Inside the pirate ship's cabin, Rowan casually threw out the only survivor left on board, a pirate with over one thousand sin value. Compared to the gangs of the West Blue, the blood on his hands was far heavier.
Rowan did not know whether something like an underworld truly existed in this world. When souls in the prison were burned by black flames, did they disappear after suffering, or did they return somewhere? Edo Tensei pulled souls from the Pure Land, but in this world, was there such a place? He did not know.
Roger's soul was already in the prison, so there was no need for a medium.
Rowan formed hand seals and pressed down. In an instant, the blue soul flame sank into the helmsman's body, and ash began to spread. Within seconds, a figure took shape, identical to Roger during his execution at Loguetown. Even the mustache was perfectly reconstructed.
A low hum echoed as Roger slowly opened his eyes.
"So this is my new body?"
He clenched his fist, but there was no real sensation. A trace of disappointment appeared on his face.
Rowan glanced at him. "You think being revived means you can eat and drink like before? Getting you out is already enough. Don't expect too much."
Roger quickly adjusted his mood. For someone who had already died, returning to the world was already unbelievable. Wanting more was not his style. His death had been part of his plan from the beginning, and for the Pirate King, death was never something to fear.
Footsteps echoed outside the cabin as Marines began boarding the ship.
Roger pointed at his face. "If they see me like this, you'll be in trouble."
Rowan placed a hand on his shoulder. "You think I didn't consider that?"
In the next moment, both of them vanished. A second later, Rowan reappeared alone. Roger had been sent to the lawless zone of Sabaody, along with a cloak and three hundred thousand Beli.
After this, Rowan would need to test how much of Roger's strength this body could handle, and for a while, Roger would remain there.
After all, the sin value of Celestial Dragons was far too tempting.
"Hurry! Find Major Rowan!"
"There might be hidden enemies! He needs support!"
The lieutenant shouted across the deck as Rowan walked out of the cabin, stretching and yawning. He stood behind the officer and patted his shoulder, then looked at the Marines holding rifles.
"There's a lot of loot inside. Go sort it out. Half is mine, the rest you split among yourselves."
The Marines froze for a moment, then burst into excitement. Something like this was actually allowed?
"Sir… we really get half?"
Rowan stepped forward and tapped the man's cap. "Leave a share for your officer, and for those who stayed on the ship. Go."
They rushed off immediately.
The lieutenant remained behind, looking troubled. Unlike the others, he was thinking about how to report this. If they did not report it, the pirate group would not count toward the assessment. If they did report it, how would they explain that the pirates had no money left? And as the communications officer, he had to report everything.
"Why the long face?" Rowan said casually. "Just report it as it is. Bring me my share later. I'm going to sleep."
He returned to the warship, and soon after, his shadow clone was already lying on the chair, fast asleep.
On Zephyr's command ship, reports were being delivered. Every encounter from every trainee was tracked closely. These trainees were the future of the Marines, and while losses were acceptable, they could not be too high.
When Zephyr heard Rowan's report, he frowned.
Every pirate Rowan encountered had been killed, half the loot taken, and the rest distributed.
From the moment he entered the training camp, this so called monster had already shown a clear stance. He was tied to the World Government, recommended by CP, and connected to Kuzan's incident in the South Blue. He was greedy, ruthless toward pirates, capable of cooperating with CP, yet willing to share spoils with his subordinates, and completely indifferent to regulations.
What kind of justice was that?
Perhaps only time would tell.
Knock knock.
"Come in."
"Teacher, Vice Admiral Kuzan is here."
Zephyr frowned. "What is he doing here?"
He stepped onto the deck, where Kuzan stood waiting and greeted him respectfully.
"I heard you were in West Blue. Why are you here?"
Kuzan replied calmly, "After this assessment, the training camp ends. I came to ask for someone."
Zephyr snorted. "Rowan? You don't seem like someone looking for revenge."
Kuzan nodded. "The South Blue incident wasn't my doing, but the result was not bad. As for Rowan, I want to see whether Lomi's will continues in him."
Zephyr paused.
Continue?
A man rejected by most Marines… carrying someone else's will?
"You went back to Lasgap Town?"
Kuzan nodded. "He's doing well. His broken conviction is recovering. I asked why, but he just invited me to drink."
A faint smile appeared on his face. "He knows I prefer tea, but it seems he has found another path for justice."
Silence fell between them.
Lomi and Kuzan had once been classmates, but everything had changed after that incident. Being sent to West Blue had already been the best possible outcome.
After a long pause, Zephyr finally spoke. "I'll include my recommendation in the report. As for what Fleet Admiral Sengoku decides, I won't interfere."
That was enough. For someone labeled a monster, this was already rare, and Kuzan still had ways to influence the final decision.
At Sabaody Archipelago, Roger stood there, staring at his shattered arm.
How was it this fragile?
In the next moment, ash gathered and restored the arm completely.
Haki came from will, but using it required physical strength.
Roger picked up a sword and felt the body again. Armament Haki coated his arm, then spread along the blade as he swung.
"Ha!"
A sudden upward slash cut through the air, and a flying blade split the massive rock cleanly in two. At the same time, the Armament Haki on Roger's right arm faded, and the inside of his arm had already turned into ash.
