"Still no bites, damn it. Could that thing actually have intelligence? So far, we've only caught some slightly stronger mutants," Ganox complained as he followed Base Commander Lesser.
Although they had captured various mutants, such as sirens and horned demons, which could be used for basic research, the primary target—the "immortal" species—had yet to take the bait. It had already been half a day.
Morad, his eyes unfocused, sat in a cage. Given his injuries, he should have died long ago, but he refused to give up. He was waiting, waiting for Charles to take the bait.
Yes, when the demon arrived, these foolish Marines would finally realize what they were trying to capture. That demon would surely slaughter everyone here.
And Morad wanted to see them die before he did, so he clung to life, unwilling to perish just yet.
"Take a few cages and throw them into the rift," Commander Reiser ordered after some thought. A group of skilled Marines quickly emerged from behind the earthen wall.
Many Marines lying in ambush held special Seastone nets, incredibly durable and effective not only against Devil Fruit users but also against powerful fighters.
"Bastards, damn Marines..." Morad let out a weak, furious growl, tears streaming from his eyes.
He saw several Marines detach the cages, lift them, and slowly move toward the rift. He immediately understood their intentions.
"Stop!" A figure suddenly appeared at the edge of the rift like a gust of wind, roaring with extreme fury. With a glare, several daggers erupted from the heads of the Marines carrying the cages.
Though these Marines were skilled, they were no match for Alice's full power in her rage.
"Who?!" Commander Reiser was startled. The figure was incredibly fast and ferocious!
"If it weren't for your Marine uniforms, I'd think we'd run into some notorious pirate crew," Rosen said with a dark expression as he approached from a distance.
When they heard Natalie's words in the underground passage, they decided to check the surface. After all, these were Natalie's people, and they couldn't just ignore them.
But they never expected to witness such a horrific scene, carried out by none other than the Marines. This completely ruined Rosen's previously decent mood.
This would be a massive blow to Natalie and the others. Not long ago, they had hoped to be relocated by the Marines, allowing them to start anew on a new island, perhaps even slowly letting go of their hatred.
Because hope was more important to the Lantis people than hatred. As long as they could truly start a new life, most would bury their hatred deep, as the hope of their race's survival outweighed everything.
But the brutality before them now plunged them from heaven straight into hell.
Even Alice couldn't control her anger and attacked immediately. This wasn't just one or two of her people being used as bait—it was hundreds!
Otherwise, they could have stayed hidden in the rear, formulating a better strategy.
But since they were discovered, so be it.
"Marines? As ugly as ever," Law said with disgust, the shocking scene before him reminding him of his homeland and the many innocent lives lost to Marine gunfire.
How similar it all was.
"Shichibukai Crocodile. We heard rumors you might be on the island, but we never expected you to be mingling with the Lantis people," Commander Reiser said, his expression grave as he looked at the unexpected guests.
As a top-tier Marine Vice Admiral, Reiser wasn't particularly afraid of a Shichibukai, but he couldn't deny their strength. And now, with one suddenly appearing before him, the situation had become delicate.
A Shichibukai couldn't be allowed to know about Marine scandals. If it were just the Lantis Island incident, they could have covered it up. But now, with everything witnessed firsthand, it was extremely awkward.
Kill the witnesses?
Though Reiser was confident, taking down a Shichibukai, even with his troops, would be difficult. He quietly reached for his Den Den Mushi.
"Don't make any rash moves!" Rosen glared at him, considering his options.
Meanwhile, Alice was already on a rampage. Natalie's small face was filled with rage as she gripped her weapon and shield, charging straight at the Marines.
"A child?!" The Marines were shocked, but seeing Natalie charging at them with her weapon, they steeled themselves. Those who followed Commander Reiser didn't have much of a conscience.
They swung their weapons at Natalie, but she nimbly dodged their strikes and stabbed a Marine officer with her dagger, killing him instantly.
"Capture that woman," Commander Reiser ordered the Rear Admirals beside him. They nodded and led elite Marines toward Alice, who was busy opening cages. Though she couldn't move living beings, she could swap restraints, cages, chains, and shackles with distant rocks.
The first person freed from a cage was immediately liberated.
"Damn Marines, die! Phantom Thousand Blades!" Alice roared, her fury and overwhelming power erupting. A group of soldiers at the front had daggers burst from their bodies, killing them instantly.
"Be careful, she's a Devil Fruit user!" a Rear Admiral shouted, narrowly dodging the daggers that appeared out of thin air.
"Lady Alice! We're sorry," the freed Lantis people said weakly, unable to fight. They had been poisoned and injured, their blood used to lure Charles. The toxins in their bodies were meant to accumulate and act as a trap for Charles.
Some of the toxins Ganox had set up were like time bombs, designed to release their deadly effects under specific conditions.
Even if the toxins didn't kill the immortal species, they could at least paralyze its brain, as the brain was still a core weakness.
This was why Reiser dared to hunt Charles here.
"What do you think you're doing, Crocodile? Have you forgotten your position? According to the agreement, you should be assisting the Marines. Don't forget your status as a Shichibukai!" Reiser said coldly.
Rosen glanced at the cages, finding it impossible to cooperate with the Marines from a purely rational standpoint.
Moreover, in this situation, the Marines would undoubtedly consider silencing him.
This was a complete exposure of the government's dark side to a Shichibukai who wasn't close to the government. If this Shichibukai had any recordings, it could become leverage against the World Government in the future.
Rosen took a deep drag from his cigar, letting the flavor linger on his tongue. His thoughts became clearer. "What makes you think I have to remain a Shichibukai? Law, go help the kid."
Law was taken aback, then frowned at Rosen. "Why should I?"
Law wanted to see how Rosen would handle this. He didn't consider himself a good person, but if Crocodile, a Shichibukai, cooperated with the Marines in this situation, he would never treat Rosen's subordinates and would find a way to escape.
In a fight like this, with his abilities, escaping would be easy.
"These Marines clearly won't let this go, and she's just a child. You wouldn't stand by and watch a child die, would you? Besides, in the near future, you might have to change how you address me—like calling me Captain!" Rosen said calmly.
(End of Chapter)
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