"Bastard! Who dares cause trouble here?!" one of the Flying Sky Pirates' officers roared, slamming his hand on the table as he stood up.
"Running wild in our territory—are you tired of living?!" another shouted, his voice echoing across the hall.
At their outburst, countless Flying Sky Pirates suddenly poured in from every direction, surrounding the grand hall. Their weapons gleamed coldly as they fixed wary eyes on the shattered doors.
Though Golden Lion and his men had laughed off Rosinante and the Gray Country earlier, that didn't mean they were careless.
These were pirates who had ruled the New World for years—veterans of countless wars. Golden Lion might seem reckless, but he wasn't stupid. You don't command an empire of airborne islands without being a master strategist.
To prevent any ambush from the Gray Country or other pirate crews, the Flying Sky Pirates had stationed guards all around their floating fortress.
"Well, excuse me," a calm voice said from the doorway, "I didn't mean to kick your door down… but hearing all that arrogant drivel just now made me a little nauseous. Guess I used too much strength without noticing."
A lone figure stepped into the hall, his tone polite—but his expression betrayed not the slightest hint of apology.
Young.
That was everyone's first impression of the intruder.
He looked no older than his late teens or early twenties. Yet the way he moved—the quiet authority in his steps—made the air around him feel heavy.
At his waist hung a long, elegant blade. Its scabbard shimmered with noble purple patterns.
Those who knew their swords recognized it instantly—one of the Great Grade Blades: Ziming.
There was no doubt. The intruder was none other than Rosinante.
"You little brat, who the hell are you?!" another officer barked. "How did you even get up here?"
After all, they were five thousand meters above sea level. No ordinary human could possibly reach this place. The fact that this young man had appeared here at all put them instantly on guard.
Anyone capable of getting here was no mere 'kid'.
"Obviously, I walked in," Rosinante replied lazily. "What a stupid question."
"Hahaha! Liss, you are an idiot!" several pirates burst into laughter, slapping their knees.
"Bastard!" the officer named Liss growled, his face turning red as the laughter filled the hall.
Even when drunk, pirates never went without their weapons. Enraged and humiliated, Liss grabbed the huge blade beside him and stepped forward, eyes blazing with fury.
"I don't care who you are," he snarled coldly. "You'll regret ever setting foot in here today."
"Liss, be careful!" another officer warned. "Anyone who can appear here isn't someone to take lightly!"
"I don't need you to tell me that!" Liss snapped. "But I'm the man with a bounty of 270 million Berries! You think I'd be afraid of a punk like him?"
He smirked, hoisting his massive broadsword onto his shoulder as he approached Rosinante. "Brat, you'd better savor your last few seconds. Once I'm done with you, you'll be trembling too much to talk."
Rosinante looked at him with calm eyes. "Relax. You're nowhere near enough to make me tremble."
The surrounding pirates roared with laughter again.
"Cocky little bastard!" Liss roared. "Die!"
He swung his enormous blade down with terrifying force. The air itself shrieked as the steel cut through it, the pressure alone enough to make the floor crack beneath his feet.
This was the power of a pirate worth 270 million Berries—a single strike that could tear through a ship's hull.
But before the blade even touched him, Rosinante moved.
No one could clearly see how. It was as if his body simply vanished. In the blink of an eye, he sidestepped the blow with effortless precision.
The captains sitting at the upper table all froze, eyes widening in disbelief. Even the Golden Lion himself raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"To draw a blade against me…" Rosinante's tone turned icy. "You really don't know your place."
He clenched his fist and swung.
A low hum filled the hall as the air around his arm twisted.
BOOM!
Liss didn't even have time to scream. Rosinante's punch hit him square in the face, and the impact was like a cannonball.
He shot through the air like a rocket, smashing headfirst into the second-floor wall. His skull embedded deep into the stone, his body still trembling from the force.
"Liss! You bastard!" another officer shouted, glaring at Rosinante with rage.
The entire hall went silent for a moment, then filled with stunned whispers.
A pirate with a 270 million bounty—defeated in a single blow.
Even for veterans of the New World, that was unthinkable.
"How is that possible?!" someone gasped. "Who the hell is this guy?!"
"Kill him!" an officer bellowed, slamming his weapon against the floor. "Kill that brat!"
At his order, dozens of pirates surged forward, blades drawn, roaring as they charged.
They weren't the kind to hesitate—these were men who had ruled the New World once. Fear wasn't in their blood.
Rosinante exhaled softly. "Hmph."
A thunderous aura burst from his body, crashing over the room like a tidal wave.
Conqueror's Haki.
The force of his spirit shook the air itself.
Pirates froze mid-charge. Many collapsed instantly, eyes rolling back as they fell unconscious.
Those who managed to remain standing trembled, cold sweat streaming down their faces as their legs refused to move.
"Hoh… only a tenth of them fell?" Rosinante murmured with mild surprise. "As expected of the Flying Sky Pirates—still worthy of their name."
"What a terrifying presence…"
"T-That's Conqueror's Haki! His spirit's not weaker than the boss's!"
"This kid… who is he?!"
The ten division captains seated near the Golden Lion exchanged uneasy glances.
Golden Lion, however, just grinned—a cruel, savage grin.
Rosinante's gaze lifted toward the throne at the head of the hall. His killing intent locked onto the man sitting there, wild blonde hair and twin blades gleaming in the light.
"Hey, Golden Lion," he said coldly, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "You killed my crew… destroyed my Third Division… Don't you think it's about time we settled that debt?"