As the Celestial Dragon followed tremulously behind Aokiji, the two CP0 members didn't linger. They cast one long, deep look at Rowan before vanishing into the distance as blurs of movement.
Rowan didn't say much; he simply turned around and headed back toward the tavern. Although he had held back from taking the noble's life due to larger considerations, Rowan knew that after the combination of the physical beating and his final threat, the man wouldn't dare seek revenge once he returned to Mary Geoise.
That display was enough to shatter the brat's courage completely; a nightmare had likely been planted in his soul. If they ever met again, the noble would be like a mouse seeing a cat—revenge wouldn't even be a thought; there would only be endless dread.
"What are you all standing there for? Let's go!" Rowan patted his stomach and beckoned to Momousagi and Rayleigh. "After all that fuss, I'm still not full!"
Luffy immediately raised both hands high, grinning ear to ear. "Great-Grandpa! Great-Grandpa! I'm not full either! Can we have ten more servings of everything we just had? It was so delicious!"
"You brat, I didn't have time to scold you earlier—work on your table manners! We have company!" Rowan barked with a laugh, entirely unaware that his own eating habits weren't much better.
"Heehee, but the food's just too good!" Luffy scratched his head and laughed.
"You troublesome kid..." Rowan shook his head helplessly.
Just then, Ain, who had watched the Celestial Dragon disappear, walked over with a trace of worry on her pretty face. "Mr. Rowan, are you sure there won't be trouble? After all..."
"Relax. That guy has lost his nerve. He won't be causing any more scenes." Rowan smiled and led the way back through the tavern doors.
However, before fully stepping inside, Rowan cast a seemingly casual glance toward a distant rooftop where the silhouette of a noble's hat was barely visible. He withdrew his gaze just as quickly.
Having sensed that look, Cavendish—hiding behind the eaves—shrank back, completely concealing himself.
"That old man's eyes... how terrifying!" Cavendish took a deep breath, muttering in disbelief. The composure on his face had vanished entirely. For the split second Rowan's gaze landed on him, Cavendish felt as if he were being stared down by an unavoidable, primordial titan. His body went cold, his heart raced uncontrollably, and his breathing turned heavy.
It took a long time after Rowan entered the tavern for the symptoms to subside. Wiping cold sweat from his brow, Cavendish didn't dare peek again. He left the street soundlessly and didn't stop until he was clear of Grove 26.
Even then, he remained shaken. Today had been a series of massive shocks. Between Rowan's final gaze and his actions, everything shouted that this old man was far from simple.
He didn't kill the Celestial Dragon in the end, but to me, that's even scarier. To humiliate a World Noble so thoroughly that even CP0 and an Admiral have to play along just to settle the matter peacefully? And then to threaten him to his face?
Does that mean Rowan's status is actually higher than a Celestial Dragon's?
And then there was the sword intent. As a swordsman, Cavendish saw exactly how refined and terrifying that sliver of ki was.
I swear, from now on, I will never provoke that old man. Even if it's someone just loosely related to him, I'm taking the long way around. To wrestle with a guy like that, you'd need to be a Four Emperors-level powerhouse at the very least!
Back in the tavern, Rowan laughed and patted Chuck's shoulder. "Don't just stand there, kid. After all that exercise, the food I just put away is gone. My stomach is starting to growl again."
Luffy chimed in eagerly, "Yeah, Uncle! I only ate a little bit, and I can't sustain this much activity on that. Ten more of everything, please!"
Coming back to his senses, Chuck looked at the pair who actually still had an appetite and nodded with a smile. "Understood, Mr. Rowan! Since there are no other guests anyway, just wait—I'll make sure you eat your fill this time!"
"YEAH!" Luffy's grin practically reached his ears.
Time passed. Sabaody Archipelago didn't change much following Rowan's "Celestial Dragon Incident." Some pirates who had hidden away expecting a bloody purge saw no retaliatory strike. However, they remained cautious and stayed in the shadows. This resulted in the security of the archipelago being unnervingly good; even the Lawless Zones saw no crime.
Five days later. Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 79. Inside a luxury hotel's presidential suite.
Bulu bulu bulu... Bulu bulu bulu...
The ringing of a Den Den Mushi interrupted Rowan's sleep. He opened his bleary eyes, stretched lazily, and picked up the receiver.
"Hello, who is it?"
Even with his monstrous constitution, drinking too much still left him with a bit of a dull headache.
"Master, it's me, Sengoku." Sengoku's voice came through, sounding very cautious. "Did I wake you?"
Knowing his teacher used to have a very rigid schedule, Sengoku assumed he'd be up by now. But that was decades ago, and he wasn't sure about the sleeping habits of a centenarian.
"No, you're fine. What's up?" Rowan shook his head to clear the fog, walked to the window, and pulled back the heavy curtains. Bright sunlight flooded the room, illuminating Rowan's perfectly sculpted, powerful physique.
Sengoku spoke immediately: "Master, it's about the restoration of your rank. The paperwork is completely finalized. All we need is for you to return. Your status as an Honorary Admiral is also processed. I need to know when you plan to come back so I can arrange the promotion ceremony."
"It's finished?" Rowan's face lit up.
At that exact moment, a notification chimed in his mind:
[Congratulations, Host! Main Quest Complete: Promoted to Navy Admiral!][Rewards have been issued. Would you like to claim them now?]
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