As Rosinante's blade swung out, the air before it was instantly sucked away. Space itself twisted, and a roaring wave of sword aura exploded forward.
Seeing the ferocity of the slash, Kaen's eyes narrowed with caution—but a mocking smile still tugged at his lips.
That strike might look impressive, he thought, but the essence of it is ordinary.
Even though he could feel a faint sense of danger from Rosinante's attack, as a high-ranking swordsman, Kaen felt disdain. So this is the power of the so-called Dragon King? Hmph, nothing special.
"Hmph! Don't get cocky!" Kaen snarled coldly, swinging his greatsword with a fierce roar to shatter Rosinante's attack—to prove that anyone who dared challenge the Flying Sky Pirates was far too naïve.
With a thunderous clash, Kaen's greatsword met Rosinante's slash head-on.
He believed, with absolute certainty, that no matter how talented Rosinante was, he was still just a kid. Swordsmanship wasn't something one could master through luck or shortcuts—it demanded years of blood, sweat, and countless battles.
Rosinante might be strong, yes—but to surpass Kaen's blade? Impossible.
At least, that's what Kaen believed… until the instant their blades collided.
The moment his greatsword touched Rosinante's slash, Kaen's expression froze.
An explosion of raw, violent energy surged out of the strike. The sword aura went berserk, pressing Kaen back step by step. No matter how hard he strained, he couldn't stop the overwhelming force driving him backward.
And to his horror, the slash wasn't fading—it was growing larger, fiercer, threatening to engulf him completely.
"W-What…!" Kaen gritted his teeth as the floor beneath him cracked.
The other division captains of the Flying Sky Pirates paled instantly.
In the next moment, the Ghost Swordsman Cantel appeared beside Kaen, his movement ghostlike. His blade flashed, striking out to help block the slash.
But even together, their combined strength wasn't enough. The slash's power continued to surge, forcing them backward step by step, threatening to tear through them and reach the golden-haired figure seated on the main throne—Shiki the Golden Lion.
Yet, the Golden Lion merely watched calmly, eyes glinting with amusement. He almost seemed entertained.
"Shh, shh, shh!" Several more figures leapt into the air.
The Third Division Captain—Drunkard Mokusu, the Fifth Division Captain—Evil Knight Sibang, and two other sword-wielding captains joined the fray.
Mokusu's massive blackened fist, Sibang's knight's lance, and two gleaming swords all struck the slash together.
With the combined power of all the division captains, they finally managed to deflect Rosinante's attack upward. The energy cleaved through the roof, leaving a deep scar across the ceiling.
"Well now, not bad. You actually managed to block that," Rosinante said with a teasing grin.
"Bastard!" The Flying Sky Pirates roared furiously. None of them looked relieved—they were enraged, humiliated that it had taken all of them to stop one man's strike.
"Brat, this isn't a playground for you to act wild!"
At that moment, a claw covered in glistening scales shot out from behind Rosinante, aiming straight for his back.
But just before it could pierce his flesh, Rosinante's figure blurred and vanished. The claw slashed through empty air.
"Hmm? Did you just say something?" came Rosinante's calm voice from beside the attacker.
The First Division Captain—Bolly, his body armored in scales—turned in shock. Before he could even react, a devastating force slammed into his waist.
"Crushing Fist—Impact!" Rosinante's fist connected.
BOOM!
Bolly was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into the wall with an earth-shaking impact, dust billowing everywhere.
"Captain Bolly!"
"Bolly-sama was sent flying!"
"H-how is that possible? Even Bolly-sama was defeated?!"
All around, the Flying Sky Pirates stared in disbelief, their eyes wide with shock.
"Didn't expect Bolly to get smacked like that," Mokusu muttered.
"Don't worry about him," Kaen said grimly. "With that monster's defense, a punch like that is nothing more than a tickle. The real problem… is this guy. Dragon King Rosinante—he's not an easy opponent. We'll take him together. He's not leaving this island alive."
"I don't like ganging up on people," Sibang said coldly, "but in this case, I'll make an exception."
"Yeah. If our boss has to step in to deal with a brat, we'll never live it down," Cantel sneered.
"Agreed. I'd rather die than lose face like that," Mokusu added, still swigging from his bottle.
As they spoke, all the division captains surrounded Rosinante from all sides.
"Hey, hey… this is troublesome," Rosinante said lightly, his golden eyes narrowing. "You see, my target isn't you bunch of small fry."
"If you want to reach our boss, you'll have to get through us first!" Kaen growled.
Rosinante sighed. "Guess I'll have to waste some extra energy then. Fine—I'll just take care of all of you first."
"Bastard!"
A furious roar erupted. From the rubble, Bolly rose again, eyes bloodshot, fangs bared. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"He's bleeding?" one of the pirates gasped in shock.
Everyone turned pale.
Bolly's defenses were legendary. He had eaten the Ancient Zoan: Emperor Crocodile Fruit.
Zoan-type Devil Fruits were already known for their incredible toughness and vitality—but the Emperor Crocodile, an ancient apex predator with near-impenetrable scales, was in a league of its own. Very few in the world could ever wound him.
Even the Golden Lion's brows lifted slightly in surprise. He hadn't expected Bolly to actually bleed.
"Oh? Still standing? Was my punch too light?" Rosinante muttered with faint amusement.
Unlike the pirates, who were shocked Bolly could bleed, Rosinante was surprised the man could still stand. That punch had been his Crushing Fist – Impact, a blow that could pulverize boulders. Yet it had only drawn blood. That defense was even tougher than he'd imagined.
"Damn you! I'll tear you apart!" Bolly roared, veins bulging, his voice trembling with fury.
"Not good—Bolly's going full beast mode!" Mokusu shouted.
As he spoke, Bolly's body began to change. His two-meter-tall frame swelled rapidly, muscles bulging, scales thickening.
In moments, a monstrous creature towered before them—tens of meters long, covered from head to tail in shimmering armor-like scales.
With a single swing of his massive tail, the nearby walls exploded into rubble.
"He's transformed—the Emperor Crocodile form!" the Flying Sky Pirates shouted in awe.
"The Ancient Zoan Emperor Crocodile Fruit—one of the strongest beasts of ancient times! They say it could even defeat dragons!"
All eyes turned to Rosinante, as the colossal crocodilian beast let out a thunderous roar that shook the heavens…