Chapter 83 – [83] : [BONUS] – Explosive Abilities! Gion’s Horror!

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His strength unexpectedly amplified, Rowen felt fantastic. He turned his gaze towards the Admiral Candidate, Gion.

Looking at her now, the earlier seriousness in Rowen’s eyes vanished, replaced by a flickering crimson-black intensity.

Admiral Candidates, while a tier above standard Marine HQ Vice Admirals, were ultimately not in the same league as true Admirals.

An Admiral Candidate was just that—a candidate being groomed for potential future promotion. At the end of the day, their strength was still insufficient.

Otherwise, after the Summit War in the original story, the World Government wouldn’t have needed the World Military Draft to appoint Fujitora and Green Bull—two individuals with no prior Marine history—as Admirals.

The gap between Apex Gold (minimum Admiral threshold) and Deep Gold (Admiral Candidate / Yonko Commander threshold)—though seemingly just one sub-tier—represented a massive difference in actual power.

Consider a peak Emperor unleashing a full-power Infused Conqueror’s Haki strike—a Deep Gold level fighter often couldn’t even withstand a single blow.

The saying, “Below Emperors and Admirals, all are ants,” wasn’t mere hyperbole.

Now, significantly empowered, relying on his synergistic Devil Fruit abilities—Unless his opponent was Admiral-level or higher, Rowen feared no one!

Although Rowen’s Haki hadn’t yet reached Gion’s Deep Gold level… sufficiently powerful Devil Fruit abilities could shatter even strong Haki users’ defenses, even without Haki infusion!

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“‘Sky Sovereign’ Rowen?” Ace, having heard Gion’s earlier address, now looked intently at Rowen.

Ace was certainly familiar with the name ‘Sky Sovereign’ Rowen; it had echoed like thunder across the seas recently.

The user of Conqueror’s Haki, claiming the title ‘Sky Sovereign’—an incredibly dazzling super rookie pirate.

The last rookie pirate to cause such a stir… was Ace himself, back before he joined the Whitebeard Pirates.

However, because Ace had suppressed his own Conqueror’s Haki due to self-loathing, this man’s current fame arguably surpassed Ace’s initial renown. Especially after clashing with Mihawk in the East Blue—even the New World now knew his name.

More importantly—this man was his little brother Luffy’s comrade. Ace felt immense curiosity about him.

But the moment Ace looked properly at Rowen—his pupils instantly constricted.

STRONG!

Especially the crimson-black light flickering within his eyes—it sent a shiver down Ace’s spine. Though suppressed, Ace was intimately familiar with that power.

Conqueror’s Haki!

And remarkably strong Haki at that! Even dormant, not fully unleashed, Ace felt a palpable pressure emanating from him.

This level of presence was far beyond what any mere rookie pirate should possess. No wonder he garnered such attention—Marine HQ had even dispatched an Admiral Candidate specifically for him!

Ace’s expression turned serious, then broke into a grin. ‘Luffy, you little rascal… really found yourself an incredible comrade.’

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Meanwhile, Gion’s expression was extremely grave.

Ace merely felt pressure from the latent Conqueror’s Haki in Rowen’s eyes. But Gion felt Rowen’s Haki directed squarely at her.

Incredibly strong Haki!

Possessing Conqueror’s Haki of this magnitude implied his Armament and Observation Haki must also be formidable.

This man had displayed impressive Armament Haki when defeating Smoker. But now, it seemed clear… he hadn’t even used a fraction of his true strength back then!

Gion cursed inwardly. Marine HQ’s assessment of this man’s strength was grossly inaccurate!

For someone possessing the disposition of a King, acting so brazenly, even revealing the ability to steal Devil Fruits—Marine HQ naturally had to evaluate his threat level.

Based on his demonstrated combat prowess, even factoring in the stolen Smoke-Smoke Fruit… his strength shouldn’t have reached Vice Admiral level yet.

Sending her, an Admiral Candidate—was already considered taking him extremely seriously. She was, after all, among the strongest forces the World Government could deploy below the three Admirals themselves!

Even Sengoku had been confident this mission—to ascertain the truth of Rowen’s abilities—would succeed smoothly under her command.

But now—before even clashing—just sensing the intensity of Rowen’s Conqueror’s Haki made Gion feel this would be incredibly difficult.

Haki like this—was impossible for a rookie just entering the Grand Line.

Even in the New World, only established powerhouses possessed such presence.

And worse—Fire Fist Ace of the Whitebeard Pirates was here too.

And apparently, Ace had an unusually close relationship with Straw Hat Luffy.

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“Fire Fist Ace—do you intend to directly confront Marine Headquarters? My mission target—is Sky Sovereign Rowen,” Gion attempted to probe, testing the waters.

“Luffy is my little brother. Target him, or his comrades—and I won’t just stand by,” Ace retorted firmly, giving no ground.

