Chapter 178: I Want to Know Too

"It's Van Augur!"

Ah Jin was the first to react, a flash of delight crossing his eyes:

"Our reinforcements have arrived!"

His body, which had already neared its limit, squeezed out its final strength at this moment.

A layer of flowing bone surged from within Ah Jin, coalescing once more on his shoulder into a cannon.

"That guy masters Armament Haki and is a Devil Fruit user; an attack like this won't kill him. Luqi and Zoro, hold him off and buy Van Augur a chance!"

"Understood, Captain!"

The two responded, then took a deep breath simultaneously, stepped forward, and in an instant rushed to kill the distant Who's-Who.

With Van Augur joining the battlefield, the scales of victory had already tipped toward Gao Wen's pirate crew.

Ah Jin erupted with his final strength; the bone cannon on his shoulder fired again, blasting a wave of air as a bone bullet shot toward the target at speeds far exceeding sound.

Boom!

Who's-Who barely twisted aside to dodge the bone bullet, yet felt a wave of dizziness; he could no longer maintain his Human-Beast Form, and his body grew weak to the extreme.

"Something's wrong!"

"Seastone bullets?!"

Who's-Who was both shocked and terrified, especially upon seeing Luqi and Zoro charging at him.

Ignoring the pain, he raised his hand and forcibly pried the Seastone bullet from his forehead, only then feeling a fraction of strength return to his body.

"Roar!"

After a tiger's roar, Who's-Who transformed into his Human-Beast Form once more; he repelled the attacking Zoro and Luqi, and just as he intended to deliver a killing blow, he felt a strange chill.

"It's that sniper!"

In his panic,

Who's-Who looked around, but all that met his eyes was the vast sea behind him and the endless snow plains in the distance.

Even though he had long mastered Observation Haki, he still could not sense the location of that mysterious sniper.

"Retreat!"

"If I keep fighting, I'll die!"

Having fought for over thirty years in his life, he had once believed that guns, cannons, and swords no longer posed any threat to him.

But at this very moment, that sensation of thorns at his back made him truly understand just how terrifying a role a top-tier sniper could play in battle.

"He must have arrived long ago, simply waiting for the right moment, waiting for an instant that could turn the tide of battle!"

"That is why he fired at the very moment I was most triumphant and most relaxed!"

Having figured this out,

Who's-Who felt a chill run down his spine; caring for nothing else, he immediately withdrew in a frantic retreat.

It was at this very moment

that a burning figure came screaming from the distance in the sky, like a crimson meteor streaking across the heavens.

"King!"

"I'm here!"

A hint of joy flashed through Who's-Who's eyes.

Seeing Who's-Who's wretched state, and then looking at the three blood-soaked figures of Ah Jin and the others in the distance, a trace of surprise likewise flashed through King's eyes:

"Knight Gao Wen possesses power that can rival mine; can even his subordinates, working together, fight Who's-Who to such an extent?!"

"Monsters!"

He couldn't help but let out a sigh, then dove downward, grabbed Who's-Who's body, and sped away into the distant sky.

"Damn it!"

A trace of reluctance flashed through Luqi's eyes.

Having fought to this degree, what he wanted was not merely to drive Who's-Who away, but to leave him here permanently!

"Are we just going to let him escape?!"

"I'm so unwilling, ugh—!"

Zoro groaned dully, then felt a sudden loss of strength, falling onto his back; clearly, the prolonged battle had left him utterly exhausted.

Now that his opponent had fled, the string that had been holding him up snapped instantly; he completely lost consciousness, with only his heaving chest proving he was still alive.

Ah Jin, nearby, had likewise lost the strength to continue fighting; watching Who's-Who depart, his heart was filled with an indescribable sense of unwillingness.

This was especially true after seeing the triumphant smile on Who's-Who's face.

High in the sky,

Who's-Who looked at the three figures growing smaller and smaller, unable to suppress a trace of triumph in his eyes; he raised his hand, slashed across his throat, and mouthed:

"Next time."

"I will kill you all!"

"Is that so?!"

In the distance,

atop a mountain ridge, Van Augur watched Who's-Who's movements through his scope, his expression indifferent as he murmured:

"Pity you won't have a next time."

Van Augur took a deep breath, then pulled the trigger...

Bang!

Fire erupted from the muzzle.

The recoil pushed his body back; a bullet tore through the air, leaving a trail of sonic booms as it shot toward Who's-Who...

Hiss!

Who's-Who felt as though his chest had been struck by a fist; there was no pain, only an indescribable chill.

