Near the waters of the Etty Kingdom, ten large sailing ships were lined up.
Two burly men conversed on the flagship, which was noticeably more significant than the other nine ships.
“Chief Pepper, though it might seem disrespectful, I must say, you might be acting recklessly this time. The Demon Blade Rougishu is a fearsome figure, even on the Grand Line. Agreeing to Buffett’s request without consulting Chief Chinjao might be…”
“Enough! Remember, I am the leader of the Happo Navy!” Pepper roared, then calmed down, saying, “Sorry, I got a bit carried away.”
The man speaking wasn’t offended; he shook his head and smiled, “Chief Pepper, I understand you don’t want to rely on Chief Chinjao’s influence, but you have to realize he’s still your father. Using your father’s strength isn’t something anyone would blame you for.”
“Understand? No, you never understand!” Pepper became agitated again, speaking urgently, “No matter what I do, no matter what achievements I accomplish, you all only associate them with my father. And me? I’m already 28 years old, yet you still treat me like a child. Everything I do has to be approved by my father. But I am the leader of the Happo Navy; I am the cornerstone of this navy. Why are my words, my decisions, never valid?”
“I’ve had enough of this life!”
The other man could only remain silent, finding it hard to comment on such matters.
“I know that Rougishu is not easy to deal with, but that’s precisely why I agreed to that mafia boss’s request. I need his blood and head to establish my true authority in the Happo Navy!”
“This…” The other man smiled bitterly, thinking, “Fine, let Chief Pepper take a hit. No matter how crazy Rougishu is, he wouldn’t completely antagonize Chief Chinjao over our involvement, right?”
Just as he thought this, a pirate from the Happo Navy rushed over with urgency.
“Chief Pepper, Deputy Chief Fang, we’ve arrived at Etty Kingdom, but…”
“Speak clearly!” Fang frowned and shouted.
“This… it’s better if you come and see for yourselves, chiefs!”
“What a strong stench of blood, mixed with the smell of burnt flesh and gunpowder…” As Fang stepped outside, his brows furrowed, and he quickly moved forward.
“Gasp!” Even a battle-hardened pirate like Fang couldn’t help but gasp at the scene before him.
The once bustling port was now in ruins, littered with debris and dismembered bodies. It was a hell on earth.
“Is that guy… really a demon?” Pepper didn’t vomit like a rookie, but his pale face showed his inner turmoil, which was far from calm.
“No matter how strong Rougishu is, he’s just one man. This couldn’t be entirely his doing,” Fang said, calming his nerves and analysing the situation.
“We captured a few crazed mafia members and interrogated them. We believe Buffett planted bombs here, intending to blow up the entire port…” reported a nearby pirate.
“As expected of a mafia boss, Buffett is truly ruthless!” Fang took a deep breath and asked, “What about Rougishu? Is he dead?”
“No, the result was Rougishu emerged unscathed, while they were completely annihilated!”
“Unscathed? This guy is even more troublesome than we thought!” Fang’s face grew serious. The opponent’s strength exceeded his imagination. “Chief Pepper, perhaps we should retreat and seek Chief Chinjao’s counsel?”
When the words left his mouth, Fang knew they were a mistake.
Upon hearing his advice, the previously hesitant Pepper’s face turned cold, “Do you think I’ll be scared by such a small scene? It’s just a somewhat famous swordsman. Watch how I use my Hasshoken to defeat him!”
…
Rougishu stepped forward, pinning Buffett under his foot, “Your slave ship has been to Aska Island, right?”
“Slave ship… Aska Island…” Sitting and coughing up blood, Buffett looked confused and asked, “What are you talking about? Aren’t you here to kill me?”
“Maybe you wouldn’t care about it, so let me rephrase it. Where do you keep the records of your slave ships?”
“Slave ships… right, most of the people you target are enslavers or mafia like me involved in human trafficking…” Buffett’s face showed a sudden realisation, “I get it. Someone you care about must have been taken as a slave, so you’re like a mad dog, attacking people like us, trying to get information about that person.”
“Hahahaha! Demon Blade Rougishu, who would’ve thought you had such a story? I almost feel sorry for you!” Feeling he had found Rougishu’s weak spot, Buffett’s tone grew more arrogant.
“If you want information from me, you must guarantee my safety.”
“Given your hatred for slave owners, once you get that information, you won’t let me leave alive. We both know that.”
“So, don’t expect to torture any information out of me. I’m extremely afraid of death; your torture methods mean nothing compared to dying.”
Rougishu lifted his foot off Buffett and walked to the side without a word.
“Good, good. Mutual respect is the basis for cooperation!” Buffett said triumphantly,accomplishedplishment, “Actually, if you had come to me sincerely, I might have helped you out. But now, you’ve put me in a tough spot. If I hand over the information now, how can I face my men? But if I don’t, it will damage our relationship.”
“So, I thought long and hard and came up with a perfect solution. If you agree to my three conditions, I’ll… Damn it, are you even listening?”
“Wait, what’s that in your hand?” Buffett, lying on the ground, caught a glimpse of the book in Rougishu’s hand, and all his rage was extinguished, replaced by indescribable fear.
“Transaction records.” Rougishu said succinctly.
“How… how could you have found it so quickly? I hid it in the most secret place!”
“Dead men don’t need to know that much.”
“Dead men? Wait, I still have…”
With a swift stroke, Rougishu beheaded Buffett, whose wide eyes seemed unable to believe what had just happened.
After a moment, Rougishu tossed the book aside, sighing, “The last transaction with Aska Island was seven years ago? Looks like I was wrong again. Mr. Buffett, you’re truly unlucky!”
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