A light breeze passed, scattering the ash for a moment before it gathered again and reformed into a complete arm. Even so, it was obvious that attacks of that level exceeded what this body could handle.
Rowan watched the scene in silence, deep in thought.
In the Naruto world, Edo Tensei bodies could not truly be killed. They did not suffer fatal damage in the conventional sense, and their only real weaknesses were sealing techniques or attacks of an extremely high level. That same trait was present here as well. Injuries would recover in a short time, almost instantly.
There was also the concept of infinite chakra.
However, infinite did not mean endless reserves. Each use still had a limit, more like an endlessly cycling supply with a cap per burst. In this world, there was no chakra, but there was still the concept of a physical body. Because of that, Roger could use Armament Haki. Without it, even the basic flow of haki would not exist.
Thinking of this, Rowan casually picked up a small stone and tossed it.
With a sharp sound, the stone pierced through the back of Roger's head, leaving a hollow gap. A moment later, ash gathered again, and the injury was restored as if nothing had happened.
Roger rubbed the back of his head and turned around. "What are you doing, little man? This arm can't keep up. Once I push the haki too far, it collapses. Think of something."
Rowan stood up, slightly surprised.
Edo Tensei should not interfere with Observation Haki or Conqueror's Haki. If those were affected too, then the technique would lose most of its value.
"You can't use Observation Haki?" Rowan asked.
Roger frowned slightly. "Let me try."
Rowan exhaled softly in relief. It seemed Roger simply hadn't activated it earlier.
In the next instant, Rowan appeared behind him and launched a kick. Just as the attack was about to land, Roger sidestepped and avoided it. Rowan increased his speed and continued attacking, one strike after another, showing no intention of holding back.
With an immortal body, there was no need for restraint.
Even so, not a single attack connected. Just like the fight at Sabaody, if Rowan had not relied on Flying Thunder God to avoid direct confrontation, he would have been defeated with ease.
After ten minutes, Rowan finally stopped.
Roger spoke calmly, "Observation Haki is fine. The real issue is this body. The amount of Armament Haki I can use is too limited. It recovers quickly, but I can't unleash explosive attacks."
Rowan thought for a moment before replying, "Then try Conqueror's Haki. Infuse it into your attacks. Since it relies on willpower, it should be less affected by the body."
Roger nodded and focused.
In the next moment, a thunderous boom echoed through the sky. A terrifying aura erupted from him, yet it carefully avoided Rowan. The pressure felt almost tangible, as if it had taken physical form.
Rowan's breathing grew heavier, and his heartbeat quickened under the weight of it.
Armament Haki required stamina, but Conqueror's Haki was different. It was a manifestation of pure will, a surge of spirit unleashed in a single moment. Just like Koby during the war, it erupted all at once, overwhelming in that instant, but once the will was spent, it would quickly fade.
Roger withdrew the aura almost immediately.
"Someone's coming," he said. "Do we leave or stay?"
Rowan had already sensed it as well. "Let's go. With that face of yours, it's better to stay hidden. If this gets out, Mary Geoise might explode."
The moment he finished speaking, the two of them vanished from the spot.
Ten seconds later, a man in a white suit descended from the sky, a famous blade in his hand. He scanned the surroundings before his gaze settled on the split rock. Behind it, even the ground had been cut open by the slash.
"A great swordsman?" he muttered.
After a brief moment of thought, he left after giving a few instructions to his subordinates. The killer of the Celestial Dragon was not a swordsman, so this was likely just a coincidence.
Back in Area 6 of Sabaody Archipelago, Roger sat cross-legged on the ground, his expression mixed with disappointment and relief. Although the physical body was far weaker than before, Observation and Conqueror's Haki were still intact.
Even so, he understood the problem clearly. The weakness of the body meant he could no longer stand at the peak of strength. With Observation and Conqueror's, he could stall, but he would not be able to win against true top-tier opponents.
He stroked his mustache thoughtfully before looking at Rowan.
"Little man, how about we go kill Charlotte Linlin?"
Rowan let out a small laugh. "You really don't hold back… even women are fine?"
Roger paused for a moment, then shook his head. "Didn't think about that. Then what about one of the younger guys from Rocks' crew? Someone with a strong body."
"Kaido?" Rowan considered it briefly. "He already has a Mythical Zoan now. That won't be easy. But later… maybe."
Roger sighed. "I figured. Not like I expected it to work right now anyway."
The two of them moved through Area 6 wearing cloaks. Rowan handed Roger a map.
"With your personality, you're definitely not going back to the prison. But I didn't let you out for nothing. Watch these locations. I need you to track when Celestial Dragons appear."
Roger nodded without hesitation.
Celestial Dragons meant massive sin value, and sin value meant higher-tier treasure chests. That made them the highest priority target.
Rowan then handed him a Den Den Mushi. "If you find one, contact me immediately and give me the location. Also, take it easy for now. They're still scared, so there won't be many opportunities."
He paused for a moment before adding, "Foosha Village in East Blue, Garp's hometown. If you want, I can send you there right now."
Roger fell silent, clearly tempted.
After a long pause, he exhaled slowly.
"Later."
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