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Jaya Island, Mock Town.
This place was a haven specifically for pirates to spend lavishly and indulge their desires. Many vicious pirates congregated here, freely spending their plundered wealth and unleashing their baser instincts.
Consequently, clashes between pirate crews and violent incidents were frequent.
Numerous pirates with bounties in the tens of millions—infamous figures in this stretch of sea—came here for recreation.
Violence and desire—were the town's defining characteristics.
All pirates here reveled in their darker impulses; arrogance and aggression were rampant.
But at this moment—all those pirates stared in terror at the group disembarking from the Going Merry.
"N-No mistake! He looks exactly like the wanted poster!"
"It can't be wrong! Th-That man is really—!"
"The one who orchestrated the Alabasta catastrophe! Nearly overthrew an entire kingdom!"
"Killed one of the Seven Warlords, Sir Crocodile!"
"And defeated a Marine HQ bigwig, an Admiral Candidate!"
"The man of extreme viciousness and violence!"
"Bounty: 1,135,000,000 Beri!"
"'SKY SOVEREIGN' ROWEN!!!"
Countless pirates in Mock Town stared fearfully as Rowen stepped off the ship. Some, more cowardly, were already blubbering, snot and tears streaming down their faces as they scrambled to flee Mock Town.
Sky Sovereign Rowen!
The most infamously terrifying Super great pirate on the seas right now!
Rumor had it, this pirate was so vicious, so violent, he'd massacre people at the slightest provocation!
This was the man who could kill a Warlord!
Defeat a high-ranking Marine Admiral Candidate!
Against such a man, even the Navy would likely need to dispatch an Admiral to attempt capture!
He was on a completely different level than them!
If such a vicious super pirate was in a bad mood and decided to go on a rampage here—they'd all be finished!
As for enjoying Mock Town's pleasures? Their lives were far more important!
"SET SAIL! RUN FOR IT!!"
"Sky Sovereign Rowen has landed in Mock Town!"
"IDIOT! Why are your legs jelly?! You wanna die—lagging behind?!"
Many pirates scrambled back to their ships.
Some were so terrified their legs gave out, needing their crewmates to drag them aboard—In an instant, many of the pirate ships previously docked at Mock Town's harbor fled as if their lives depended on it.
"Rowen! SUGEEEEE!"
Chopper and Usopp, witnessing Rowen's mere appearance send so many vicious pirates fleeing in terror, blinked, their eyes shining with awe as they looked at Rowen.
'Now that's a real super great pirate aura!'
Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji's eyes also gleamed.
Such an aura—making countless pirates tremble and flee just by showing up—was incredibly aspirational.
Rowen himself felt quite pleased. With such infamy and a bounty like this, no fool would dare mess with him on the open sea.
And... seeing those pirates scrambling away, tears and snot streaming from fear of his name, alongside the adoring gazes of Luffy and the others—Rowen felt a very satisfying surge of spiritual strength.
His 'Disposition' increased slightly again.
Rowen then led his crewmates into Mock Town.
Usopp and Chopper puffed out their chests, walking proudly behind Rowen as they entered.
Though many cowardly pirates had fled, some, bolder than others, remained. They wanted to witness the presence of this now most infamous pirate on the seas, curious about his purpose in Mock Town.
Of course, being bold didn't mean being suicidal—they kept a safe distance, nervously watching the super pirate's every move, ready to bolt at the slightest hint of trouble.
Some pirates also compared Rowen's crewmates to their wanted posters.
"Straw Hat Monkey D. Luffy, 300 million Beri bounty."
"Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro, 100 million Beri bounty."
"All over 100 million! Participants in that 'Extreme Malice' incident!"
Hearing their bounties being discussed, Luffy and Zoro grinned.
"And Sniper Usopp, 35 million Beri bounty."
"To be the sniper on Sky Sovereign Rowen's crew—he must be amazing too!"
Hearing this, Usopp puffed his chest out even further, his grin stretching from ear to ear uncontrollably. Chopper looked on with immense envy. Chopper wanted a bounty too!
Sensing Chopper's feelings, Rowen picked him up and placed him on his shoulder.
"Look! That tanuki! It's on Sky Sovereign Rowen's shoulder! Is that Sky Sovereign's pet?" a pirate exclaimed.
"I'M A REINDEER, YOU BASTARD!" Chopper's ears twitched, and he instantly flared up at the comment.
Thump!
The pirate who spoke immediately collapsed, paralyzed with fear, looking terrified at Chopper. Then, he fainted dead away.
It wasn't Chopper's words that scared him...
It was the realization that—this reindeer was Sky Sovereign Rowen's pet!
Being able to sit on that super pirate's shoulder meant it was highly favored!