He looked down to see a bullet hole piercing straight through his heart, gushing blood outward.

"Gurgle—!"

Who's-Who opened his mouth but could speak no more; the surging blood had already blocked his throat.

Following the direction from which the bullet came, he finally saw the man who had killed him: a tall, slender figure holding a long rifle with a muzzle shaped like a trumpet.

Again, at my most relaxed moment?! What a terrifying man!

The next instant, Who's-Who completely lost consciousness.

"Who's-Who?!"

King realized something was wrong; stopping to look, he discovered that Who's-Who, whom he had been gripping, had already become a corpse.

Rage burned within his heart, yet upon noticing a crimson figure speeding toward him from behind, he felt as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head.

Their earlier one-on-one battle had already proven that before discerning Gao Wen's weaknesses, let alone capturing him alive as Kaido ordered, it was impossible even for King to defeat Gao Wen.

At this moment.

Even if he was unwilling to admit it, with the fight having reached this stage, he had already lost.

King said nothing; clutching Who's-Who's corpse, he skimmed away across the sea surface, with only unwillingness and rage burning ever more fiercely in his heart:

The game has only just begun!

The next time I discern your weaknesses will be the moment of your defeat and death!

The river mouth.

Gao Wen landed with a thunderous crash; seeing that Akin, Zoro, and the others were merely injured and in no life-threatening danger, he finally set his mind at ease.

After learning the full scope of the battle from the crew and Akin's accounts, the expression on his face as he looked at Roubo Luqi grew increasingly strange.

"Surely one Who's-Who wasn't enough to drive him to fight to this extent?!"

"Moreover, no matter how you look at it, the most advantageous choice for him would have been to follow Akin's instructions at the time and depart together with Miss Kalifa..."

"Has playing the undercover agent led to genuine feelings?!"

Though doubts churned in Gao Wen's heart, he showed nothing on his face.

In any case, until the system truly recognized Roubo Luqi and the others and provided corresponding bonuses, their hearts would not belong to him; thus, no matter how Roubo Luqi and the other performed, they could not be included within the scope of his own people.

Furthermore, humans themselves are extremely complex creatures; acting against rational judgment and self-interest due to a momentary surge of emotion is perfectly normal.

A few minutes later, Van Augur hurried over from afar.

He glanced at the three wounded; seeing that none were in serious condition, he turned to Gao Wen, chin slightly raised, his eyes brimming with smugness:

"In the end, does it still rely on the favor of fate?"

"I know you're formidable."

Gao Wen shook his head helplessly and laughed ruefully:

"Leave these three wounded to you; give them emergency treatment, and also contact Miss Kalifa and the others who withdrew, ordering them to return to the ship and stand by."

"Now that the Beasts' forces have been repelled, I will go to support Xiang Keluo."

With that, a pair of dragon wings with a span of nearly ten meters instantly unfolded on Gao Wen's shoulders; with a single gentle flap, they propelled his body speeding into the distance, vanishing into the clouds within a few breaths.

Van Augur curled the corners of his mouth into a slight smile, hoisting the three nearly exhausted men onto the deck, one under each arm.

The rough handling made Zoro want to curse loudly, yet he lacked even the strength to trade insults.

Once aboard, Van Augur fetched hemostatic medicine from the ship's infirmary and skillfully stopped the bleeding, disinfecting and suturing the wounds for all three.

Time flew; half an hour passed.

Akin and Roubo Luqi, their wounds bandaged, sat side by side on the deck, gazing at the distant sea, unsure of what they were thinking.

After a long pause.

Akin spoke:

"Actually, I'm not stupid."

Hearing this, Roubo Luqi froze, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

Seeing Roubo Luqi's sudden silence, Akin grew even more certain of his judgment.

At that time, whether Roubo Luqi had directly obeyed orders and departed with Miss Kalifa, or cleanly turned to stay and fight alongside him, neither would have been a problem.

The problem lay in that momentary hesitation and doubt after he heard Who's-Who's words.

A corner of Akin's mouth held a slight smile as he said:

"From the first moment I saw you, I knew you and I are the same kind of person."

"Once we decide on something, even knowing it is wrong, we will execute it flawlessly."

"But I am luckier than you; I encountered Captain Gao Wen, while you have not yet."

"You..."

Akin reached out and patted Roubo Luqi's shoulder, his tone gaining several degrees of seriousness:

"It was I who gave you and Miss Kalifa the opportunity to board this ship; if one day you truly do something irredeemable, I will kill you with my own hands."

