Chapter 203: Chapter 192
*CLANG*
Carina clashed her knives against Mihawk's huge sword, Yoru.
'His Armament Haki is too potent.' Carina's fruit ability wasn't able to penetrate through Mihawk's defence and shred Yoru apart.
*ZOOM*
Quickly teleporting herself, Carina managed to dodge Mihawk's sword that abruptly slashed through where she was previously dwelling within.
*Crack* *Crack*
Then, the knives in Carina's hands shattered, unable to handle the sharpness of Mihawk's attacks.
"Weak." Mihawk commented with boredom in his eyes, "Is this it, Phantom?"
Carina chuckled in response.
"Yep."
She already knew very well beforehand that her strength lacks severely against Mihawk. If so, why did she decide to face him alone?
<Listen very well, all of you.>
The Grimheart pirates knew that fighting separately will, without a doubt, result in their losses. There was a limit to how long they are able to hold the enemies back.
Therefore, just when Rowan left to face Imu, Carina commanded in his stead.
<We're going to 'act.' Make the enemies believe as if we are going to fight separately for a brief moment in the beginning. We will split them apart. For us, however,>
When including Teleport Teleport fruit that she had, the distance wasn't an obstacle. Coupled with Dan and Cavendish, who consumed the fruits that can be considered the 'fastest,' there is an endless number of strategies that they can come up with.
*ZOOM*
At the next moment, Mihawk found his eyes narrowed.
Instead of Carina alone, along with the sudden purple flashes, Alfred was leaping toward Mihawk in his frightening wolf-form.
*CLANG*
Unfazed by the sudden attack, Mihawk quickly raised his sword sideways and blocked Carina's knives and Alfred's fangs simultaneously.
*ZOOM*
Then, Mihawk's vision suddenly subverted, and he found Sakazuki's cluster of magma right in front of him.
*SWOOSH*
Without an effort, Mihawk moved his arm at a blurry speed, severing the magma in one go.
"Ignis,"
Subsequently, Mihawk turned back and saw the huge arrow of blue flame heading toward him,
"Arrow."
"...I see." Mihawk swung his sword once again. The petty tricks like these were naught but a child's play in his eyes.
*BOOOOOOOM*
Subsequently, Urouge was found to be hit by Sakazuki's fist imbued by dense magma, propelling back to where Cavendish and Kong were clashing against each other.
Mihawk's eyes flashed in red before he vanished,
*CLANG*
preventing Carina from reaching Urouge.
Carina's eyes narrowed.
*ZOOM*
Mihawk then saw Kong's fist and Cavendish's sword approaching him from both sides.
*CLANG*
Cavendish's Durandal was blocked by Mihawk's Yoru. Mihawk, with calmness, turned his face to Kong expectantly.
*SWOOSH*
Kong's fist stopped right in front of Mihawk's face.
"Teleport Teleport fruit..." Kong gritted his teeth, "it surely is dangerous."
Carina didn't respond. Instead, she placed her hand on Cavendish's shoulder.
*ZOOM*
Carina, along with Cavendish, and Mihawk whose sword was in contact with Cavendish's, then teleported right in front of Sakazuki, whose body was completely surrounded by magma.
Above Sakazuki, Urouge was dropping with a size that resembled a giant.
From below, Alfred was rapidly travelling toward Sakazuki in his wolf-form, using Geppo.
Sakazuki found himself grimacing as Carina suddenly appeared along with Cavendish and Mihawk. He was surrounded from all sides.
However, Sakazuki knew very well that Mihawk possessed the Armament Haki that rivaled Sengoku. There was no need to hesitate.
"Volcanic—"
*ZOOM*
Carina suddenly vanished again,
*ZOOM*
before reappearing in an instant, with... Weevil's naginata about to cut through Sakazuki's throat.
*CLANG*
Sakazuki urgently imbued Armament Haki on top of his dense layer of magma, defending against Weevil's strike.
"W-whwa?! Whwat am I dowing here—waaaaa!!!" Weevil flapped his arms as if trying to fly, but fell from the middle of the sky, for there was no method for him to keep himself afloat.
*SPLASH*
At the same time, Urouge, Alfred, and Cavendish all attacked Sakazuki simultaneously,
"Inga Zarashi!!!"
"Beautiful Sword: Brilliant Rose!"
Alfred's monocle flashed as his Haki-imbued fangs slashed through Sakazuki.
*BOOOOOOOOOM*
The layer of magma crumbled apart due to the three pirates' attacks, though Sakazuki seemed to be fine.
*CLANG*
Meantime, Carina held Mihawk back, who gazed down at her with boredom.
"I suppose... that I should get a little serious here."
*Paz* *Paz*
Carina immediately backed off with a dark expression. Mihawk coated his blackened sword, Yoru, with Conqueror's Haki: Infusion.
