Chapter 217: [217] : The Sky Sovereign Grand Fleet! We Will Make Rowen King! Whitebeard and Aokiji Revived!

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“Blackbeard…”

Sengoku and Tsuru’s conversation was naturally overheard by Rowen’s Rumble-Rumble Fruit-enhanced Observation Haki.

Rowen’s Observation Haki had previously been focused on Mariejois and the seas surrounding Marine HQ.

In such a massive battle, he had no spare energy to extend its range to Impel Down.

Rowen used his Human-Human Fruit’s enhanced intellect to recall Blackbeard’s performance from the original story.

The scenes played out in his mind as if he were re-watching the series.

Blackbeard’s combat performance was bizarre.

In every fight, he initially seemed to be at a complete disadvantage, getting injured and beaten badly by everyone—Ace, Luffy in Impel Down, even Law after becoming an Emperor.

But as the fight progressed, Blackbeard seemed to transform, his combat power rapidly increasing, ultimately leading to victory.

Rowen wasn’t surprised Blackbeard could breach Impel Down.

Blackbeard’s strange nature, combined with the Dark-Dark Fruit and Shiryu’s betrayal, was more than a single Magellan could handle.

As for why Blackbeard didn’t appear at the Summit War as he did in the original story? Rowen now had the answer from Sengoku and Tsuru’s conversation.

Just as he’d suspected, after learning of his power-stealing ability, the World Government had made special arrangements at Impel Down. These arrangements likely delayed Blackbeard, preventing him from reaching the battlefield to steal Whitebeard’s Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

Or perhaps, after learning of Rowen’s abilities and latest combat strength, he decided the probability of getting the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was too low, the risk too high, and chose not to come?

Even if the World Government was prepared at Impel Down, Imu himself likely couldn’t directly intervene yet.

But regardless, to breach Impel Down even with the World Government prepared, Blackbeard’s strangeness was surely even greater than depicted in the original story.

After all, even before eating the Dark-Dark Fruit, he had managed to leave an indelible scar on Shanks, who wasn’t being careless. If pushed to the brink after obtaining the Dark-Dark Fruit, the combat power Blackbeard could unleash was truly unpredictable.

Though he always looked pathetic, he grew stronger with each battle, and no one had ever truly pushed him to his absolute limit. And his physique was also a mystery; despite screaming in agony every time he was hit, he never seemed to suffer major injuries and could unleash increasingly powerful attacks.

According to Saturn Saint, Blackbeard also possessed a special bloodline.

’Things are… getting more and more interesting.’

Rowen smiled. All these characters’ secrets would be revealed when the final war began. All Rowen needed to do now was continue to get stronger and maximize his own forces’ combat power.

In any case, with Blackbeard not obtaining the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, and Aokiji killed by Rowen, even if the Blackbeard Pirates breached Impel Down and achieved their goal, their combat strength wouldn’t reach the level shown in the original story.

Rowen’s eyes flashed with an astonishing crimson-black light.

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After Whitebeard’s body was laid to rest, Marco, Ace, and the others grieved. Whitebeard was their Pops; they had all been protected by him. Now that he was dead, the ones in the most pain were his sons.

Especially Ace, he was now sobbing uncontrollably, utterly devastated. ’Pops… died to save me.’

This thought filled Ace with extreme self-reproach and grief.

“If you continue like this, then Whitebeard died in vain,” Rowen’s voice cut through Ace’s grief.

“Rowen,” seeing Rowen speak, both Luffy’s crew and Marco’s crew fell silent, though startled.

“Power has no right or wrong. Lacking power is the greatest wrong. Is Whitebeard’s death still not enough to wake you up, Ace? HOW LONG WILL YOU CONTINUE TO DENY YOURSELF?” Rowen asked, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Ace.

VMM!

The very sky roiled at this moment!

With Rowen’s current Conqueror’s Haki, a single flash of anger was a true world-shaking event!

The sky trembled before his Haki!

“You were saved by Whitebeard’s sacrifice—and by Luffy’s resolve. So tell me: WHAT KIND OF MAN DO YOU WANT TO BECOME?”

Stared at by Rowen’s intense gaze, Ace’s pupils trembled violently.

“This life of yours—it no longer belongs just to you. Do you understand? IF YOU STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND, THEN I’LL MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND.”

CRACKLE!

A violent crimson-black bolt of lightning solidified, appearing before Ace, ready to strike at any moment.

Ace had potential.

