Chapter 349 I Must Defeat You Today!

Several hours later, it was dawn.

A familiar massive ship hovered over the Poly Island.

The prominent World Government cross flag on the Ark's hull drew attention immediately. 

As soon as it appeared, members of the Poli Island Royal crew, who had been hiding in the woods for who knows how many days, came rushing out, their appearance even less impressive than beggars, crying out about the brutality of the BIG·MOM pirate crew.

Akainu, who had led his troops but hadn't even had a hot meal, had an unpleasant expression on his face. With a cold snort, he left them aside and headed to the rest area, where he found Rowen feasting heartily and Kizaru sitting nearby, reading a report.

As expected, the anticipated decisive battle did not break out. Kizaru knew very well the principle of not cornering a desperate beast. Yonkos like BIG·MOM were essentially the same whether they existed or not, as long as they didn't cause trouble. He had no interest in going all out against a raging BIG·MOM.

With the main attacker Kizaru not going all out, Rowen, who was responsible for support, naturally had no choice. The three of them fought for a whole night, and it wasn't until reinforcements arrived for both parties that the raging BIG·MOM was forced to calm down. With the Anger Legion that had long since slipped away, she retreated.

Akainu felt quite aggrieved!

He had rushed all this way and didn't even get to eat a hot meal!

What was even more frustrating was...

"Kizaru, the Fleet Admiral wants you to be responsible for escorting the prisoners. Set off immediately." Akainu's face darkened as he spoke while he lowered the brim of his baseball cap.

"Oh? So, Fleet Admiral didn't agree to your request for pursuit?" 

Kizaru teased Akainu with an insincere tone, knowing that since the order to escort the prisoners had been given, there would naturally be no further pursuit.

Sensing the scent of sulfur in the air, Rowen licked the grease off the corner of his mouth, decisively carrying his food tray away from this contentious place.

"You Fucking Bastard, do you want a fight?!"

Sure enough, a wave of heat came from behind him. Akainu's face turned black, and half of his body was enveloped in magma.

The War Faction was known for its radicalism, and Akainu would naturally not let go of beating a dog in the water. However, after receiving the notice, not only Sengoku but even the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) did not agree to his request to pursue deeper into Totto Land.

Even Rowen believed that now was not the right time for a decisive battle with a Yonko.

Fighting was not just about fighting; the issue of interests behind it was the reason for initiating a war.

Marine and the government's infiltration into the New World was not deep enough. If one Yonko fell, one could imagine how much turmoil would be stirred up in the corresponding seas, not to mention the aftermath that would ripple across the entire sea.

They didn't have enough backup to deal with the possible chaos, and risking it all for little gain wasn't worth it.

At least a half-crippled BIG·MOM pirate crew wasn't worth their risky venture.

This was also one of Sengoku's important reasons for maintaining stability.

But as a result, it could be concluded that Whitebeard was purely deceived by Ace...

The son of the Pirate King, born of sinful blood, even if the world rages because of it, the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) were willing to go to war with him!

The thought processes of rulers and rebels were definitely different. For one, the smaller the issue, the better, while for the other, the bigger the issue, the better. It all depended on where their interests lay.

In the rest area, Kizaru half-heartedly apologized. The temperature of the magma continued to rise, and before the heat wave could cause a circuit malfunction, Rowen, holding his food tray, arrived at the prison area. Under the unapologetic and scorching gaze of the guards, he took a step inside.

"Hey, Katakuri, you are still alive, I see..."

In the dim prison area, Rowen walked to a Seastone cell and greeted Katakuri through the bars.

Inside the cell, Katakuri was dressed in a well-fitting prisoner's uniform, his left hand bound in Seastone handcuffs, leaning quietly against the wall.

His right hand was truly severed, not an extension of his Devil Fruit ability.

In the face of Rowen's speed, even if he foresaw the future, he couldn't avoid it at all... experiencing that sense of despair and powerlessness, Katakuri woke up and remained silent, as if nothing was sadder than a broken heart.

But Rowen knew that Katakuri wasn't the type to crumble under pressure. Possessors of Haoshoku in the New World were as common as fish in the river, but those who could use it were still just a handful.

