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~ 18 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon
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Countless violent, tyrannical arcs of crimson-black lightning raged through the atmosphere!
With each ferocious surge, massive chunks of earth were torn from the ground and swept upwards!
The icebergs and ice crystals of the Ice world shattered into innumerable pieces. The freezer clouds that had been continuously dropping hail and frigid air—were violently ripped apart by the roaring crimson-black lightning.
The very air currents of the sky recoiled and buckled, as if trembling in fear!
The sky trembled!
The earth shattered!
Even the power of Devil Fruits seemed to break and dissipate before this utterly violent and tyrannical force!
This—was the most violent, most tyrannical power on these seas!
Haōshoku Coating!
CRACKLE!
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The moment Rowen's powerful laughter ceased, the countless fragments previously swept up by the crimson-black lightning, fell precisely back into their original positions.
Perfect control of Haōshoku Coating—its attacks were supremely violent and tyrannical, yet it could also manipulate objects with such precision, leaving them completely unharmed!
"A perfectly controlled Haōshoku Coating—"
Aokiji stared at Rowen, now at the center of innumerable crimson-black lightning arcs, his entire body enveloped in a pulsating cloud of the same energy.
"....." Aokiji's eyes were wide with utter horror; his voice even cracked slightly.
Though he received intel from Fleet Admiral Sengoku before coming here—based on the intensity of Rowen's Conqueror's Haki displayed at Mariejois—Sengoku, using his Buddha-like wisdom, had deduced that Rowen might have initial mastery of Haōshoku Coating.
THAT was Sengoku's worst-case scenario, Rowen's absolute strength ceiling...
Initial mastery of Haōshoku Coating, while granting terrifying attack power for a short duration, was still just attack power.
Aokiji, having trained under Garp, knew the true nature of Haōshoku Coating—
It provided an All-around enhancement to the user—attack, defense, speed—all amplified to an absurd degree. His teacher, Garp's Haōshoku Coating-enhanced speed was supreme across the seas!
Even Kizaru—unless he remained pure light and didn't attack, couldn't match Garp's short-burst speed.
And Garp's attack power was also at the absolute pinnacle. Even Aokiji, with his Ice-Ice Fruit, Garp's 'Iron Fist' techniques, and his own Armament Haki, was no match for Garp in terms of raw attack power.
But that was for fully mastered Haōshoku Coating...
Initial mastery only allowed for infused attacks; it couldn't enhance speed or defense, significantly reducing the threat.
Furthermore, Haōshoku Coating consumed terrifying amounts of energy—a newly proficient user couldn't sustain its use for long. Once their Haōshoku Coating was depleted, they'd be helpless...
So, even when Rowen displayed his Awakened Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Aokiji, though shocked, hadn't lost his composure.
Even if the worst-case scenario—Rowen possessing initial mastery of Haōshoku Coating—was true, Aokiji believed the situation was still within his control.
But now—
Watching Rowen perfectly control the power of Haōshoku Coating, forming that crimson-black lightning cloud around himself, effortlessly manipulating the shattered earth.
Aokiji's facial expression itself began to contort.
This... was something only achievable with Complete Mastery of Haōshoku Coating...
That crimson-black lightning cloud was its signature symbol.
Under that cloud, the user's speed, defense, and attack power were all amplified to an unbelievably terrifying degree. He had personally experienced this power—from Garp!
Now, looking at Sky Sovereign Rowen before him, a man who also possessed complete mastery of Haōshoku Coating—Aokiji felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
This—is really, really troublesome!
To completely master this power... only a handful of the absolute strongest on these seas could achieve it!
Anyone who fully mastered Haōshoku Coating, based on power alone, could reign over the New World like a YONKŌ—
—AN EMPEROR!
This man's power level—was already at the level of an Emperor!
Aokiji stared at Rowen in horror...
What kind of sick joke was this???
Fleet Admiral Sengoku's deductions weren't just based on simple intelligence—they were derived using Buddha-like wisdom.
This process could even incorporate known information with Sengoku's own manifested Sixth sense—achieving the ultimate Buddha Deduction!
Countless possibilities would be revealed to Sengoku through this.
The titles—'Sengoku the Buddha'—'The Strategist'—wasn't just for show. He had led the Navy to countless major victories!