The Flare-Flare Fruit was a T1-level Devil Fruit. And Ace had inherited Roger’s bloodline. If he could stop denying himself, even if he couldn’t reach Roger’s level, becoming an Admiral-level combatant was very easy.

Rowen would not give up on training such an important combatant.

With Ace and Luffy’s relationship, plus the debt of gratitude Ace owed him, Ace would undoubtedly be on their side in the final war—as long as Ace could accept his own power and begin to master Haōshoku Coating.

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“Hah… hah…” Ace panted heavily. In his mind, Whitebeard’s death replayed vividly. And Luffy—nearly died because of him too. And the expectations of Marco and the others…

Ace’s gaze gradually firmed.

“I am still—Whitebeard’s son! BUT!” Ace’s eyes flashed crimson-black.

BOOM!

A terrifying aura erupted from Ace’s body.

This power—was familiar to everyone.

Though it seemed insignificant before Rowen’s violent crimson-black lightning, it was undoubtedly—the Disposition of a King!

Conqueror’s Haki!

Marco and the others looked at Ace with joyous surprise.

Luffy grinned cheerfully.

“Our journey isn’t over yet, is it, Marco?” Ace looked at Marco and the others and smiled.

“Mm!” Marco and the others nodded firmly. With Ace mastering Conqueror’s Haki, they finally had a new pillar to lean on.

Having followed Whitebeard across the seas for so many years, Marco and the others knew very well that—without Conqueror’s Haki, one could never become a true King.

“Thank you, Rowen,” Ace said, looking at Rowen with utmost seriousness.

“Whitebeard would be happy,” Rowen replied with a smile.

“If only Pops could see me now,” Ace sighed, looking at Whitebeard’s grave.

Whitebeard had always hoped he could step out of the shadows. But he never pushed him, never forced him.

Not being able to let Whitebeard see him now was Ace’s greatest regret.

“Shishishi!” Luffy couldn’t help but chuckle at that moment.

“Hm?” Ace blinked. ’Why do Luffy and his comrades look so strange??’

“Let Whitebeard see you now? What’s so difficult about that?” Rowen asked, smiling at Ace.

WHOOSH!

An Air Door ripped open violently! An aura of the underworld instantly permeated the air!

“Come forth, Whitebeard!” Rowen’s eyes glowed with an ethereal light.

FWOOSH!

A soul emerged from the Gate of the Underworld!

“GURARARA! AN UNBELIEVABLE POWER! SKY SOVEREIGN!” Whitebeard’s soul emanated a wave of spiritual energy.

“POPS??” Ace, Marco, and the others, all possessing decent Observation Haki, sensed the familiar presence from the soul and were utterly stunned.

“Shishishi! Rowen is a user of the Revive-Revive Fruit and has Awakened it! Plus, with the power of the Door-Door Fruit, he can bring the souls of the dead back to the real world from the underworld!” Luffy grinned.

“….” Ace, Marco, and the others were completely dumbfounded.

“Ace… you’ve grown up,” Whitebeard emanated, looking at the current Ace with deep emotion.

His words, translated by Rowen, made Ace’s eyes instantly redden. To be told he had grown up by his most beloved Pops—WHAT GREATER HAPPINESS COULD THERE BE?

“POPS!” Ace, Marco, and the others rushed towards Whitebeard’s soul, but being on different planes of existence, they passed right through, tumbling into a heap on the ground.

This sight made Luffy and the others laugh heartily.

Marco and the others, far from being annoyed, rubbed their heads and laughed as well. To be able to feel Pops’s presence again, even after his death—was the greatest happiness for them.

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“You can’t communicate directly now. But after I obtain Big Mom’s Soul-Soul Fruit, I can create a special Homie body for Whitebeard,” Rowen explained with a smile.

(Only Rowen, being both a Revive-Revive Fruit user and an Ultimate Human, could accurately interpret soul waves. But once made into a Homie, the soul could speak—a unique ability of the Soul-Soul Fruit.)

“GURARARA! You want me to fight for you? Sky Sovereign,” Whitebeard laughed.

“Do you accept?” Rowen asked Whitebeard’s soul.

“Of course,” Whitebeard’s soul emanated. His sons had been able to retreat safely because of this man.

“The Soul-Soul Fruit… Big Mom, is it?” Ace, Marco, and the others began to crack their knuckles. In their eyes, Big Mom had now become the key to bringing back their Pops.

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“Two more souls,” Rowen commented, looking towards Kuma’s now-lifeless body on the ground. The Paw-Paw Fruit’s manifested paw pads on his hands had completely vanished, signifying his complete death.

