Just moments ago, Rosen had been surging with excitement, but now he had calmed down.
It wasn't weakness, nor the fickleness of a scoundrel he had truly begun to scheme.
The still-frozen, deathlike Byrnndi had no idea what kind of contribution he had just made to this world.
And of course, even if he were awake, even the mind-reading Redfield wouldn't know.
Although Redfield couldn't read Rosen's inner thoughts, he could sense the aura radiating from him an aura that would never bend to the World Government, never remain shackled in this eternal darkness called Impel Down.
"Interesting. Looks like the seas are about to churn with waves again."
"The kid's aura just got even stronger… how could someone like this ever serve as the World Government's guard dog?" Golden Lion also thought silently to himself.
Magellan, however, kept his full attention on Golden Lion and Redfield, not sparing a glance behind him.
Bang!
The iron bars slammed shut. In the depths of Level 6, Golden Lion was bound by seastone shackles, chained to the ground.
Magellan let out a long sigh of relief. But the moment his tension eased—his stomach twisted in agony!
"Urgh! Rosen! I've got urgent business I'm heading back up!!"
Clutching his backside, Magellan bolted up the staircase and disappeared.
Rosen paused, then chuckled and shook his head. Slowly, he walked to the stairway, casting one last look back at Level 6.
"The old era's monsters… they too may get the chance to ride the tide of the new age."
Feeling the power surging within him, Rosen stepped onto the stairs leading upward.
Tap, tap, tap…
Back in the Chief Warden's office, Rosen sat down, sinking into thought about what came next.
No matter what the situation, one truth remained absolute: in this sea, only raw strength was the foundation of everything.
And now that he had attained the swordsmanship of a true Great Swordsman, how could he not be accompanied by a worthy blade?
"Someone, come here." Rosen called out.
Clatter, bang!
A jailer hurriedly pushed the office door open.
"Chief Warden, sir! What are your orders?"
"Where are Golden Lion's swords, Kikoku and Oto?" Rosen asked.
"Reporting, Chief Warden! Both of Golden Lion's blades are currently in the possession of Deputy Warden Shiryu!"
"…Good. I understand. You may leave."
Bang! The office door closed once again.
Rosen tapped his fingers against the desk, deep in thought.
His own strength was a trump card, yes but in this world, strength alone wasn't enough. One needed influence. One needed a force behind them.
Even Rocks, for all his might, had fallen at God Valley.
Roger, the king of the seas himself, surrounded by fearsome crewmates, nearly met his end at Edd War against Golden Lion's massive fleet.
In the future, even Whitebeard's grand crew would be crushed when assaulting Marineford, despite the Marines's top powers holding back.
All of it proved one thing: beyond personal strength, one must build a power to rival the world.
When great powers clashed, kings fought kings, generals fought generals.
Not one man against an army.
And it wasn't only the Marines's might to fear—the World Government itself was terrifying. Eight hundred years of dominance had never rested on mercy or goodwill.
CP0.
The Holy Knights.
The Five Elders.
Each of them formidable in their own right.
Rosen had no intention of becoming one man besieged by a dozen enemies in the future. Building his own force was absolutely essential.
"Shiryu… now he could be a fine subordinate. A potential waiting to be unearthed. Though that Clear-Clear Fruit… does hold back his ceiling."
Rosen smirked at the thought.
Without delay, he rose from his chair and walked toward the Deputy Warden's office.
Tap, tap, tap…
Knock, knock, knock. Rosen rapped politely on the door, but without waiting for a reply, pushed it open.
Inside, Shiryu sat with a cigar in his mouth, one hand gripping Kikoku, the other slowly stroking along the blade.
He barely glanced at Rosen's arrival, clearly unbothered.
"Such fine blades… yet they'd be sealed away alongside the Golden Lion. What a foolish, laughable decision."
It was unclear if he spoke to himself or to Rosen.
"Oi, Shiryu. Tell me—how do you feel about rotting away here in Impel Down?" Rosen asked directly.
"…Hm?"
Shiryu's eyes narrowed, but he remained silent, his gaze shifting onto Rosen.
Beneath that calm face, a restless ambition stirred. And Rosen's words fanned those flames.
"Come on now, it's no secret. You slaughter weak, defenseless prisoners here day after day. For someone like you, it must be unbearably dull."
Shiryu's pupils contracted ever so slightly. At this point, he had yet to indulge in open carnage, so none knew which prisoners had fallen by his blade.
"To kill is to kill monsters upon the seas! To cut down those arrogant nobles who lord over the world! Their blood that's what would make you stronger!"
Shiryu froze, cigar clenched tight between his teeth, his body trembling with suppressed shock. Inside, a storm of thoughts raged.
"To kill a Celestial Dragon… such a thought is insane! That would bring the Admirals hunting you down!"
But Rosen's advanced Observation Haki laid bare every one of Shiryu's thoughts.
With a mocking curl of his lip, Rosen said:
"Celestial Dragons? Admirals? So what? If you can kill an Admiral too then what's left to fear?"
"You don't even dare imagine it? Is that all the courage you have, Shiryu?!"
Rosen's voice thundered.
Shiryu's shock slowly turned to something else an awakening. His heart pounded with the truth of what he really desired.
"Come, Shiryu! Join me! Together, we'll throw this world into utter chaos!"
Rosen's words slithered like poison, yet struck like fire.
Shiryu bit down hard on his cigar, a twisted grin forming as he gripped Kikoku tighter. With a wild glint in his eye, he shouted:
"Then let me see if you've got the strength to back that up!"
Shing!
Shiryu blurred into motion, vanishing into an afterimage as he lunged straight at Rosen. The blade of Kikoku gleamed coldly in Rosen's eyes.
The suffocating bloodlust filled the entire room. In the cramped office, Shiryu erupted with speed, convinced he had Rosen cornered.
The tip of the blade was already grazing Rosen's flowing black hair—and yet, Rosen still hadn't moved.
"So… is this really all you've got?"
Shiryu sneered inwardly. If that was the extent of it, he'd simply bury his own true nature once more and throw Rosen back into a cell.
But the truth of it all had played out in less than an instant.
Just as the blade was about to bite Rosen's aura exploded. The sheer force of it shook Shiryu to his core.
His pupils shrank—because Rosen's position had shifted.
Not by movement, not by speed…But simply enough to let the strike fall into emptiness.
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T/N:
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