"AAAH! No! Stop! That's my meat!"
With a panicked cry, Luffy tried to lunge forward to save the platter of roasted lamb legs that was inches from hitting the floor.
But before he could move, a pair of large hands pressed him back into his seat. Simultaneously, a sudden, sharp gust of wind swept through the tavern.
"What the—?"
Helmeppo's vision blurred. It felt as if something had flickered past his eyes like a ghost. He turned around, only to find that the strange old man who had been sitting behind him smoking was gone.
When he snapped his head back toward the kitchen, he saw the old man already standing beside Rika.
The elder had not only steadied the terrified, wobbling girl but had also perfectly caught the platter and the wine gourd before they could touch the ground.
"It's one thing if my gourd breaks," Rowan said, sniffing the air as the aroma of roasted meat wafted around him. "But wasting good liquor and these fragrant lamb legs? That would be a true sin against nature."
He calmly hooked the gourd back onto his waist and clicked his tongue in appreciation of the scent.
"Eh?"
Hearing the gentle voice so close to her ear, Rika looked up to see the kind grandfather from earlier. Seeing the tray safely in his hands, she scratched her head sheepishly. "Grandpa, I'm so sorry, I just..."
"It's alright, it's over now." Rowan interrupted her apology, patting the girl's head gently. "Just try not to be so jumpy next time, okay?"
"Okay, Grandpa," she whispered. She was about to warn him about Helmeppo's identity when Rowan suddenly straightened up. His tall, robust frame moved in front of her, shielding her completely.
Looking at that broad, sturdy back, Rika froze. The warning died on her lips. For some reason, the moment he stood between her and the danger, she felt as if there was nothing left in the world to be afraid of. She even found the courage to peek out from behind his leg to glare at Helmeppo.
It was a sense of security unlike anything she had ever felt.
With a casual flick of his wrist, Rowan tossed the platter over Helmeppo's head. It sailed through the air and was caught steadily by Luffy at the back of the room.
Then, Rowan turned his gaze toward Helmeppo. He began to lift his pipe to his lips but noticed little Rika peeking out from behind his knee. He lowered the pipe out of respect for the child and spoke calmly: "So, you're Helmeppo."
"Who... who are you?"
Even though Rowan still wore a faint, pleasant smile that made him look like a harmless neighborhood elder, Helmeppo involuntarily took a step back. The arrogant smirk had vanished from his face.
This white-haired man was far too eerie. He had moved from the center of the tavern to the kitchen door in a literal heartbeat. Helmeppo had never seen such speed in his life. But more than that, despite the old man's kind expression, Helmeppo felt a creeping, icy chill crawling up his spine the moment their eyes met.
Who was this guy? In all of Shells Town, he had never seen or heard of someone like this.
"I'm warning you, don't come any closer! My dad... my dad is a Marine Colonel! 'Axe-Hand' Morgan!" Helmeppo shouted, trying to steady his voice as Rowan began to walk toward him.
He retreated step by step, but eventually, his pride forced him to stop. He stood his ground, trembling as he blustered. The three vicious hounds on his leashes seemed to sense their master's intent and began barking ferociously at Rowan.
"I've heard that in Shells Town, you spend your days using your father's name to act the tyrant, oppressing the civilians. Is that right?" Rowan ignored the barking dogs entirely. He continued his steady, predatory advance, his voice growing louder and his expression hardening into one of authority.
"I... you... I didn't... Don't talk nonsense!"
Who was Rowan? He was a man who had clawed his way up to the rank of Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral through sheer grit and power. He had spent half a century in the upper echelons of the Navy; he possessed the natural, crushing presence of a true commander.
Combined with his newly awakened Conqueror's Haki, even a slight release of his aura was more than someone like Helmeppo could handle. Helmeppo's voice shook. If it weren't for the thought of his powerful father, he likely would have lost control of his bladder right then and there.
"It is him! It's him!" Rika shouted from behind Rowan, her pent-up anger finally exploding as she saw the town's bully looking so pathetic. "He bullies everyone and ruins the shops! We've hated him for so long!"
In the kitchen, Rika's mother, Ririka, had rushed out at the sound of the commotion. She had initially intended to stop her daughter from provoking Helmeppo, but the moment her eyes fell on Rowan, she stopped. It felt as if, in this restaurant, Rowan was the only one with the right to lead. No one else felt qualified to tell him what to do.
The Marine soldiers behind Helmeppo moved to intervene, but Rowan spared them a single glance. To their horror, the soldiers found they couldn't move. It wasn't that they were physically paralyzed—they were simply too terrified to budge. That look told them that if they took one step, they would face something far beyond their capacity to endure.
"Bite him! Go on, kill that old bastard!"
Under the crushing pressure of Rowan's aura, Helmeppo's mind finally snapped. He released the leashes. The mindless, savage dogs lunged at Rowan, barking for blood.
"Begone."
Rowan didn't even look at the animals. He simply uttered a single word.
In that instant, a titanic wave of invisible pressure erupted from him. The hounds, mid-lunge, felt as if they had come face-to-face with the most prehistoric, terrifying monster in existence. Their limbs locked instantly; they collapsed to the floor, whining in agony for a fraction of a second before their eyes rolled back and they fell unconscious.
The most basic application of Conqueror's Haki—yet fueled by a max-level potency.
Though Rowan had aimed the pressure at the dogs, it was his first time releasing it. He hadn't quite mastered the focus yet, and Helmeppo, standing so close, was caught in the fringe of the blast.
Helmeppo felt a wave of absolute cold surge from the soles of his feet to the top of his skull. He felt as if he had been dropped into a frozen abyss. Cold sweat instantly drenched his back.
Thud.
His legs gave out, and he slumped onto the floor. Pale and gasping for air, he stared at Rowan with wide, horrified eyes. To him, he wasn't looking at a white-haired old man, but at the King of Hell himself.
"You... you... who the hell are you?!" Helmeppo shrieked.
"Who am I?"
Rowan seemed to drift into memory for a moment before shaking his head with a faint, amused smile. "Just an old man forgotten by time."
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