FWOOSH!

Two more souls were brought forth from the underworld.

“FATHER!” Seeing one soul float towards her, Bonney burst into tears.

“Bonney,” Kuma’s soul emanated with immense gentleness.

Bonney reverted to her nine-year-old form, wanting to hug Kuma’s soul. Though she could only go through the motions, unable to truly touch his soul like Perona could with Moria’s, Bonney still felt incredibly warm.

“Thank you… so much, Rowen,” Kuma’s soul emanated with gratitude.

“Don’t mention it,” Rowen smiled, then looked towards the last soul.

“Arara… What an unbelievable man. You intend to command my soul too?” Even in death, the soul emanated a lazy aura.

“Aokiji… Still so lazy after death,” Rowen chuckled.

“AOKIJI??” Everyone else now knew the identity of the last soul.

Suddenly—

“Make me kill Marines? I can’t do that,” Aokiji’s soul emanated.

“I don’t need you to kill Marines… The Five Elders—how about that as an opponent?” Rowen asked with a faint smile.

“The Five Elders??” Ace and the others were stunned.

Kuma’s soul fluctuated violently. The Five Elders had left a terrifying shadow on him as a child. Saturn Saint was the one who turned his body into a humanoid weapon.

“The Five Elders? You know… far too much,” Aokiji sighed.

“What if I refuse? Will you destroy my soul?”

“When the time comes, you will act, Aokiji,” Rowen stated, then pushed a memory orb into Aokiji’s soul.

After Aokiji’s death, the events following the Summit War, including the Five Elders’ order to cover up the Impel Down Level 6 incident, were all revealed to him.

Contrasted with that was Rowen ending the war, saving countless lives, including Marines.

“Thank you… Sky Sovereign,” Aokiji’s soul emanated with incredibly complex emotions. Gratitude for Rowen saving the lives of those Marines.

Anger at the World Government’s actions.

And confusion about his own choices.

“Stay by my side. Feel with your soul. In the end, whether you act or not—the decision is yours,” Rowen stated calmly.

Aokiji was a powerful combatant, and as a Logia user, Rowen could create an Ice Homie for him. As a special Homie, Aokiji could still wield the full power of the Ice-Ice Fruit, a force absolutely not inferior to the Five Elders. Though unable to use his full pre-death strength, such a powerful combatant was still crucial.

“I will think about it,” Aokiji didn’t directly refuse.

For Rowen, that was enough. He was confident Aokiji would fight for him eventually.

After all, the depravity of the Five Elders and the World Government would later display was completely contrary to Aokiji’s sense of justice.

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“Well then. I leave everything to you, Sky Sovereign,” Whitebeard’s soul emanated.

He knew very well that after his death, his sons couldn’t possibly defend the Whitebeard Pirates’ territories. Only by submitting to a new Emperor could they survive in the New World.

AND THAT CHOICE WAS OBVIOUS!

“Luffy, I won’t help you become Pirate King,” Ace smiled, looking at Luffy.

Ace’s dream of becoming Pirate King was abandoned after joining Whitebeard’s crew. In reality, it was a childish defiance, a rebellion against his fate. But after joining Whitebeard, Ace decided to help his Pops become Pirate King.

Now that Whitebeard was dead, that dream was naturally shattered.

But—

“WE—WILL MAKE ROWEN KING!” Ace, Marco, and the others declared, looking at Rowen with utmost solemnity.

Rowen’s kindness towards them was immeasurable.

Not only did he save Ace, he ensured their safe retreat, and ended the war prematurely, saving countless of their comrades’ lives. He even recovered Whitebeard’s body, allowing them to give him a proper burial.

And now he even let them see Whitebeard again!

This debt could not be repaid even by shattering their bodies into a thousand pieces!

“Shishishi! That’s my dream too!” Luffy grinned cheerfully. He just wanted to be the freest man on the seas, to become Pirate King. And the King who would stand above all—could only be Rowen.

Zoro, Sanji, and the others all smiled.

Then, Luffy and Usopp exchanged a look, and produced a pirate flag!

“A gift we prepared for you, Rowen. See if you like it!” Usopp yelled.

“THE SKY SOVEREIGN GRAND FLEET!” Luffy cheered, grinning.

On the flag was a skull, a common element of all pirate flags.

The other elements—had not yet been decided.

That required the decision of the flag’s owner.

The Sky Sovereign Grand Fleet—of course, belonged to Rowen.

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