its own limits, naturally suppressing strength to avoid injury. This was doubly true for Devil Fruit users—their powers often throttled by what the human frame could safely withstand. Even awakening didn't eliminate these checks.
But if one could remove that restraint…
Then every ounce of strength could be wielded with abandon.
The cost, however, was usually death.
Now, unshackled, Rosinante's body radiated with a strength that defied imagination.
He clenched his fist. Even the air trembled.
As he raised his hand, Katakuri instantly felt a crushing pressure hurtling toward him. His body instinctively hardened with full-body Armament Haki.
BOOM!
One punch.
Katakuri was sent flying like a cannonball.
Rosinante's speed had soared to the point that even Katakuri's future-seeing senses couldn't react in time. He was struck before he could fully perceive it.
"So fast… Is this the power of self-limit release?" Katakuri gasped, his face pale with shock. "Incredible… even my body didn't have time to react. My Observation Haki… could only barely trace the shadow of his punch…"
A man who was clearly weaker than him moments ago… had now become terrifying.