Chapter 29 - CHAPTER 29 - The First Clash

"Put your guns down! Don't harm the children!" Rear Admiral Harry shouted, his gaze sweeping over the tense soldiers, who had their weapons drawn. Hearing his command, the soldiers quickly lowered their guns. Their heightened vigilance had triggered an instinctive reaction when they sensed something was off. However, considering the number of children present, rashly opening fire could lead to unnecessary casualties. "Take the children away." Rosen frowned. It seemed unlikely that this Marine Rear Admiral would let them go easily. But his persistence didn't necessarily indicate good or bad intentions. Was he acting out of concern for the children, or was he trying to cover up something? For now, the priority was to take the children back. Once they returned, Rosen could have Nico Robin gather information before making any further decisions. "Crocodile, from this point on, this matter falls under Marine jurisdiction. If you intend to interfere, don't expect me to stand idly by." Rosen suspected Rear Admiral Harry, but Harry also had his doubts about Rosen's motives. If not for the fact that Rosen had used a Den Den Mushi to report the situation, Harry wouldn't have maintained even this thin layer of civility. After all, Rosen's attitude before and after contacting him had been inconsistent. If he truly wanted to take these people away, why notify the Marines in the first place? Had he been used at some critical juncture that he couldn't quite grasp? A pirate is still a pirate. "It seems we won't be able to convince each other," Rosen said. He had never expected a Marine to be friendly toward him, but that was irrelevant. If they were simply fulfilling their duties, their attitude didn't matter—he could tolerate that. However, it was evident that Rear Admiral Harry deeply distrusted him. Harry tightened his grip on his weapon. "Sandstorm!" Rosen made the first move. No matter what, he had to take these children away. Since he had made his decision, he would see it through to the end. He couldn't let them escape one den of wolves only to fall into another. A swirling sandstorm formed in Rosen's hand. Rear Admiral Harry gripped his sword with both hands, his expression grim, yet he did not retreat. Was it possible that Crocodile had struck a deal with Captain Luca? Was this entire situation a trap meant for him? If so, they had severely underestimated him. He was one of the Marine Headquarters' elite Rear Admirals. Even against a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, there were ways to fight back. His trump cards included Seastone and his still-developing Armament Haki. "Falcon Slash!" As soon as Rosen unleashed his Sandstorm, a powerful dust storm swept forward. Without hesitation, Harry slashed his blade, sending a slicing energy wave soaring like a falcon taking flight. The other Marines sheathed their guns and drew their swords, surrounding Daz Bones. Boom! The sand tornado and the blade energy collided, generating a massive shockwave that instantly dented the ground. The clash of superhuman strength was terrifying. "Soru!" Harry charged in, his fighting spirit igniting. He wanted to see for himself why pirates could stand on equal footing with the Marine Headquarters. He had never supported the Shichibukai system. His figure vanished in an instant, reappearing behind Rosen. His slender but razor-sharp sword slashed toward Rosen's back. Swish! The blade sliced through Rosen's body—only to cut through sand. There was no sensation of hitting solid flesh. Harry instantly retreated as Rosen's body exploded into sand particles, which surged toward him. "Crescent Dune!" A blade-shaped sand attack swept toward Harry. If it landed, it would instantly drain his body of moisture. Even a brief moment of contact could significantly weaken an opponent's combat strength. "Kami-e!" Harry shifted his foot left, using the Six Powers technique "Kami-e" to evade. His body seemed to flatten into paper, narrowly avoiding the attack that had been aimed at his chest. The moment he stopped moving, Rosen thrust his hand forward. Sand Desert Saber! In an instant, all the surrounding dust was manipulated by Rosen's powers, transforming into countless sand blades that slashed toward Rear Admiral Harry. "Rankyaku: Grand Disc!" Harry planted his sword in the ground and leapt into the air, executing a powerful spinning kick. His leg, like a tornado, swept in a perfect circle, generating a massive air blade that expanded outward. The whirling energy wave clashed with the incoming sand blades, triggering a tremendous shockwave. Rosen recognized this move—it was similar to the Rankyaku technique used by CP9's Kaku. Boom! A deafening explosion erupted as all the sand blades and energy slashes collided. "Not bad," Rosen acknowledged. A Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral was indeed a formidable opponent. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been stationed at Sake Town. Even if he was stronger than Harry, taking him down wouldn't be easy. A fight wasn't just about power—too many factors could influence the outcome. Victory wasn't guaranteed unless there was an overwhelming difference in strength. "Desert Sunflower!" Rosen reacted swiftly. As the explosion sent dust flying, he pressed his palm to the ground. Boom! A massive pit, more than thirty meters wide, suddenly appeared in the terrain. "Geppo!" Harry leapt into the air, preparing for a fierce counterattack. "Rending Slash!" As soon as he ascended, Harry swung his sword with incredible speed, unleashing a dozen razor-sharp energy slashes toward Rosen. "Weighted Sandstorm!" Rosen opened both his clawed hand and his right palm. Nearby sand was drawn into a massive storm, which roared toward the incoming slashes. "Soru!" But Harry's real goal was to get close. Otherwise, even with a basic grasp of Haki, he wouldn't be able to deal significant damage to a Logia user. He had realized this the moment their battle began. "Armament!" Harry suddenly appeared on Rosen's left, his blade turning black as it became coated in Haki. He lunged with a sharp thrust. "Haki?" Rosen frowned but wasn't too surprised. Judging from their earlier exchanges, this Marine was undoubtedly skilled. However, seeing him use Haki did make things a bit trickier. Clang! Rosen blocked the strike with his golden hook, feeling considerable pressure. Before he could counterattack, Harry unleashed a relentless barrage of sword slashes. Rosen managed to parry them all, but close combat remained his weak point. For the moment, Harry had the upper hand. However, Rosen quickly devised a way to turn the tide—an area-wide attack. "Sandstorm!" The sand on Rosen's body seeped into the ground. As it made contact, the stone beneath them began turning to sand. Erosion Cycle—one of the abilities unique to Logia users, resembling an awakened Devil Fruit power. It allowed Rosen to transform anything he touched into part of his element. However, since he could only manipulate materials that contained sand, it wasn't a true awakening. By increasing the amount of sand in his surroundings, he could unleash an even greater sandstorm, surpassing the power of his usual attacks. Rumble! The ground trembled. After enduring over a hundred of Harry's slashes, Rosen unleashed a massive, surging sandstorm. Unlike a tornado-shaped Sandstorm, this one swept across the battlefield horizontally. Dust clouds surged in all directions. Harry, startled, prepared to leap away. But Rosen had been waiting for this moment. "Sand Burial!" Boom! A giant sand fist, formed from the raging storm, condensed in midair and smashed toward Harry with tremendous force. (End of Chapter)