Chapter 625 Straw Hats, So Handy

The Marine's resolve in the face of death and Ace's determination created a peculiar atmosphere at G-10. Looking at Luffy, who lay unconscious on the ground, Ace struggled to control his rising rage and took a deep breath.

"I'm beyond saving, Sabo. I can feel it myself."

"In the days to come, I'll leave Luffy in your hands… You've skipped in taking care of him for so many years; it's time to pay the price, right?"

Ace forced a bitter joke.

"Taking care of this idiot isn't an easy task. Why can't it be me?"

Sabo didn't cry like a child; he merely stared with his frighteningly red eyes, his voice hoarse with questioning.

"Aren't you the one who wants Whitebeard to become the Pirate King?"

"What about your dream?!"

"Old man doesn't actually care about that kind of thing!"

"On the contrary, you have a reason to keep living."

Ace shook his head with a smile. After spending so many days together, how could he not understand Whitebeard's true feelings?

He had been saying that all along, but it was merely an attempt to contribute to protecting the Whitebeard Pirates, the place he had come to regard as "home."

'Father, please forgive my selfishness.' Ace thought quietly. 'They are my younger brothers!'

Having said that, Ace turned, flames erupting from his body as if he were about to leap into action at any moment.

"Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon)! I'll stay behind as a prisoner; I hope that's enough?"

Rowen nodded in response.

"The Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, huh? That's certainly enough."

To say it wasn't would be self-deprecating; unless he could decisively defeat Whitebeard, denying Ace's worth would merely be a hollow bark, which was despicable.

Rowen certainly wasn't that foolish.

"So…"

Ace clenched his fists, suppressing his urge to rage, and turned to say, "Take Luffy and get out of here, Sabo!"

"I'll go fetch Nico Robin… You all be careful; Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon) has a terrifying range of torpedoes that can track prey for dozens of kilometers in the deep sea."

"Cut it out, do you know me that well? I guess being this handsome does attract attention everywhere," Rowen remarked, watching Ace cautiously make his way toward the fortress.

That torpedo that was used to take out "Champion" Burgess had been stockpiled at G-10, although it was seldom used.

After all, pirates aren't like Sea Kings; there aren't that many underwater enemies.

These few were reserved for potential Fish-Man pirates.

However, since he had quelled the recent slave trade crisis at Fish-Man Island himself, Rowen's reputation there was only rising. It was nearly impossible for Fish-Men to come to G-10 to cause trouble.

"So… maybe there really is a chance to leave them behind."

Knowing full well that choosing to save someone would come at a severe cost was touching, but the drawbacks wouldn't disappear just because it was moving.

Rowen narrowed his eyes slightly, suddenly feeling a pang of unease.

Turning his head, he saw Kuma pulling a canister of Dyna Stone to his side with his severed hand, his expression deadpan as he watched Rowen's every move.

As long as Rowen made any sudden move, Kuma would have the courage to drag them all down with him! 

"Ugh, what a hassle!"

Rowen frowned slightly, raising a hand to indicate that he wouldn't act recklessly.

He really didn't know what Oda was thinking, allowing Dyna Stone to appear in this technologically backward world.

Setting aside Vegapunk, who was also a genius scientist without basic ethics, Dyna Stone was the most powerful weapon currently known in this world, bar none!

A Dyna Stone the size of a thumb had an explosive power comparable to one ton of TNT, capable of obliterating a mountain with ease.

This entire pile of Dyna Stone was as large as a basketball, and claiming it could send G-10 sky-high was no joke.

Even a Super Electromagnetic Cannon striking down would cause at most half the area's destruction, while these could shred G-10 into pieces!

Turning land into ocean.

Before long, Nico Robin emerged from the fortress as a replacement, while Rowen sensed a surge of fiery power rising from the control room above, declaring its presence.

"Let's go!!"

Sabo bit down hard on his teeth, squeezing out the words from between clenched jaws.

"…"

Robin, who had walked up to him, fell silent for a moment before raising her head, "Luffy… won't accept this outcome."

"Neither will I!" 

Sabo glared with bloodshot eyes, turning to look at her. "But this is the result!"

"Vice Admiral, what should we do now?"

Dante approached, resting one hand on the hilt of the Clear Spring Sword, his eyes slightly squinted as he watched the Revolutionary Army and the Straw Hat crew gradually retreat.

Letting Monkey D. Luffy and the Revolutionary Army go, even with the threat to the lives of all the G-10 soldiers as a pretext, would hardly mean Rowen would have an easy time ahead, right?