This is where the real battle starts.
"But we aren't without a plan either." Carina then smiled knowingly, just as,
*PAZZZZZZZZ*
the intense beam of blue lightning suddenly struck Mihawk, who clashed his sword against it and demolished the technique single-handedly.
"Been waiting for me?" Dan stood next to Carina with a grin.
"Hehe, maybe."
Subsequently,
"Full Metal,"
Armament Haki: Emission. Conqueror's Haki: Infusion. When combined with his ability to harden his own body to an incredible degree, Ace wasn't someone who could be ignored.
"Ox Blitz!!!"
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
Mihawk rotated his body, and using the momentum, swung his sword against Ace. The incredible burst of Haki occurred, and the sky crackled in the ferocious black lightning.
"Not enough, Iron Fist." Mihawk commented coldly,
"I know." To which Ace replied with a grin.
"Ryusoken."
Then, Mihawk's eyes widened. From some distance away, Dragon was standing by.
The wind began to pick up. It swirled around Dragon, and in due time, a huge storm appeared on the battlefield once again.
*PAZZZZZZ*
The black lightning thundered across the field under Dragon's control, reflecting his will to conquer.
But that wasn't the end.
"Xebec—"
"How?!!" Kong found himself shouting as Garp, with an enraged expression, was rapidly flying toward him with his right fist cocked back,
""Dragon's Roar! / Fist!!!!!""
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
Mihawk, revealing his full potential, met Dragon's strike under the pressure of Ace's attack. As if proving that he is the 'Strongest Swordsman of the World,' he withstood the powerhouses with an adamant will of his own.
Kong, on the other hand,
"*COUGH*... Garp... you...!"
was sent propelling down to the sea, unable to handle Garp's fearsome punch.
"You are nothing but a scum, Kong!" Garp growled, "Justice my a**!!! How can you ignore all the wrongdoings that the World Government is inflicting onto the innocents right now?!!"
From the bottom, Sengoku was awaiting Kong with a deep frown.
"I've lost all my respect for you, Kong." Sengoku stated as his body began to transform into a huge buddha, "If Marine doesn't protect the weak, then what's the point of its existence? Is your loyalty to the Celestial Dragons out of justice, or out of greed? I think the answer is obvious."
Kong, with panic, encased his whole body with Armament Haki, bracing for the impact.
"Hm...!!"
From Sengoku's outstretched palm, the pure force burst out of it and smashed into Kong.
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
Watching as Kong vomited blood in mid-air, Sakazuki found himself sweating slightly.
*VROOOOOOOOOOM*
From atop the sky, a huge comet was rapidly falling to where Sakazuki stood. From his left and right, Cavendish and Dan were launching their respective attacks as well.
"Have you been expecting this, Fleet Admiral?" Issho, who stood on top of one Sea King down the sea, said just as Sakazuki was smashed between three different attacks at once.
*BOOOM*
"How fun." Robin stated as she grew countless Haki-imbued arms from Sea King's back and blocked one pacifista's laser beam, "I'd rather spend time reading, however."
"Neigh!!" Farul cried as he slammed into the same pacifista.
*BOOOOM*
At the same time, Jozu, whose right arm transformed into diamond, punched one approaching sky creature down.
"Ha... since when did the minks have the medicine like this? I don't recall."
"You talk a lot for a diamond!" Bonney shouted as she placed her hand on top of the pacifista that Farul slammed onto, before accelerating its aging process by an incredible degree.
In no due time, the pacifista withered into a broken machine.
"Oi oi!" Just then, one blonde man in a black suit, Sanji, shouted as he kicked another sky creature from diving onto Robin, "Leave the ladies alone, you hideous bird!!"
Then, he landed and flashed a smile to Robin and Bonney,
"May I learn the precious names of the world's most beautiful flowers?"
*CLANG*
Robin, with a calm smile, grew an arm around Sanji's shoulder and blocked a bullet from one World Government agent's gun.
"Watch your back, you idiot!" Bonney shouted in annoyance, "You trying to get yourself killed or what?!"
"Oh..." Sanji froze with a blush, "t-that... was so... HAWT!!!"
His eyes turned into a heart and his body swayed comically, causing Robin and Bonney to take a step back with a freaked-out expression.
*BOOOOOOOOM*
"Ahhh!!! What is wrong with you?!!" At some distance away, Bartolomeo cried as Kuma's fist slammed onto his barrier. Though it didn't crumble down, the force was enough to make Bartolomeo shiver.
"Hold on, Barto-boy!" Ivankov shouted before hopping to Kuma and winking, "Wake up, Kuma!
Death Wink!"
*BOOOOOM*
Kuma's head was knocked back due to a sudden explosion from Ivankov's technique.