Each one was a contemporary talent!

Not to mention just having one hand severed, even if he were turned into a complete wreck, Katakuri wouldn't be as crushed as a broken heart.

He just knew that he currently had no chance of escape, so he was conserving his stamina.

Two Admirals plus an Admiral candidate; the aircraft Ark with its thousands of Plasma Cannons; an entourage of over thirty thousand stationed forces... with such a luxurious lineup, even a Yonko would have to weigh the consequences!

This demonstrated the deterrent power of the Ark!

Plus, being in high altitude, even if he fell, he wouldn't die. It was equivalent to a city flying in the sky, how could he escape?

So, Katakuri seemed as good as dead, brought up without a word, conserving his energy.

But Rowen's appearance caused a ripple in his otherwise obscure state of mind. He suddenly opened his eyes wide, looking at Rowen with eyes full of hatred.

"MAMA won't let you off!!"

"You talk as if I'd be spared if I didn't fight back..."

Rowen pursed his lips, scooping up a spoonful of seafood fried rice and chewing. "Did you hear that? She wants me to marry into Totto Land to enrich her racial extended family. But I have a bit of self-respect, and I won't let myself be wronged for someone else's sake."

"Speaking of which... you should be the one who hates Oven, right?"

"If he hadn't invaded the Allied Kingdom Members on his own, I wouldn't have bothered with all this... Well, so he died... Your Big Brother Perospero also died, and some of the bodies are unrecognizable. Can't you come and help?!"

"Enough!!"

Katakuri roared in anger, gritting his teeth. "Did you come here to amuse yourself, to show off your victor's glory?!"

"Yeah, that's right."

Rowen chewed on the fried rice, earnestly nodding.

"There's not much entertainment on the Ark, and I'm just bored without eating... "

"You...!!"

Katakuri was taken aback, then his eyes welled up with tears of blood as he glared at Rowen with a fierce, bloodthirsty look.

"Asshole!!!"

"Don't be so agitated, Katakuri..."

Rowen chuckled and then his expression turned cold. "Any enemy standing in my way, regardless of age or gender, will die!"

"If you want to protect your younger brothers and sisters who are still alive, you know what to do!"

Rowen left the cell, dropping this statement coldly. He carried his food tray, humming a tune, and walked away.

However, the moment he left, a flash of electricity ran across the entirely metal-made wall, and a unique key slowly emerged, falling to the ground.

Ding... Ding-Clang...

Katakuri was completely stunned. He looked up, and the passage gate had already been closed, leaving the prison area in darkness.

Kizaru stood against the wall, trimming his nails. This action reminded Rowen of the "ordinary office worker" Kira Yoshikage. Fortunately, Kizaru didn't have the perverted habit of collecting every nail he clipped.

Seeing Rowen come out, he reminded in a nonchalant tone.

"If he doesn't do as you predicted, Fleet Admiral will be very angry, Rowen."

"Tsuru San has agreed to the plan. The chances of it going wrong are not high..."

Rowen swallowed the last bite of fried rice, pressing the steel food tray against the wall, directly merging it with the metal surface, saving the dishwasher some trouble.

"Even if it goes wrong, I can still bring him back!"

Rowen said this with great confidence.

Although he wasn't currently a match for those old monsters in terms of raw power, if they really came after him, there was no way they could kill him.

Can Katakuri become the Fifth Sovereign in such a short time? If he really did, Rowen would just kill another one!

Any enemy standing in his way, Rowen would not tolerate!

Kizaru shrugged, remaining silent.

The plan was bold, but once successful, the benefits it would bring were enough to make him marvel.

"You little devil, you're even more cunning than I imagined!"

Rowen glanced at him quietly, then suddenly cracked a smile. "I forgot to tell you, Admiral Kizaru, I issued the suggestion to Fleet Admiral in your name."

"Otherwise, why do you think you're the one escorting the prisoners?"

Kizaru: "..."

Thinking about Rowen's ability to create Thunder clones with his appearance, Kizaru took a sharp breath.

Hiss!!!

'Don't stop me, today I must defeat him!!!'

(End of this chapter)