206 Chapter 195

Gone was the night. Appeared, the day. With the sun shining above the sky brightly, with all the clouds and mists having been washed away, and with the magnificent view of the 'All Blue,'

a miracle.

"A miracle is happening." Dragon, who was lying on the ground while barely holding onto his consciousness, whispered.

Imu—the man whose strength seemed to know no bound—was helplessly receiving the bombardment of incredibly fast punches without any chance of retaliation.

*BOOOOOOOMBOOOOOOOMBOOOOOOOM*

The sky was twinkling from the shattered pieces of the black seastone spear that Imu previously generated, indicating that Rowan's punch has effortlessly destroyed it in one go.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

Imu felt as if his eyes are going to pop out from the sheer impact of Rowan's punches.

Each and every single punch contained not only that mysterious Haki that he couldn't find a way to counter, but also the combination of Armament Haki: Internal Destruction and Consecutive Bounce forces—Rowan's punches accumulated, and the succeeding bounce forces converged and resonated, reinforcing the destructive force that was flipping Imu inside out.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

Imu vomitted a ton of blood, having received a severe damage from the inside. It was unlike any other that he has experienced before, and,

'If hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!!'

he was undergoing an agony that he has never been through.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

He desperately raised his hands up, generating the seastone spikes from all sides to stab Rowan.

They effortlessly shattered.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

"AHHHHHH!!!!!!"

Imu screamed as Rowan's punch slammed into his cheek, and was sent blasting downward to where the sea lied.

"O-Ocea—"

But before Imu could do anything, before Imu could afford enough time to react, defend, or foresee the future, Rowan was in front of him again in an instance.

Then,

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

Imu was knocked upward this time, with Rowan blasting an uppercut onto Imu's exposed chest.

"If you are over 800 years old," Rowan growled ferociously as he slammed countless punches onto the severely injured Imu non-stop, not bothering to conceal his fury directed at the latter,

"f****** roll in the grave like the rotten s*** you are!!!"

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

Imu found his back slammed against the piece of land that lied on the surface of the water. The cracks were generated from the sheer impact, and Imu found his body trembling from the pure stress.

Then Rowan dropped from the sky onto his exposed form, striking his kick onto Imu's face.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

The whole land cracked into multiple pieces upon the impact alone, and as Imu let out a shaky expression of pain on his face,

*SPLASH*

he fell into the water along with Rowan.

'In water...' Imu, though he was half-way into the world of unconscious, gathered his thoughts, 'I have the advant—'

*PAZZZZZZZZZZ*

The body of water bubbled. Rowan's will dominated the devil's own, and something unbelievable happened:

the operation of his Bounce Bounce fruit within the sea.

The water all around them began to bubble and evaporate. It was due to Rowan's utilization of 'Zone.'

Imu could do nothing but look at Rowan in terror as the latter's fist impacted upon his face once again, causing him to drill down to the depth of the sea.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

The whole sea parted. As if parting the way for Rowan, it provided the gap for him to reach Imu at a blinding speed, again.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

Imu lost the count by now. Just how many times was he hit?

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

Imu now didn't even know where he was lying onto.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

Yet, the assault didn't stop. No, in fact, with Imu now lying on the bottom of the sea, Rowan made his appearance in front of the former again, with his eyes blazing more bright than ever.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

The punches became even faster. What Imu believed to be the fastest in the world, wasn't Rowan's fastest.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

Just how many punches were slamming onto him per second? A thousand? Ten thousands? Hundred thousands? A million?

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

Imu didn't know. In fact, he didn't even know if he was alive at this point. He couldn't think, but scream at his impaired lung in never-ending pain.

Rowan's blurry punches didn't know when to stop.

The cracks of the ground below Imu was widening. The hot steam emitted out from the gap, indicating that any further impact may result in a volcanic eruption.

*VROOOOOOOOM*

Rowan simply stated, "Shut. Up."