If the reindeer got angry and that, in turn, angered Sky Sovereign Rowen—his death would be unimaginably horrible!
The thought alone made him pass out.
"A-A talking tanuki!"
"Idiot! It's a reindeer! LORD REINDEER!"
"You wanna die?! Don't drag us down with you!"
Seeing the pirate he'd scared faint, and the others looking at him with terror, some even calling him 'Lord Reindeer'—Chopper blinked.
"Even if you call me Lord Reindeer, it won't make me happy! You bastards!" Chopper declared, though he was practically dancing with joy on Rowen's shoulder.
"He's delighted..."
The pirates instantly understood, and immediately started showering Chopper with fawning compliments, making Chopper grin from ear to ear.
——
—[Human-Human Fruit equipping progress significantly increased.]—
——
Rowen chuckled, watching the gleeful Chopper.
"And 'Cat Burglar' Nami, 30 million Beri."
"Strange... Where's 'Black Leg' Sanji? I don't see him."
Someone in the crowd murmured uncertainly.
Though quiet, Sanji, with his awakened Observation Haki, didn't miss it.
"Too bad~~ That picture really did look like you, Curly-Brows," Zoro snickered.
"MOSS-HEAD BASTARD!!!" Sanji instantly ignited as if on fire.
"Diable Jambe——!" Sanji's right leg burst into flames as he spun.
"Armament——!" Zoro drew Wado Ichimonji, infusing it with Haki.
BOOM!
Sanji and Zoro immediately started fighting again. The terrifying force of their clash made the surrounding pirates' eyes bulge out.
"Th-That must be Black Leg Sanji?!"
"Is that the power of Pirate Hunter and Black Leg from Sky Sovereign Rowen's crew?!"
"They're on a completely different level from us!"
The pirates watched in terror at the devastating battle.
Diable Jambe, Armament Haki, a Swordsman's slashes—This power... for pirates who mostly operated in the waters around Mock Town, felt like it belonged to another dimension entirely.
"Go ahead and play. But after you're done, remember to go buy supplies," Rowen commented casually without turning around.
"Understood!"
Hearing Rowen, Sanji and Zoro instantly flinched, stopped fighting, stood at attention, and loudly acknowledged the order.
They knew Rowen wouldn't usually interfere with their squabbles—as long as they completed their assigned tasks.
Though Rowen hadn't explicitly stated this rule often, after being brutally trained by him, it had become an ingrained muscular reflex for both Sanji and Zoro.
"Scary... Sky Sovereign Rowen just said one sentence, and Black Leg and Pirate Hunter were instantly cowed!"
"Just how strong is that man?! How scary..."
"This is what a legendary super great pirate is like!"
Seeing Zoro and Sanji's reaction, the crowd of pirates became even more terrified, instinctively backing even further away from Rowen's group.
"Hey, look at that woman... It's 'Princess of Malice' Vivi, 110 million Beri bounty!"
"Together with Sky Sovereign Rowen—she tried to overthrow the Alabasta government! The former princess of Alabasta!"
Some pirates recognized Vivi, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.
Vivi showed no outward reaction, but her small fists clenched tightly.
'Princess of Malice.' Though it was the World Government slandering her and Rowen, hearing that title still stung Vivi, who loved her country, Alabasta, deeply.
"Rowen?" Vivi felt a warm hand cover hers, and looked up to see Rowen's sun-like smile.
"Relax. I'll make them pay for this," Rowen said, looking at Vivi with a reassuring smile.
"You don't have to trouble yourself for them. They're just repeating what they read in the news," Vivi replied, touched, but not wanting Rowen's reputation to worsen further because of her.
It was already because of her situation that Rowen was being labeled a mass-murdering, nation-overthrowing, vicious pirate.
If his infamy grew because of her, Vivi would feel even more guilty.
"These are just small fry. When I help you get even—I'll definitely go after the source who burdened you with this name," Rowen declared, an astonishing crimson-black light flashing in his eyes.
He then started walking towards a nearby tavern.
Rowen had already found his target for this visit.
"Eh?!" Vivi blinked, confused. 'The source who burdened her with this name?'
Isn't that... the World Government?!
Vivi gasped, then quickly hurried after Rowen.
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Inside a tavern.
"What's all the noise outside?" A man with yellow hair, sporting the Jolly Roger of Warlord Donquixote Doflamingo on both arms and his chest, scowled.
—Bellamy the Hyena, 55 million Beri bounty.
"Are the guys I just beat still not satisfied?" Bellamy snarled.
He had just won a gamble against Roshio the Executioner (42 million Beri bounty) and then promptly finished him off.
CRASH!
