[158] : The World Mobilizes for War! Rowen Awakens!
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"Ace," Whitebeard rumbled, his eyes bloodshot.
In truth, he didn't need the Red-Haired brat to tell him. After the Teach incident, Whitebeard had told Ace to let it go, to consider it an exception.
Though Whitebeard had treated Teach like a true son, he was also aware of Teach's... uniqueness.
But Ace—especially after enduring a childhood where the Navy and World Government constantly proclaimed his very existence as a sin due to his Roger lineage—had long since come to see Whitebeard as his true father, and the Whitebeard Pirates as his true family.
Family meant everything to Whitebeard...
And for Ace, it was the most precious thing in the world... Ace, disregarding his advice, had stubbornly set out to pursue Teach.
And now—he was in trouble!
But Whitebeard felt no blame towards Ace. He was simply enforcing the ironclad rule of his ship. The responsibility for this defeat—belonged to him, the father.
"Pops! Should we follow the Vivre Card to find Ace?" Marco asked urgently.
"NO."
Though filled with rage and anxiety, Whitebeard, a legendary pirate who had survived countless brutal wars, knew that rage was meaningless. He took several deep breaths, suppressing his anger.
"I sensed something of Teach's ambition. Capturing Ace instead of killing him means Teach has a deeper goal," Whitebeard stated gravely, his eyes dark.
Ace wasn't just his son... Ace was also Roger's son!
Though Whitebeard himself couldn't care less about that identity—to Whitebeard, everyone was a child of the sea, and anyone who boarded his ship was his son!
But that identity meant something entirely different to the Marines and the World Government.
The bloodline of the Pirate King—the Navy and the World Government would never allow it to exist in this world!
Though Ace's identity was well-hidden, Teach, as a veteran member of the 2nd Division, knew the truth. And Teach, to achieve his ambitions, would surely leak this secret if necessary.
Knowing they possessed Ace's Vivre Card, yet choosing to capture him instead of kill him—it was obvious Teach intended to use Ace as a stepping stone to achieve his ambition.
Teach—would likely hand Ace over to the Navy and expose his identity!
If so...
Whitebeard looked at the latest news report in his hand—about Sky Sovereign Rowen defeating Akainu, routing the Buster Call, and destroying Enies Lobby.
Sengoku... won't pass up this opportunity!
Though they hadn't faced each other in years, as old rivals, Whitebeard knew Sengoku's methods all too well.
Sky Sovereign Rowen had dealt a heavy blow to the Navy's morale. And Ace's identity—was the perfect tool to restore faith in Justice.
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"Prepare for war, Marco. Have all affiliated pirate crews under the Whitebeard banner prepare for battle—" Whitebeard commanded, his gaze grim as he looked at the somber sky.
Ace was his son!
He suffered this calamity because of the rules he, Whitebeard, set.
And he, the father, would save Ace, even if it cost him his life!
No matter the circumstances!
At this moment, Whitebeard could roughly deduce what Teach intended, and what fate awaited Ace. Following the Vivre Card now would be futile, only exposing their movements.
The Navy constantly had spy ships monitoring the Emperor's crews. The moment the Whitebeard Pirates made a move, the Navy would know immediately, potentially putting Ace in even greater danger.
To save Ace, they couldn't be rash.
When they acted—it had to be with the force of a thunderbolt, to rescue Ace decisively!
Though his eyes were dark with grim determination, Whitebeard maintained the cold calm befitting a King from a bygone era.
"YES, POPS!" Marco replied instantly, his own expression grim. Ace was his precious brother!
The Whitebeard Pirates would NEVER abandon family!
This wasn't just Whitebeard's code; it was the belief of the entire crew!
The Emperor, Whitebeard—began preparing for war!
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Meanwhile, Marine HQ and the World Government had also seen the World Economic News Agency's reports.
Though furious, it was within their expectations.
Morgans was a man who would publish any news. And a disturbance this massive was impossible to hide. Since it was already done, their only recourse was to once again raise the bounties of Rowen and the Straw Hat Pirates.
But for Marine HQ and the World Government, a more important matter was now at hand. Fire Fist Ace had been handed over to them by Blackbeard.
