Chapter 53

3 months ago, Rowan spoke with the old blacksmith.

'Observation Haki that enhances the user's sensitivity? As in, the sensitivity regarding one's surroundings itself, rather than just the alive beings?'

There, Rowan explained to him about the strange phenomenon he felt as he operated his Observation Haki.

The sensation upon his skin—one that felt as if numerous particles wriggled against it...

'That shouldn't be possible. I've been using Observation Haki for years, and I've yet to experience something as remarkable as that. However, if you're speaking the truth, then...'

Won't that mean... that even nature itself possesses a will of its own?

Standing atop the crow's nest with his eyes closed, Rowan felt the breeze of the wind as he recalled the memory from the past.

And if nature does possess a will of its own, can that be considered as evidence that 'fate' does exist?

The sensation that was conveyed to him through the use of Observation Haki pulsated in him, relaying the information that surrounded him.

The splash of the water, the cry of a seagull as it flew above, the sunlight that shone down—Rowan felt it all.

And once more, a question arose.

How?

In the past, Rowan practiced Observation Haki in hopes of improving it. It has become his habit to meditate and explore the full potential of Observation Haki.

However, upon exploring and learning more about Haki as he continuously utilized to seize victories, he realized that the occasional sensation in his surroundings wasn't normal.

'Observation Haki is all about sensing another's will. For another to have a will, it must, by definition, be a being that is considered alive. For years, I practiced Haki. For years, I met numerous strong ones who could be considered the masters of Haki. Yet, I've never come across a single man who claimed to have an ability that you mentioned.'

And what was it that made Rowan unique from anyone else in this world?

Really, there was only one answer.

'...Being a reincarnator, huh.'

But still, Rowan won't get to know how this was possible just yet. Therefore, he instead decided to focus on whether he could develop this occasional sensation into a full-fledged ability that is exclusive to him or not.

'Close your eyes and perceive it.'

Once again... the splash of the water, the whistling of the wind, and the sunlight that shone right onto him.

This sensation, as he continued practicing, was becoming more clear and frequent.

__________

Battle Arena.

It was a summer island where nothing but a pile of sand and a few palm trees sat here and there.

Without a resource or suitable source of water, it was hard for commoners to make living in this island. Thus, the island was left empty for over a decade, until Gol D. Roger opened the Great Age of Pirates.

And so, why is it called 'Battle Arena'?

No marines. No civilians. An island that a log pose points at. Relatively calm weather near the island for pirates to rest in peace. Combining all these factors, it was bound for numerous pirates to meet on this island.

They fought and took what belonged to one another. As the Great Age of Pirates continued, this became common. The sand on the island was soaked by the blood all the time. The pirate flag that was embedded in the middle of the island changed every day.

SPLASH!

"Gaaaahahahaha!!"

Currently, Grimheart Pirates found themselves facing one huge pirate ship right ahead of them. A cannonball was fired from said pirate ship and landed on the body of water right next to Shooting Star. The water splashed and Shooting Star swayed from the impact.

Their captain, while gulping down a mug full of rum as he held a cutlass with his other hand, showed his eyes that were filled with greed. Revealing his rotten teeth, he brazenly shouted at Grimheart Pirates,

"WELCOME TO BATTLE ARENA, GREENHORNS!"

Raising his head, the enemy captain stared at the jolly roger that was engraved on the sail of Shooting Star. His eyes bent in amusement.

"And now... who's the captain of your puny crew?"

Standing impassively, Nami eyed Rowan who was invested in his own world above, at crow's nest.

'Rowan should be able to sense them. Since he's not moving from his spot, it must mean that we should be capable of taking care of them ourselves.'

Deuce and Bartolomeo eyed Nami, asking if they should call Rowan or not.

Nami hummed briefly in a thought before turning to face the enemy pirates.

"You aren't a man worthy for him to pay attention to."

The enemy captain seemed dumbfounded by Nami's remark. After a momentary pause, he growled.

"Do you not know who I am?! I am Hocus Pocus the 'Mad Pirate'!! I'm the man of 35 Million Beli!!"

"And?"

"And... GRAHHH!!!"

Thrashing his entire body in rage, the enemy captain who called himself Hocus Pocus declared at Nami.

"That's it!! I won't tolerate it anymore!! You've hurt my pride, and I can't call myself a man if I were to let that slide!! I'll make sure to teach you what a man I am—"

"Shut your dirty mouth, will ya?"

Bartolomeo seemed triggered by the enemy captain's words. Unsheathing a sword, he glared at the enemy captain.

The enemy captain gritted his teeth with his body trembling in anger. Impulsively, he roared as he pointed his blade at Shooting Star.

