"You can't even withstand a single casual strike from the Old Man, yet you dared to say I'd have no place to be buried?"
Looking down at Diamante, who was clearly exhaling more than he was inhaling, Rowan shook his head in disappointment. Blood flowed uncontrollably, quickly staining a large patch of the earth beneath Diamante a vivid crimson. His lips twitched as if he wanted to say something, but in his current state, he couldn't even utter a single syllable.
One strike! A Top Officer of the Donquixote Family—critically wounded and on the verge of death!
"Diamante!" Lao G and Monet cried out in unison.
But their cry was met only by Rowan's calm voice. "Next. Two left."
Holding the blade in one hand, Rowan's gaze swept over Monet at his side and the old man, Lao G, who stood where Rowan had been moments before. As blood continued to well from Diamante's wound, the faces of the remaining two grew increasingly pale.
The intelligence they had received suggested Rowan had only narrowly defeated "Cyborg" Kong in a spar. To them, Kong was just another old fossil; winning against a centenarian didn't seem that outlandish. They never imagined Rowan's actual strength would be this terrifying.
If Rowan's punch to twelve-year-old Dellinger had made them angry, seeing Diamante cleaved open made them tremble with pure dread! They knew Diamante's strength better than anyone. He was a top-tier fighter among the officers, yet he couldn't even last a single move against this old man.
Monet, in particular, was relatively young. Though she was a Logia-type Snow-Snow Fruit user, her years with Doflamingo had mostly been spent in undercover intelligence work within the Dressrosa palace. She had come today primarily to assist Diamante in retrieving Caesar. The Young Master had even promised that she would become Caesar's secretary and assistant once they were settled.
But now... facing such a horrific existence, forget taking Caesar—it was an open question whether she could even escape with her own life. Facing Rowan's steady advance, Monet couldn't even summon the desire to counterattack. Her only thought was how to get away from this terrifying old man!
"G-Earth Jiujitsu Ultimate Secret Technique: Battle-Preservation Fist!"
Suddenly, Lao G, who had been silent, let out a thunderous roar. Under the astonished gaze of the crowd, his body began to undergo an unbelievable transformation. His already bulging muscles began to swell rapidly. Within seconds, his physique and muscle mass had doubled in size. This explosive growth restored Lao G's strength and reflexes to the perfected peak of his youth.
The Marine soldiers felt a jolt of shock. Lao G's transformation was bizarre and intimidating; compared to his previous withered form, he now looked like a true powerhouse.
"Monet! I'll hold this guy off! Get back and notify the Young Master immediately!"
Their assessment of Rowan was completely wrong. The Young Master had to be informed! After shouting the order, Lao G roared and launched himself at Rowan with incredible speed.
This was the ultimate secret of G-Earth Jiujitsu: an art of Qigong that allowed one to store the strength of their youth and vigor within the body to be used when sick or aged and powerless. He only ever used this in a state of absolute desperation.
And they were in a state of desperation right now.
Diamante was Lao G's superior and the leader of the Diamond Army. If a powerhouse of that level was settled with one strike, Lao G knew he stood no chance if he didn't go all out. Even with this technique, he knew he couldn't win. He was merely buying time. Rather than all four of them falling here, he would sacrifice himself to let Monet escape and warn Doflamingo!
"Lower Back Pain Style! Pain of the Immortal Warrior!"
Reaching Rowan, Lao G moved with speed that bypassed human dynamic vision, spinning as he rained down crushing blows aimed at Rowan's joints.
Seeing Lao G desperately fighting to create an opening, Monet suppressed her terror. She leaped into the air, her body transforming into a massive snowbird that soared toward the sky.
The Snow-Snow Fruit allowed her to turn her body into snow itself.
"So she's a Logia user after all," Momonga noted, his eyes narrowing. The Donquixote officers were indeed a cut above. Logia was the rarest of the three classes. He hadn't expected the delicate-looking Monet to possess such power. He raised a hand to stop the Marines from firing, knowing it would be a waste of ammunition.
Besides... looking at Lao G, his offensive appeared fierce and relentless, but he couldn't lay a single finger on Old Man Rowan. His fists, moving faster than the eye could follow, were being parried by Rowan with effortless ease.
Looking at the straining Lao G, Rowan shook his head in disappointment. "Hey, brat. You've lived this long and your Taijutsu is decent, but how have you failed to master dual-color Haki?"
The word "brat" seemed ridiculous for the elderly Lao G, but in front of a hundred-year-old like Rowan, the sixty-something Lao G truly was a junior. Even Garp and Sengoku were still "troublesome kids" in Rowan's eyes.
Lao G didn't respond, continuing his frantic barrage with a roar. His Armament and Observation Haki were mediocre, but in the New World, very few could match him in pure Taijutsu. He was a Donquixote officer! He wanted to prove that even without high-level Haki, one could be a powerhouse!
Rowan shook his head at the silent Lao G. Suddenly, his wrist flickered. Finding a gap, he thrust his blade into Lao G's shoulder. A dense, chilling sword intent surged through the steel into Lao G's body. The icy aura instantly froze Lao G's movements, bringing his frenzied assault to a jarring halt.