Chapter 49 - CHAPTER 49 - Conqueror’s Awakening

Sand Shadow Stealth. Fully transforming into his element, Rosen submerged himself within the swirling sands, seamlessly blending into the surrounding sandstorms. This was the ideal battlefield for him. Though Captain Luka's whereabouts remained unknown, Rosen was certain that Luka wasn't the type to simply watch. He was undoubtedly lurking in the shadows, scheming. Even while fighting, Rosen remained vigilant, prepared for any unexpected twists. "Trying to ambush me? How naive, Crocodile." Bam could drink the sacred wine immediately—but doing so would leave him vulnerable. He needed to force Rosen back first. Rosen's sudden disappearance made him uneasy. Boom! Bam swung a Haki-infused punch into a cloud of swirling sand, sending a figure flying—Rosen. Expressionless, Rosen quickly analyzed Bam's capabilities. It seemed Bam had some proficiency in Observation Haki but specialized in Armament Haki. "Sand Bullet." As Rosen was knocked back, he flicked his finger. A tiny, high-speed sand projectile shot forward. It was small—merely the size of a fingertip. No real threat to Bam. But Bam wasn't the target. Smash! The sharp sound of glass shattering filled the air. Bam's eyes widened as he looked down at his hand—where the sacred wine had just been... now reduced to broken shards. For a moment, he froze. Then, an earth-shaking roar erupted from his throat, his killing intent surging like a tidal wave. There was no doubt now—Luka must have leaked this information. Otherwise, how could Rosen have known? From the beginning, every attack and movement had been calculated solely to prevent him from drinking the wine. Damn you, Shichibukai! Meanwhile, Rosen remained indifferent. If he knew the item could enhance Bam's strength, why would he let him drink it? This wasn't a sparring match—it was a battle to the death. No one waited for their opponent to be fully prepared before striking. That was simply unrealistic. — "If this drags on, I might actually die here..." Anger and realization clashed in Bam's mind. But Rosen wasn't about to give him time to think. With a burst of speed, Rosen closed the gap between them, his entire body encircled by thousands of razor-sharp sand blades. The storm of attacks descended. Bam faltered for an instant—just enough for Rosen to seize the advantage. Slash after slash, tornadoes of sand, crushing burial techniques—Bam was overwhelmed in a relentless barrage. Houses crumbled into rubble, flames illuminating the destruction. The battlefield turned into a living hell. With every passing second, Rosen pressed forward, sacrificing his own defense in favor of sheer aggression. He had already decided—if injuring himself meant ensuring Bam's defeat, so be it. A fight to the death. Both men bled. But Rosen's dominance only grew. Bam's defensive space shrank, his footing faltering. Bones cracked under the unrelenting assault. Even though Bam managed to land blows of his own, his earlier mistakes had been costly. He had given Rosen too much momentum. Now, he was drowning in the consequences. — Rosen had gained the upper hand. But it wasn't enough. He needed a definitive finishing move. There was no turning back. Bam had to die. Here. Tonight. "Earth Roll!" The sands across the battlefield surged toward Rosen's grasp. It was as if his hands had become black holes, devouring every grain of sand in the storm. A colossal amount of sand, enough to engulf an entire city block, condensed into his grip. A blade began to form—one so dense that merely holding it was a struggle. Rosen's face twisted in exertion. He rarely called out the names of his techniques. But this time, he needed absolute focus. Names weren't just for show. They helped sharpen the mind. They heightened the senses. They allowed one to channel their will into a single, perfect strike. Just like how hearing your name while aimlessly wandering the streets can snap you back to attention, Rosen needed this exact focus now. The sheer act of gathering and compressing this immense quantity of sand into a single blade was pushing his control and stamina to their absolute limits. But without it, he couldn't seize victory in this opportune moment. He needed a move that could decide the battle in one strike. His arm holding the sword had already begun to wither, drained of energy by the sword itself. Yet he couldn't stop. Stopping now would mean the move would collapse before it was even fully formed. Rosen had underestimated this technique. Even when he first conceived it, he hadn't anticipated the sheer amount of energy it would demand. It was draining him dry. The principle was simple—compress and condense the sand. But he had absorbed too much. "AHH!" Rosen let out