"Nice one, Ivankov-san!" Jinbe, seizing the chance, propelled himself to the falling Kuma, and sent his palm forth, "Fish Man Karate,
Sharkskin Palm Thrust!!"
*BOOOOOOOOOOM*
While Kuma was being flown up in the air,
Prominence roared as it coiled around Pluton, before thrashing the huge ship into a nearby piece of land that was floating on the water.
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
"""AHHHHHHH!!!!""" From within the Pluton, the Celestial Dragons screamed,
"What is going on outside?!!!" Sir Rosward screamed as he held his bleeding head.
*Tap*
"Interesting." Mihawk let out an amused smile, just as Ace and Dragon's attacks finally died down. He landed on top of one piece of land that was floating. With him being surrounded by enemies all around, any sense of boredom was gone from him.
Now, Mihawk's eyes headed to his front, where Zoro was glaring at him with a bandana wrapped around his head.
"So we meet again, Hawk Eye!" Zoro lowered his posture and got into a stance.
"It's a little too early for you, Roronoa Zoro." Mihawk replied impassively.
"Let's see about that." Zoro then moved.
"Nine Sword Style,"
Zoro's eyes gleamed as his sword slashed at once,
"Asura: Silver Mist!"
*SWOOSH*
Zoro, at a rapid speed, moved behind Mihawk. Immediately after, two of his swords shattered effortlessly, and he fell to one knee.
"Tch... damn it!"
*Splash*
Just then, Weevil made his appearance out of the sea that he previously fell into, and climbed onto the land where Mihawk and Zoro were standing.
"Ugwh... not agwain!!!"
*BOOM*
Immediately after, Ace and Sabo landed next to where Zoro was huffing by.
"You seem to be struggling, Luffy's friend." Sabo exclaimed with a grin.
"Says someone who's weaker than me." Zoro snorted as he stood back up with a shaky body.
*ZOOM*
From the side, Carina, Dan, and Cavendish flashed into the scene, ready for the raid against Dracule Mihawk.
"We are in the end game now."
Carina remarked seriously, "Either we stand victorious within the time limit, or die."
"Guahaha!" Cavendish laughed heartily, "Simple! I like it!"
Dan shifted his eyes to where the Heart pirates were,
'The final one should be treated by now.'
____________
*Dum* *Dum* *Dum* *Dum*
"Uh... captain?" The bear-mink, Bepo, spoke up warily, "W-what's going on this straw hat boy?"
"...No idea."
For the first time in his career as a surgeon, Law didn't have an answer.
"Nishishishi."
*Dum* *Dum* *Dum* *Dum*
The final patient whom they treated with the special medicine from Zou, Monkey D. Luffy, currently was in an abnormal state.
Crackling in laughter, the scrawny boy had his hair burning in a form of a white flame. His body was shrouded by a white cloud, and his attire was glowing in pure white.
"...What devil fruit did he eat?" Law muttered with suspicion in his eyes.
"Wasn't it Rubber Rubber fruit?"
Law momentarily turned to the crew member of the Heart pirates who answered his question, and looked back at Luffy with stupefaction,
"How is this rubber?"
*Boing*
Then, Luffy bounced up from the back of the Sea King that he was lying upon, which bent unnaturally akin to rubber.
"Nishishishi! For some reason, I feel like laughing!"
Bepo scratched the back of his head, "He seems fine though...?"
___________
*SWOOSH*
Rowan's figure vanished as one gigantic seastone dragon flew through where he stood by.
He was entirely surrounded by the dragons that flew around him in an unpredictable manner, as if they were alive.
Then, Rowan's eyes blazed in dark crimson. The huge mass of Conqueror's Haki: Manifestation spread around him, darkening the sky within seconds.
*PAZZZZZZZZZZZ*
The crackling sound of lightning. Before the seastone dragons could slam onto Rowan, the similarly-shaped dragons of black lightning came into the existence, resisting the opposing dragons fearlessly.
*BOOOOOOMBOOOOOOMBOOOOOOM*
It was a deadlock. All dragons were at a tie, unable to defeat one another at the moment.
However, Rowan knew that it wasn't going to last forever. It won't be long before—
'S***!'
*SPLASHSPLASHSPLASH*
The seastone dragons that are daring to bite through his own manifestation of dragons, then burst into the sharp needles of water all of a sudden, completely trapping Rowan in an instant.
"Bounce—"
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
"—Impact!!!"
Rowan immediately blasted his whole surrounding and repelled all the water from reaching him.
"Ouroboros."
And it was just the beginning. The water that he blasted away, all condensed back into the seastone dragons and soared toward him for the second time.
*Swoosh*
Rowan vanished. The seastone dragons coiled and swam around the sky in an elegant manner. Upon the sprinkles of water, the rainbow has appeared in the sky, enlightening the battlefield in a bizarre atmosphere.
