Chapter 35: Where Lies the Justice of the Marines?

Xiang Keluo's eyebrows lifted slightly, and a faint smile curled the corner of his lips:

"I knew you bastard were blessed with luck, but what's going on with him..."

Looking at Ah Jin resting on Gao Wen's shoulder, Xiang Keluo's brows knitted slightly; the peril of that battle still left him reeling.

Especially the kind of belief Ah Jin had displayed—wagering everything for victory—even Xiang Keluo couldn't help but feel awe.

Had Xiang Keluo not comprehended his true heart, the outcome of the fight would have been far from certain.

"You should know his identity; even enemies moved to rescue him. Gao Wen, excessive mercy won't sustain you on the Grand Line, let alone the New World."

Gao Wen gently set Ah Jin down, summoned the ship's doctor to treat his wounds and the toxins within his body, then turned to Xiang Keluo and explained:

"He's also a pitiable soul."

"Moreover, no one could dislike a crewman who, even after being abandoned, would still step forward for his captain, trading life for life."

"However, with injuries of this severity, whether he survives will depend on fate."

Xiang Keluo paused briefly, then said flatly:

"As long as you know what you're doing."

"If he wakes up and still seeks revenge for Krik, I'll deal with him personally. As for you..."

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

Gao Wen glanced at Xiang Keluo and casually cast a detection probe:

【Name - Xiang Keluo】

【Potential - Silver】

【Rating - Bronze: Comprehended true nature, awakened Haki, completed leftover moves!】

As expected.

After awakening Observation Haki, Xiang Keluo's potential now matched Gao Wen's, while his combat strength had directly risen to Bronze level; once his injuries healed, his combat power would leap another tier.

No wonder this kid practically had the word "arrogant" written all over his face.

Otherwise, who would dare speak to their captain in such a tone right off the bat, and in front of everyone at that?

Gao Wen sneered inwardly.

It didn't matter.

A few good beatings later would sort him out.

Besides, the gap couldn't be made so vast that he saw no hope; otherwise, if his Dao-heart shattered and he gave up, things would become troublesome...

Thinking thus, Gao Wen settled his mind, temporarily set aside the matter of Xiang Keluo, and turned to Jia Sha:

"The Marine fleet has already entered; we—"

Just as Gao Wen began speaking, a hurried flurry of footsteps echoed from outside the Lord's Manor.

The Marines led by Smoker were rushing here; before they even drew near, an oppressive sensation akin to an impending storm had already settled in.

A guard stationed at the entrance hurried inside, his voice panicked:

"My lord, the Marines have surrounded this place with their men; the one leading them is a white-haired man who looks utterly formidable. What should we do?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Sha's brows tightened:

"This shouldn't be happening by rights; even without a search warrant, they dare act so recklessly?"

Molly glanced at Gao Wen and the others, her face Solemn:

"Princess, we must be on our guard; if they truly force their way in, we..."

"Don't panic yet; I'll go take a look."

Jia Sha patted Molly's shoulder, nodded toward Gao Wen, and then headed for the entrance with Molly in tow.

"Wait."

Gao Wen spoke, halting Jia Sha's movement:

"That fellow acts rather recklessly; to prevent him from making a move against you directly, it's safer if I accompany you."

Regarding Smoker's style, Gao Wen knew well enough what to expect.

A man who dared to openly berate his direct superior and even refused to attend his own promotion ceremony—expecting him to abide by the Marines' internal regulations was simply impossible.

Once he truly got Jia Sha in his grasp, their side would fall completely into a passive position.

"Very well."

Jia Sha nodded, had Gao Wen don a guard's armor to conceal his face, handed Guanshi Zhengzong to Xiang Keluo, picked up an ordinary longsword at random, and followed beside her.

Creak~!

The main gate of the Lord's Manor was pushed open.

Smoker's somewhat ferocious visage appeared directly before Jia Sha.

Standing behind him was a row of Marines fully armed and loaded, all wearing expressions of vigilance, subtly radiating an intangible sense of oppression.

Jia Sha instinctively swallowed hard:

"Marine sir, is there anything I can help you with?"

Smoker said expressionlessly:

"We are tracking a group of pirates; we've already searched the entire city, and this is the only place left."

"There are no pirates here."

Jia Sha shook her head:

"You may search elsewhere."

Smoker's brows tightened.

They had already searched every corner of the island, yet there was no trace of Gao Wen's pirate crew.

A pirate crew of dozens or even hundreds could not simply vanish into thin air; coupled with Jin Shizi's current attitude, he was almost certain that Gao Wen's pirate crew was hiding within the Lord's Manor.

His attitude grew increasingly hostile:

"Please do not make things difficult for me..."

Swish!

At his command, the marines raised their long spears in unison.

Surrounded by the dark muzzles of the guns, Jin Shizi instead calmed down, looking coldly at Smoker:

"So the Navy's justice means fleeing when facing pirates, only to turn your guns on civilians? Or have you been amassing wealth all these years under the pretext of building branch bases?!"

"I..."

Smoker was momentarily speechless; cursing the scum of the Navy in his heart, he still forced himself to speak:

"Regarding previous matters, I will report separately to Headquarters, and those who have been demanding money from you—I will deal with each one of them personally."

"But right now!"

"You had best know what you are doing, and the price you will have to pay for it, otherwise..."

Smoker slowly removed the jitte from his back, his gaze cold and fierce:

"Do not blame me for using force!"

Accompanying his words was a ferocious aura radiating from Smoker's entire body, pressing down on everyone like a massive mountain.

Jin Shizi, standing at the center of Smoker's gaze, broke out in goosebumps.

She felt her legs go soft and was about to collapse backward.

Suddenly, she felt a large hand press onto her shoulder, and the mountain-like pressure weighing on her body vanished instantly.

Gao Wen stepped forward, shielding Jin Shizi behind him, and said coldly:

"Do you know what you are doing?"

"Even the Navy cannot arbitrarily enter the manor of a lord in a World Government member nation without a search warrant; this was decided in an agreement between the Navy and the World Government."

"Do you intend to defy it?"

"If necessary."

Smoker's tone was firm, with no hesitation in his eyes.

As time passed, he grew ever more convinced of his initial judgment; once the knight Gao Wen successfully escaped from here, capturing him afterward would only become increasingly difficult.

"Even if I lose this uniform, as long as I can catch that fellow, this trip will not have been in vain."

"Moreover..."

Looking at the guard before him, Smoker frowned slightly.

It was solely because of the aura the other party had inadvertently released just moments ago; even he felt an immense sense of danger.

If such an existence truly resided within this port, how could Kriek's people have invaded so easily?

Or could it be...

"Who are you?!"

Gao Wen quietly tightened his grip on the long sword in his hand, already prepared to begin battle right here.

Jin Shizi, however, spoke first:

"Just a guard from the Lord's Manor."

"A guard from the Lord's Manor could not possibly possess such eyes."

Smoker's voice was cold and sharp:

"Who exactly are you—!"

But at that moment, a small pebble flew into Smoker's line of sight from the side.

He crushed it in his grip, then turned to see a young girl with tears in her eyes, along with countless port residents wearing faces full of anger.

(End of Chapter)