"Hiss... so strong!"
Looking at Dellinger lying in the trench, unable to move like a dead dog, Vice Admiral Ethan couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air.
Ethan knew for a fact that he could never have reacted to the situation Old Man Rowan just faced. Being pincered by three people from the front while facing a high-speed sneak attack from the side—to not only react but to take out the ambusher with a single punch was staggering.
Though the one who attacked Rowan looked like a teenager, Ethan would never view him as an ordinary child after seeing that speed. After all, the boy appeared alongside the high-ranking officers of the Donquixote Family.
Momonga, however, showed no surprise. The Old Man was a super-powerhouse capable of defeating Commander-in-Chief Kong; how could a brat like that succeed in a sneak attack? The scene of those two legends clashing was still vividly etched in his mind.
In the center of the clearing, after Rowan flattened Dellinger, several system notifications chimed in his mind. Unsurprisingly, these prestige points came from the soldiers of the G9 branch. Clearly, his casual display of force had earned him several genuine "fanboys."
His prestige had now climbed to over 5,000. He was halfway to completing the second stage of his mission. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before he secured the next reward. He wondered what kind of prize the system had in store for him this time.
On the other side...
"You damned bastard!"
Diamante stared at the composed Rowan, his eyes nearly splitting from rage. To outsiders, the officers of the Donquixote Family were a den of iniquity, but among themselves, they were a tight-knit family. Dellinger had been raised by the other officers since he was a toddler. To Diamante, the boy was no different from a blood brother.
Extreme rage caused a powerful sword intent to erupt from Diamante's body. This chilling aura was so intense that the surrounding Marine soldiers instinctively took a step back.
"Rowan!" "I will make sure you have no place to be buried!" "Attack together!"
With a roar, Diamante stomped the ground and shot forward like a literal sword. Lao G and Monet followed immediately on his left and right.
Seeing the three of them launch a synchronized assault, Ethan's heart—which had briefly settled—leaped into his throat again. "Vice Admiral Momonga, is it really going to be alright?" He couldn't help but ask.
Setting aside the Top Officer Diamante, whom Ethan had never met, that woman was a suspected Logia user, and the muscular old man, Lao G, looked like a powerhouse Ethan himself couldn't best.
"Relax," Momonga replied without turning his head.
In the arena, faced with the charging trio, Rowan spoke unhurriedly. "No place to be buried? You certainly have a big mouth."
"Never mind just the likes of you—even if Doflamingo or his partner Kaido were here, what could they possibly do to the Old Man?"
"Sometimes, talking big only leads to a slap in the face."
Diamante didn't respond. Consumed by fury, he closed the distance. When he was less than five meters from Rowan, he let out a thunderous shout.
"Half-Moon Glaive!"
Diamante swung his longsword upward with violent force. A massive wave of sword ki erupted from the blade, screaming toward Rowan. The sheer power of the shockwave sliced the ground in front of Diamante in two, as easily as a knife through tofu.
"That slash..."
Seeing the move, Ethan's face went pale. Even Momonga and Zoro's pupils constricted. As swordsmen, they recognized the raw power in Diamante's attack. However, while they were startled by the technique, there was no panic on their faces. Diamante's slash was powerful relative to them, but to the Old Man, it wasn't even worth a serious look.
The wave of sword ki tore toward Rowan, reaching its peak intensity the moment it made contact.
CLANG!!!
A massive boom echoed through the forest, startling flocks of birds into flight and sending wild beasts scurrying in terror.
"What happened...?"
Every eye was fixed on the battlefield. They saw the wave of sword ki reach Rowan, only to suddenly change direction and soar vertically into the sky. However, the dust kicked up by the impact obscured the view of the center.
"G!"
Before the dust could settle, the elderly Lao G let out a roar. Striking a strange pose, he launched himself toward Rowan's position like a humanoid cannonball.
BOOM! Another explosion of sound. Dust rolled.
Diamante narrowed his eyes and slowly lowered his sword, his gaze murderous. He had opened with his strongest technique. He believed that even the World's Greatest Swordsman, Hawkeye Mihawk, wouldn't dare take that hit head-on. And yet that old man had been arrogant enough to stand his ground without dodging. Coupled with Lao G's follow-up G-Earth Fist, even a Marine Admiral would have to shed a layer of skin to survive.
But as he watched the smoke clear, Diamante suddenly felt a chill. A terrifying presence that made his spine tingle appeared abruptly behind him. Then, a voice—calm to the point of being eerie—exploded in his ear like a clap of thunder, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
"Your sword... is too weak."
The moment the words fell, a sword intent so horrific it transcended Diamante's understanding erupted.
"What?!"
In a state of pure panic, Diamante didn't even have time to turn around. He immediately activated his fruit ability, restoring his steel cape to its hardened form to protect his back.
However...
A majestic flash of sword light appeared. A geyser of crimson blood erupted from Diamante's body, and he was sent flying. After tumbling uncontrollably through the air, he smashed into a thick tree trunk and hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Even though all his clothes had been turned to steel, the crowd could see a terrifying sword wound that had nearly carved through his entire chest. Rowan's single strike had practically cleaved Diamante in half!