Hearing this, Gion’s expression shifted again. Not out of fear—as an Admiral Candidate, even sensing Rowen’s immense Haki, Gion remained confident in her own abilities.

The real issue was Whitebeard. Without authorization, she couldn’t recklessly fight Ace. But her mission—to uncover the truth about Rowen’s abilities—had to be completed!

Gion wanted to curse again. She knew Straw Hat Luffy was Garp’s grandson.

She also knew Fleet Admiral Sengoku sent her specifically for this mission—essentially telling her to go easy, to give Garp face.

Her orders were: under the premise of showing Garp face, determine the truth of Rowen’s abilities. If they weren’t too troublesome, decide whether to arrest him based on discretion.

If his abilities were extremely dangerous, posing a major threat to the Marines or World Government—arrest him immediately, but let Straw Hat go. That was her mission brief.

But now—Fire Fist Ace turned out to be Straw Hat’s brother?

Gion suddenly recalled something—years ago, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had chewed out Vice Admiral Garp for a long time because one of Garp’s ‘adopted’ grandsons was causing major trouble on the seas… ‘So that was Fire Fist Ace!’

Fire Fist Ace—backed not only by Whitebeard but also connected to Garp.

This mission’s difficulty level just skyrocketed.

Gion was about to suggest withdrawing temporarily to report the situation to Sengoku, when the situation took another unexpected turn.

“You came all this way for me—did you really think I’d let you leave empty-handed?” Rowen asked, the crimson-black light in his eyes flaring violently.

Having just gained a massive power boost, Rowen was itching for a fight.

Besides… his bounty still wasn’t high enough. Rowen looked at Gion, his Conqueror’s Haki practically boiling.

“Ace is Luffy’s brother, he’s a guest of our crew. It wouldn’t be right to let our guest do the fighting—” Rowen added, glancing towards Ace with a calm smile.

Ace met Rowen’s gaze, paused for a moment, then dispersed the flames engulfing his body and grinned back. “Well then, I look forward to seeing your strength, Sky Sovereign Rowen.”

“Just call me Rowen. Luffy’s brother is our friend,” Rowen replied heartily, feeling immense goodwill towards Ace after benefiting so much from him.

“Alright then, Rowen,” Ace laughed back easily. He enjoyed making friends with men like this.

“You guys continue stocking supplies! As for you lot—follow me!” Rowen first called out, instructing the others (hidden nearby) to continue their preparations, then turned back towards Gion and the remaining Marines.

This was Vivi’s country. A battle between Yonko Commander level fighters could easily destroy the city. Rowen naturally preferred the uninhabited desert outside town.

“Just like the rumors say—an arrogant man…” Gion commented coolly, her expression hardening.

With her Observation Haki, she had naturally detected Nami and the others nearby. She understood Rowen was telling his crew to prepare for desert travel.

This blatant disregard for her presence—treating her as if she wasn’t even a threat—As an Admiral Candidate, being looked down upon like this was a first!

Even the second-in-commands of Emperor crews wouldn’t show her disrespect!

Nevertheless, Gion led her Marines out of the city. Alabasta was, after all, a World Government affiliated kingdom.

If even a pirate didn’t want to damage the city, the Marines certainly wouldn’t object.

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Outside Nanohana, in the desert.

“Zoro, you came too,” Luffy grinned, seeing Zoro arrive.

“Yeah. Gotta watch a fight like this. That woman—she’s a swordsman, right?” Zoro asked, his predatory gaze fixed intently on Gion.

Someone Rowen called a ‘big name’ in the Navy—and a swordsman at that? There’s no way Zoro would miss watching such a fight.

“‘Sky Sovereign’ Rowen—how did you steal Captain Smoker’s Smoke-Smoke Fruit ability?” Gion asked directly, her hand resting on the hilt of her famed sword, Konpira.

Her Observation Haki locked onto Rowen completely, trying to discern the truth from his answer and emotional fluctuations.

“Oh? Marine HQ sent you to figure out the truth about my abilities?” Rowen chuckled, looking at Gion. Gion wasn’t surprised; her objective wasn’t exactly subtle.

“Since you’re so eager to know—watch carefully with your own eyes,” Rowen replied. But before Gion could respond, Rowen’s expression shifted into a supremely confident grin.

“But first—let’s clear out the fodder.”

BOOM!

The tyrannical crimson-black light in Rowen’s eyes seemed to solidify, exploding outwards! Crimson-black lightning crackled violently through the air!

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Except for Gion, Tashigi, and Hina, all the other Marines instantly went white-eyed, collapsed unconscious, and hit the ground hard.

Conqueror’s Haki! Field cleared!

“Conqueror’s Haki… Trying to shake my resolve before we even fight?” Gion’s expression changed.

‘As expected… Incredibly strong Haki!’

The Marines she brought included a Rear Admiral! Yet even he couldn’t withstand this man’s Haki blast, fainting instantly!

