"Zoro, can you cook? I'm so hungry..."
Luffy lay on the deck like a corpse, whining at Zoro. Zoro sat nearby, clutching his swords and resting his eyes, not wanting to pay him the slightest bit of attention.
"Uh... Luffy-san, we just ate not too long ago, even if there wasn't much left. I still feel quite full! Ah! Although, I don't have a stomach to feel full or hungry with! Yohohohoho!"
Brook was still entertaining himself, while Luffy was so hungry he didn't even have the energy to laugh along.
"We ate, but there was no meat... so it's the same as not eating at all. Hmm? What's that smell?" Luffy's nose suddenly twitched as he began to sniff the air...
"Mmm! It truly is... so fragrant... the scent of meat! Although, I don't have a nose to smell with!" Brook finished his sentence and immediately joined Luffy in searching for the source of the aroma.
Brook spun the ship's wheel, steering the vessel as they chased the scent of meat, slowly shifting their position.
"Reporting to Vice Admiral Rowan! No ships detected ahead!"
A Marine subordinate saluted Rowan respectfully while delivering the report. Rowan narrowed his eyes. He had already sensed their presence with Haki; why weren't they visible yet? How far had those idiots drifted?
"Keep watching."
"Those morons. They're clearly very close but can't see a thing. Are they all blind?" Enel grumbled with his eyes closed. Rowan shot him a sideways glance, knowing Enel's Mantra had also locked onto the coordinates of Zoro and Luffy's boat.
The boat likely hadn't appeared on the horizon yet, but the auras were definitely approaching.
Rowan tossed another handful of wood onto the barbecue grill in front of him and flipped the large slab of meat he was roasting...
Faint wisps of smoke rose from the roast, carrying a rich, savory aroma across kilometers of ocean directly into Luffy's nose.
"What are you two doing?" Zoro opened his eyes and watched Luffy and Brook steering the ship frantically toward the scent, asking with pure disdain.
"Zoro, we're gonna have meat soon! Can't you smell it? It's so good! It's definitely delicious! It smells exactly like the meat Great-Grandpa grills! I can't believe we can smell this out here!"
Luffy was in a trance, steering the wheel while sniffing the air. Though Brook's face was just a skull, the drool hanging from his jaw was already becoming a flood.
Zoro was tempted, but his logic remained intact. "I think it's more appropriate to find Master first. You two are changing course; it's dangerous at sea. I think we should go that way," he said, pointing toward the stern.
"Great-Grandpa said you're a lost-demon! We're not listening to you! Meat! I want meat!"
As the scent grew stronger, Luffy's excitement reached a fever pitch... "It really is the exact same smell as Great-Grandpa's cooking! Brook, you have no idea how good his meat is! Hahaha!"
"Yohohoho! I didn't know Mr. Rowan could grill!" Brook said in surprise. He was genuinely looking forward to it; the smell alone was incredibly seductive.
POW! POW-POW!
Two heavy thuds rang out atop Luffy's head.
"Ow! It hurts! It hurts just like Great-Grandpa's punches! What happened?!" Luffy shouted, clutching his head.
"You brat, all you think about is eating! If there wasn't any meat, would you have forgotten you even have a Great-Grandpa?!" Rowan's voice boomed as he raised his fist, ready to give Luffy another lesson.
Luffy whipped his head around, only to see Rowan's enlarged face appearing right behind him, giving him a massive fright.
"G-G-Great-Grandpa... how did you get here so fast? I was just gonna go back after I ate! Did you come to pick me up personally? No need to be so polite, I only sent a small fry flying! Hahaha!"
Seeing Rowan, Luffy immediately put his hands on his hips, proudly fishing for a compliment. Looking at his expression, you'd think he'd just beaten a street thug, when in fact Rowan had chosen a Warlord as their opponent!
The warship was soon filled with noise.
"Mr. Rowan! Why did you head out to sea again so suddenly?" "Mr. Rowan! Do you remember Laboon?" "Mr. Rowan! Could I see your panties..."
POW!
Rowan's fist landed squarely on Brook's talkative skull. "Shut up! This old man isn't a woman, why are you interested in my panties?! You perverted skeleton!"
Rowan scolded Brook without mercy. This old eccentric was nearly a hundred years old himself, yet he was so rude. Brook slumped onto the deck, a large lump on his head, not daring to speak again.
Having subdued Brook, Rowan turned back to find Enel lounging to the side, surrounded by a group of Marines who had been "accidentally" electrocuted into unconsciousness.
"Stop fooling around, brat. We're almost at Marineford. Put that broken pole away," Rowan said, pointing at Enel.
Enel turned his head away indifferently, acting as if he hadn't heard. Rowan reached out, focused his strength in his palm, and created a localized vacuum that sucked the golden staff right out of Enel's hand.
Enel jumped up instantly. "Old man, give it back!"
Ignoring the protest, Rowan tucked the staff under his cloak. "Once we get to Headquarters and you finish the task I give you, I'll give it back." With that, Rowan walked away without looking back.
Enel clenched his fists, wanting to blast him with a lightning punch, but he knew his attacks were meaningless against Rowan.
Over the next few days of sailing, Rowan explained the general state of the Blue Sea, including the distribution of major powers, to Enel. Enel began to understand the faction Rowan belonged to, though Rowan didn't reveal his true ultimate goals just yet.
For now, he needed to accumulate strength.
Soon, the silhouette of Marineford came into view. The crew notified the base via Den Den Mushi to open the Gates of Justice.
"Is Lord Rowan back already? I assume the Florian Triangle issue is resolved? Where is the ship?" Sengoku asked three questions in rapid succession the moment he heard the news.
"Yes, sir! They are about to enter the Gates of Justice!" the Marine replied stutteringly.
Sengoku sighed with relief. As expected of Lord Rowan—he solved problems cleanly and efficiently.