Verification of Ace's identity was quickly concluded.
The search for the Pirate King's bloodline had been incredibly thorough; all information was recorded in CP's archives. Knowing Ace's identity, a reverse-lookup for a massive organization like the World Government was simple.
The truth was quickly confirmed.
Whitebeard Pirates 2nd Division Commander, Fire Fist Portgas D. Ace.
Mother's name: Portgas D. Rouge.
Father: The most sinful bloodline.
Pirate King, Gol D. Roger!
The reason he evaded their initial search was because his mother, Rouge, through sheer willpower, carried him in her womb for 20 months before giving birth. Immediately after giving birth to this sinful bloodline, Rouge passed away.
The Pirate King's bloodline—they had captured it!
This was a monumental event.
Especially now, with the Navy's belief in Justice at an all-time low due to Sky Sovereign Rowen, on the verge of collapse. Two of their leading figures, the heads of both the Dove and Hawk factions, defeated by Rowen—the blow to the Navy's morale was too great!
The Navy desperately needed a victory to wash away this shame and restore faith in Justice...
And what better way than to publicly execute the bloodline of the Pirate King??
The Warlord position, left vacant by Crocodile's death, was immediately given to Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach.
The entire Navy began to turn at a frightening pace—
The public execution of Fire Fist Ace—could not have any mishaps. All forces had to be mobilized to ensure its completion.
After all, they would be facing the wrath of the World's Strongest Man, Whitebeard. For this, they had to wait until Akainu's injuries healed and his combat strength was restored before making the public announcement.
Fire Fist Ace was imprisoned in the great undersea prison, Impel Down. And Marine HQ Admiral Kizaru was dispatched by Sengoku to personally guard Impel Down!
Fire Fist Ace was too crucial to the Navy now; absolutely no mistakes could be tolerated. Furthermore, Ace had a connection to Rowen—his Flare-Flare Fruit ability had been copied by Rowen through unknown means.
With this connection, they had to guard against Rowen's interference; at least one Admiral was needed to guard Ace's prison...
Magellan, the Warden of Impel Down, alone wasn't enough to make Sengoku feel secure. Thus, Kizaru was directly dispatched to Impel Down.
The Navy, the Whitebeard Pirates, the Red Hair Pirates—all began secretly preparing for war.
From this moment on, the Summit War—had officially begun.
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Aboard the Going Merry...
"Ngh..." Rowen slowly opened his eyes.
"Hah..." Rowen took a deep breath, inhaling three familiar, wonderful scents.
They belonged to Nami, Vivi, and Robin. One could imagine, while he was asleep, the three women had checked on him more than once.
Rowen sat up, shaking his head slightly.
Sleeping from complete spiritual power exhaustion was entirely different from normal sleep; he had entered an extremely deep state of slumber.
——
—[Spirit entered ethereal state. Spiritual power massively increased!]—
—[Born of the Sea (Apex Gold) activated. Conqueror's Haki massively enhanced!]—
—[Through life-or-death struggle, manifested five senses and sixth sense have been enhanced!]—
—[Born of the Sea (Apex Gold) activated. Observation Haki enhanced!]—
——
A notification appeared before Rowen's eyes.
His Observation Haki had strengthened for the first time due to experiencing a life-or-death battle. Under extreme mortal danger, the limits of human potential were unlocked—the manifested five and six senses were greatly tempered—enhancing Observation Haki's intensity.
This battle with Akainu, though exceeding Rowen's initial expectations, had a good outcome.
Not only had he equipped the Asura Aura and Anthem of Courage Special Traits, but more importantly—he had forged the true, resolute will of a strong powerhouse!
Only with this Will could he truly charge towards the absolute peak—
Rowen could clearly feel that the Born of the Sea (Apex Gold) Trait, whose progress had slowed, was now once again rapidly digesting sea energy and enhancing his Haki.
Without a strong will—after reaching Apex Gold Conqueror's Haki, even with the Haki training cheat code Born of the Sea, progress would be extremely slow—
—But now, after his spiritual metamorphosis, he could once again use Born of the Sea to continuously strengthen his Conqueror's Haki.
And after the metamorphosis, his spiritual power had massively increased. Combined with his absolute trust in his comrades, his spirit had entered an ethereal state, further amplifying his spiritual strength.
