Chapter 50 - CHAPTER 50 - Looting the Battlefield? The End or the Beginning

Rosen was also breathing heavily. He had always been confident in defeating Bam, but preventing his escape had been a different challenge. The gap in their strength wasn't too great, so when Bam believed he had the advantage in close combat, Rosen had deliberately loosened his defenses, making it seem like melee attacks could severely wound him. In reality, he had been waiting for a decisive, fight-ending strike. Bam's defense was formidable. Regular sandstorms or desert punches had limited effectiveness against someone fortified with both Armament Haki and the Collision-Collision Fruit. The Earth Roll: Desert Annihilation Slash had been a gamble. If Rosen had lost control of the compressed sand, he could have lost himself to its overwhelming force, leaving an opening for Bam to exploit. Likewise, if his own durability hadn't been twice as strong as it seemed, Bam's desperate final counterattack wouldn't have just injured him—it would have killed him. But was it truly over? Rosen didn't think so. Even after delivering his ultimate attack, his mind remained in a heightened state of alertness. His injuries were severe—internal organ damage, countless flesh wounds, and broken bones from the final impact. Yet he couldn't afford to let his guard down. Bam had been a pirate with a bounty exceeding two hundred million, and Rosen believed his strength was on par with, if not exceeding, that price tag. The mission might be complete, but now wasn't the time to check. First, he needed to see if Bones and Robin were safe. During the final moments of his battle, he hadn't been able to split his focus. He could only hope they had made it through. — "He won? Hahaha..." Captain Luka grinned, but his expression soon darkened. That overwhelming presence earlier—was it Haki? No, it was too overwhelming. Could it have been Conqueror's Haki? For a fleeting moment, he had felt as if his heart had been crushed, as if making the wrong move would suffocate him. — "Should I kill Crocodile now?" Luka weighed the options. Rosen's injuries looked serious. Killing him now would bring a lot of benefits. Besides, it would let him get revenge for the humiliation of having his previous offer rejected. Yes... he should kill him. This Shichibukai was too dangerous to leave alive. And if he played his cards right, he could spin the narrative into something heroic— The Marine who saved Wine City by slaying a rogue Warlord. Yes, that had a nice ring to it. Luka slowly pulled back the string on his military crossbow. He had already given orders for his men to start encircling Rosen. But just before he could take action, someone else jumped in. A pirate with a bounty of 130 million Berries—Brido. Brido had also noticed Rosen's injuries and exhaustion, but he was careful not to get too close. Instead, he called out from a safe distance: "Oi, Shichibukai! That Marine over there is about to kill you! How about you hand over the Devil Fruit to me instead? In exchange, I won't interfere." Luka's face immediately turned black. Damn it! Where the hell had this idiot come from? That one loud sentence had completely ruined his chance for a clean kill. Now, if he openly attacked and failed, then what? He was overthinking it. But sometimes, being too cautious was a weakness. And now, Luka hesitated. — Rosen turned his gaze to Brido, who kept his distance. Even now, there were people trying to loot the battlefield? Did he look that weak? ...Well, to be fair, if Rosen hadn't looked half-dead, Brido wouldn't have dared to provoke a Warlord of the Sea. But weakness changed everything. Brido, like many others, saw an opportunity. — "If you want it, come take it yourself." Rosen's voice was steady and indifferent. He glanced at his left hand, now missing its iconic golden hook. It felt strangely unfamiliar. He wasn't in the mood to waste energy forming a sand prosthetic. Right now, he needed to recover. — "Hmm? Someone's missing." A voice suddenly cut through the chaos. From the shadows emerged Moris, stepping right up beside Captain Luka. He frowned slightly. — "Moris?!" Luka was startled. When had Moris gotten so close? — "Hey, Marine. Let me ask you something." Moris fixed his eyes on Luka, his stare oppressive. "Where is your commanding officer? That Rear Admiral—Harry, was it? How come he hasn't shown himself in all this mess?" It didn't feel like he was speaking to a man. It felt like he was staring down a demon. Luka's entire body went cold. — "...No idea." He refused to answer. He couldn't. Until everything was settled, he wouldn't admit to ambushing Harry. And besides, he had no obligation to tell Moris anything. — "Is that so? What a shame." Moris sighed. Then, without warning, he sat down on the ground and resumed drinking. No one could tell what he was planning. Even the Marine soldiers didn't dare go near him. Only Captain Lorry remained unfazed, standing nearby. — Damn it. Luka cursed internally. Now, there were too many eyes on him. Trying to ambush Crocodile was no longer an option. There were two witnesses— And both were dangerous people. — "You're not thinking of taking over Bordeaux Winery, are you, Captain?" Moris suddenly grinned at Luka. — "An ownerless territory naturally falls under Marine jurisdiction." Luka didn't even bother hiding his intentions. — "That so? Makes sense..." — "Enough talking! Hand over the Devil Fruit, or I won't be so polite." Brido grew impatient. He thought this was the perfect chance to get what he wanted without lifting a finger. If not for his wariness of Crocodile, he would have attacked immediately. But he couldn't waste too much time either. The Marines were already regrouping— If he got surrounded, things would get complicated. — "If you don't even have the guts, why bother being a pirate?" Rosen's tone was cold. He raised his right hand, allowing sand to drip onto the ground. "The Devil Fruit is right here. If you want it, come take it." He was stalling. The more time he bought, the more strength he recovered. To emphasize his indifference, Rosen lit a cigar, inhaled deeply, and exhaled a smoke ring toward Brido— A silent mockery. — Odd. Rosen suddenly noticed something. Had his wounds stopped hurting? Some of the open injuries had stopped bleeding. — Brido's expression darkened. He hesitated, but then gritted his teeth. Rosen must be at his limit. There was no way he could still fight. Otherwise, he wouldn't have just stood there. Now was the time. He had to strike. — "Die! A Devil Fruit isn't enough—I'll be taking your head too!" Brido charged with his greatsword, spinning like a whirlwind toward Rosen. — "Desert Funeral." Rosen's right arm dissolved into sand, rapidly absorbing more from the ground. Then, he threw a massive punch. A tidal wave of sand erupted forward. — Brido's eyes widened in shock. He had miscalculated. — "Impossible—!" — BOOM! Brido was blasted into the air, sent flying until he was just a tiny black dot in the distance. Rosen gritted his teeth, feeling the impact strain his internal injuries. But he couldn't show weakness. Not with Luka watching. Not with Moris lurking. And something about Moris's presence unsettled him. If anyone else had plans, they would make their move soon. This wasn't over yet. (End of Chapter)