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"Trens, control the gourd and take us up there! Even if we have to die together, we can't let the Marines capture Captain like this!" Jason roared.
Trens shook his head. "What Captain can do, I can't. My True Energy isn't enough to support another trip to Marines Headquarters." He didn't add that even if they did go, their only fate would be to be captured alongside Captain.
"Crocodile!" Jason turned to Crocodile again.
"My stamina isn't enough to support another trip," Crocodile replied, his face grim.
From the start, they had been fighting at a relentless pace. It was only natural that their stamina was failing them now.
"If I were you, I wouldn't rashly charge the Marines Headquarters again," a deep voice suddenly interrupted their heated argument.
The group whirled around to see a towering figure standing on their wooden boat, seemingly having appeared out of nowhere.
Wearing a somewhat comical Kuma-shaped hat, the figure was impossibly massive. Even Jason and Crocodile looked like children in his presence. A rough estimate placed his height at around seven meters, utterly colossal.
It was astonishing that they hadn't noticed him sooner.
"Who are you?" Trens demanded, his right hand moving instantly to level his dark gun at the newcomer.
Jason and Crocodile tensed instantly.
"Bartholomew Kuma! The Tyrant, Kuma, with a bounty of 250 million berries!"
In the blink of an eye, Crocodile recognized the newcomer.
"Why are you here?" he demanded loudly, his expression icy.
"Actually, now would be an ideal time for you all to travel," Bartholomew Kuma said expressionlessly, as if stating a simple fact. "Relax and unwind. It would do you good."
"What kind of joke is this?" Jason roared, clenching his fist and bellowing in fury. Enraged beyond reason, he didn't care who this man was or what nonsense about traveling he was spouting. The suggestion nearly made him explode with rage.
"I'm not joking at all," Kuma stated.
The moment he finished speaking, his form twisted and distorted, his speed surpassing the imagination of everyone present. In the blink of an eye, he was before Jason, delivering a swift palm strike.
"Go cool off."
Jason barely had time to register his shock before Kuma's palm struck. He was sent hurtling into the air, vanishing in an instant.
"You bastard!" Crocodile snarled, clenching his right fist and unleashing a savage blow.
"You're going too!"
Kuma spoke calmly, striking out with a palm. Crocodile vanished instantly.
Immediately afterward, he slapped the terrified Lordling away, then turned to face Trens.
"You're the calmest of them all," Kuma said coldly. "A rational man. I doubt you'll need my help, right?"
"What exactly are you trying to accomplish?" Trens demanded, his face darkening.
In an instant, this man had transported the entire crew to some unknown location.
"Follow orders. I'm protecting you all. Don't worry, they'll be fine," Kuma explained briefly.
"Hurry and leave this place. Your captain fought hard to secure this opportunity for you."
Turning, Kuma took a single step and vanished swiftly from the scene.
What truly shocked Trens was the unfathomable depth of this man's power. With a few flashes across the sea, he had disappeared without a trace.
Taking a deep breath, Trens glanced at the dazed Chaporos beside him and nudged him sharply.
"Drop the sails, we're preparing to set off."
The wooden boat quickly picked up speed. However, just three kilometers from the Red Line, it was intercepted by a squadron of military warships.
"P-p-please, are you Trens, the big brother of the Nether Soul Pirates?"
A soldier in a black military uniform, standing at the bow of the lead warship, nervously shouted the question at Trens.
Puzzled, Trens couldn't help but ask, "Yes, I am. What's this about?"
"Excellent! We've finally found you! Our General has summoned you!" the soldier exclaimed, overjoyed.
"Who are you?" Trens asked, puzzled.
"Night! We're Night! The General learned of big brother Rojen's situation and immediately ordered us to provide support."
The soldier explained quickly. When he noticed that only Trens and Chaporos were on board, his confusion deepened.
"What about the other big brothers?"
Trens' face darkened as he shook his head.
"Uh, Big Brother Trens, let's go see the General first. Afterward, we can discuss a plan to rescue the other big brothers," the soldier said, sensing Trens' low spirits and trying to reassure him.
"Who exactly are you people? Why are you willing to help us?" Trens asked, his curiosity piqued. He had never seen this group before.
"Big Brother Rojen saved our lives," the soldier replied with a smile.
With that single sentence, Trens understood everything. He marveled at how well-connected his Captain truly was. This group was well-organized, uniformed, and clearly under military command, a highly elite force, perhaps even on par with the Marines. Yet they were acquainted with the Captain.
"This place isn't safe anymore, Big Brother Trens. Come with us!"
Without hesitation, Trens nodded and boarded the other party's warship.
Amidst the vast ocean, a solitary island loomed.
Bruubruubruu!
Kuma, his face impassive, pulled out a Den Den Mushi from his chest.
"How's the mission progressing? Have you seen the boy?" a deep voice rumbled from the Den Den Mushi.
"Rojen has been captured. I've sent the other crew members away; they should be safe now," Kuma replied curtly.
"Captured, you say?"
Dragon, on the other end of the line, paused briefly, then quickly recovered.
"That boy is unpredictable. The Marines might not be able to hold him for long."
"Trust me, we'll hear from him again soon."
"I'm eager for the opportunity to collaborate with him!" Dragon exclaimed after a moment of contemplation.
"You continue to remain hidden. Let no one know of our connection."
"Understood," Kuma replied.
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Kuma stared blankly at the calm sea, lost in thought.
After a long moment, he sighed.
"The sea has calmed again. I wonder when the next storm will come crashing down."
Just as he finished speaking, lightning flashed across the sea, dark clouds gathered overhead, and torrential rain began to pour down.
"Well, the sea has never truly been calm!"
"And this world will never know peace!"
With a swift movement, his figure vanished from the spot.
Rojen and his group's actions weren't known only to themselves. In hidden corners, countless eyes were watching them.
Some observed out of loyalty for past favors, while others sought future gains.
These seemingly insignificant events, unfolding silently, might appear inconsequential now, but in the near future, they would trigger immense changes across the world.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. A nine-story tower rises from a foundation of accumulated earth.
When quantitative changes culminate in qualitative transformation, a cataclysmic upheaval will shake the world to its core!
(End Of This Chapter)