Seeing how effortlessly Rowan had dismantled his frenzied assault, Lao G's face flushed a deep, indignant crimson.
"This is impossible! Impossible! How could my techniques be broken so simply!"
In Lao G's mind, regardless of how strong Rowan was, he should have at least been able to hold his ground for ten or fifteen minutes. But now, his barrage hadn't lasted even thirty seconds before being shattered by a single sword thrust. He simply couldn't accept it! He was supposed to be one of the strongest Taijutsu masters in the New World!
"It's because you," Rowan dropped the words flatly, "are far too weak."
He pulled his blade back. Sword light erupted in all directions. Under the assault of countless powerful sword ki slashes, Lao G was sent flying, blood spraying as he crashed into the ground. Even as he fell, his eyes remained wide with disbelief.
Still just one move! After dealing with Lao G, Rowan looked up at the sky where Monet had not yet flown far, the corners of his mouth curling upward.
"I said I'd deal with all four of you here. How could I possibly let you escape?"
Faster! Faster! I have to get away!
Transformed into a snow bird, Monet beat her wings frantically, her pupils dilated with profound terror. From the moment Diamante was taken out in one strike, she understood that this old man was an existence far beyond her capacity to handle.
She had to fly! She realized she couldn't even risk returning to their ship anchored at the coast. She had no idea how long Lao G could hold him off. She had to use every ounce of her strength to find a safe place, then call the Young Master and report this disaster!
However, just as she was telling herself not to stop, a familiar, "kindly" face suddenly appeared right in front of her. The man smiled warmly at her.
"Little girl, the Old Man is back."
Seeing that calm, placid smile, a wave of sheer horror crashed over Monet's heart. How is this possible?! How long had she been in the air? Less than thirty seconds?
Lao G, in his ultimate "Battle-Preservation" state, couldn't even hold him for half a minute?!
She had no time for further thought, as a fist the size of a sandbag was already expanding rapidly in her field of vision. Against this strike, she had zero opportunity to react.
BOOM!
With a massive sound, Monet—in her giant snow bird form—was struck like a falling meteor and slammed into the ground. With that, three Donquixote officers and one Top Officer had all been defeated!
Gulp...
Looking at the two unconscious and two critically wounded officers on the ground, the Marines all swallowed hard in unison.
Is this the true strength of Vice Admiral Rowan? Four powerful enemies... all settled in less than a minute?
Swoosh! Rowan's silhouette plummeted from the sky, landing lightly.
"Process these guys, lock them up, and let's head back to the base," Rowan commanded calmly, glancing at the fallen officers.
It took a long time for the surrounding Marines to snap out of their shock. As they watched Rowan's departing back, their hearts raced with excitement. Diamante's elite swordsmanship, Lao G's hardened Taijutsu, Dellinger's blinding speed, and Monet's Logia ability... every soldier knew that a battle of this level was far beyond their ability to interfere in. They couldn't even fully track the movements.
But the process didn't matter. Only the result did. And the result was an absolute, crushing victory for Rowan!
"Vice Admiral Rowan's strength... it's just too incredible..." "Those were high-ranking officers under Doflamingo, one of the Shichibukai..." "Heh, look at who we're talking about! That's the Marine Godfather who raised Garp and Sengoku!" "Stop standing there! Didn't you hear Mr. Rowan's order? Bind these guys up and get them back!" "But... they're Seven Warlords people... isn't the Shichibukai..." "The Shichibukai count for jack squat! Our Mr. Rowan even pummels the Celestial Dragons without blinking!"
As the soldiers discussed, they worked quickly to bind the unconscious captives. Boundless reverence for Rowan took root in their hearts.
Soon, Rowan reached Momonga and Ethan. Glancing at the cowering Caesar in Momonga's grip, Rowan took a light puff of his pipe and smiled. "Brat, if you stay a quiet little prisoner, the Old Man can guarantee you won't come to any harm. But if I find out you're thinking of running..."
Caesar flinched violently, a forced, sycophantic smile appearing on his face. "No, no! How could I? I'm your prisoner now! The thought of escaping hasn't even crossed my mind! I made such a grave mistake at Punk Hazard; I'm too busy repenting..."
Inside, Caesar was weeping. Why did the Navy send such a god of death to fetch me?!
Looking at the half-dead Diamante and the others, Caesar's lip twitched. Escape? Are you kidding? Do I look like I have a death wish?! If Joker's four officers were so easily dismantled, what was he against Rowan? The fact that he was caught so quickly after his initial flight proved one thing: no matter how fast he ran, he could never escape this man's grasp.
With such a terrifying figure nearby, escaping was out of the question. His only hope for survival was to be as flattery-prone and obedient as possible.
"Let's move. We've traveled a long way, and everyone is tired. Rest for a day at the base, and we'll head back to Headquarters tomorrow."
Rowan knew that after this intimidation, Caesar likely wouldn't dare try anything. He could relax his attention slightly. After speaking with Momonga and the others, Rowan led Zoro and Luffy back toward the G9 base.
Now that he had Caesar, the next step was to keep him close for the upcoming Reverie. However, before that, Rowan needed to secure his formal eligibility to participate in the World Council.
He had already sent someone to handle that matter. He believed that given the conditions he offered, the other party wouldn't be able to refuse.