Pirates: Your emperor has returned!

How fresh!

……

After removing his armor, Rowan revealed his upper body, which, while not bulky, appeared quite muscular and robust.

"Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I've fought hand-to-hand."

He gestured towards Hokka, "Are you the best fighter here?"

Hoka didn't answer, but the two fishmen beside him couldn't help but speak up.

"Hey, how could we possibly let you challenge our boss right away!"

After saying that, one of the fishmen stepped forward and threw a punch at Rowan.

Rowan suddenly stepped forward, moving away from the fishman, and placed his right hand on the fishman's lower abdomen.

With a sudden burst of force.

Swish!

The merman instantly lost his balance, spun around in mid-air, and fell to the ground.

The second fishman then charged at Rowan, using a grabbing motion.

Rowan dodged to the side, and with his other hand he pressed down on the fishman's chin, pushing him directly into the air.

Then, he twisted his body and used his elbow to strike the fishman's chest!

boom!

The fishman's body was sent flying and crashed into the pile of debris in front of him.

This scene silenced the entire tavern, leaving only Vivi's cheers.

"Oh! Our ancestor was so amazing!"

Hokka stared wide-eyed at Rowan in disbelief.

It is not surprising that humans were able to defeat fishmen.

However, if we remove Devil Fruit abilities, Haki, and even equipment, it would be rare to see someone win in Alazarma based solely on pure physical attributes and techniques.

Hoka rose from his seat, walked onto the field, and came to Rowan.

Rowan is about 2.6 meters tall, while Hoka is over 4 meters tall, which is considered tall even among fishmen.

Hoka looked down at the strange human and asked in confusion, "What are you going to do?"

"Just having a drink with you."

Rowan smiled. "By the way, if I win, I'd like to hear another suggestion from me."

Hoka narrowed his eyes. This blue-green merman was burly and much more shrewd than the others; otherwise, he wouldn't have become their leader.

He was worried that the human in front of him was setting a trap for him, so he dared not agree to anything.

However, Hoka also has absolute confidence in his abilities.

He said slowly, "Alazama is a tournament of honor, and there should be no betting involved."

"Of course, so it's just a drink."

Rowan counted on his fingers, "As for whether you agree to my proposal, that's up to you."

Upon hearing this, Hoka's pupils twitched slightly.

For some reason, Rowan's gaze and those words seemed to subtly touch him.

It's up to you to decide—

These words were a luxury that was out of reach for them not long ago.

Therefore, Hokka made a decision.

"If you beat me, I will listen carefully to your proposal."

"Reasonable."

Rowan nodded, clenched his fists, let his arms hang slightly, and hopped back and forth.

"Speaking of which, I met Nefertari during a group fight."

"He can't beat me!"

Rowan sighed, then looked up to see Hoka already charging towards him with heavy steps.

This is the difference between Alazarma and ordinary combat.

Brutal, fierce, and relentless!

There is only one way to beat Alazarma: defeat him head-on!

Facing Hokka's massive blue-green fist, Rowan met it with his left arm.

Swish!

The instant the two made contact, Rowan used his left arm to push downwards, guiding the fist to the side and below.

Hoka's fist missed its mark, but the other followed closely behind, fueled by an unwavering obsession with victory.

He was indeed curious about the human's proposal, but he had no intention of backing down.

On the one hand, Alazama embodies the glory of the merfolk and cannot tolerate any deception.

On the other hand, Hokka also swore an oath:

From the day he gained his freedom, he will never entrust his fate to the control of others!

Therefore, Hoka wanted to win.

His strike was his strongest punch.

Fishman Karate - Straight Punch!

But to his utter surprise, Rowan dodged his sure-fire punch by turning his body to the side.

His movements were clean and efficient, without the slightest hesitation.

In a split second, he found Hoka's weakness.

Rowan clenched his fist, and the attack followed immediately.

Bang bang bang!

A rapid, close-quarters three-hit combo struck Hoka's center line.

Hoka instantly lost his balance, felt dizzy, and involuntarily fell backward.

Pfft!

The enormous body crashed to the ground.

This scene left everyone present stunned.

Crocodile frowned, mentally elevating Rowan's close-quarters combat prowess by a level.

Vivi exclaimed, "I think I've seen that move before!"

If Cobra were there, he would definitely give his precious daughter a light flick on the forehead as punishment for not paying attention in class.

That is clearly the Alabasta battlefield fighting style that has been passed down to this day!

However, it is older and its features are slightly different from those of the present day.

Swift, fast, capable of defeating the enemy in one strike, and possessing the agility unique to the desert.

Because that was the prototype of the battlefield combat technique created by Ryan Rowan, so that the soldiers of Alabasta could fight to the death in critical moments!

The fishmen and their human companions, however, were more concerned with the outcome of the Alazama match.

We lost?

The leader who once led them out of the Holy Land of Mary Geoise has actually lost in Al-Azama!

Who was the man who defeated him?

"call!"

Rowan let out a breath.

To be honest, he's not good at Alazarma, so he has no choice but to take the risky step of close-quarters combat.

Fortunately, he succeeded.

Hoka lay down on the ground and rubbed his head.

Rowan's punch wasn't heavy, but it did make him lose his balance and fall out of the ring.

"We lost..."

Hoka sat down on the ground and looked up at Rowan.

"We'll drink later. Now, what's your proposal?"

Rowan replied, "I want you to go home."

"Family?"

Hoka found this somewhat amusing, "We haven't had a home for a long time!"

Rowan laughed and said, "Then, you have it now."

"Huh?" Hoka was taken aback.

"This is Alabasta."

Rowan stepped forward and extended his hand to Hokka.

"If you want, this is your home."

[Chapter Sixteen: The Uninvited Guest]

Yaruja, the tavern.

The exiles were still drinking, but the noise had died down, and their attention was now focused on the bar.

There, their leader, Hoka, was clinking glasses with a human.