"Sea of Trees Descends."
The moment Romu spoke, the entire office erupted into chaos.
RUMBLE—
The building shook violently.
Walls cracked and collapsed.
Even the stone floor warped and buckled like waves underfoot.
Marine soldiers panicked.
Vice Admiral Ethan ignored the trembling ground, vaulted onto his desk, and roared:
"Idiots!"
"Open fire!"
But before the command could settle—
The stone floor exploded apart.
Dust filled the air as thick tree trunks burst upward, greedily clawing for space, growing at a terrifying speed.
The shaking intensified.
Soldiers who were already unsteady now stumbled helplessly.
Even Ethan had to leap and sidestep to avoid being crushed by the surging forest.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
A few disciplined soldiers forced themselves steady and fired into the wooden tide.
Their bullets barely scratched the bark.
Then—
A thick branch whipped toward Ethan.
No room to dodge.
He ripped his saber free and barked:
"Armament Haki — Coating!"
Black sheen flooded his hands and blade, gleaming like polished metal.
This was the basic application of Armament Haki—hardening weapons and body alike.
Ethan had once sliced steel with this very technique.
He swung.
CRACK!
The branch split in two—
…but his arm trembled violently.
His pupils shrank.
What kind of monster is this guy?
Before he could process it, the severed wood regenerated instantly.
Ethan's scalp prickled.
Seeing even their commander struggling, the Marines broke.
They scrambled toward the exit—
only to find there was none.
The office had become a dense forest.
From the sofa, Romu watched calmly.
"A Vice Admiral's physique really is on another level," he mused.
"Wonder how much stronger I'll get after absorbing him…"
His gaze sharpened.
"Thorn Kill."
Black thorn-vines exploded outward.
WHOOSH — WHOOSH — WHOOSH!
They pierced through the soldiers like arrows.
Dozens fell in an instant.
Even two officers were skewered.
Dark light pulsed along the vines.
The Marines' bodies shriveled rapidly—
skin clinging to bone.
Dry husks, identical to the pirates before them.
Ethan's jaw tightened.
Those men were his trusted core.
Gone in seconds.
But he could barely spare attention—he was too busy fighting for his own life.
Meanwhile, Romu felt vitality surge into him.
His lips curled slightly.
"Nice."
"Even my Haki feels stronger… Let's warm up with this Vice Admiral."
He waved a hand.
The forest stilled.
The vines froze.
He stood and stretched casually.
Across the clearing, Ethan blinked.
He's… challenging me to close combat?
His eyes darkened.
But he didn't rage.
He thought.
That fruit control is insane… wood tougher than steel… draining vines…
If I let this drag on, I lose.
But… he's abandoning his advantage?
Fruit users are usually weak in hand-to-hand.
A plan formed instantly.
Close the distance.
Kill fast.
"Armament Haki — Coating!"
His saber darkened again.
He slammed his foot down—
FLASH!
Ethan vanished.
Only shallow footprints remained.
"Shave…" Romu murmured.
The Marine 's Six Powers footwork.
A blur appeared behind him—
Ethan had crossed over ten meters in a fraction of a second.
"That's right," Ethan sneered.
"Too late now!"
With speed and hardened steel combined, this was his signature kill strike—
the move that once felled a 50-million-Beli pirate instantly.
"Die!"
The blade carved toward Romu's neck—
And Ethan heard a calm voice:
"Armament Haki — Hardening."
CLANG!
Metal shrieked against flesh—
flesh that rang like steel.
Then—
CRACK.
Ethan's saber shattered.
His eyes bulged.
"…Impossible!"
"This strike was praised by Vice Admiral Zephyr himself—"
Romu didn't bother answering.
"Armament Haki — Flowing Sakura."
Black coating spread over his arm—
threaded with faint red currents.
He punched.
BOOM.
His fist landed squarely on Ethan's torso.
From the outside—
nothing happened.
Inside—
CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.
Bones splintered like brittle twigs.