If there was a perfect opponent to measure his current strength against, then Sir Crocodile—one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—fit that role perfectly.
“Sand Crocodile.”
Rowan’s voice carried clearly across the battlefield, calm and almost taunting.
“Is that really the extent of your attacks?”
BOOM!
The words landed like a spark on dry tinder.
Crocodile’s expression twisted instantly.
“You little brat… don’t get ahead of yourself!”
His arms spread wide.
“Desert: Golden Giant Blade!”
The desert itself responded.
Sand surged upward in violent torrents, compressing and shaping into four enormous blades suspended in the air.
Then—
With a sharp motion, Crocodile brought them down.
From both sides.
A coordinated pincer strike designed to crush and slice everything in its path.
No escape route.
No blind spot.
Just execution.
At the same moment—
Zzzzt…
Lightning began to crawl across Rowan’s body.
Slow at first.
Then violent.
Then absolute.
His gaze shifted.
The earlier durability test was over.
Now— it was time to test something far more important.
Combat output.
Half a year of Sky Island training had refined both his Behemoth Fruit control and his Rumble-Rumble Fruit mastery.
And Crocodile— was the perfect opponent to confirm the results.
If Crocodile knew he was being used as a benchmark, he would likely cough blood on the spot.
“30 Million Volts—Thunder Beast.”
ROAR!!
The moment the four sand blades closed in— a roar shattered the air.
Lightning erupted outward in a violent surge, forming the shape of a colossal thunder beast.
It slammed its feet into the desert ground and charged forward without hesitation.
BOOM!!!
The collision detonated across the battlefield.
Sand and lightning exploded outward in every direction.
The impact didn’t last long.
Because it didn’t need to.
Within seconds— all four sand blades were erased.
Completely shattered by overwhelming electrical force.
Silence followed.
Then shock.
“Lightning…?!”
Crocodile’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“Another Devil Fruit user…”
His tone shifted immediately.
From mockery— to calculation.
Rowan was not just strong.
He was unreadable.
But Crocodile still believed he had the advantage.
A Logia user could not be easily defeated.
As long as he remained sand, physical attacks meant nothing.
Still— that lightning had changed the atmosphere.
Behind him, Baroque Works agents began to falter.
Their leader’s attacks had been blocked—twice.
And now something worse had appeared.
That thunder beast…
It didn’t just destroy.
It overwhelmed.
Fear began to creep in.
“See?”
Wiper’s voice broke the tension.
“I told you.
The captain is strong.”
“Mm.”
Robin’s response was quiet.
Her eyes never left the battlefield.
That was not the issue.
The issue was something else entirely.
Crocodile was still standing.
Still thinking.
Still capable of continuing the fight.
And Robin understood him better than most.
A Logia user like him did not need to win exchanges.
He only needed time.
Space.
Opportunity.
Which meant—
Rowan might dominate the battlefield…
but Crocodile was not finished yet.
Not even close.
Back on the battlefield.
The thunder beast faded with the dispersing lightning.
Rowan exhaled once.
Then drew his sword.
A finely forged blade from Skypiea.
A weapon gifted by an old blacksmith he had once freed.
Skillfully crafted.
Far above standard steel.
A blade worthy of being called Meito-level quality (Skillful Grade Rank 50).
And now— it drank in lightning.
Zzzzt…
Electricity wrapped around the blade, tightening like a living current.
The air itself began to hum.
Rowan looked at Crocodile.
Then smiled.
“Then try this.”
“Take one of my sword strikes head-on.”
Crocodile’s eyes narrowed.
A sword?
So he wasn’t just a Devil Fruit user.
He was a swordsman too.
For the first time— a faint, unfamiliar tension crept into Crocodile’s chest.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.