12 Chapter 12

Deep into the underwater, Mad Treasure powerlessly descended. He was sipped out of strength, and his lungs were being filled with water at each second. The biggest downside of being a devil fruit user—Mad Treasure was experiencing a full blow of it, and... there was no crewmate to help him out.

"I... lost...?'

Mad Treasure thought in disbelief as his eyes hovered over the cold and dark surroundings,

'...To... that weakling...?' He was slowly being consumed by the horror of truth, 'N-no... it can't be.'

He attempted to rise back up. He tried to move his body. However, it was to no avail. And instead, he felt a ripple. Managing to raise his eyes up, Mad Treasure then saw... Rowan, with a sharp knife in his hand, rapidly swimming down, intending to take his head.

'O-oi...'

Mad Treasure's face slowly paled up,

'D-don't... don't do it...'

But his thoughts were never spoken out loud. There was nothing that Mad Treausre, the notorious rookie of the East Blue, could do as a no-name teenager brought the knife onto his neck.

Mad Treasure's eyes lost their gleam. Having given up and accepted that he will die, Mad Treasure finally thought,

'...So, was the treasure underwater? Was I... at least right about that one...?'

before he was beheaded by Rowan. And the headless body continued to descend, and upon reaching the rock bottom, it will discover that from the start, there existed nothing down there.

__________

*Mad Treasure's shocking defeat in the Mine village!*

"...This..." Nami, reading a newspaper with concern, muttered, "...This isn't good. Arlong laughed it off until now, saying that Rowan will never succeed as a bounty hunter. But now... catching an 8.5 million isn't a normal feat." Nami placed the newspaper down and sighed,

"Arlong the 'Saw,' wanted for 20 million Beli—the highest in the East blue. After him, 'Foul Play' Krieg, wanted for 17 million Beli. Next comes Buggy the 'Clown,' wanted for 15 million Beli... and the fourth is Kuro of a 'Hundred Plans,' wanted for 11 million Beli. The man whom Rowan defeated..." Nami grimaced, "...Mad Treasure was the pirate whose bounty was the 5th highest in the entire East Blue."

Nami turned her head back. At the corner of the room, a huge pile of treasure was lying; just by a rough estimation, she already deduced that the total amount of it was more than 80 million Beli. Even after dividing the share with Carina, when adding with the 45 million that they already have, 100 million Beli has been achieved, ready to pay Arlong and get the Cocoyasi village free from his tyranny.

Then, Nami flinched as Rowan's past words were replayed in her head. Shaking her head to erase the thought, she huffed and smiled, lightening her mood up with optimism.

"Everything will be alright!" Nami said brightly to herself, "I mean, it's 100 million! Even if Arlong is a despicable fellow, he'll be satisfied with that amount!"

Standing up, she then walked up to one door and slowly creaked it open. They were currently in an unoccupied house that the mayor of the village lent them, and the room that Nami was opening was the one that Rowan was resting within. However, contrary to Nami's expectations, the room was empty.

"...Eh?"

As a gentle breeze blew against her, Nami realized that a window was open. Letting out a dumbfounded expression, she stood frozen for a second, processing what happened here. Then, widening her eyes, Nami immediately ran out with a vivid concern,

"Just where have you gone off, you idiot?!" Nami said worriedly, "You haven't even fully healed yet!!"

...

Boom.

Uncaring of the fact that his entire body was wrapped around the bandages like a mummy, Rowan punched his right onto a tree bark in front of him. His body squeaked in pain, but he didn't mind. Instead, he reflected on his fight against Mad Treasure, and clicked his tongue.

'...Chain surely was hard, and even without the chain, Mad Treasure was naturally durable.' Rowan gritted his teeth, 'It was a very close call this time around, and I might've lost under a different scenario.'

Boom.

Retracting his right back, he slammed his left this time around.

'Arlong has a skin harder than that. So what if I am able to dodge with ease now? If I am unable to land an effective blow, how will I defeat that fish?'

Boom.

'Unlike Mad Treasure, he's not weak against water. Hell, he's stronger underwater—'

"Aren't you pushing yourself too hard?"

Upon a voice intruding on his thought, Rowan lowered his arms. Turning his head, he gazed at Carina who was sitting at a nearby boulder.

"You had quite a serious injury on your shoulder. Coupled with many bruises, the blood you lost, and the broken bones unable to see on the outside... I doubt that three days are enough to heal."

Rowan replied while shrugging his shoulders, "...My body is good to go. It's been this way since two days ago."

"Yeah, right. I literally saw you limping your way here just an hour ago."

"Vahahaha, seems that you were hallucinating."

Carina rolled her eyes, but with an underlying amusement. On the other hand, Rowan chuckled as he lied down.

"...By the way, I've been wondering for some time,"

Closing his eyes and relaxing in the pleasant nature, Rowan asked,

"For what reason did you get to dream of becoming the world's richest?"

Carina raised an eyebrow with a slight caution at that, "...Why do you ask?"

Rowan stated plainly, "You are around Nami's age at best, and yet, you roam around this sea all alone—stealing and risking your lives. If I were to be your parent, I never would've placed you in danger."

