"Brat!!!" Wang Zhi's eyes turned fierce as his right hand gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist.
An invisible aura of murderous intent immediately spread between the two, causing Old Buck, who was standing to the side, to turn pale with terror in his eyes.
Is this internal strife?
Is Lord Carlo going to fight Captain Wang Zhi?
Just as the atmosphere between Carlo and Wang Zhi grew increasingly tense.
Suddenly, a groan of pain came from the sea below.
Both Carlo and Wang Zhi couldn't help but look over.
Then, the two of them saw Elizabeth I struggling and splashing his hands in the churning sea.
His large face was flushed red from holding his breath.
A thick arm was wrapped around his neck from behind, tightening with all its might.
"Let... let go of me! This King... This King is the King of the Prodence Kingdom!"
Elizabeth I struggled to squeeze out a few words, wanting the attacker behind him to let go.
However... "Let go? Worororo... Now you know how to beg for mercy? Where was that energy when you were ambushing me just now? Let go? You're fucking dreaming!"
Kaido's gloomy and furious face emerged from behind him.
Clenching his free right hand into a massive fist, he began to smash it frantically against Elizabeth I's head.
The crown atop Elizabeth I's head was smashed flat and sent flying.
Soon, this famous king of an Affiliated Nations in the New World was beaten bloodied and battered by the enraged Kaido.
By this point, Elizabeth I, who was always known for his tough-guy personality, gradually began to feel the fear of death.
The suffocation in his lungs and the pain in his head made him involuntarily begin to beg for mercy.
However, Kaido had seen red and couldn't hear a thing, simply continuing to throw punches.
Carlo watched coldly, with no intention of intervening.
Wang Zhi, however, seemed to have some reservations and couldn't help but shout:
"Hey! You brat of the Oni Race! You'd better stop while you're ahead! If you really kill him, even we won't be able to avoid bigger trouble! It's one thing to steal the celestial tribute, but if you go as far as to brutally murder the king of an Affiliated Nations..."
"Who do you think you are? You think you can order me around? When I want someone dead... no one can stop me!"
Kaido retorted unceremoniously.
Then, he reached out with his large hand, firmly grabbed Elizabeth I's blood-soaked head, and twisted it violently, intending to snap his neck!
"No! You can't kill me! I am the King of the Prodence Kingdom, the great Elizabeth I, the invincible Fighting King... The World Government won't let you get away with this!!"
*Crack!*
A sharp snapping sound.
Elizabeth I's pupils dilated, his head slumped on his thick neck, and his struggling movements instantly froze.
He was dead.
"Pah! That's what you get for fucking ambushing me! Don't you know that what I hate most is being ambushed?!"
Kaido spat on the sinking corpse before climbing back onto the ship using both his hands and feet.
Once he reached Carlo's side, he turned to glance at the now-quiet sea and asked in confusion:
"The fight's over, what are you guys still standing around here for? Waiting for me... or waiting for the Marine warships?"
Carlo glanced at him, then looked at Wang Zhi, whose face was dark with anger from Kaido's retort, and said flatly:
"This guy is using his position as a Division Captain to try and take our treasure."
Carlo emphasized the word "our."
"What?!"
Hearing this, Kaido instantly flew into a rage, glaring at Wang Zhi with his bulging eyes.
"You bastard! I've been annoyed by you and your weird attitude for a long time. So what if you're a Division Captain? You dare try to steal the celestial tribute we captured... You're asking for death!"
Cursing, Kaido drew his spiked club from behind his waist and swung it at Wang Zhi.
*Boom!*
The treasure piled beneath Wang Zhi's feet exploded outward.
The spiked club slammed heavily into the pile of treasure chests.
But Wang Zhi himself had vanished into thin air.
"Huh? Where'd he go?" Kaido looked around in shock, only to see that Wang Zhi, who had been standing right there, had now appeared on the pirate ship a hundred meters away.
"How did that guy... get over there?" Kaido was completely bewildered.
Behind him, Carlo stared at Wang Zhi thoughtfully.
"Teleportation?"
On the pirate ship opposite them, seeing Carlo and Kaido standing together against a common enemy, Wang Zhi's face quickly returned to its original smiling expression.
He licked his lips and gave a strange laugh:
"My apologies, I was out of line. Since you two captured this celestial tribute and took down Elizabeth I, then this treasure naturally belongs to you as your spoils of war. Alright, let's head back to Hachinos...u..."
As he spoke, Wang Zhi's smiling eyes suddenly looked at a spot near Kaido's feet. His expression froze for a moment before the smile reappeared.
"However, considering I gave you the accurate intelligence earlier, would you let me pick one thing I like? I promise I won't take anything more."
Kaido was taken aback and turned to Carlo. "Carlo, what do you say?"
In Kaido's view.
Wang Zhi's previous behavior was certainly detestable.
But he was, after all, the Fourth Division Captain of the Rocks Pirates.
And Wang Zhi wasn't wrong.
The exact location of the Prodence Kingdom fleet had indeed been provided by Wang Zhi.
Without Wang Zhi's information, they might not have known at all that they had missed this batch of celestial tribute.
Now that Wang Zhi was taking the initiative to compromise, not wanting the treasure they had seized but only wanting to pick one thing he liked from it.
Logically and socially, as two newcomers who had just joined, it would be difficult for them to refuse.
Although Kaido acted recklessly, he wasn't entirely brainless.
However, he still left the decision to Carlo.
After all, he did feel a bit like he was getting something for nothing on this trip.
Carlo, who had been watching Wang Zhi the whole time, frowned slightly upon hearing his words.
"What do you want?"
A hint of joy flashed deep in Wang Zhi's eyes, but his face remained calm as he pointed seemingly at random.
"I don't want much, just that thing will do."
Carlo looked in the direction he was pointing.
Amidst the messy treasure scattered across the deck, a deformed, long rectangular chest was open.
Inside the chest lay a Battle Halberd, as black as ink.