But now... his power assessment of this man—had been wrong, again and again! And not just by a little! It was completely off the mark!
The worst-case scenario was Initial mastery of Haōshoku Coating—was that even in the same universe as Complete mastery?!
Aokiji took a deep breath.
After calming down from his internal cursing, he began to understand. Fleet Admiral Sengoku's Buddha Deduction, even with slight errors, couldn't possibly be this far off—
And to be repeatedly wrong about the same person, Rowen!
There was only one possibility...
Aokiji's eyes flashed with utter disbelief.
When this man rampaged through Mariejois with Conqueror's Haki—at that time, his Haki truly was, at most, at the initial mastery of infusion level.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku's Buddha Deduction about his power then—WAS CORRECT!
But now, this man had undergone a horrifying evolution—Reaching complete mastery of Haōshoku Coating!
Just like—that Rumble-Rumble Fruit he had just acquired, and instantly Awakened!
Both—were sudden, abnormal spikes in power!
Such a thing had never occurred on these seas before! But this was the only explanation that fit the current situation!
Aokiji's mind raced...
Looking at the man before him, it was as if a crucial insight, a flash of inspiration, was just within his grasp!
"Rumble-Rumble Fruit? I only just got it."
"When I take your Ice-Ice Fruit, you'll understand everything—"
Sky Sovereign Rowen's earlier words echoed in Aokiji's mind like a revolving lantern.
And the Alabasta incident—Gion's encounter with Rowen.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku had also used his Buddha wisdom to perform a complete deduction of Rowen's power at that time.
Dispatching Gion to complete the mission should have been a surefire thing. But from the very start of the battle, Rowen's combat power was vastly different from Sengoku's deductions.
Though, it was still within Gion's capability to handle then. During the Alabasta incident, Rowen was roughly Admiral Candidate / Yonko Commander level...
But now... in such a short period, this man possessed the power of an Emperor!
And—
In Loguetown. After this man stole Smoker's Smoke-Smoke Fruit ability—Smoker lost ALL his strength.
All these pieces, flashed through Aokiji's mind like a chaotic montage.
"!!!" Suddenly, a terrifying spark of realization ignited in Aokiji's mind.
"C-Could it be?! Your ability... isn't just stealing others' Devil Fruits! B-But stealing ALL their power?!!! This Rumble-Rumble Fruit you stole it from someone who had already awakened it, didn't you?! Once stolen, you can take all their power, including the 'desire' needed for Awakening, all for yourself... That's why—you could Awaken the Rumble-Rumble Fruit the moment you got it. That's why—our power assessments of you have been so catastrophically wrong. That's why—Smoker lost all his strength after you stole his Smoke-Smoke Fruit. That's why—you said I would understand everything after you took my Ice-Ice Fruit. So—you can take everything from me! If you get my Ice-Ice Fruit, it will be in its fully awakened state! AND EVEN MY HAKI, YOU'LL TAKE IT ALL!"
"Am I right?! The man who can plunder EVERYTHING!"
"SKY SOVEREIGN ROWEN!" Aokiji roared, staring at the man before him—enveloped in a crimson-black cloud of lightning, his eyes flashing with a light that would make even Marine HQ Vice Admirals lose all will to resist!
Aokiji's voice was filled with utter horror.
UNBELIEVABLE!
INCOMPREHENSIBLE!
This scary, vicious, dangerous ability... had never existed on these seas before!
But, after eliminating all impossible options—whatever remained, no matter how unbelievable, no matter how bizarre, was the final truth...
This was the method of thinking Fleet Admiral Sengoku, with his Buddha-like wisdom honed through countless deductions, had taught him!
"Ha... HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The man at the center of innumerable crimson-black lightning arcs, enveloped in that Haki cloud, whose every movement exuded terrifying power—burst into unrestrained, powerful laughter—
—With each laugh, the crimson-black lightning crackling in the atmosphere grew even more violent, more tyrannical, carrying an even greater, terrifying pressure.
"Impressive! It seems you too learned well from Sengoku. Even without Buddha-like wisdom, you possess such reasoning skills! HAHAHAHAHA!"
Rowen looked at Aokiji, at the absolute chilling horror in his eyes, and laughed wantonly.
Powerful abilities—abilities so terrifying they were unheard of—once known to the world, would incite fear, panic...
