The moment she saw Rowan, Tashigi had recognized the blade at his waist. She had been secretly speculating whether those pirate ships, each perfectly sliced in two, were truly the work of the old man.
After all, she had heard Colonel Smoker say that Rowan's rank before retirement was Headquarters Vice Admiral. A Vice Admiral famous for swordsmanship would certainly have the power to pull off such a feat.
But the moment the thought appeared, Tashigi's first instinct was to doubt it. The old man was ancient. Even if he possessed that level of skill in his youth, his current stamina shouldn't be able to support so many consecutive high-level strikes. Furthermore, if the old man were truly a Grandmaster-level swordsman, why would he be carrying a mere Ryo Wazamono (Skillful Grade) blade? With his status, even if he couldn't get his hands on one of the 12 Supreme Grade Swords, securing an O Wazamono (Great Grade) shouldn't have been difficult.
However, now that Luffy had confirmed it, Tashigi's doubts vanished.
She couldn't help but marvel, "Mr. Rowan is truly proving that his blade is still as sharp as ever. To be able to slice a pirate ship in a single move at your age... such exquisite skill. Your level of swordsmanship must have reached the pinnacle of perfection."
[System Prompt: Gained favor from Marine Tashigi. Faith Points +1]
Hearing Tashigi's praise, Rowan looked back at the girl. He opened his mouth to explain something, but after a second of thought, he decided to stay quiet.
Luffy, however, couldn't let it slide. He corrected her: "Sister, you've got it wrong. My Great-Grandpa didn't slice them one by one."
"He didn't?" Tashigi looked confused. She had carefully examined the cuts; they were perfectly clean, clearly the result of a single pass with no second strike. Every ship was identical.
But Luffy's next sentence left her rooted to the spot.
"Great-Grandpa sliced all the ships with just one swing."
"Wait, what? You mean... Mr. Rowan destroyed the entire fleet with only one single slash?!" Tashigi's expression went completely blank.
She finally understood why those pirates were so utterly terrified of the man. Slicing nearly fifty ships? In one stroke? This wasn't just a "skilled" Grandmaster. This level of terrifying swordsmanship... even the World's Greatest Swordsman, Hawkeye Mihawk, would only be at this level, right?
Tashigi's gaze toward Rowan gradually turned feverish. Originally, she had debated whether she should be thick-skinned enough to ask such a high-status veteran for some tips on her way back. She had worried it might be improper for a rookie like her to bother someone of his stature. But now? To hell with propriety. To hell with being thick-skinned. With a world-class Grandmaster standing right in front of her, if she didn't seize this chance to learn, she might as well give up being a swordsman altogether.
[System Prompt: Gained favor from Marine Tashigi. Faith Points +6]
"Hello? Vice Admiral Garp?"
"The Old Man? You mean Mr. Rowan, right?"
"Don't worry, Mr. Rowan is as sturdy as a rock. His appetite is great; he just polished off an entire elephant leg and three pounds of fruit. His smoking and drinking habits seem a bit heavy, but looking at his physique, it doesn't seem to be an issue."
"Let him take the phone? I can't. He isn't with me right now. He took one of the warships and left ahead of us."
"Oh, by the way, I'm bringing back the captives he rounded up. You should tell Fleet Admiral Sengoku to send people to take over. I've done the head count: three thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine people. All confirmed to be Krieg Pirates."
"Don Krieg? He was dealt with directly by Mr. Rowan. He's stone-cold dead."
"Alright, I'm hanging up. I'll finish the report and contact you both once I'm back at base."
Click.
Smoker hung up the Den Den Mushi and stood up on the very tip of the mast, sighing helplessly as he watched the distant silhouette of the lead warship, now little more than a speck on the horizon. He pulled two cigars out, lit them with his custom lighter, and took a deep drag. The thick smoke was instantly snatched away by the sea breeze.
"Stop pushing! You, over there—stop crowding me! I'm the helmsman! If you keep bumping me, I can't steer. If we go off course, are you going to take responsibility?!"
"Hehe, sorry, Marine-san. I'm not doing it on purpose; everyone's pushing from the other side! I've got nowhere to go..."
"Tsk tsk, so this is a Navy warship? It's fast and smooth as silk. It's way smaller than our old galleons, but the ride is steady as solid ground. Unbelievable."
"That's only because we're all packed on here. Look at the ship the Great Sir is on—it's practically flying!"
The constant chattering buzzed in Smoker's ears. Looking down at the sea of pirates packed like sardines across the entire deck, Smoker felt a massive headache coming on.
"Can you all just shut up?! My head is going to explode!" Smoker finally roared.
As the noise died down, Smoker rubbed his temples and looked back at the endless sea, his face full of woe. The lead ship had completely vanished from sight.
The three warships he had brought were standard medium-small class. Their rated capacity was 500 men. But currently, the ship Smoker was on—and the one beside it—were each carrying over two thousand people!
This resulted in the warships looking dangerously low in the water, their speed reduced to a snail's crawl. At this rate, it would take them twice as long to reach Loguetown.
And this was entirely because Mr. Rowan—while Smoker was busy organizing the prisoners—had simply ordered the crew of one warship to set sail and had ditched them!
This maneuver... it didn't look like the work of a dignified, legendary veteran. This was the slick move of an old rogue!
Three thousand seven hundred prisoners would have been manageable if split among three ships. A bit overcrowded for a short trip, but fine. But now that Rowan had "borrowed" one to make his getaway, the remaining captives were crammed into two ships. With four times the rated capacity, every inch of the deck, the cabins, and even the galley was packed. There were even a dozen Marines huddling on top of the cabin roof because there simply wasn't enough room on the deck.
That was exactly why Smoker was standing on top of the mast. It was the only spot on the entire ship where he wasn't being bumped into.
But that wasn't even what made Smoker want to scream. What truly hurt was that even his most capable assistant, Tashigi, had run off with Mr. Rowan. Not only did the old man steal his ship, but he stole his person too!
This old man is really something...
But regardless, Rowan's status was undeniable, and Smoker had just officially declared the man his idol. Faced with such a "slick operation," the tearless Smoker could only swallow his grievances. He didn't even dare complain to Garp or Sengoku.
However, one thing earned Smoker's genuine respect: Rowan's sheer deterrent power. With thousands of pirates crammed onto the ships, not a single one dared to harbor a single rebellious thought. That alone proved just how terrifying the old man's presence was.
Truly a legendary Marine of the old age!
.........BONUS CHAPTER IS COMING...........
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