Roubo Luqi remained silent, feeling only that the Weight on the Shoulder suddenly grew heavy, pressing down like a mountain range until he could barely breathe; after a long silence, he finally spoke:

"I understand. Captain Akin."

Akin froze, a flash of disappointment passing through his eyes, yet he said nothing more, simply standing up slowly and walking toward the cabin.

On the deck.

Roubo Luqi gazed at the undulating sea before him.

The sea breeze struck his body, bringing a bone-piercing, icy chill.

Yet at this moment, far from feeling the cold, he could no longer even sense the pain of his wounds.

……

Time flashed by.

Half an hour passed.

Miss Kalifa returned to the ship with the rest of the crew.

Just as everyone cheered their victory, Miss Kalifa quietly sat down beside Roubo Luqi.

Having known each other for many years, sharing life and death countless times, fighting side by side out of seas of blood, the bond between them had long ceased to be that of ordinary colleagues.

They were companions in the truest sense; even if neither was willing to admit it, no one could deny it.

"Roubo Luqi, you…"

Miss Kalifa saw at a glance that something was wrong with Roubo Luqi's state; connecting this with his earlier reactions, she instantly understood the struggle within his heart.

She reached out and patted Roubo Luqi's shoulder, comforting him:

"Your condition is no longer suitable for continuing the mission; before you are exposed, there is still a chance to withdraw unscathed."

"After the turmoil here ends, I will apply to Spandam."

"No."

"I mean apply to the CP organization."

Roubo Luqi remained silent for a long time before finally speaking:

"It's useless; whether it is Spandam, the World Government, or even the justice we pursue, none of them care about the survival of a tool."

A hint of self-mockery colored Roubo Luqi's voice, and upon hearing this, Miss Kalifa's face filled with utter shock.

For in all these years, it was the first time she had heard such emotion from this block of ice, an emotion that even revealed a trace of confusion…

"What exactly happened?!"

"Ah Jin saw through my identity."

Miss Kalifa's pupils contracted, her body instantly stiffening, cold light flashing in her eyes:

"I'll go deal with him."

Just as she was about to move, Roubo Luqi grabbed her and held her down.

Miss Kalifa turned her head, looking at Roubo Luqi with confusion, only to hear words that confused her even more.

"He covered up the news for me."

"Why?!"

Miss Kalifa's face was filled with an expression of utter shock:

"Why would anyone keep a knife that could stab them at any moment right beside them?!"

If their initial plan had been to pretend at deep camaraderie to infiltrate Gao Wen's pirate crew, then the development of events had now exceeded her understanding.

Roubo Luqi reached out, plunging his five fingers into his hair, and gritted his teeth:

"I also want to know what kind of reason could make that man make such a choice."

"So…"

"Before we find the reason, he cannot die."

"Do you understand?"

Miss Kalifa froze, indifferently raising her hand to push up her glasses, feeling for a moment that the Roubo Luqi before her was utterly unfamiliar.

There was something unprecedented about him, something impenetrable.

Miss Kalifa did not know what it was, but she knew she had never seen such things within the CP organization, nor even among World Government officials.

For a long while.

Miss Kalifa said in a low voice:

"I understand."

……

While the two were speaking.

They did not notice in the slightest that, in the lookout atop the mast of Raven Port, a pair of indifferent pupils was intentionally or unintentionally watching them.

"Interesting~"

Van Augur toyed with the receiver of the Den Den Mushi in his hand, the corner of his mouth curling into an inexplicable smile.

This was naturally a wiretapping Den Den Mushi; earlier in the snowfield, the purpose of his shooting at Miss Kalifa had been to install a wiretapping Den Den Mushi on her person, never expecting it would come in use so quickly.

"Even agents within the World Government's CP organization are shaken by the existence of that fellow Ah Jin?"

"No!"

Van Augur's eyes cleared:

"What truly shook them is the will of this pirate crew, born from the existence of the captain."

"I am becoming increasingly curious about where your destinies will ultimately lead."

"Will you completely break with the World Government and board our ship, or will you march toward the end of your lives?"

As he spoke.

Van Augur fetched a rifle, then disassembled the body of the Senriku gun, bit by bit, performing meticulous and comprehensive maintenance on it.

Having done all this.

Van Augur turned his head, looking toward Winter Island, where several Shanfeng resembling chimneys rose over five thousand meters in altitude.

Purple spores condensed into clusters, encircling the mid-sections of the Shanfeng, actually revealing a strangely bewitching beauty.

Van Augur knew clearly just how lethal those spores were, and he murmured:

"I hope nothing unexpected happens on Xiang Keluo's end."

(End of Chapter)