"This guy is way too weak. He doesn't even compare to that blue fatso from yesterday," Luffy muttered, staring at the human-shaped hole in the hull of the Dreadnaught Saber.
Based on that guy's arrogant display earlier, Luffy had assumed he was some kind of powerhouse. Who would have thought he couldn't even withstand a single Bazooka? Fighting a guy like that didn't even provide a spark of excitement.
Don Krieg, recovering quickly from the shock, roared, "Men! All together! Kill these two!"
The moment Gin was sent flying, Krieg realized something was wrong. This kid was definitely not as simple as he looked! There was something fishy going on!
Krieg's reaction was fast, but Luffy's was faster!
"Soru!" "Gomu Gomu no... Bullet!"
Though his special training for Soru had only lasted half a day, Luffy's speed had improved significantly. In a flash, he vanished from Rowan's side and reappeared directly in front of Krieg. Accompanying him was a fist that, while not particularly large, carried immense force.
Capture the king to catch the rebels! This was a lesson Rowan had taught Luffy long ago.
BOOM!
Luffy's sudden punch landed squarely on Krieg's chest. The agonizing pain caused Krieg's entire face to contort. In that instant, he felt as if he had been struck head-on by a speeding locomotive. Even the golden armor he wore—armor so thick even cannonballs struggled to penetrate it—was dented inward.
Thud.
With a thunderous crash, Krieg's massive frame followed in Gin's footsteps. He was launched backward, slammed into the hull of the Dreadnaught Saber, and fell into the sea with a massive splash.
"Don Krieg-sama!" "An ambush! That was a cheap shot!" "Charge! Kill him!"
Seeing their leader taken down, Krieg's subordinates snapped out of it and rushed forward, screaming. Having run rampant in the East Blue for so long, they held one unwavering belief: Their boss was invincible! The "Strongest Man in the East Blue" could not lose.
In their minds, Gin and Krieg were only sent flying because they didn't know the kid was a Devil Fruit user and were caught off guard. Besides, they were just "blown away"—Commander Gin and Don Krieg weren't weaklings, for heaven's sake!
"Brat, can you handle this many alone?" Rowan asked, looking at the swarm of pirates rushing toward them. He had no intention of moving yet.
Luffy's face was alight with fighting spirit. "Don't you worry, Great-Grandpa! This many people isn't even enough for a warm-up!"
The moment he finished speaking, Luffy didn't retreat. Instead, he used Soru to meet them head-on. In a heartbeat, he was at the very front of the pirate mob.
The lead pirate saw the red-vested kid flicker into existence before him and gasped. But he quickly rallied, shouting, "He's here! Hack him to pieces!"
At his cry, pirates from all sides converged on Luffy's position. Luffy didn't panic. He grinned, braced his legs, and leaped into the air. Before the eyes of the stunned pirates, he began to spin at high velocity in mid-air.
"Gomu Gomu no... Hanabi (Firework)!"
While spinning, Luffy simultaneously unleashed Gomu Gomu no Gatling and Stamp. Suddenly, a chaotic storm of fists and sandaled feet flew out in every direction. From a distance, it truly looked like a blooming firework.
It was an upgraded fusion of his techniques. Luffy had conceptualized this move specifically for crowd control. Unlike the standard Gatling, this allowed him to strike every enemy in a 360-degree radius!
In an instant, the pirates charging him were struck—some hit in the chest by fists, others kicked in the gut. It was as if a high-yield grenade had detonated in their midst. Countless pirates screamed as they were sent spiraling outward. Some were kicked into the sea, some punched into the sky, and others smashed into their own comrades who were still trying to charge. The scene was one of total carnage.
The kid's brain is actually quite sharp, Rowan thought, nodding as he raised his pipe.
However, with his expert eye, he could see that beyond the massive stamina drain, the move had a fatal flaw: the effective range was quite small. It required the enemies to be within a specific radius to be effective. If they stayed back, the move was useless. Moreover, the energy consumption was far higher than a standard Gatling. At Luffy's current level of fitness, he'd be panting and forced to stop in no time.
Crash!
While Rowan was critiquing the technique, a black shadow flew out of the fray and landed directly in front of him. Judging by the outfit, it was just a lowly pirate grunt.
"Ow... ow..." The grunt clutched his chest, rolling on the sand in agony.
Rowan spared him a single glance before losing interest. An ant with a combat value only slightly higher than a civilian wasn't worth his time. He was about to kick the nuisance out of his way when his gaze was drawn to something nearby.
There, stuck in the sand, was an exquisite longsword. It had flown over along with the grunt. Rowan had assumed it was just a piece of scrap iron, but one look made his expression shift to surprise.
"A Meito (Famous Sword)?"
After transmigrating into the world of One Piece, Rowan had entertained thoughts of practicing swordsmanship. What hot-blooded man hasn't dreamed of being a Great Swordsman, roaming the world with a blade at his hip?
Unfortunately, his talent for the sword was abysmal. No matter how hard he practiced, he couldn't grasp the mysteries of the blade, let alone become a master. He had eventually given up on that path.
But even if his skill was "garbage," his eye for quality remained. This sword, which had been strapped to the grunt's waist, was clearly of the Ryo Wazamono (Skillful Grade) rank—one of the 50 Skillful Grade Swords.
Staring at the blade that reflected the sunlight into a cold, lethal gleam, Rowan froze. The childhood dream he had buried for nearly a century surged back to his heart.
In the past, he had no choice. But now, he had the System. Though the dream might seem laughable for a man of his age, a man remains a boy until he dies.
To hell with it. It's just some Faith Points. Why overthink it?
If I want to do it, I'll do it!
"Deep Blue, add points!"
Gritting his teeth, Rowan made his decision. He summoned the system and instantly spent over two thousand Faith Points to max out every sub-entry under the Swordsmanship tab.
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