This single battle—had increased Rowen's Conqueror's Haki by a full Apex Gold tier!
Previously, Rowen's Conqueror's Haki was just barely at the Apex Gold threshold, equivalent to Apex Gold '1'.
Now, his Conqueror's Haki had reached Apex Gold '2'.
And he had mastered a special application of Conqueror's Haki: Conqueror's Roar!
Conqueror's Haki could form a tangible storm; within this Haki storm, even Devil Fruit abilities could be restricted!
This application of Conqueror's Haki was the same used by Saint Warcury during the Egghead incident, and by Shanks in the movie.
The sheer force of the impact—even many Marine HQ Vice Admirals couldn't withstand it. Under the roar of Conqueror's Haki, even Devil Fruit abilities would be greatly restricted, potentially even preventing their use.
Though he hadn't obtained Akainu's Magma-Magma Fruit, this gain was still astonishing.
After reaching Apex Gold, further increasing Conqueror's Haki was incredibly difficult. Now, it had advanced a full tier, enhancing both its power and duration significantly—
His newly-Apex Gold Conqueror's Haki still had a considerable gap compared to Shanks, Kaido, and the others.
Especially Shanks, relying solely on Haōshoku Coating and swordsmanship, without any Devil Fruit—was very strong.
The title 'World's Most Dominant Haki User' was undoubtedly his.
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The reason Shanks was so strong—was primarily his Haōshoku Coating.
Swordsmanship, while elevating Shanks's combat ceiling, was something other Martial arts masters could also use to elevate their own.
After his continuous battles with Aokiji and Akainu, Rowen also understood the importance of martial arts.
He understood why Garp was proud of his fists. Martial arts, for a powerhouse of this level, provided an amplification no less than swordsmanship.
And the fists Garp honed—if described in terms of swordsmanship—were like forging a personal, Famous Blade (Meito)!
Famous blades were divided into Skillful Grade, Great Grade, and Supreme Grade.
These grades weren't just for show; they provided a massive boost to a powerhouse's combat strength!
After his life-or-death struggle with a powerhouse like Akainu, Rowen had a new understanding of martial arts and swordsmanship in the One Piece power system.
Just as Famous blades had grades, the martial arts fists honed by Garp and others also had grades.
Garp had likely honed his fists to the equivalent of a Supreme Grade Sword. One could imagine the amplification those honed fists provided to Garp's combat strength...
In the Hachinosu incident, Aokiji was almost helpless against Garp. Only after Garp was injured by a sneak attack did Aokiji dare to engage him in close combat.
Hone my martial arts fists??
Rowen looked at his own fists and smiled.
He had found another path to strength.
To hone his own fists to the equivalent of a Supreme Grade Sword—was Rowen's new pursuit.
Grrr!
His stomach rumbled.
Right now, the most important thing for Rowen was to fill his stomach. He felt extremely hungry.
Click!
"Rowen! You're awake?!" The door opened quietly, and Nami's small head peeked in carefully. Seeing Rowen awake, her beautiful face instantly lit up with joy.
"ROWEN'S AWAKE!!"
BANG!
Nami dodged aside just as the rest of the crew, in their excitement, crashed into a pile, completely demolishing Rowen's cabin door.
Luffy and the others tumbled to the floor but still looked excitedly at Rowen.
"WAAAH! Let me out! I'm a doctor!" Chopper's cute, muffled cries came from the bottom of the pile.
Then—
"I SAID—LET ME OUT!"
BOOM!
Chopper, in his giantized form, sent everyone on top of him flying.
"Rowen! How are you feeling?? Are you uncomfortable anywhere??" Chopper, in his small form again, scurried anxiously to Rowen's side, concerned.
"Feeling great, Dr. Chopper," Rowen chuckled.
"E-Even if you call me 'Dr.', it won't make me happy, you bastard!" Chopper danced with joy, his eyes closing into cute crescents.
"Hahahaha." Seeing his comrades, Rowen felt wonderful.
"Sanji... I'm hungry," Rowen said with a smile.
"OH! The best Pirate Lunchbox—is already prepared!" Sanji beamed.
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