a deafening roar, an immense pressure surging outward like an unstoppable tide. A wild and violent aura erupted from his body, sweeping across the battlefield. For a moment, the sky flickered with golden light. It was the untapped power hidden within this body. The dormant potential of Crocodile himself. With his strength and Devil Fruit ability, Rosen should have already mastered Haki. He had been more than capable of wielding it. All he lacked was the catalyst. And now, in this moment of absolute focus, his potential finally awakened. A wave of Conqueror's Haki burst forth. Countless people in the area collapsed instantly, their eyes rolling back as they lost consciousness. Panic spread like wildfire. "Why are people collapsing?! What the hell is going on?!" "We need to get out of here—NOW! This place is cursed! No amount of fine wine is worth dying for!" Even those who had kept their distance to watch the outcome of the battle were affected. Why? Why were people so far away suddenly fainting? Were they being ambushed? Poisoned? And what was this monstrous, suffocating pressure that felt like the breath of a devil itself? "Conqueror's Haki!?" In a dark corner, Moris, who had been drinking leisurely, suddenly froze, his jug of wine pausing mid-air. His previously hazy gaze sharpened, filled with unexpected intensity. "A World Government lapdog... possessing such an innate gift?" — "Impossible! How could you have such power?!" Bam let out a shrill cry of disbelief. He didn't even notice that the flames from a nearby burning building had spread to his clothes. But Rosen was oblivious to it all. His mind had already surpassed the limits of exhaustion. There was only one thing left— Victory. "Desert Annihilation Slash!" With every ounce of his strength, Rosen lunged forward, his sand-forged sword gleaming under the chaotic flames. Like a bolt of lightning, he closed the distance, his eyes locked onto Bam's face twisted in terror. "Close combat?! How foolish!" Even without the sacred wine, Bam didn't waver. He had no time to dodge—Rosen was too fast. But turning his back would be even more dangerous. His instincts screamed that this was the moment of life or death. His own bloodlust ignited. With a roar, he activated every ounce of Haki and his Devil Fruit ability. "Ultimate Collision Form!" Bam's entire body transformed into a living impact zone. Just by standing still, anything that touched him would be obliterated by an overwhelming shockwave. He acknowledged that Rosen had superior battle instincts. But if Rosen was stupid enough to attack up close, it would be suicidal. His body was too fragile to withstand the full force of his counterattack. With his anti-impact mist, Haki reinforcement, and collision ability, there was no way Rosen could break through all of his defenses. At most, he would take a moderate wound. Running? That was for cowards. All of this happened within a few breaths. From the moment Rosen formed his blade to the instant his Haki erupted— The battle had already reached its climax. — SHIIING! Earth Roll: Desert Annihilation Slash! A single, blinding slash tore through the battlefield. Bam felt his body tremble. Rosen felt his entire frame crushed under an unparalleled shockwave. A true clash of titans. "Ghkk!" Rosen barely managed to dodge past Bam, landing behind him. His blade could no longer hold its form— With a loud explosion, the condensed sand shattered into a massive sandstorm, blotting out the sky. A loud crack echoed from Rosen's chest— His ribs had been shattered by the impact. Blood spewed from his lips. Yet— He laughed. — "You're not going to survive either..." Bam's voice was weak. He turned his head with great difficulty. He knew. That damned Shichibukai... Had actually pierced through his Haki defenses. Through his Devil Fruit's built-in shock absorption. But he was sure. With the force of the recoil, Rosen's organs had to be pulverized. If they were both going to die here— That didn't sound too bad. — "Sorry." Rosen exhaled. "My body's durability is actually twice as strong as what I've shown you." Bam's pupils dilated. "I don't know what made you think that close combat meant certain victory..." Rosen smirked, wiping the blood from his lips. "But since you were so convinced, I figured I'd play along." "I'm not dying today." — SHLKT! From within Bam's body, countless razor-sharp sand blades burst forth. A fountain of blood sprayed into the night. This... This wasn't just an ordinary slash. The moment Rosen's blade had cut him— It had implanted sand into his body. And now, all at once, those compressed sand particles expanded violently. From the inside out. — Bam was torn apart. A gruesome, grotesque end. The battle was over. (End of Chapter)