The Floro Pirate Crew.
Every member aboard the ship, regardless of eyesight, wore an eye patch over their right eye, following the strict command of Captain One-Eyed Floro.
"A ship is approaching!"
"It's a small boat."
A pirate at the lookout spotted the small vessel carrying Rowan approaching from a distance and shouted the report down below.
Upon hearing it was a small boat, many of the pirates lost interest. Small boats rarely carried treasure and weren't worth the effort to plunder.
However.
Some pirates furrowed their brows and asked the lookout, "They're charging at us? Didn't they see our pirate flag?"
"Yeah! And they're accelerating!"
The lookout had initially paid little attention, but seeing Rowan's small boat advancing at full speed, a chill ran down his spine.
Under normal circumstances, anyone spotting a pirate ship would flee. Who actively charged a pirate crew unless… it was a Bounty Hunter!
Realizing this, the lookout immediately shouted, "Report to the Captain! It might be a Bounty Hunter!"
"A Bounty Hunter?"
The mention of a Bounty Hunter changed the expressions of the previously disheartened pirates. Someone rushed into the cabin to inform Captain One-Eyed Floro.
Floro had been napping and was furious at being woken. Yawning, he emerged onto the deck, eyes narrowing at the approaching small boat.
"A Bounty Hunter? I am One-Eyed Floro! My bounty is 27 million Berries! Which fool dares provoke me? They must be seeking death!"
"Annihilate them."
Rubbing the back of his head, Floro gave the order to the pirates around him.
"Yes, Captain!"
Several pirates loaded gunpowder into the ship's cannons, aimed at Rowan's vessel, and fired.
Cannonballs arced through the sky, plunging into the sea with massive splashes.
"Cannon fire…" Rowan inhaled deely. "Robin, head below deck for now."
Even with his Warp-Warp Devil Fruit, Rowan could handle swords and blunt attacks, but musket bullets and cannon fire posed a lethal risk.
Fortunately, pirate gunnery was often sloppy compared to Marine standards. The shots were scattered, lacking the density and precision of a disciplined naval barrage.
Rowan didn't intend to block the cannonballs. He didn't need to. As long as he could close the distance, he could use Soru to leap directly onto their ship.
Whoosh!
A cannonball streaked toward him. Rowan stomped on the deck, vanishing from sight in an instant.
Boom!
The cannonball slammed into the bow, splintering wood and filling the air with smoke.
"Trying to use a Devil Fruit or sword to stop cannonballs? Impossible," Rowan murmured. He remained calm, relying on speed and reflexes to avoid harm.
Boom! Boom!!
As Rowan's boat neared the pirate ship, the cannonballs became more accurate and faster but Rowan's focus never wavered. Every shadow in flight was instantly detected and avoided.
"Captain, we may not make it close enough," Robin's voice emerged from the cabin, her multiple arms clinging to the ship's walls, watching through the shattered openings.
A mouth appeared on a pillar next to Rowan one of Robin's many limbs speaking to him.
Rowan glanced at the pillar and calmly replied, "Don't worry. We don't need to get closer."
Fifty meters… forty meters… thirty meters… Rowan measured the distance carefully.
"That's close enough."
His eyes glinted. Without hesitation, Rowan leapt to the highest point of the small boat, stomped down, shattering it into splinters, and soared toward the Floro Pirate Crew's ship.
On deck, the pirates gawked. Many were teetering under the cannon fire, grinning with wicked anticipation. But their smiles froze as a lone figure descended onto the mast.
"Watch the top!"
"Captain! Someone's boarding!"
By the time the pirates reacted, Rowan had already landed on the sail, dissipating the impact and lightly gripping the mast.
This leap was beyond human capability.
Many pirates instinctively recognized the Ghost Hand Rowan aura, and realization dawned:
"You… it's Ghost Hand Rowan! The one who killed a Marine Branch Colonel! And has a 40 million Berries bounty!"
"Good, saves me the introduction," Rowan replied coolly.
Sweeping his gaze across the deck, he leapt down, landing among the pirates. His voice was calm but carried authority:
"Floro Pirate Crew, I assume I've got the right target. Your crew destroyed my small boat, so I'll be taking your ship as compensation."
Several pirates swallowed hard. They were no strangers to cruelty, but the tales were terrifying: a single man had razed a small town and assassinated a Marine Branch Colonel. This was a level of madness far beyond their own.
"I thought it was some petty Bounty Hunter," one pirate muttered, "but it's Ghost Hand Rowan… the Ghost Hand Rowan who's a wanted pirate!"
One-Eyed Floro stepped forward, his single eye narrowing. A dangerous glint danced within.
Rowan's reputation was well-known, but Floro knew that even with a 27 million Berries bounty, Rowan could be formidable—especially alone.
"You want my ship?" Floro spread his hands, attempting to appeal. "Why not join us? With your strength, there would be no rivals in the West Blue."
Rowan's gaze remained indifferent. "A 27 million Berries bounty, One-Eyed Floro… are you offering yourself as my subordinate?"
Floro's expression darkened. "It seems you haven't grasped the situation, Ghost Hand Rowan."
As his voice fell, many nearby pirates drew muskets and gripped their swords, preparing for battle.