Two days ago, on the island where the G9 Branch was located, Rowan had defeated Diamante, who had attempted to take Caesar away. Doflamingo, upon receiving the news, had rushed over from Dressrosa imdiately.
As the surrounding factions heard Doflamingo's words, the realization struck them instantly: Rowan had captured Doflamingo's subordinates, the officers of the Donquixote Family.
Would Rowan return Doflamingo's n just as he had returned Ace to Whitebeard?
Everyone stared fixedly at Rowan on the island, their hearts pounding. But just as they awaited an answer, their pupils shrank in unison. They realized that Rowan, standing on the island, had abruptly vanished!
"What happened?" "Where is Rowan? Where did he go?!"
It wasn't just the onlookers; even the predatory grin on Doflamingo's face froze. He could no longer detect Rowan's presence! Even with his Observation Haki, he found nothing but a void!
The next instant, Doflamingo's face shifted violently. A flash of sheer terror surfaced in his eyes behind the sunglasses. Without him even noticing, Rowan had appeared directly in front of him!
Advanced Observation Haki: Observation Killing!
"How can his speed be this fast?!" Doflamingo was horrified. He had been famous for years and had encountered countless masters on the high seas; he even had dealings with the Yonko, Kaido of the Hundred Beasts. Yet even when facing Kaido, he had never felt this level of primal shock.
"Whether your subordinate is 'comfortable' or not, the Old Man doesn't know. I only know he isn't dead yet—and soon, you'll be having a reunion."
Rowan's voice exploded in Doflamingo's ear like a clap of thunder. Then, Doflamingo saw Rowan's right fist clench and expand rapidly in his vision.
He struck. It was a world-shaking punch!
Rowan had been harboring quite a bit of irritation toward this man. Back at the Marine Headquarters, Doflamingo's arrogant posturing had already rubbed Rowan the wrong way. Then, knowing it was Rowan who was escorting Caesar, the man still dared to send people to interfere. And now, he had the gall to show up personally for another round of grandstanding.
Damn it, do you really take the Old Man for so soft, retired fossil? I'll teach you the price of posturing!
Faced with the whistling wind of the incoming fist, Doflamingo panicked. He could no longer maintain his cool. He swung his left hand and barked:
"Spider's Web!"
In a heartbeat, a thick web of razor-sharp strings manifested before him. Doflamingo had coated the threads in Armant Haki, making them incredibly durable—strong enough to even withstand a direct blow from Kaido.
But... this web could not hope to stop Rowan's fist. Currently, Rowan's punch was more terrifying than even Garp's "Iron Fist"!
The fist slamd into the web. Under the combined force of top-tier Armant Haki and peerless physical strength, the Spider's Web shattered inch by inch. Under Doflamingo's disbelieving gaze, the fist landed squarely on his face.
Out on the sea, the spectators only reacted after the punch had already been thrown, their hearts jolting with shock.
"When did he get next to Doflamingo?!" "Rowan's speed is too much..." "How is this possible? My Observation Haki couldn't even track a single movent?!"
It wasn't just the weaker observers; even Gecko Moria and Jinbe, two of the Shichibukai, felt a trace of fear. They hadn't detected Rowan's movent either. Although Jinbe had experienced Rowan's Taijutsu back in the East Blue and knew he was helpless against the old man, the speed Rowan displayed now seed even more overwhelming!
Did he... go easy on back then? Jinbe took a deep breath. He held no grudge against Rowan, only a deepening reverence.
Even in the eyes of Whitebeard and Shanks, a flicker of gravity appeared. The strength Rowan was displaying far exceeded their estimates. Not only did he possess swordsmanship capable of one-shotting Hawkeye Mihawk, but his Taijutsu was equally dominant. That speed... even they could only catch a faint afterimage!
However, what happened next was even more mind-blowing.
Rowan, after flickering in front of Doflamingo, delivered a straightforward, unadorned punch. The sturdy Spider's Web—a signature move of the String-String Fruit known for its defense—shattered like glass.
CRACK!
The sound of snapping strings reached everyone's ears. Under the incredulous gazes of the crowd, the web was pulverized instantly. Rowan's fist didn't slow down for a second; it plowed straight into Doflamingo's face.
Doflamingo's horrified expression twisted violently before his entire body, like a stray arrow, turned into a pink blur and was sent flying backward at incredible speed.
One punch later, Rowan stomped the air, a small sonic boom echoing in the sky, and he flickered back to the shore of Dachik Island.
The onlookers stared at the horizon where Doflamingo had vanished, their expressions completely frozen. They looked back at Rowan, who stood at the shore looking entirely unruffled, even pulling out his pipe to take a gentle puff.
They could not believe that this old man had just swatted away a Warlord of the Sea in a matter of seconds. An infamous pirate, the kingpin of the New World's underworld, Joker... Doflamingo! Swatted like a fly.
This scene shattered the common sense of many pirates.
Just how strong is this old fossil?! Fine, we'll accept that you've been practicing the sword for a century and beat Hawkeye. But how can you also one-shot Doflamingo with your bare hands? If the Navy has soone this strong, why the hell are we still being pirates? We should just go ho and raise pigs!
It wasn't just the fodder pirates. Even Whitebeard and Shanks felt a growing sense of wariness. Rowan was, fundantally, a Marine. The stronger he was, the greater the threat he posed to their existence.
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