As an Admiral Candidate, Gion knew about Conqueror’s Haki, even if she didn’t possess it herself. Before mastering infusion, it primarily functioned as a willpower-based attack.

While it couldn’t directly harm opponents of equal strength, the shockwave could disrupt their mental state, hindering their performance. Spiritual strength was directly linked to Haki intensity!

“What a strong Haki!” Ace’s expression turned serious as well.

Though he sensed it earlier, feeling its full force unleashed truly revealed how overwhelmingly powerful this man was!

“Conqueror’s Haki… Is this man looking down on Hina?” Hina scowled, looking at the unconscious Rear Admiral beside her.

Even the Rear Admiral couldn’t endure the blast, yet she remained conscious—clearly, the man had intentionally excluded her!

At the same time, Hina felt utterly shocked.

A new rookie pirate—yet even a Marine HQ Rear Admiral couldn’t remain conscious before him?!

Hina stared intently at Rowen.

Beside her, Tashigi gripped Shigure tightly, biting her lip hard.

After returning to HQ, Tashigi, having encountered Rowen, was brought along by Gion to Alabasta.

During her time at HQ and alongside Vice Admiral Gion, Tashigi learned much more about the wider world—including the true significance of Conqueror’s Haki.

But she never imagined… just with Haki alone, without even lifting a finger—Rowen could incapacitate even an HQ Rear Admiral!

Compared to Rowen, she was incredibly weak!

‘Unacceptable! I have to get stronger! Strong enough to stand before Rowen as an equal!’ Tashigi bit her lip, staring fiercely at Rowen.

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The next moment, something happened that made Gion’s, and even Ace’s, expressions change dramatically.

“You wanted to know the truth about my abilities so badly? Then watch—VERY CLOSELY!” Rowen declared, laughing loudly.

FWOOSH!

Terrifying flames erupted violently, engulfing Rowen completely.

He transformed into a terrifying figure of pure fire!

The intense heat warped the air in the already scorching desert!

“Flare-Flare Fruit?!” Gion gasped, her face instantly paling.

This ability—how could she not recognize it?!

Even among Logias, it was considered one of the top-tier powers, easily rivaling Aokiji’s Ice-Ice Fruit! But this power—was famously wielded by Portgas D. Ace!

It was the ability that earned him the moniker ‘Fire Fist Ace’!

Gion instinctively looked towards Ace—and saw Ace himself staring, utterly dumbfounded.

“Fl-Flare-Flare Fruit?!” Ace stared wide-eyed, completely astonished. He subconsciously activated his own ability.

Fwoosh!

Flames flickered around him. Relieved his power was still there, Ace felt even more horrified looking back at Rowen. ‘What is going on?!’

There shouldn’t be two identical Devil Fruits in existence at the same time! Yet the power this man wielded was undeniably the Flare-Flare Fruit!

And the intensity—felt even stronger than his own! Ace sensed the atmospheric temperature rising sharply; the flames Rowen controlled felt hotter than his own.

The Flare-Flare Fruit’s temperature ranged from 800-1300°C. Only upon Awakening could its full power be released. Ace could currently control flames around 1000°C.

But as the fruit’s user, Ace could clearly sense Rowen’s flames were superior.

“SUGEEEEEEE! Rowen’s got a new Devil Fruit ability?!” Luffy yelled excitedly.

“New ability?” Ace stared blankly at Luffy. ‘What does he mean, ‘new’ ability? Everyone knows an ability user can only have one power!’

“That’s right! What happened?! What about the Smoke-Smoke Fruit ability you stole from Captain Smoker?!” Gion demanded, finally realizing the crucial point amidst her shock.

She had been so stunned by the sudden appearance of the Flare-Flare Fruit she momentarily forgot!

Sky Sovereign Rowen had stolen Smoker’s Smoke-Smoke Fruit back in Loguetown and demonstrably used its power on the execution platform!

He was undoubtedly the user of the Smoke-Smoke Fruit then, But now… he was suddenly using Fire Fist Ace’s Flare-Flare Fruit ability?!

Could it be…

A horrifying suspicion began to form in Gion’s mind. Her forehead broke out in fine beads of cold sweat.

“The Smoke-Smoke Fruit, you say?” Rowen grinned.

FWOOSH!

One half of Rowen’s body remained engulfed in flames—while the other half, under the disbelieving gazes of Gion, Hina, and Ace, dissolved into swirling smoke!

“Smoke-Smoke Fruit!” Gion cried out in horror.

This man possessed the abilities of two Logia Devil Fruits! And somehow—they existed within him without conflict! Looking at Rowen—half flame, half smoke—Gion felt utterly terrified. How was such a thing possible?!

“Are you sure… it’s only two Devil Fruit abilities?” Rowen asked, his voice laced with amusement.

Gion’s eyes widened further in horrified realization.

“Flame Burst!”

FWOOSH!

Terrifying flames erupted, shooting towards Gion.

The next moment—BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The flames exploded violently!!!

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