However, Garp's wrath burned like wildfire,
But Rowen's fury? It was a storm of lightning!
Kā Chā...!!
The thunder-forged halberd surged forward, only to be stomped into the ground by Garp, tearing a massive scar into the earth. Seizing the brief moment when Rowen's guard dropped, Garp clenched his left fist and struck without mercy.
Bang!!!
In the open air, sparks exploded. Thunderclaps roared as Rowen's lightning collided with Garp's hardened Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), turning the space around them into a maelstrom of destruction. Wood and steel were ripped apart like paper in a whirlwind.
A shockwave pulsed through Garp's body. His eyes narrowed,
"Damn it…!"
Gūlū...
Rowen's arm began to twist unnaturally, the muscles writhing like coiled serpents, his blood surging in torrents. The air grew heavy, and the pressure around him climbed rapidly.
Military Wrist: Deep Gate!
Bang...!!!
"Puah!"
It was a killing technique once perfected by Black Arm Zephyr, an embodiment of precise, devastating force. Back in the day, not even Garp the Iron Fist could take it head-on.
But now, wielded by Rowen, its strength was magnified even further.
The blow slammed into Garp's midsection. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he was hurled backward like a cannonball.
BOOM-RUMBLE!!
In a flash, Garp flew across thousands of meters. His body smashed into a cliffside, shattering the mountain with a thunderous crack that echoed across the island.
"Just because I wasn't mistreated, does that mean I have no right to resist?!" Rowen panted heavily as he lowered his arm.
That punch had been strong enough to launch a Vice Admiral skyward, but it drained a tremendous amount of energy. Staring into the dust cloud, Rowen yanked the thunder halberd back under his arm and let out a furious roar.
"Because I wasn't enslaved, or beaten, or driven to madness by despair... does that erase my voice?! My right to stand tall and speak out?! Then tell me, what about the rest of the world's victims?! Don't give me that crap, old man!! You're a Marine Hero! Show me the justice you preach! Because that kind of justice... means nothing to me!"
No sooner had the words left his lips than,
BOOM!!
A roar exploded from the dust. Garp surged out like a war god awakened. Behind him, the shattered cliff collapsed with a mighty crash, its massive fragments descending like a meteor upon the island below.
"It doesn't matter what happens to the rest of the world… But you, I will not forgive!"
Dong...
The toll of thunder rang out. Metal clashed.
In the sky above, a storm of purple-black lightning erupted as the two collided mid-air. Their Armament Haki burst outward like a cyclone, transforming into cutting gales that tore through stone, metal, and everything in between.
Locked in combat, their fists pressed together, Rowen suddenly smirked.
"What if I said I was treated unfairly?"
"...What?"
Shu... BANG!
Like crashing stars, the two plummeted to the ground, smashing into the earth with a thunderous impact, forming twin craters that stretched like spiderwebs across the hardened sands.
Garp stood, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. He looked Rowen dead in the eye.
"I can't pretend I didn't hear that."
If someone had wronged Rowen, without his knowledge, Garp would be the first to make them pay.
"You remember what I went through when I first joined the Marines?" Rowen asked, his voice dark.
"Suspicion. Fear. Constant surveillance. Even killing intent... Be honest, Garp,
Back during the Flower Capital incident, if I'd shown even the slightest ambition, what do you think would've happened to me?"
"Would Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral, have still nurtured me as a rising star? Or would he have crushed me then and there, like an unstable threat to be smothered in the cradle?"
"All things considered... especially when you remember what happened to the last user of the Goro Goro no Mi (Rumble-Rumble Fruit) over two centuries ago, when he left behind nothing but Thunder God Island..."
The answer was obvious.
In matters tied to the Poneglyphs and the Ancient Weapons, even Admirals walk a tightrope.
Newcomers like Rowen? They don't stand a chance.
Garp's eyes widened, disbelief flashing across his face.
"Just because of that?"
Then his fury ignited.
"Every force tests their recruits, damn it! That's not unfair, it's protocol! What makes you think you should be treated differently?!"
"But why?!" Rowen roared, unyielding. "Why do the Marines even have to test their own like this?!"
"What else?!" Garp snapped. "The world's gone to hell since the Pirate Era began! The Marines are stretched thin, Dragon turned traitor... Sengoku had to tread carefully to avoid disaster!"
"Yes, go on! Keep explaining!"
Rowen's grin returned, twisted with scorn.
"Why did any of that happen?"
"You…!!"
Garp stood frozen, his fist still raised, but struck speechless.
Because that question…
Cut straight to the root of everything.
"I'm just tired, you stubborn old fossil... From back then to now, all those trust tests, they don't matter anymore! But the thought of it all repeating again and again in some endless cycle… it drives me mad!"
Rowen took a deep breath, eyes lifting to the sky above.
"Everyone bears blame. The Marines' complacency. The chaos born from the Pirate Era. The Celestial Dragons' cruel Heavenly Tribute. No one's hands are clean."
"But the greatest sin, without question, lies with the World Government!"
His voice rang out like a thunderclap, clear and unwavering.
Garp stared at him, stunned. The boy he had once known now felt like a stranger standing at the edge of rebellion.
"The Marines aren't like those corrupt powers. What we stand for is Justice, true Justice!"
"That's why I want to strike at the root, and abolish the World Government itself!"
Rowen's gaze burned with intensity, his expression unflinching.
"...And to be honest, it sounds like one hell of a challenge."
"You'll die, you reckless brat!" Garp said gravely, "The foundations of the Government... the power of that person, you can't even begin to comprehend it!"
"I know," Rowen said with an easy shrug. "But how will I ever know... if I don't try?"
He looked up once more, lightning flickering faintly in his eyes.
"Fleet Admiral Akainu once said something I actually agree with, no matter the era, someone must stand up and sacrifice themselves for Justice. Even if it means shouldering a villain's name, even if the world spits and curses their legacy... if it's for Justice, it's worth it."
"It might sound pretentious, but I truly believe this, I am Justice!"
"And even if I fall, the fire won't go out. Someone will rise. Someone will carry the torch, walking blind through the darkness, lighting the way forward… If not today, then tomorrow."
He chuckled, a low sound like distant thunder.
"Heh... maybe there won't be a tomorrow. Because the reign of the World Government, it's already over."
Garp's pupils shrank sharply, his entire body stiffening in shock.
"You mean… don't tell me, it was you?!!"
Why would the World Government's era come crashing to a close?
Because...
The Celestial Dragons have been wiped out.
"Shhh... lower your voice," Rowen said, raising a finger to his lips, eyes gleaming with devilish glee. "We wouldn't want anyone overhearing this little secret."
"And besides... I'm not ready to step into the spotlight just yet."
"You... monster!"
Garp's chest heaved. His heart felt like it was about to stop altogether.
There was no doubt, this was the greatest threat the World Government had faced in over 800 years!
Because what Rowen planned… Was more terrifying than what Rocks once dreamed.
More defiant than Roger's last words.
More dangerous than Dragon's revolution.
Worse still, Rowen was a force that stood proudly within the very system he aimed to tear down, a legitimate pillar of the Marines themselves.
And no fortress, no matter how mighty, can survive when it crumbles from within.
It was easy to imagine what would happen the moment Rowen made his move...
The world would never be the same.
(End of Chapter)
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