"Damn it, I still can't control my Conqueror's Haki freely!"
Seeing his handiwork, Cross wasn't pleased. Instead, he frowned, muttering a low curse. His original intention was to knock out only the Celestial Dragon, which would cause chaos among the others, leaving them no time to bother with the two people on the ground.
However, he still couldn't control his Conqueror's Haki freely, and it ended up knocking out everyone on the entire street.
"Th-th-this…" Smoker was dumbfounded, looking at the fallen crowd on the street in disbelief, too shocked to even speak.
At this moment, Cross suddenly rushed out from the alley, shouting dramatically, "Protect the Celestial Dragon! Protect Mjosgard-sei!"
Hearing this, Smoker also reacted. Although he looked reluctant, he still charged out without a word.
One must understand that across the entire street, including the dozen or so Holy Land Guard Corps soldiers and the hidden Marine soldiers nearby, very few people were still standing.
If someone were to actually harm the Celestial Dragon and succeed, things would become dire.
Even if Cross managed to hide his involvement and avoid being found by the World Government, the two people they had just saved would definitely be hunted down by CP agents afterward and killed to vent frustration.
At this point, the few struggling Marine officers who were still conscious also saw Cross and Smoker. Although they didn't recognize them, they heard Cross's shouts, and their panicked hearts relaxed slightly.
However, as Cross and Smoker approached Saint Mjosgard, they noticed that the man in the black suit was still conscious. Not only was he protectively shielding the Celestial Dragon behind him in a defensive stance, but his gaze was also wary as he looked at the two of them.
"Who are you two?"
"We're Marine Academy cadets. Who are you?"
Cross didn't hide their identities when the man questioned him, stating it directly and then returning the question.
"I'm CP6 Agent Rudol! Pleased to meet you!" The man introduced himself as a CP agent.
Understanding his identity, Smoker couldn't help but scoff, "Since when did the CP organization become the Celestial Dragons' lapdogs?"
Rudol's face stiffened, and his gaze towards Smoker turned somewhat dangerous.
"Smoker!" Cross said sternly, his voice severe. But before Rudol's expression could soften, Cross continued, "The CP organization has always been the Celestial Dragons' lapdogs. That has never changed!"
Immediately, Rudol's face turned green with rage. He couldn't help but yell, "You two, show some respect!"
"Smoker, go take those two people on the ground away and find a doctor to save them. Leave this Celestial Dragon's safety to me!" Cross ignored Rudol and spoke directly to Smoker. He could sense faint signs of life from the man and woman who had been shot. Although their lives hung by a thread, they might be saved if treated by a doctor promptly.
Smoker glanced at Cross, then nodded silently. His hands transformed into two plumes of white smoke, wrapping around the two people on the ground, lifting them up. He then turned to leave.
"Devil Fruit User…" Rudol saw Smoker about to leave and quickly tried to stop him. "No! You can't leave! The situation is unclear. You must stay and protect the esteemed Mjosgard-sei!"
Cross reached out to block Rudol, his eyes sharp as he stared at him, saying in a low voice, "Protecting the Celestial Dragons is your duty. As Marines, our greater purpose is to protect innocent civilians. Besides, if even I can't protect the Celestial Dragon's safety, then we'll just have to wait for the Marine Headquarters' Vice Admirals and Admirals to arrive!"
Rudol was exasperated. Watching Smoker walk further away, he couldn't help but curse at Cross, "You brat! You're just a Marine Academy cadet. Don't pretend to be some big shot here! If the Celestial Dragon suffers even a scratch, I'll have you thrown into Impel Down!"
"Heh~" Cross sneered, half-jokingly and half-sarcastically, "If the Celestial Dragon gets hurt, you'll be punished just like me. Maybe we'll even be cellmates in Impel Down!"
"I… I…" Rudol was instantly speechless, his face turning deathly pale.
That's right! If the Celestial Dragon was harmed, he, as their bodyguard, would also suffer the severest punishment.
"Alright, let's first safely return this… esteemed Mjosgard-sei to Red Port!" Cross waved towards the sky.
SCREEECH—
The next second, several eagle cries echoed from the sky. Rudol looked up and saw a massive silver eagle rapidly descending from above, bringing with it a strong gust of wind.
Its heavy body landed with a thud beside Cross. In addition, several other giant birds circled in the sky, as if on guard.
"This is…" Rudol was dumbfounded, barely able to believe there was such a silver giant eagle with a wingspan of over five meters in the world.
Silver-white feathers covered the giant eagle's body, shimmering with a faint metallic luster under the sunlight. It looked less like a bird born of nature and more like a work of art.
Then, the silver giant eagle lifted its leg, gripping the unconscious Saint Mjosgard on the ground with its large talons. With a flap of its wings, it stirred up a powerful gust of wind and whooshed into the sky.
"Hey, hey, hey~ Isn't this a bit too disrespectful for a Celestial Dragon?!" Rudol held his head in shock, his eyes bulging out.
Placing Saint Mjosgard on the giant eagle's back was one thing, but grabbing him with its talons… this posture looked exactly like an eagle catching its prey! This was practically blasphemy!
"If you want to come along, get on!" Cross glanced at Rudol, slowly saying, "If not, it'll fly directly to Red Port. You can inform the people there to receive him!"
"No, no, no…" Rudol waved his hands repeatedly, almost peeing his pants from fear.
If I ride on the silver giant eagle's back while the Celestial Dragon is held by its talons, and someone sees us, I'll definitely be charged with the grave crime of disrespecting a Celestial Dragon!
Hearing Rudol's refusal, the silver giant eagle didn't linger. It directly flapped its wings and soared high, stirring up howling, turbulent air currents, flying like a silver arrow towards Red Port.
"Cough, cough, cough…" Rudol reached out, trying to say something, but was choked back by a cloud of dust.
"The Celestial Dragon is safe. The rest is for your CP organization to handle!" Cross said meaningfully. "You really need to investigate this matter thoroughly: why did so many people faint—?"
Meanwhile, in another alley nearby, a figure emerged from the shadows. Their face was obscured by long hair, and their glasses reflected a glint of light.
"Hehehe~ What an interesting young Marine! I didn't expect another man with Conqueror's Haki to appear in the Marines!"
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