The whole sky rippled. The heavy usage of water from Imu caused the air itself to become so humid. Imu slowly moved with certainty, as if knowing what Rowan will do next.
"Your eyes." Imu whispered, "They grant an incredible acceleration of your thought process, which serves as a notable boost on your speed and reflex. I do admit that it has brought me to a surprise the first time. However, now,"
Imu smiled with cold eyes,
"you won't be able to reach me, ever again."
The sea god was full of confidence.
Immediately after, Rowan appeared in front of Imu with the gigantic black skeleton having manifested once again. For sure, Imu knew what was about to come,
"ARMAGEDDON!!!!"
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
The incredible explosions occurred consecutively,
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
for countless times.
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
However, within these explosions that dominated the whole space, Imu stood with his head tilted to his left. Rowan's outstretched fist, without a doubt, was pointed elsewhere.
Rowan's technique missed.
"*Huff*... *Huff*..."
"I don't fall for the same trick twice." Imu stated impassively, "Didn't I already say so?"
Rowan didn't respond. Instead, ignoring the fatigue that was building up within his body, Rowan twisted his body to dodge two seastone dragons that flew past him all of a sudden, before launching flurries of attacks on Imu.
*BOOOMBOOOMBOOOMBOOOMBOOOM*
Exquisitely positioned punches.
*BOOOMBOOOMBOOOMBOOOMBOOOM*
Kicks enhanced with his Conqueror's Haki: Manifestation.
"Plasma—"
Techniques involving heat.
"—Cannon!!!"
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
All were for naught. The ability to morph one's body into water, the ability to control the entire water around oneself, and the ability to construct and decompose seastone with water as a material. Along with the unfathomable mastery over the Observation Haki, Imu seemed undefeatable.
Yet, Rowan didn't give up. A cowardly thought didn't enter his mind for a single moment.
"Aren't you—"
*BOOOOOOOOOM*
"—tired already, foolish Vasilia?"
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
Rowan's eyes blazed at its maximum as he continued to utilize 'Accel World' over and over. The stress was being built up. He was notably slowing down. However, his will burned brighter than ever, not knowing when to yield.
*SWOOSH*
And now, Rowan appeared behind Imu, intending to crush Imu's head with his Haki-imbued arm. Then, he froze in midair, unable to move.
"The whole area is now filled with water. Though it's the sky, it is the sea at the same time."
The whole area was surrounded by the steam, cloud, mist—all forms that water can take, thanks to Imu's prolonged use of his ability.
'...The white sea,' Rowan thought.
"Within this domain of mine, nothing shall be granted a strength to resist."
'The reason I am unable to move... is because Imu,
he turned the entire droplets of water within the air into the micro-sized seastones.'
What a fine control of devil fruit that it was. Being able to utilize the fruit ability to this precision and mastery—Imu's arrogance wasn't baseless.
*PAZZZZZZZZ*
There was no way that Rowan would accept such an ending. Gritting his teeth, Rowan quickly burst the entirety of his surrounding with the maximum capability of Conqueror's Haki: Manifestation that he was capable of.
However, it was to no avail. Even after years of training with the seastone cuffs, it was simply impossible for a devil fruit user such as himself to exert more strength than a slow movement enough to swim. With the seastone of this purity, it was an entirely different matter, for it was incomparable to any other seastones that Rowan experienced in his life.
"A pitiful loss. That's all that you amount to." Imu's eyes made an arch out of amusement, "How miserable. They placed their hopes in you, and look how you failed them."
The seastone dragons were now circling around the immobilized Rowan.
"Does this answer your question? 4 years of experience... how amusing. Did you believe that you'd be capable of dethroning me?"
Imu clenched his hand. In response, the seastone dragons rushed onto Rowan and encased him entirely,
"Vulgar pirate, suffer. Rot in the depth of the sea. Struggle. Resist until the end, and despair upon learning that your strength cannot overcome mine."
"...Resist?" Rowan weakly muttered.
Without any further word, Imu raised his hand up.
"I am the Immortal, the being who transcended beyond human's limit, and the overseer of the world. For daring to oppose me,
receive the divine judgement!"
*VROOOOOOOOOOOM*
One gigantic seastone pole revealed itself from above, before slamming onto the sphere of seastone that encased Rowan.
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
The entire structure then fell into the water,
*SPLASH*
trapping Rowan within the vast sea.
However, Imu wasn't able to hear Rowan's words as he was falling.
"The struggle... of the weak."
Struggle.
Resist.
'The Haki of Resistance.'
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
BravoBuds
BravoBuds A long chapter. Chaotic at the same time. If this chapter was enjoyable and logical just as I hope so, then stay tuned for the next chap!
The highlight is coming!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone