Three tons of Dyna Stone. Do you know what that even means?
Before Blackbeard (Teach) stirred up global chaos a few years ago, the entire Black Market couldn't circulate that much in twenty years! It's equivalent to five years' worth of output from the Dyna Stone mining site, The PERIOD Island
In terms of rarity, it's even scarcer than Seastone. Not only is PERIOD Island the only location with reserves, but the supply is almost exhausted. On top of that, Dyna Stone is highly flammable and explosive, and it's a consumable, which only further reduces the supply.
Three tons, that's nearly a third of PERIOD Island's total reserves! As a rare substance that could rival the Ancient Weapons, three tons of Dyna Stone, if buried under the Red Line, could potentially blow the continent in half!
Because its destructive power is so terrifying, the World Government has always kept Dyna Stone under tight surveillance. Aside from what's been used, only a handful of people know where the rest has gone.
At this moment, Akainu was absolutely certain about one thing: Rowen was in deep trouble. Massive trouble.
But there was one problem Akainu couldn't figure out… How does someone who's supposedly captured have so much free time to send messages so casually?
…
Over the sea, the skies were bright and clear. Seagulls circled above a beach, their eyes locked on the people below, searching for food. These graceful, white birds were nothing but thieves, stealing, snatching, and sparing no wicked deed. But what they didn't know was that none of the people below had any food.
"Move it! In half an hour, the tide's coming in; it'll rise halfway up the mountain. If you don't want to die, pick up the pace!" Ryokugyu stood at the roadside, barking orders.
The moment they heard him, a group of starving pirates, dizzy from hunger, gritted their teeth, hoisted the prison cage, and stumbled forward.
'Just hang in there a little longer; once they reached the destination, they'd finally get to eat.'
Not everyone was like Ryokugyu, able to go years without eating or drinking. Even if it was for training purposes, letting them starve to death was a bit much. Besides the threat of death, food was their only motivation.
Naturally, there was also something else: "Moshi moshi, can someone talk to me? I'm bored out of my mind!" The pirates all shuddered violently and picked up the pace. Their only hope now was to get away from this devil as soon as possible!
Suspended inside the cage, Rowen, wearing a dead-fish expression, kept whining. But no matter how loudly he called, no one responded, not even Ryokugyu.
In just under a week of this voyage, five Warden staff members had already been driven insane by Rowen. They'd go in to swap shifts at night and be found the next day, collapsed on the floor with foam at their mouths and eyes rolled back.
At first, they thought Rowen had used some ability on them, but it turned out they were only half right. He did do something; he talked. That mouth of his… was the devil incarnate.
While Akainu was still wondering how Rowen had time to transmit messages, Rowen himself was disappointed. These pirates, tormented by Ryokugyu's hunger training, had willpower that was too 'strong'.
"Hey, brother up front, your left and right arm muscles are totally out of sync. Why's your right arm so much bigger?"
'None of your damn business!' The pirate was breaking down inside but didn't dare say anything. He just kept his head down and walked faster.
Because of how cautious Ryokugyu was about Rowen's danger level, he refused to open the cage under any circumstances for fear of accidents. This gave Rowen's mouth unlimited freedom. No one could shut him up.
Eventually, even Ryokugyu had to give in and ordered food to be prepared for Rowen because the only time he shut up was when he was eating. After all, there was only so much space in a submarine. If everyone went insane, who'd steer the damn thing?
"Not talking? Don't be shy. We're all men here. We understand." Rowen carried on, unfazed. "But let me give you some advice: lust brings death. Young man, you'd better learn some self-control. Look at you! Dark circles around your eyes; bet your kidneys are failing, huh?"
'What the hell do you mean kidney failure?! You think I have dark circles because I'm out of energy?! You're the reason, you damned--!!'
The pirate felt his rage boil over. His vision went dark, and he collapsed on the spot.
Bang, rumble!
The entire cage crashed to the ground, and Rowen slammed hard against the railing, gritting his teeth in pain.
"What the hell happened?!" Ryokugyu strode over in big steps, eyes locked on Rowen with high alert, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
"This is bad, Lord Ryokugyu! This guy can't hold on any longer!"
"What?!" Ryokugyu stepped forward and took a look. Already weakened from hunger and running solely on willpower, the pirate now had a burning sensation in his chest. With a breath stuck in his throat, his face visibly turned blue, and within seconds, he began trembling all over. His head slumped to the side.
'Hiss…!' But the other pirates didn't see it that way. They instinctively backed away from the cage, staring at Rowen in disbelief. 'Did he… just talk someone to death?!'
"Hey now, that wasn't my fault! Didn't you see how chapped his lips were? He died of thirst." Lying prone on the cage floor, Rowen twisted his head around and muttered, "Hey, Ryokugyu, you could tell, right? Go on and explain it to them."
"If I really killed him, I'd own up to it. But if I didn't, why should I take the blame?!"
"Shut your damn mouth, you bastard!!" Ryokugyu growled, resisting the urge to look at him. He waved a hand and gave an order: "Get someone to replace him. Keep moving."
The unfortunate pirate was hastily buried in a shallow grave by his companions, to be carried off by the tide later.
"Heave-ho!" The group once again hoisted the cage and pressed on. Even though someone had just died, the atmosphere felt… oppressively silent.
Swaying in the cage, Rowen yawned and gave a strange, knowing smirk. "What good luck." A key flashed through his hand and disappeared into his ring like a black dot. He'd swiped it in that moment of chaos when the pirate fell, quick as lightning.
"But the shape doesn't quite match… I'll have to modify it." A long road ahead, indeed! Thinking of this, Rowen's grin widened.
"Hey, kid back there. You got kidney problems or what?"
…
Creak… creak… creak… The heavy wooden doors were slowly pushed open. Orrick stood at the entrance, his expression calm.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kurozumi Orochi, yawning beside him, muttered, "Kaido knows you've captured the Soryu (Azure Dragon), and he's been screaming about getting revenge. If you just toss him into a volcano and burn him alive like this, Kaido will definitely cause trouble."
At that, Orrick grinned. "Cause trouble? On what grounds? As a defeated loser?"
Narrowing his eyes at Orochi's shrug, Orrick said coldly, "It was my maneuvering that got us the Soryu (Azure Dragon). That means the right to deal with him is mine. What qualifications or face does Kaido have to interfere?"
"That may be true, but wasn't the plan to execute him publicly to shatter Marine arrogance? You're changing the plan on a whim, Orrick."
Orrick tilted his head slightly. "Ah, I see now. It's not Kaido who's upset; it's you, isn't it?"
"Damn right it is!" Kurozumi Orochi exclaimed dramatically. "You know how much courage it took for me to even agree to this insane plan?! No one's dared publicly execute a Marine Admiral in eight hundred years! Are we trying to get ourselves killed?!"
Indeed, such an act would send their troops into a frenzy of morale. But it would also back them into a corner, leaving no room for retreat, only a desperate fight for survival. That kind of morale wasn't bravery; it was madness.
Orochi understood this perfectly. And now that Orrick was suddenly changing plans, he was furious.
"There's no such thing as a perfect plan, General Kurozumi." Orrick nodded calmly and explained, "Adaptability is the highest form of strategy."
Then, casting a chilling gaze at Orochi, he continued, "Ryokugyu's report tells me one thing very clearly: when it comes to the Soryu (Azure Dragon), you can't afford even a moment of carelessness."
"Our original plan was to deal with him and use it to inspire morale, but… it was too reckless. That monster... he's not someone who'll simply surrender. No, he'll never submit."
"The best way to deal with someone like him… is to eliminate him completely!"
…
Unnamed island, mountainous interior.
"So this really isn't near Wano Country… Is this your secret base?" Looking at the volcano ahead, Rowen turned and smiled.
Ryokugyu replied, "Bingo. But you won't be smiling for long." He waved to the pirates to open the door and sighed in relief. "Got any last words, Soryu (Azure Dragon)?!"
Behind the door was a slide, dark and steep, and at the far end… the searing orange glow of molten magma.
'They're… throwing me into that?! What happened to the public execution?!'
Rowen's face went completely blank.
(End of Chapter)
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