"Charge, boys! Plunder! Take all! And also,"

The enemy captain's eyes locked onto Nami as he said,

"Make sure to leave the girl alive. Rest, you may do as you wish."

The hooks attached to a rope were thrown from the enemy ship. They latched onto Shooting Star and drew two ships together.

Laughing eagerly, the pirates leaped out of their ship onto Shooting Star with malicious intent.

However, none of them got to reach Shooting Star.

"Barrier!"

By crossing his fingers together, Bartolomeo created a transparent wall that caused those airborne pirates to bump into before falling into the ocean.

"Ha?!"

"What even is that?!"

"Devil fruit?!"

Pirates cried in confusion as they gazed at the transparent wall. Their captain took a step back, shocked.

"Urghh..."

Seeing that the enemy pirates' invasion was momentarily halted, Bartolomeo released his hold over the barrier.

Immediately after, a noise of a gunshot was heard.

"...Eh?"

All the enemy pirates were placed in silence as their heads turned to look at their captain. Said captain had a hole in his chest and was stumbling back.

"What just..."

Deuce was holding onto a pistol that had its barrel smoking.

"How can a bullet fired from a pistol travel this far?!"

One pirate cried as their captain fell on the deck.

"Cough... re... retreat..."

"RETREAT!! CAPTAIN SAID RETREAT!!"

Said captain coughed blood as he murmured. Hearing the call, a pirate nearby relayed the order.

"Ha? Retreat?"

Nami, with an irked expression, raised her eyebrow. Lifting her right hand, she conjured a ball of fire that was the size of a watermelon.

"Do you think you have the right to run away?"

Seeing Nami's fire ball, the pirates gulped. Just from a glance, they could estimate how much damage it would be capable of. They felt as if their feet were glued on the deck, for they found themselves frozen, unable to move.

"Since you folks began, you better pay the price for it. Choose,"

Nami stared at the enemy pirates with oppressiveness in her eyes.

"Give everything you got or die!"

In front of the fear of dying, there was only one choice for the pirates to choose from.

From the back, Vivi stood in a dazed expression, wondering just where the Grimheart Pirates came from.

'A 4-person crew that stands strong against enemies that amount over a hundred...'

Vivi found her heart beating fast.

'Maybe, just maybe, these guys can...'

...

"P-Please... we'll give everything... so please just spare our lives..."

The enemy pirate captain, a.k.a. Hocus Pocus the Mad Pirate, begged as he knelt in front of Nami. At his back were the other pirates, looking down in fear.

"Alright then. First, tell me,"

Nami crouched down and faced the enemy captain.

"Everything that you know about this island."

"E-Everything...?"

"Did I stutter?"

Yelping, the enemy captain immediately started to explain the nature of this island, 'Battle Arena', in detail.

As he finished his talk, Nami straightened back up and turned around to face the crow's nest.

"What do you think, Rowan?"

Rowan opened his eyes.

"He spoke truth from what I sensed."

Rowan began to digest the information he heard from the enemy captain.

'The reason why we aimed to reach this island was to restock supplies before heading to Alabasta Kingdom. We can't fully trust the map, but the estimated sail from here to Alabasta is approximately a month.'

Rowan stared at the disappointing amount of supplies that were piled up on the deck of the enemy ship.

'We currently have a week of supply left. They seem to contain... at best, ones that can give us 3 more days.'

Unfortunately, there was no town or means to trade on this island. There were only pirates—all eager to snatch wealth from one another.

All this led to one simple conclusion, one that made Rowan grin in amusement.

'To leave this island with a sufficient amount of supply, we need to fight others.'

Straightforward, he liked it.

Jumping from crow's nest, Rowan hovered up in the air before nimbly landing on the enemy ship, on Nami's right.

He looked down on the enemy captain and asked,

"You're... Hocus what again?"

"H-Hocus Pocus..."

"Right, whatever."

'Why did you even ask?!'

Seeing as Rowan dismissed his response, the enemy pirate couldn't help but cry in his mind.

"Anyway, tell me,"

Rowan, dismissing the fluctuation of emotion within the enemy captain, continued questioning.

"All the information you have about the pirates who are currently on this island."

The enemy captain grew goosebumps on his body as Rowan's demeanour suddenly shifted. He instinctively knew, that Rowan in front of him had to be the captain of the crew.

For some reason, the air felt heavy. The enemy captain felt his body being pressed downward. His body trembled and he couldn't dare to meet Rowan in the eye.

"Oi, what's wrong?"

Then, as Rowan asked with his eyes narrowed, the sudden oppression in the air disappeared. Huffing rapidly, the enemy captain wiped his sweat, wondering what just happened.

Eventually, he wetted his lips before opening his mouth.