And in the One Piece Power system, such fear and panic were the best nourishment for a powerhouse's Haki—
Looking at Aokiji—this Marine Admiral, one of the absolute peak powerhouses on these seas—now staring at him, the extreme chill in his eyes.
Rowen laughed wantonly!
The chilling fear of a powerhouse of this caliber—was the best fuel for his own Haki.
Under the effect of the Born of the Sea (Apex Gold) Trait, Rowen could feel his spiritual power, his Conqueror's Haki, strengthening!
He now possessed the Rumble-Rumble Fruit ability, had completely mastered Haōshoku Coating!
Plus, Aisa's innate, wide-range Observation Haki.
And the Ark Maxim, capable of flight... On these seas—who could stop him?!
The world was vast. He could go wherever he pleased!
Marine HQ, the World Government—constrained by the Four Emperors, the Revolutionary Army, and numerous other powers—lacked the resources to pose any real threat to him now!
So what if his ability to plunder others' powers was exposed??
What could Marine HQ, what could the World Government, do to him??
They could only let the world's terror and fear become the best nourishment for his Haki!
With Sengoku's Buddha wisdom, the truth about his ability to plunder others' powers would be known sooner or later.
Rowen's deliberate use of misinformation during the Gion encounter was to disrupt Sengoku's deductions—to buy time to plunder Crocodile's Warlord 'fortune', then use that as a springboard to obtain the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and fully mature his power!
To achieve that time lag, though he temporarily misled Sengoku's deductions with false information, with his subsequent unreasonable power growth and the partial information he revealed, Sengoku's Buddha wisdom would eventually arrive at the correct conclusion:
Rowen's true ability was to plunder ALL of another's power, not just their Devil Fruit!
This was a simple investment and return.
From the moment he decided to mislead Sengoku, he knew the truth would eventually be revealed.
That was the investment.
The return was the time difference gained, allowing him to secure Crocodile's Warlord 'fortune', then use it as a springboard to obtain the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and fully mature.
And now, by ringing the Golden Bell, fulfilling that 400-year promise, he had obtained immense spiritual power, completely mastered Haōshoku Coating, and ascended to become one of the absolute top-tier powerhouses on these seas.
This was a super investment with astronomical returns. Besides, only his ability to plunder others' powers was exposed.
Secrets like Born of the Sea, Faction Fortune, and his ability to gain vast spiritual power by fulfilling others' dying wishes—remained unknown...
Absolute initiative—still rested firmly in Rowen's hands!
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Watching the extreme chill in Aokiji's eyes, feeling his own Haki boiling within him, nourished by Aokiji's fear and terror under the effect of Born of the Sea—Rowen laughed with unrestrained delight!
Aokiji, hearing Rowen's confirmation, felt a chill so profound it was indescribable.
"..."
Monster... An absolute, unadulterated monster!
More terrifying by far than even the natural-born monster, Emperor Big Mom!
Aokiji stared at Rowen, enveloped in Haōshoku Coating, and felt a bone-deep chill.
Absolutely cannot... be allowed to continue!
"SKY SOVEREIGN! ROWEN! YOU ARE TOO DANGEROUS! I WILL APPREHEND YOU—HERE AND NOW!" Aokiji roared, taking a deep breath.
VMM!
Extreme freezing aura, drawn from the entire Ice World he had created, converged completely! Combined with all the freezing aura released from Aokiji's own body—all of it—concentrated onto Aokiji's fists! Forming—what looked like gloves made of pure, crystalline ice!
VMM!
Incredibly dense, full-power Armament Haki then coated these ice constructs!
"ICE GLOVE——!!!" Aokiji bellowed, his voice grave.
The Ice-Ice Fruit, combined with the 'Iron Fist' techniques inherited from Garp, plus his strongest Armament Haki—His, Aokiji's, strongest ability—Ice Glove!
As a Logia user, resorting to such a close-quarters combat technique—meant he was betting his life—a true battle to the death!
"Going all out?!"
BOOM!
Accompanied by a roar of crimson-black lightning!
Reflected in Aokiji's constricting pupils, a figure enveloped in crimson-black lightning, wearing a smile of absolute power—instantly appeared before him!
Haōshoku Coating—Speed Enhancement!
WHAM!!!
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