This body's physical condition was unbelievably frail.
Even a five- or six-year-old child in the One Piece world would have had a stronger body than this.
Rosinante estimated that, in his current state, his strength was probably only comparable to a pirate worth around a million berries.
And even that level of strength was only possible because he still retained his Observation Haki and his combat experience.
As for the body itself...
It was weak to a truly pathetic degree.
If it had been even a little stronger, he would never have been reduced to such a miserable level.
When the assassins saw Rosinante so casually dodge their companion's attack and immediately counter with such clean efficiency, faint shock appeared in all of their eyes.
Everyone knew that although Saito Tsubasa was the general's son, he had never learned martial arts.
But from what they were seeing now...
Saito Tsubasa had clearly been hiding his true abilities all along.
That barehanded blade snatch just now was not something just anyone could pull off!
At that thought, the assassins' pupils contracted.
They exchanged glances with one another.
In the next instant, four of them lunged from four different directions at once, surrounding Rosinante in a coordinated killing strike.
At that moment, Rosinante stepped forward.
With a single movement, he slipped past the long blades of three assassins and charged straight toward the one directly in front of him, slashing down with his sword.
Seeing Rosinante rush at him, the assassin's face twisted into a cold, vicious grin.
Rosinante's step had indeed allowed him to evade the attacks of the other three...
But at the same time, it had exposed his back completely to them.
As long as he could stall Rosinante for even a brief moment, the three assassins behind him would strike from the rear.
At that point, Rosinante would have no chance of dodging.
With that thought, facing Rosinante's incoming slash, the assassin showed no intention of retreating.
He also swung his blade straight at Rosinante.
Clang!
The two long blades collided, sparks exploding outward.
A look of utter disbelief appeared on the assassin's face.
A wound had opened across his head, cleaved by the sword.
That slash extended straight downward, all the way to his chest.
At the same time, his own blade snapped cleanly in two.
The surrounding assassins all froze for a brief instant at the sight.
And in that same instant, Rosinante turned and slashed backward to the right.
A flash of steel cut through the air.
The assassin on Rosinante's right side wore the same expression of utter disbelief.
Blood sprayed wildly.
His abdomen had already been ripped open by Rosinante's blade.
"Kill him!"
A flicker of fear appeared in all the assassins' eyes.
Then, as if trying to suppress that terror, they all charged at Rosinante together.
More than ten death-sworn assassins rushed him at once, long blades swinging wildly.
Blade-light danced and flashed throughout the room, cold and murderous.
Yet amidst that storm of flashing steel, Rosinante moved as though strolling through a quiet courtyard.
His steps were calm.
Measured.
Unhurried.
The long blade in his hand would flick out every so often.
And each time it moved, another assassin lost his life.
Before long, the last assassin also fell beneath Rosinante's sword.
Even in death, disbelief remained frozen on their faces.
Still, they truly deserved the title of death-sworn warriors.
Even after realizing they were no match for Rosinante, not a single one of them tried to flee.
Such a huge commotion in the bedchamber naturally alarmed the servants and samurai throughout the general's residence.
A group of guards quickly rushed into Rosinante's room.
But they were still too late.
By the time they arrived, all they saw were corpses scattered across the floor...
And Rosinante, his clothes stained with the blood of his enemies.
The moment they entered, Rosinante turned toward them, long sword in hand.
An astonishing pressure descended upon them.
It was an invisible force, yet it felt heavier than iron.
Every guard instinctively lowered his head, not daring to meet Rosinante's gaze.
They were stunned.
From this young general, they could feel a presence no weaker than that of the late General Saito.
A pressure that made them want to submit.
The aura of a ruler.
The bearing of one born to stand above others.
The presence of a king.
"What is this? Now that Father is gone, have all of you started neglecting your duties?" Rosinante said lightly.
But though his tone was calm, his voice was like a freezing wind blowing straight into the hearts of every guard present.
Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
The former Saito Tsubasa had always been timid and weak.
But now...
He stood before them with the bearing of a king.
The change was so dramatic that none of them could react in time.
"Young General, it's not like that! The moment we heard the disturbance, we rushed over immediately. Failing to detect the enemy's infiltration was indeed our dereliction of duty. We are willing to accept whatever punishment the Young General sees fit," the captain of the guards said, stepping forward.
The captain was deeply shocked by Rosinante's transformation.
But strangely, he did not resist it.
After all, this was the old general's son.
And the old general's death in battle had surely dealt the Young General a tremendous blow.
That kind of trauma could easily force a person to change drastically.
And for the current General's Residence, already beset by enemies from within and without...
This was exactly the kind of change he was more than willing to see.
"Forget it. Stand down," Rosinante said indifferently. "Drag these corpses away and investigate them thoroughly. I want to know who the mastermind is. And if something like this happens again... then you no longer need to remain here. The Saito household has no use for dead weight."
"Yes!" the guard captain barked immediately.
At once, the guards moved into action, dragging away the bodies.
Others were assigned to stand watch nearby, sealing off the area and strengthening security around Rosinante's quarters.
After giving the order, Rosinante paid them no more attention.
Right now, he needed time.
Time to properly sort through the memories in his mind.
He had only just awakened, and already he had been thrown into such a violent and dangerous situation.
More importantly...
He had to figure out exactly who was behind this attempt to kill him.
And with his temperament...
How could he possibly tolerate such a person?
Or such a thing?