"Rosinante, this Conqueror's Haki of yours might work on fodder, but it won't do a thing to me!" Sakazuki snorted coldly in the face of Rosinante's overwhelmingly domineering aura.
That was what he said, yet his expression grew visibly heavier.
Rosinante slowly walked down the steps. Sakazuki felt that with every step Rosinante took, his Conqueror's Haki intensified by another degree.
By the time Rosinante stopped in front of Sakazuki, that tyrannical pressure had already become strong enough to affect reality itself. Several flags planted beside Sakazuki cracked apart under the sheer force of Rosinante's Haki.
Seeing this, Sakazuki and the surrounding Marines all changed expressions.
"Conqueror's Haki that can actually damage reality?" a Marine general cried out in shock.
"In my memory, only the Pirate King Roger could do something like that," a Marine vice admiral said, staring ahead in disbelief.
"Dragon King Rosinante really is a terrifyingly domineering man," leaders from all walks of life murmured in amazement.
"After Pirate King Roger, another king has appeared whose Conqueror's Haki can influence reality. And he's even one of the Yonko. Could Dragon King Rosinante be the next Pirate King?" Big News Morgans said gleefully, never afraid of stirring things up.
Shanks still did not possess Conqueror's Haki capable of affecting reality. That meant Rosinante was the first person since Pirate King Roger to reach this level.
As Rosinante drew closer, the pressure bearing down on Sakazuki grew heavier and heavier.
Cold sweat began to bead on Sakazuki's forehead.
Even so, Sakazuki was still Sakazuki. He was not cowed by Rosinante's presence.
"Rosinante, put away that cheap trick of yours. It won't scare me," Sakazuki said coldly.
"Sakazuki, three years without seeing you, and you're still just as arrogant as ever," Rosinante said with a faint smile as he withdrew his Conqueror's Haki. "Have you already forgotten that crushing defeat from three years ago?"
"Stop bluffing," Sakazuki snapped. "Rosinante, I'll show you just how much I've changed in these three years."
His anger flared, but he forcibly suppressed it, replacing it with a cold, vicious grin.
"I'm really looking forward to it," Rosinante replied calmly. "But if your growth over these three years isn't enough, then you probably won't get another chance to shout in front of me ever again."
"Who wins and who loses is still far from decided," Sakazuki said icily, his entire body transforming into magma.
Drops of molten lava fell from him onto the ground, instantly burning holes into the stone.
"A Logia type, the Magma-Magma Fruit?"
"The strongest of Logia Devil Fruits, magma is one of the most destructive natural disasters!"
"It's so hot. You can feel the heat even from this far away. The ground's already melting."
"His whole body is magma. How are you even supposed to fight that? Even if he just stood there and let me hit him, I wouldn't dare punch him. I'd burn myself first!"
"I heard all three Admirals promoted today are Logia users. The Navy's strength really is terrifying."
"No matter how strong the Dragon King is, can he really defeat a Logia user?"
The crowd erupted into astonished chatter as Sakazuki fully transformed into a magma man.
"Rosinante, take this punch and see if you can still be so arrogant!"
In a flash, Sakazuki vanished and reappeared in front of Rosinante, his magma-covered fist smashing forward.
Bang!
Rosinante raised an arm and blocked the magma punch head-on.
"He blocked it!"
"He actually blocked a magma fist. Is Rosinante's arm really fine?"
"That must be Armament Haki!"
Sakazuki's fist carried blazing magma hot enough to instantly melt metal. When it collided with Rosinante's arm, thick black smoke billowed out.
"It seems you weren't exaggerating. Your strength really has improved quite a bit over these three years," Rosinante said with a casual smile, looking at the smoke rising from his arm. "The magma's heat is much higher than it was back then. If you'd had this level of power three years ago, you wouldn't have lost so miserably."
"You'll only be able to act smug for now!" Sakazuki sneered coldly. The magma on his fist erupted like a volcano, surging outward to envelop Rosinante's entire body.
"Ah!"
Seeing the magma about to swallow Rosinante whole, many people in the crowd cried out. Feeling that terrifying heat, quite a few women even turned away, unable to watch.
There was no denying the natural advantage of Logia Devil Fruits. In just three short years, Sakazuki's power had risen dramatically.
If Rosinante had not researched the King's Fist, developed special training based on its cellular principles, and supplemented it with the extraordinarily nutrient-rich plants of the Boin Archipelago, his current strength might not necessarily surpass Sakazuki's.
But the world had no "ifs."
Even though Sakazuki was powerful, Rosinante had already reached this level three years ago, let alone now, after evolving the Calm-Calm Fruit from silence into annihilation.
"A mere Sakazuki isn't enough to make me use the power of Annihilation," Rosinante said lightly, smiling as the magma closed in on him.
As he spoke, Rosinante suddenly burst forward, charging straight at Sakazuki without the slightest regard for the magma surging toward him.
As Rosinante advanced, the magma blocking his path was violently torn apart by an invisible force, allowing him to pass through effortlessly and appear right in front of Sakazuki.
"If this is all you've gained in three years," Rosinante said calmly, standing before him without attacking, "then you'd better be ready to say goodbye to this world."
"I won't disappoint you!"
Seeing Rosinante break through his magma so easily, Sakazuki was not surprised. Instead, his grin turned even more unhinged.
If Rosinante couldn't even do this much, he wouldn't be worth the Navy and the World Government's fear, nor would he have haunted Sakazuki's thoughts for three long years.
Defeating Rosinante had become Sakazuki's obsession. It was precisely this obsession that had driven him to grow stronger and stronger.
"Oh? Is that so?" Rosinante smiled faintly.
But in the very next instant, Sakazuki was suddenly sent flying backward.