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

By slamming another punch onto Imu, the impact from Rowan's punch effectively stopped the eruption.

Subsequently, Rowan lifted Imu up by grabbing onto the latter's head, before landing another uppercut, sending the semi-corpse all the way back to the ground.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

Imu, while flying on the sky, sprayed the blood all across. His skin was visibly pale, and his eyes were hollow. He seemed to have lost all will to fight, or to live even.

*BOOOOOOOM*

And he fell back to the island where the Grimheart pirates and others were lying powerlessly.

Here, Imu saw, Rowan casually approaching him with his fist crackling in that enigmatic white lightning.

*Pazzzzzz*

Rowan opened his fist, and motioned as if gripping onto something.

"Ragna Blade."

The thin sword constituted out of white lightning burst into the existence.

Its existence dominated Imu's will. It effectively shred his remaining resolve to survive.

'How... pointless...'

If he couldn't enjoy the eternal rule over the world, then what was the point of his actions up until now?

Once upon a time, there was a moon. All it was capable of, was reflecting the sun's light and providing a dim light within the darkness.

Ever since it sighted the sun, which shone brilliantly and brightened up the whole world in warmth, it has been jealous.

'Why was I born this way? Why sun, and not me?'

Such thoughts continued to pester the moon. As time passed on, the moon's jealousy intensified. It didn't know when to end, and before it knew—

—the eclipse. The moon has completely covered the sun.

'If I can't do what sun can... then I will simply make everyone forget about sun!'

The sunlight ceased to reach the earth. Instead of reflecting the sunlight, the moon blocked it—sending the world back into the darkness.

For 800 years, it has been so, and now,

*SWOOSH*

it was no more.

"And here is the dawn." Rowan muttered as the sword of white lightning faded away, with Imu's decapitated head flying up in the air, before falling down to the ground.

*PUK*

And thus, came the end of the greatest war that the world has ever experienced: the World War.

____________

A bonfire. A brightly lightened moon. Music, party, delicious foods, and,

"""One Piece!!"""

Rowan found himself laughing uncontrollably. Those amazing idiots—they filled the 'bomb' machinery with alcohol, and activated it!

"Guahahaha!!!! The rain of alcohol!! Now this is the greatest treasure of the world!!!" Cavendish shouted jovially as he held his tongue out, savouring the alcohol that was constantly being poured down from the sky.

"OHHHHH!!! This is so good!!!" Bonney shouted wildly while munching onto the mountain of food, ignoring the pleas of her crew members.

"Garp!!! Come back here, you idiot! You were literally a donut three days ago!!" Sengoku barked as Garp joined the group that were dancing altogether, holding each other by shoulders.

"Bwahaha! Come and join us, Sengoku! Your afro hair is going to serve as a nice disco ball!"

The party involving the whole world.

The Fish-Men, the Sky Islanders, the minks—everyone from all around gathered upon receiving the news from Morgans. Binks's dream came true, after over 800 years of delay.

The party was reaching its peak.

"Yohohoho! Nice to meet all of you! I hope that I didn't scare any of you—"

""AHHHHHHHH!!!!! The talking skeleton!!!!!"" Usopp and Chopper screamed in horror.

""OHHHHHHH!!!! The talking skeleton!!!!!"" Luffy and Ace shouted with sparkling eyes.

The skeleton named Brook came with a huge whale named Laboon, and has begun to play the legendary music, Bink's Sake.

"SUPER!!!!!!" Franky, the cyborg shipwright, came in along with those from the Water Seven.

"Hmph, I'm better!" Cavendish shouted in jealousy, before mimicking Franky's action, "HYPER!!!!!"

"""KYAAAAAAA!!!!!""" Many women screamed in love upon sighting Cavendish,

"He's so cute!"

"Handsome, marry me!"

"Prince Cavendish~!!!"

Franky froze in his position, with a lone tear dropping from his left eye.

"There there."

