Hathaway, Bonez, and the others continued their assault on the King's faction. Though powerful, they faced overwhelming numbers, and many opponents weren't ones that could be defeated in a single blow.
After all, this was the kingdom's most elite army, and there were many formidable warriors among them. Even with their strength, it would take time to break through.
If Tesoro didn't show up, the King's side would stand no chance against Rosen's group. But the worst-case scenario had occurred, and Rosen ordered Hathaway to finish the King as quickly as possible.
As long as the King died, the situation would be settled. Even Tesoro wouldn't be able to wipe them out completely, though the outcome remained uncertain.
"So, what now? Planning to fight me alone?" Tesoro asked, his tone mocking, like a cat playing with a mouse. In his eyes, the strong were nothing more than warriors—tools.
The true rulers of the world were the wealthy, and for money, he was willing to lift a finger to do anything that allowed him to control more wealth—and through it, more power.
"Do you think too highly of yourself?" Rosen frowned. Tesoro's arrogance irritated him. As soon as his voice fell, a tightly compressed sand fist blasted forward.
"In such a hurry to die? Golden Bomb!" Tesoro grinned viciously, his eyes gleaming. His fist, covered in golden armor and layered with Haki, smashed forward. The blow detonated Rosen's sand fist, causing a violent explosion that sent shockwaves across the area.
"What are you so proud of? You're nothing but a slave to money." Rosen closed the distance instantly. The ground erupted with countless sharp sand spikes shooting upward from every direction—some of them imbued with Armament Haki, hidden among the dense barrage.
"Golden Armor." Tesoro's expression darkened. The word "slave" triggered unpleasant memories.
Boom!
Golden armor enveloped his body as he stomped on molten gold. The liquid metal surged up, forming countless golden whips that lashed out violently, sweeping away the incoming sand spikes.
"Golden Bind!" The golden whips dove underground and suddenly shot out from beneath Rosen's feet, trying to entangle him.
"Thunder Shadow! Sand Burst!" Rosen moved closer. Now that both his physical skills and abilities had reached an advanced level, he could fight effectively at any range.
Golden sand coated his fists, layered with Haki. Countless grains of sand gathered and compressed, focusing all power into a single punch.
"Not bad reflexes, but so what? Watch me crush you—Golden Bomb!" Tesoro also charged forward, his punch colliding with Rosen's.
Boom!
Their fists collided, creating a massive crater as fierce winds raged outward.
"Die!" Tesoro's strength surged again, furious that Rosen hadn't been blown away. A mere former Shichibukai daring to face him head-on was, to him, pure folly.
"Instant Annihilation!" Power and shockwaves erupted wildly. Both men's faces were slashed by the sheer force. Yet, in the next moment, their strength exploded again.
Boom! Boom!
Their fists clashed repeatedly, pressure mounting with every strike. Lightning crackled, air trembled, and the ground caved in deeper as violent shockwaves hurled countless soldiers into the air.
"So strong!" Everyone watching could feel the force of their blows. Even Hathaway's expression grew grim—she needed to kill the King quickly.
"Another powerful Blue Sea human! Damn it! I'll destroy you all—Destroy! Discharge! Discharge! Judgment! Judgment!"
Enel went berserk. The royal city turned into a scene of apocalypse as massive thunder pillars crashed down and lightning rampaged everywhere, wiping out nearly one-fifth of the enemy forces in an instant.
"It's no use! Attacks won't work on him—lightning men are too troublesome! Where's the Seastone net? Fire it! Quickly!"
The surviving commander shouted orders in panic. Cannons launched nets of Seastone toward Enel. Since his power mainly relied on his Devil Fruit, he immediately transformed into lightning to dodge.
Despite his overwhelming power, being caught in a Seastone net would be extremely dangerous. Seastone not only suppressed Devil Fruit abilities but also drained the user's strength—turning even the mightiest into helpless targets.
"As expected, this is interesting. Only prey like this makes the hunt worthwhile." Tesoro retreated quickly after their clash—his golden gauntlet had cracked. It wasn't shattered by brute force but corroded, as if eaten away by some invasive power.
That was bad news. He was the Golden Emperor, the ruler of gold, and gold was supposed to be one of the most durable, incorruptible materials—eternal wealth itself.
Yet Rosen's ability could corrode even that. Logia users truly were difficult opponents.
But once Tesoro decided to do something, he had to make it a spectacle worthy of a grand show.
Bang!
Rosen closed in again, unleashing "Black Prison Barrage—44 shots!"
"Golden Armament!" Tesoro countered without retreating, conjuring two golden axes in his hands. He swung them rapidly, deflecting the sand bullets and lunging toward Rosen, aiming both blades at his neck.
"Golden Sand Armament—Hardened Sand Armor!" Rosen covered his neck with Armament Haki, pushing his physical strength to the limit. His total defensive capacity had now reached twelvefold. The axes struck, sending sparks flying but leaving no wound.
"What a hard body!" Tesoro was shocked. At that instant, Rosen's fist smashed into his abdomen. The golden armor cracked, and Tesoro spat blood, his face twisting in disbelief.
He was injured?!
"Bastard!" He kicked out as he was sent flying, his heel catching Rosen and sending him tumbling back as well. At such close range, with both having equal power, dodging was nearly impossible.
Neither man yielded. They clashed head-on, blow for blow—Tesoro relying on the toughness of his Gold-Gold Fruit, and Rosen on his unmatched defense and mastery of physical combat.
It was a test of endurance—of who could withstand more.
"Good. I'll use you to make my name greater." Rosen tore off his coat, muscles tightening—not bulging grotesquely, but filled with explosive strength in every fiber.
Sensing Rosen's sudden surge of fighting spirit, Tesoro frowned slightly. "Make your name greater? What do you mean?"
Forget it. Meaning didn't matter. All that mattered was defeating this man.
"In that case, I'll stop playing around. A strong man's funeral deserves some elegance." Tesoro activated his awakened power. Centered on him, every surrounding building turned to gold—the ground as well.
"The sand… I can't control it!" Rosen immediately realized that his link to the earth had been severed. Under the influence of Tesoro's awakened ability, the terrain itself had transformed into another substance—gold.
He had lost his long-held geographical advantage. So this was the power of an awakened ability… truly troublesome.
(End of Chapter)