Bellamy abruptly smashed through the window and leaped out of the tavern.
THUD! He landed from several stories up, causing a group of onlookers to gasp.
"It's Bellamy! The 55 million Beri pirate!" Those exclamations of recognition always pleased Bellamy.
"Idiot! Get away from that fool! Don't get caught up in his mess!"
"That idiot is about to die!!"
"What 55 million Beri pirate? He's just a moron!"
Hearing the murmurs from the crowd, Bellamy, who had been preening with his head bowed, felt veins bulge on his forehead.
"Who the hell was just talking?" Bellamy slowly raised his head.
"So, you're Bellamy," a calm chuckle came from nearby. Only then did Bellamy notice the group of people standing a short distance away.
"Huh?!" The moment he clearly saw the face of the man leading the group, Bellamy's forehead broke out in countless beads of cold sweat.
"B-Bounty 1,135,000,000 Beri... 'Sky Sovereign' Rowen?!" Bellamy's eyes filled with terror.
The name Sky Sovereign Rowen—who on these seas didn't know it by now?!
This was the man who killed Crocodile—a Warlord, same as Bellamy's own idol, Donquixote Doflamingo!
The man who even defeated a Marine bigwig, an Admiral Candidate!
The most vicious, most terrifying super great pirate on these seas right now!
"55 million? So it's you. Your bounty isn't high enough. You need to work harder," Luffy commented, looking at Bellamy with a grin.
"'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy, 300 million Beri bounty, the man acknowledged by Sky Sovereign Rowen," Bellamy muttered, his eye twitching upon hearing Luffy's words, but he didn't dare retort.
"Hey, Luffy! Your bounty is that high mostly because of Rowen, okay!" Nami interjected helplessly.
'This idiot better not cause trouble for Rowen because of his bounty obsession later!'
"B-Bellamy!" Just then, Bellamy's crew members rushed over. When they saw Bellamy was confronting the legendary Sky Sovereign Rowen, all of them stared fearfully at Rowen's group.
"S-Sky Sovereign Rowen, sir! S-Someone of your stature... surely wouldn't bother with small-timers like us, right?" Sarquiss, Vice-Captain of the Bellamy Pirates (38 million Beri bounty), swallowed hard, his legs trembling as he addressed Rowen, struggling to get the words out.
Bellamy's Hyena Pirates were infamous in Mock Town, A formidable crew no one dared to cross.
For Sarquiss to debase himself like this, calling themselves 'small-timers'... The surrounding pirates, far from finding it odd, thought it perfectly natural, even considering Sarquiss rather smart.
Compared to Sky Sovereign Rowen—forget 55 million Beri pirates; even 100 million Beri pirates were small fry!
To survive an encounter with such a super-powerhouse, not immediately kneeling and begging for mercy was already a display of courage!
"You talk... a bit too much," Rowen stated, a tyrannical crimson-black light flashing briefly in his eyes.
BOOM!
Thump!
Sarquiss's eyes instantly rolled white, and he collapsed to the ground.
"!!!" The numerous pirates present stared, utterly stunned.
"HEY! Sarquiss!"
The Hyena Pirates cried out fearfully, looking at the fallen Sarquiss. No matter how much they shook him, Sarquiss remained unresponsive.
They then looked back at Rowen in terror.
"Sarquiss, 38 million Beri... taken down by this man with just one word?!"
"This isn't far enough! Get further away!"
"This is the super great pirate with a bounty over 1.1 billion!"
"Don't get involved! You don't have enough lives to lose!"
Many pirates instantly fled at that moment. This man truly was as terrifying as the rumors claimed—to the extreme!
"Well then. The Transponder Snail that can contact Doflamingo—hand it over," Rowen stated, looking at Bellamy with a cold smile.
Rowen had no interest in wasting words on a small-time punk without dreams like Bellamy.
Not everyone was qualified to converse with Rowen—He sought out Bellamy solely because Bellamy possessed a Transponder Snail capable of contacting Doflamingo.
"I-I...!" Bellamy wanted to resist, but seeing Sarquiss taken down with just a word from this man, his body refused to move.
"Do you... want to die?" Rowen's smile vanished, his Conqueror's Haki flaring intensely.
"!!!"
Fear instantly overwhelmed Bellamy. He subconsciously pulled out a Transponder Snail. He realized too late he was betraying his most admired man, and tried to retract it—
But—
WHAM!
Bellamy's eyes rolled white, and he collapsed heavily.
A 55 million Beri punk like him—before Rowen's current Conqueror's Haki—was also just fodder.
Rowen took the Transponder Snail.
"Alright. Time to settle some accounts... World Government," Rowen declared, an astonishing crimson-black light flashing in his eyes.
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