"AHHH!!!" Franky jumped in fright as someone patted his shoulder. Turning around, he saw a black-haired woman, Robin, standing with an amusement in her eyes.

"You are just like Urouge."

"S***. And what happened after this?" Dan, on the other hand, was scratching his head while repairing the journal that previously got wet due to Farul's soul-pebble.

"N-neigh..." Farul stood next to Dan in guilt, trying to find a way to help the latter, "Neigh!"

In realization, Farul utilized his ability to put a life into the journal itself.

"Ahahaha! I'm alive now!"

"...Huh." Dan's eyes widened in amazement.

"FOOOOOODDDD!!!!" Luffy shouted, having finished his food, "MORE FOOOOOODDDD—AHHHHH!!!!""

"You eat too much!!" Carmen, with a tickmark on her forehead, slammed Luffy on the head.

"Agreed!" Sanji nodded vigorously, "Carmen swannnnn~ please teach me how to make that dish~!"

"And then, we found this huge storm coming up ahead!" On the other hand, Urouge was sitting in the middle of the sky islanders, telling them of the tales that the Grimheart pirates went through.

"""Ohhhhh!!!"""

"Though it was quite scary, through the teamwork altogether, we managed to survive what was thought to be impossible!"

"So? You guys joined the Revolutionary Army, and fought against the kingdoms? The weaklings like you?" Nami, who was with the people from the Cocoyasi village, said with squinted eyes.

"Weaklings?! Who's the weakling here, Nami?!!" One villager shouted in denial, "You want to fight?!!"

"Fine!" Nami snorted, before holding her palm out with a grin, "That's going to cost you 10,000 Beli though."

Nojiko sweated along with the rest of the Twin Cats pirates, "Same old Nami."

Spadina, who was next to Nami, whispered in her left ear, "Tell them that I accept coins only."

"Rosinante... he was like a son to me." Sengoku, who was holding onto Garp to prevent the latter from reopening his wounds accidentally, spoke to Law, "So that's the reason why he decided to betray us."

"...He was an idiot." Law bickered, though he seemed to be in a sorrow at the same time, "But he was the one who gave me the will to live on."

It was completely disastrous, but that's how a party was supposed to be—Rowan thought.

Everyone laughing and treating one another without any prejudice, without faking anything—this is probably what Binks wanted.

"How strange." Rowan, who chugged down the bottle of rum in his hand, couldn't help but mutter, "The night... it's exactly the same as when I saw four years ago, after having been rescued by you."

The starry night, full of stars. The day where he woke up from his naive self. The day where he was miraculously prevented from being sent off to the Marine Headquarter for the purpose of experimentation, and the day where he was saved by his best partner of all time.

"Yet, many things changed." Carina chuckled, "Here we are, now completely free of any worry."

Her supposed family by blood, the 'Ban' royalty—they were as the cold corpses—killed at the beginning of the World War.

"Weird. I thought I would feel a sense of exhilaration when I saw them in their misery. But... I didn't feel anything, as if being completely unrelated to them."

Rowan smiled, "Well, I'm happy for you. To be free of all concerns—that's the life that we've been wishing for, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Carina smiled as well, "We struggled until the end, and finally got what we wanted. But..."

Rowan and Carina slowly closed in, before sharing a kiss,

"...what do you plan to do now? Settle down just like you said?"

Rowan let out a laugh,

"Quite funny, really. I think these sails changed me—the idea of settling down no longer interests me."

Carina looked at Rowan with a curiosity, "Then?"

"The sea is calling me." Rowan whispered, "To explore the world. No matter how the world will change from now on, I am a pirate. To enjoy the freedom, to go on an adventure, and to help all our crew members to achieve their goals—there's still so many things that I want to do."

He peered into Carina with affection,

"So, for a while longer, will you join me? Without my navigator, how will I do this?"

"Wherever you go," Carina whispered, "I follow."

"Then, I guess..." Rowan adjusted the captain's hat on his head, "...our journey is going to go up for a while longer."