"Wow~ what a nice dad you are." Carina snorted at that, before her expression darkened. Taking a momentary sigh, she said, "Well... nothing much really. After having been born in a dumpster and raised in a broke orphanage, after having a life worse than a rat across a street, you come to realize—that wealth is all that matters in this world."

Rowan stayed silent, listening to Carina's story with interest. Carina then shrugged,

"I escaped my home one day when my thievery was exposed and a couple of thugs chased after me. Couldn't go back to the orphanage and cause trouble, you know."

"Which island?" Rowan asked.

"Cozia," Replied Carina, "Went into ruination after the attack by Germa 66. Not like I wasn't an orphan before though, heh."

Rowan didn't speak anymore. He didn't bother trying to send her a superficial word of sympathy or whatsoever. Instead,

'...Cozia. Never heard of it.' He thought to himself, 'This world really is vast.'

He was currently at ease, in peace after an intense battle. Speaking of that intense battle... it was the first time Rowan ever faced a man well beyond his limit, and attained a victory. At first glance, he felt a chill down his spine every single time he recalled that fight. However, at the same time, there was this strange sense of excitement, and a feeling of hope also—that it is possible for him to defeat Arlong.

"Hey, Carina,"

Then, Rowan spoke up. Perhaps, he was overwhelmed by the positivity at the current moment. But nonetheless, he asked out of the blue,

"In the future, if I were to form a crew for the purpose of adventuring in the Grand Line," Rowan grinned while gazing at the sky, "wanna join?"

Before Carina could respond,

"Rowan!" That's when Nami entered, sweaty from running all the way. Rowan and Carina turned their heads toward her.

"Geez..." Nami, as she came to a stop, pointed her finger at Rowan, "...don't overwork yourself!" Huffing, she stated, "Your body is currently the most valuable asset that we have! First and foremost, focus on getting yourself back to full health before moving a single step!! Got that?!!"

"There," Rowan pointed his thumb and Nami and said to Carina, "She's the navigator."

"...Eh?" Nami expressed confusion.

"Nope! I refuse your offer!" Carina then stated while holding her tongue out childishly, "I'd rather steal another than waste my time adventuring!"

"Vahahaha!"

"Hey! Explain to me, what's going on?!"

It was one noisy setting, but joyful at the same time. Though Nami was outwardly complaining, a smile sat by the corners of her lips.

Carina. She's a petty thief, stealing all that's worth with barely any morality. She is narcissistic, egoistic, and self-centric. By no means is she a good human both by nature and her actions up until now. But still, Rowan found a liking in her, in the sense that she managed to endure and survive throughout her harsh life.

"Are you wondering about a secret talk that I had with Rowan? Ehe~!"

"As if!! If our partnership is done, leave already, you witch!!"

Ignoring the banters between the two girls, Rowan stood up and stretched his bandages-covered body. Then, gazing at the distant mountain, he muttered,

'And now, before leaving this town,'

Rowan's eyes flashed in excitement,

'time to test if my theory is true or not.'

His mother's blood—the love for adventures—surely ran in him, though it was unknown if he was aware of his current excitement or not.

__________

"...8.5 million Beli, Mad Treasure, killed by a rookie bounty hunter."

Out in the sea of the East Blue, there existed a fleet of 50 pirate ships, sailing toward an unknown destination. Together, they seemed frightening—frightening enough for an average human being to yield at first glance.

"That's that chain fellow who refused my offer to join my fleet, isn't he?"

At the deck of the flagship, there stood a man well over two meters in terms of height. Purple-gray hair, black fur coat around his shoulders—he, without a doubt, was the 'Foul Play' Krieg, the infamous Pirate Fleet Admiral of the East Blue, wanted for 17,000,000 Beli.

"...Hah," Krieg laughed with the newspaper in his right hand, "Defeated by a rookie bounty hunter of all—how pitiful. If he joined me, he wouldn't have faced a miserable end like such."

"Still, captain," On the side, one man with a tonfa—Gin the 'Man Demon'—said seriously, "That bounty hunter... he irks me." Gin frowned, "The fact that he is called the 'Pirate Slayer' by the public... sounds like a vulgar insult to us."

"Oh?" Krieg raised his eyebrow at Gin's claim, before laughing once more, "Hahaha... good. Then you'll probably like my plan from here on."

Tap. Krieg placed his foot on the rail of the deck, and shouted with a speaker in his hand,

"Listen, you folks!!"

As the pirates turned to face their captain, Krieg announced with charisma,

"Mad Treasure has fallen! From there, one question is raised," Krieg grinned, "Where has all those treasures that he found, gone to?!!"

All pirates revealed excitement. Licking their lips, rubbing their hands together, etc., they were getting giddy, upon realizing what Krieg was speaking of.

"From here, we are going to change our destination—to Gloomy island! And our goal," Krieg stated,

"is to hunt down that so-called 'Pirate Slayer' and take all the treasures for our own!!"

Right after the trouble, another calamity was on its way for Rowan.

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