Alabasta, the palace, inside the dining room.
A tall man suddenly appeared, holding a scepter in one hand and pinching a lead bullet with two fingers of the other.
He squeezed lightly.
Snap!
The lead bullet then shattered into several small pieces, and then turned into countless powders, scattering in the air.
This scene stunned everyone.
But the most shocked was Crocodile, who was secretly hiding in the shadows, not wanting to be exposed to the Celestial Dragons.
As the current user of the Sand-Sand Fruit, he knew exactly what the other person had just done.
It was one of the abilities Crocodile himself had developed—erosion.
In an instant, he could dry up the moisture of the living things or objects he touched and gradually spread it around. Even stones would be turned into powder, and everything around would become a dry and cracked wasteland!
This should have been Crocodile's unique power.
In the previous battle, Crocodile had deliberately observed that Rowan's development of the Sand-Sand Fruit's abilities was completely different from his own.
Rowan had never shown any moves similar to "erosion."
But now, he had actually powdered the lead bullet in his hand into sand!
Did he always have it? Or... did he just learn it?
Rowan's following mutter gave Crocodile the answer—
"Ah, it's a novel move, but it's not very interesting."
He just learned it!
Crocodile instantly confirmed his idea.
Because of this, his heart was even more shocked.
He can master a completely new move in such a short time!
To what extent did this man develop the Sand-Sand Fruit eight hundred years ago?
...
Never mind.
Crocodile was not one to be easily swayed by others.
There was something more interesting to him now!
Earlier on the road, Crocodile had learned about Ryan Rowan's life.
Therefore, the scene before him was even more interesting in Crocodile's eyes.
One was a World Noble, a descendant of the twenty kings who once established the World Government—a Celestial Dragon.
The other was the Emperor himself who almost participated in the establishment of the World Government eight hundred years ago—Ryan Rowan.
If such parties were to fight, it would be lively!
What's more...
Crocodile hid in the shadows, his eyes turning to the back of the Celestial Dragon.
There, several men in suits stood, empty-handed, dressed completely differently from ordinary guards.
Those people were probably combatants who were proficient in Marine Rokushiki among the guards, right?
They were absolutely loyal to the Celestial Dragons, and facing a suddenly appearing unknown master, those people would never sit still and wait for death!
The next second—
Whoosh!
The figures of two suit-wearing combatants disappeared from the spot.
The so-called "Marine Rokushiki" are six moves developed by elites in the Marine Corps to surpass the limits of the human body.
At this moment, what the group of combatants were using was one of the Rokushiki, "Soru"!
It involves stepping on the ground dozens of times in an instant, achieving ultra-high-speed movement through reaction force, making it seem to disappear into thin air in the eyes of the enemy.
Instantly.
Two figures flew to Rowan's back.
As guards of the Celestial Dragon, their primary purpose was to eliminate any unstable factors that might threaten their master!
One aimed at Rowan's neck, and the other aimed at Rowan's waist.
All were fatal vital points!
Then, they turned at the same time and kicked out.
That was also one of the Rokushiki, creating a terrible power almost like a slash by using an ultra-high-speed kick to conjure up wind!
Rokushiki, Rankyaku!
Whoosh!
Two wind blades hit Rowan from the left and right at the same time.
The latter's body was cut into three sections in an instant, but the bloody scene that had been expected did not appear.
At the cut, golden sand was slowly surging.
A Logia-type ability user?!
The two combatants exchanged glances and immediately had a plan.
They stretched out their index fingers, attaching black Armed Color Haki.
All the power of their bodies gathered in them, their fingers hardened, and they stabbed out fiercely in a flash of lightning!
Its power surpassed that of bullets and was enough to penetrate the human body, precisely one of the Rokushiki—
Shigan!
As expected of the Celestial Dragon's personal guards, they used three Rokushiki moves in a row, their movements flowing smoothly without the slightest hesitation!
Armed Color Haki allows ordinary people to touch the entities of Logia-type ability users.
Shigan wrapped in Armed Color Haki is even enough to kill the opponent!
Bang!
Two black fingers poked at Rowan's back.
At this moment, Rowan's elementalized body finally returned to its original state.
He suddenly clenched the scepter in his hand, then swung it back violently and shouted in a low voice:
"Rude fools!"
Whoosh!
Rowan's movements were far faster than anyone expected.
Before the two fingers could touch Rowan's body, he had already turned around.
The scepter, shaped like a spear, swung horizontally, first hitting one person, and then hitting the second person with that person.
Bang!
In just the blink of an eye, the two combatants were swept away by the scepter, smashing through the distant wall and being buried in the ruins.
Everyone looked at Rowan again and found that he had turned around as if nothing had happened.
So strong!
The guards couldn't help but widen their eyes.
With just one blow, he defeated two combatants proficient in Rokushiki; the opponent didn't even have time to use the defensive "Tekkai"!
Crocodile, who was observing in the dark, was even more certain of his previous guess.
Ryan Rowan is definitely not a weak commander who is not good at close combat!
Full body Armed Color Haki coverage, astonishing speed, strength enough to numb his arms, clean movements honed on the battlefield...
Combined with the extremely high degree of Devil Fruit ability development.
Ryan Rowan—his individual combat ability can be said to be bottomless!
"How did I revive this level of old monster?"
A connection between Sand-Sand Fruit ability users?
Crocodile couldn't figure it out.
Then, he hid himself even deeper, trying not to be noticed.
Because Cobra and others had arrived.
The king did not let Vivi enter the dining room, but led Bell and Chaka in himself.
As soon as he entered, Cobra felt the tense atmosphere in the dining room, and couldn't help but let a drop of cold sweat run down his forehead.
However, when he saw Igaram, who was hugging his wife tightly to one side, he immediately guessed what had happened.
Cobra then let out a sigh.
If he had been there, he probably wouldn't have been able to help but step in and stop it, right?
Even if the price of stopping was the so-called "offending the Celestial Dragon"!
...
Seeing his guards being knocked down, Saint Charlos was so angry that his face turned purple, and he cursed: "Rebellion!"
Rowan didn't speak, but continued to move forward.
The surrounding ordinary guards, watching the combatants proficient in Rokushiki being easily knocked down, had no choice but to grit their teeth and step forward to stop him.
After all, stopping him might not lead to death, but not stopping him would definitely lead to execution!
They raised the muskets in their trembling hands and pulled the triggers.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The lead bullets hit Rowan and then passed through his elementalized body.
Rowan swung his scepter horizontally, sweeping the group of guards who had no fighting spirit away and standing in front of Saint Charlos himself.
In desperation, Saint Charlos raised the musket in his hand, pulled the trigger repeatedly, and cursed: "You dare to rebel against the Celestial Dragon? You dare to rebel against me?"
Rowan raised his scepter high.
He didn't answer, but repeated Saint Charlos' words, but his aura was completely different from that of the arrogant and overbearing Celestial Dragon.
Naturally, reasonably, as if he was supposed to say that.
"You dare to rebel against me!"
Whoosh!
The scepter fell directly, sending Saint Charlos flying, crashing straight into the pile of debris in the corner.
Bang! Clatter!
Saint Charlos' fat body hit the debris, and he fell to the ground, trembling all over, with blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.
Rowan continued to walk in front of Saint Charlos, looking down at the Celestial Dragon.
He said slowly:
"I don't know exactly who the twenty countries that established the World Government back then were."
"But..."
"The Alabasta Empire destroyed more than twenty countries."