Rowan did not hold back in the slightest with that toss.
The lanky Luffy was launched like a cannonball, slamming heavily into a massive boulder.
Rumble—!
The stone shattered, kicking up a thick shroud of dust. It wasn't until the sea breeze swept the haze away that Luffy could be seen, buried neck-deep in a pile of rubble.
"AAAAGH!!!!"
Suddenly, a piercing shriek erupted. Luffy burst from the heap of stones and leaped to his feet. He was covered in dirt and grime, looking utterly pathetic.
If this were anyone else, seeing their great-grandson in such a state would have broken their heart. But Rowan acted as if he hadn't seen a thing, continuing to feast with gusto.
He wouldn't feel pity. If the boy couldn't handle this much, how did he have the gall to shout about becoming the Pirate King every day? Besides, a toss like that wasn't enough to cause even a scratch on the boy's body.
That, of course, was thanks to the physical constitution granted by his Devil Fruit. The Paramecia Gomu Gomu no Mi—though, in reality, it was merely the disguised form of the Mythical Zoan, Model: Nika. Since Luffy had eaten that fruit, no blunt object could harm him unless it was coated in Armament Haki or involved a sharp edge.
Standing atop the rock pile, Luffy stared toward Rowan, his expression extremely grim. His heavy breathing caused his nostrils to flare as he knit his brows, his eyes fixed—not on Rowan—but on the roasted goat that was rapidly disappearing!
The aroma of the meat relentlessly assaulted Luffy's taste buds. To make matters worse, Rowan was fanning the flames, purposefully wafting the scent toward him. How could a glutton like Luffy resist such temptation?
"AAAGH!!! AAAAH!!!!"
"Meat!! Meat!! I want meat!!!"
Unable to endure it a second longer, Luffy let out a frenzied roar.
"You want meat?"
Rowan flaunted a large, dripping, sizzling piece of meat in his hand and laughed loudly. "As long as you can snatch it, it's all yours. But if you can't... well, you don't get a single bite."
Luffy's eyes turned bloodshot. "AAAAHHH!!! No! I can't take it! I want meat! MEAT!!!"
This time, after his scream, Luffy suddenly dropped into a strange stance. He spread his legs wide in a horse-stance, centered his weight, placed one hand on his knee, and pressed a clenched fist against the ground.
"Hmm?"
The playful grin finally vanished from Rowan's face, replaced by a look of stern intensity. I didn't expect the brat to master this move so soon.
However, Rowan wasn't entirely surprised. With his personal guidance, it was only natural for Luffy to unlock this technique faster than in the original timeline. A smile touched the old man's lips again as he thought to himself: Let me see just how powerful your version of this is.
Under Rowan's watchful eye, Luffy's legs pumped up and down like pistons. Gradually, his skin began to flush red. As steam started to billow from his pores, his skin turned a vibrant pink. In this state, the look Luffy gave the roast goat... was dead serious.
"Use everything you've got! Don't hold back! Come at me!" Rowan barked.
"Gomu Gomu no... Second Gear!"
Whoosh!
The words had barely left his mouth when Luffy kicked off the ground, vanishing in a blur of speed.
Marine Rokushiki: Soru!
Even though Luffy had only practiced this move for a short time, the acceleration provided by Second Gear boosted the technique to a level comparable to a Headquarters Vice Admiral's Soru!
In the blink of an eye, Luffy appeared above and behind Rowan. He was so fast that Rowan's naked eye almost couldn't track his silhouette.
"Gomu Gomu no... JET Pistol!"
It was the same stretching punch as before, but this time, it was over ten times faster!
"Not bad. Good speed, and you picked a clever angle. But if you think that's enough to steal from the old man, you're severely underestimating me."
As Luffy struck, Rowan moved. This time, however, he didn't grab Luffy's arm. Instead, he snatched the wooden spit holding the roast goat and spun his body, letting Luffy's strike pass through empty air.
Before he could even retract his right hand, Luffy's left hand shot out like a rocket, again targeting the goat. But Rowan tapped the ground lightly and shot backward. With a powerful leap, still clutching the massive roast, he landed atop a giant boulder.
Luffy wouldn't let the meat escape his sight. He stomped the air, chasing after him through the sky.
Marine Rokushiki: Geppo!
"Gomu Gomu no... JET Pistol!"
The same move, but even faster. Atop the boulder, Rowan pivoted slightly, dodging the blow by a hair's breadth.
"JET Pistol!" "JET Pistol!" "JET Pistol!"
Luffy unleashed a barrage, but each time he was just an inch short. Once, he could even feel the radiating heat from the roast. The scent was right there, but the flavor remained out of reach. His patience snapped.
Luffy flickered onto a tree branch directly in front of Rowan. He threw both arms back and roared:
"Gomu Gomu no... JET Gatling!"
His arms became a blur as he unleashed a torrential rain of fists, like two machine guns firing lead at Rowan.
"Good lad!"
Faced with this, Rowan's expression finally grew serious. As the dense screen of fists swept toward him, Rowan's body began to sway and weave with minimal movement. His sways were small, yet each one was timed perfectly to let a fist whistle past him.
If anyone else had been watching, they would have been sweating for the old man. Rowan looked sturdy, but he was still a white-haired centenarian. One hit from a punch at that speed could have devastating consequences.
Yet, Luffy was the one who was truly baffled. No matter how fast he punched, his Great-Grandpa seemed to predict his every move, dodging a split-second before the blow arrived. Despite the apparent danger, Rowan was in total control.
"Tsk, tsk. All that training and this is all you've got? And you want to be the Pirate King? Too slow! Far too slow!"
Rowan laughed and actually found the time to tear off a chunk of mutton and chew.
"YA! AAAAGHH!!!"
Provoked, a snarling Luffy increased his speed even further. The shadows of his fists became an impenetrable wall. But even carrying a whole roast goat, Rowan remained elusive.
The Mt. Colubo forest became the stage for a bizarre scene: the silver-haired Rowan—holding a giant roasting spit in one hand and a half-eaten leg of lamb in the other—weaving between ground and trees, dancing through a storm of fists. All the while, he continued to eat and throw out taunts that drove Luffy into a frenzy.
By the time Rowan finished the second leg of lamb, Luffy's speed began to flag. Soon after, the pink hue faded from his skin and the steam dissipated. Swallowing hard and gasping for air, Luffy prepared to take a breath.
But the moment he relaxed, his expression transformed into one of pure shock. He realized that his Great-Grandpa, who had been right in his sights, had vanished.
"Little brat, you're gassed already? Your stamina is pathetic."
That "kindly" voice whispered right into his ear. Luffy spun around, only to see a greasy, massive fist expanding rapidly in his vision.