It seed Kaido had no intention of taking them with him!
Watching the Azure Dragon depart, Rowan raised his giant pipe, exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, and looked toward Trebol and Pica with a faint smile. "You two... are you going to get down yourselves, or do I have to 'invite' you?"
Hearing Rowan's words, the expressions on Trebol and Pica's faces shifted rapidly. They went from grim to terrified, then to indignant, and finally settled into a deep, hollow despair.
Each shift reflected their internal struggle. Initially, they had considered putting up a fight, but reflecting on the strength Rowan had just displayed—plus the presence of Garp and Kong, those peak-level monsters looming nearby—they ultimately abandoned the thought.
Even putting aside the Three Admirals and Garp, Rowan alone was soone they couldn't hope to match. Soone as strong as Kaido had been forced to back down; their Young Master hadn't even been able to withstand a single kick. Their resistance would be nothing more than a futile gesture.
"I'm telling you, I'm telling you... you bastard, the Young Master will never forgive you for this! Just you wait!"
Hurling one last piece of hollow bravado, Trebol leaped back toward the Donquixote Family's pirate ship. Pica let out a cold snort and followed suit. Judging by their defiant glares, they still clung to the hope that Doflamingo would sohow avenge this humiliation.
Little did they know, Doflamingo had already been placed on Rowan's "must-kill" list.
Once Trebol and Pica were clear of his deck, Kaido gave one last dark look, snorted, and barked, "Raise the sails! We're leaving!"
Rowan didn't care to press Kaido further. Using Moonwalk, he glided back to the shore of Dachik Island.
The Cleanup Begins
"Old Man," Garp greeted as Rowan landed.
"Mm." Rowan nodded, then turned his gaze toward the approaching Kong.
"Brat," Kong said, looking toward the horizon where Doflamingo had fled. "How do you plan to handle Doflamingo? Should I have a word with the Five Elders? Even if he's in bed with Kaido, his status is... unique."
Rowan chuckled. "Don't worry, old man. I have my own way of dealing with that guy."
Kong nodded, trusting Rowan's judgnt completely. "If anything cos up that you can't solve, let know imdiately."
Rowan punched Kong lightly in the chest and grinned. "Rest assured. If I need a hand, you're the first old fossil I'm calling."
On the other side, Sengoku watched Kaido's ship navigate out of the circle. He ultimately gave the order for the warships to part and let the Hundred Beasts pass. Although Kaido looked isolated now, taking down a Yonko in a desperate struggle would be incredibly costly. Furthermore, the other three Emperors hadn't gone far yet; no one could guarantee they wouldn't turn back and strike the Navy's rear if a full-scale battle broke out.
However, Sengoku believed that one day, Kaido would finally be brought down by the weight of Justice.
Once Kaido was gone, Sengoku picked up his loudspeaker Den Den Mushi and ordered the blockade to tighten. They might have let the Emperors go to avoid a world-ending war, but the independent pirates remaining weren't so lucky.
We couldn't bag the big fish, but these small fry and shrimp are easy pickings.
As the ring of steel closed in, the pirate captains who were still conscious began to feel a crushing sense of regret. Why did I have to co watch this duel? Now I've watched my way right into a prison cell!
Resistance was impossible. Most of their crews were still foaming at the mouth and unconscious from the clash of Conqueror's Haki. Navy soldiers sward onto over a hundred pirate ships, binding every pirate in sight.
As for the Warlords, Gecko Moria was left alone since he was technically an ally of the Governnt. Jinbe, the Knight of the Sea, had simply dived into the ocean to avoid the ss entirely.
With the bustling activity of the soldiers, the grand spectacle triggered by the duel between Rowan and Hawkeye Mihawk finally drew to a close. Rowan had not only taken the title of World's Greatest Swordsman but had also forced a Yonko to retreat. His reputation, already at its peak, soared into the stratosphere.
When the news hit the papers the next day, every Marine in the world looked upon Rowan with newfound worship. From that day forward, Rowan was the undisputed King of the Marines.
Inside the Prison Hold
anwhile, in the depths of the warship docked at Dachik Island...
In a specialized cell made of Sea Prism Stone, Diamante and the other officers were held in chains. Caesar Clown was locked in a separate cage across from them. Diamante lay half-dead in the corner, his blood dried and crusty, but the stench of iron still filled the air.
Staring at a tiny hole in the ceiling where a sliver of light filtered through, Diamante whispered hoarsely, "It won't end like this... Doffy... he will definitely co for us..."
His voice was too weak for anyone to hear. The other officers lay exhausted on the floor; Rowan's "discipline" had left them with severe injuries. If Diamante wasn't treated soon, he wouldn't survive three days.
Creak...
The hatch to the hold swung open, flooding the dark room with light. The prisoners heard footsteps descending the stairs, accompanied by the clinking of heavy chains.
Monet, the least injured, scrambled to look. Her eyes lit up when she saw the familiar silhouette of Trebol. "Lord Trebol! Lord Trebol is here! The Young Master ca to save us!"
Because Trebol naturally wore chains on his feet, she didn't realize anything was wrong. The other three officers felt a surge of hope.
However, as Trebol stepped into the light, Monet's smile froze.
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