As a former member of the Marine Science Division, Caesar was naturally well-acquainted with the name "Marine Godfather Rowan." Not long ago, he had even heard about the incident where the man had pummeled a Celestial Dragon.
What surprised Caesar was that Rowan hadn't been purged by the World Government for such an act. However, in Caesar's view, Rowan was at most a fossil of the Navy who relied on his seniority—nothing special. It was his disciples who were truly terrifying, each more monstrous than the last.
"Average strength?"
Dellinger glanced at Caesar and sneered. "I think your brain has turned to mush from competing with Vegapunk. Haven't you heard the news from a few weeks ago?"
"What news?" Caesar asked, confused.
Dellinger narrowed his eyes. "About half a month ago, Rowan had a spar with the World Government's Commander-in-Chief, Kong, at Marine Headquarters. Word is, Rowan won that match."
"Kong? Rowan won?" Hearing Dellinger's words, Caesar's pupils shrank violently.
The name "Kong" had been largely absent from the high seas for decades. But twenty years ago, the title of "Cyborg Kong" was a name that thundered across the ocean. A Fleet Admiral, a terrifying man capable of taking on the Red Count solo... and Rowan won against him?
"How is that possible! Kong must have gone easy on him!" Caesar shouted in disbelief.
He knew Kong and Rowan were contemporaries in the Navy and that their relationship was extraordinary. Going easy during a friendly spar was the most natural thing in the world.
"Gone easy?" Dellinger sneered again. "I wish he had."
"According to our intel, the shockwaves from that single spar were enough to overwhelm Marine Rear Admirals. Soldiers below the rank of Commander were knocked unconscious by the mere pressure. The entire island of Marineford shook several times during the encounter."
"With a scene like that, do you think Kong was 'holding back'?"
"Or do you think Kong was intentionally smashing the ground just to make Rowan look good?"
"Rear Admirals couldn't handle it? All of Marineford shook? You... you're not joking?!" Caesar Clown's face finally changed, his voice filled with incredulity.
"If you think I'm joking just to scare you, feel free to slow down and wait for that old man to catch you and drag you back," Dellinger shrugged, throwing his hands up.
"Forget it." Hearing Dellinger's tone, Caesar shrunk his neck and immediately backed down.
Even though he was a Logia user, his Gas-Gas Fruit was good for dealing with average opponents, but clearly insufficient against the heavyweights of the Navy—especially a man who could beat Kong. Though he still found it hard to believe, the cowardly and cautious Caesar didn't want to gamble with his life.
"Wait—!"
Just as Caesar prepared to accelerate, Dellinger, sprinting beside him, suddenly had a change of expression. He crossed his arms over his chest, Armament Haki rapidly surging into his limbs as he fell into a defensive stance.
"What's wrong?" Caesar asked, bewildered by Dellinger's sudden shout.
The next moment, Caesar saw a massive, hairy leg rapidly expand in his field of vision. With a speed his eyes could barely track, the leg whipped out a kick toward Dellinger.
BOOM!
A massive explosion of sound followed. Dellinger, caught mid-sprint by the kick, was sent flying like a ball struck by a wooden plank. He turned into a blur and crashed into the ground far away, kicking up a massive cloud of dust in the woods.
Before Caesar could react, he saw that same hairy leg rotate mid-air and stomp directly onto his chest.
Still in his Logia state and floating in the air, Caesar felt as if his chest had been struck by a multi-ton iron sledgehammer. The sensation of his internal organs being crushed caused his face to twist instantly.
With a heavy thud, Caesar was stomped into the ground.
"Puh!"
At that moment, Caesar felt as if his entire ribcage had shattered. He coughed up a spray of blood, gasping for air as his demon-like face turned the color of liver.
"Just as I expected. The ones who made a move were Doflamingo's people."
A calm voice rang out.
Caesar widened his eyes, struggling to look up. He saw a white-haired old man wearing a floral shirt and high-end shorts. The man held a large tobacco pipe, one foot firmly planted on Caesar's chest. He was calmly looking in the direction where Dellinger had been sent flying, exhaling a soft cloud of smoke.
When the smoke cleared, the old man suddenly looked down and offered a gentle smile. Like a kind grandfather from next door, he asked cordially: "Are you Caesar Clown?"
Seeing that face, Caesar's heart skipped a beat. A chill surged from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head. Like a cat whose fur had been rubbed the wrong way, his scalp went numb and his purple lips trembled.
"Marine Godfather... Rowan?!"
Looking at Rowan's "kindly" face, a myriad of negative emotions flooded Caesar's heart: fear, shock, panic, and sheer terror.
They had just been discussing this old man. How long had it been since they escaped? They hadn't even cleared the perimeter of the Marine branch base, and they were already caught?! How did this old fossil find their trail?!
The foot in the flip-flop pressing on Caesar's chest felt like a mountain, making it nearly impossible for him to breathe. He couldn't even use his fruit ability to turn into gas.
"Caesar Clown, I'll take your silence as a 'yes.' You're quite useful to the Old Man; I can't have you running off into the wild," Rowan said, blowing a puff of thick smoke into Caesar's face with a smile.
To Caesar's ears, those gentle words were more terrifying than a death sentence. Forcing a smile that looked worse than crying, he squeaked out weakly: "Ro... Lord Rowan... I-I'm just a lowly researcher... my talent is meager... I'm not even half as good as Vegapunk... If you need anything, please go find Vegapunk instead..."
Caesar assumed Rowan wanted him for his scientific research capabilities. He was so terrified he even brought up his most-hated rival, Vegapunk.
Clearly, those two "unremarkable" kicks had left a massive psychological shadow on him.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
⭐ Read chapters early on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/Bagga_10 ⭐
BONUS CHAPTER REWARDS
• Every 20 reviews = 1 bonus chapter
• Every 100 Power Stones = 1 bonus chapter
Your support directly unlocks more content and faster releases.