To the higher-ups, these soldiers were merely expendable numbers. Even if Rowen avoided being labeled as part of the War Faction, sacrificing a significant opportunity for a bunch of "numbers" would surely lead to accountability.

"Don't worry, they don't have time to pressure me."

In response, Rowen grinned, a cold smile on his face. "Have you forgotten who's in the control room right now?"

"The Second Division Commander of Whitebeard… wait!"

In an instant, Dante recalled a piece of information and held his breath.

"I see, the war is about to begin!"

"No, it never ended."

"But it's about to end!"

Rowen corrected Dante's statement and then nodded towards Ain, who looked pale in the distance.

The latter remained silent for a long time before waving her hand softly. "Let them go!"

"Alright, we're done here. Next…" 

Rowen silently shifted his gaze to the control room above the fortress and spoke in a tone only Dante could hear.

"Speaking of which, didn't they realize that the specially made cannonballs for the Super Electromagnetic Cannon are stored separately?"

Dante smirked, a brief glint of bloodthirst flashing across his face. "Naturally! These illiterates can't even tell the difference between a specially made cannonball and a dust ball."

"To them, a cannonball should just be round."

Only Dante fully understood Rowen's true objective at G-10.

The moment Rowen didn't directly eliminate Nico Robin, Dante realized what this ambitious senior official wanted.

"After suffering such a blow, the Revolutionary Army will likely have only enough strength left for one last fight."

Dante sneered, licking his lips.

Rowen didn't want to deal with enemies like chopping leeks, cutting them down one by one.

He wanted to crush them all at once, ensuring the Revolutionary Army would never rise again!

If Dragon was captured, then Sabo would appear.

And if Sabo were killed, who would come next? 

Pure slaughter would only futilely increase the enemy's ranks, providing the Revolutionary Army with a target to rally against.

Rowen didn't have the patience to dally with the Revolutionary Army until the bitter end.

For an army, "spirit" is more important than "strength."

Once their military spirit is shattered, no amount of top-tier equipment would make a difference; they would merely become a group of carbohydrates unable to afford defeat.

Now their new backbone, Sabo, was unknowingly stepping into twilight.

The next time they meet, it would only end in tragedy.

"Then let's give them a stage to exit, understood?"

Rowen opened his long eyelids, his voice cold like it came from Freezing Hell.

In response, Dante bowed respectfully, nodding seriously.

"Yes!"

"I guarantee the completion of this mission!"

---

A few hours later, Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

"…"

Sengoku sat in silence in his office, his eyes behind frog-like glasses slightly closed, pondering something.

Today, all three Admirals were present, sitting alongside Great Staff Officer Tsuru, waiting for Rowen's call.

"...No good deed goes unpunished, Rowen!" 

The voice of the mustached Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) came through the immaculate Den Den Mushi. "We will handle the Dyna Stone situation, but as for the rest… you know what I mean."

"Naturally! It's my responsibility!" 

Rowen saluted and then hung up the phone.

Finally, that's over. Talking with these old men kills brain cells like no other.

Seeing him finish his call, Tsuru frowned and asked, "Everything alright, Rowen?"

"Naturally, it's fine."

Rowen smirked lightly.

"Don't forget I'm the holder of the First Grade Glory Medal… I only let the Revolutionary Army go to protect G-10; the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) won't be harsh on me for that."

"…"

Sengoku, eyes closed, twitched his fingers, visible resentment emanating from him.

Heh!

The Glory Medal!

However, even the First Grade Nobility cannot go against their responsibilities.

Such medals are awarded only to those who have made outstanding contributions to maintaining government rule; "maintaining rule" is an unchanging premise.

Letting go of the new leader of the Revolutionary Army would leave a lasting mark on the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars). In the upcoming war, he must prove his worth with his life!

To the one who awarded this medal, Im… he must show he still stands on the side of the government.

"So…"

"We should now discuss how to respond to Whitebeard's counterattack properly."

"Actually, this is the main reason you wanted to release them, isn't it, Rowen?" 

Suddenly, Akainu lifted his head from beneath his baseball cap, looking at him seriously.

"Compared to the Revolutionary Army, which has been beaten and scattered, Sabo is undoubtedly a greater threat."

Rowen gazed deeply at Akainu, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Guess?!"

(Auther- Rest assured, I write this story according to my own preferences; how could I arrange a plot that tortures the main character? Two years ago, I started writing because I couldn't stand those clichés. That's why the results have been lukewarm, as the entire story has no formulas! I write what I find enjoyable, and that's it. In my story, the Straw Hats have a significance far greater than those novels where characters just die upon meeting, so relax and enjoy. This I can guarantee.) 

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(End of Chapter)

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