"But all I see in your eyes is indifference, kid."
Aokiji yawned, his voice lazy.
"Really? I'm very excited about your visit." Marsh spread his hands, his face innocent.
"Enough nonsense. The orders from the Five Elders require me to supervise CP5." Aokiji seemed annoyed with this sudden overtime duty.
"Using the Five Elders to pressure me? That's not your style." Marsh's smile remained unchanged.
"I'm just following their orders."
"Supervise, not command."
"True, but if someone crosses the line, do you think I'll stand idly by?" Aokiji gazed down at the boy standing a full head shorter than himself, cold breath subtly emanating from his mouth.
"Then you'd better guard them 24/7." Marsh's smirk widened.
"Oh dear, kids these days... terrifying."
With that, Aokiji turned and walked away.
As he left, ice platforms rose from the ground, carrying away the wounded and Kalifa.
After he departed, Marsh's smile finally disappeared completely.
...
That night...
Kalifa was in Kaku's room, tending to his wounds.
"Should we... escape?" Kaku gritted his teeth, enduring the pain.
"Escape?" Kalifa was shocked. "Where to?"
"Anywhere! With our skills, we'll never starve! As long as we don't become pirates, we can do anything!" Kaku's expression was deadly serious.
"...Is it because of Marsh?" Kalifa's body trembled as she recalled the day's events.
"Yes! You don't understand; that Marsh is a monster! Compared to him, his father at his age was practically a saint!"
"His father is Spandine, the commander of CP9, a villain with countless deaths on his hands!"
"No, Spandine only killed those who deserved it. But Marsh... he killed his own brother with his bare hands!"
Kalifa dropped the medicine in shock. "Are you saying... Marsh killed his own brother?"
"Yes!" Kaku nodded heavily.
At that moment, a familiar voice sounded from outside.
"Well, well, my reputation precedes me! No wonder you looked at me like you wanted to devour me earlier."
The door to Kaku's room was kicked open, and Marsh strode in wearing a black suit, holding a strange-looking transponder snail.
"That's...!" Kaku's pupils contracted.
A recording snail!
That meant everything he'd just said about leaving the Navy...
"Sssst!"
Without thinking, Kaku launched himself toward Marsh, trying to snatch the recording snail.
But in the next instant, Marsh's foot struck his chest, embedding him in the wall.
Seeing this, Kalifa lunged for the recording snail too.
But Marsh easily overpowered her.
He pinned her hands tightly and pressed her head down with his knee.
"First, you plan to desert the Navy, and then you attack your superior. Tsk, tsk... Aokiji was right, kids these days~" Marsh taunted with his usual sarcastic tone.
"Let her go!" Kaku lunged forward again.
Shigan!
Marsh's fingers struck Kaku's body at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.
With each impact, blood blossomed from Kaku's body.
Soon, Kaku collapsed to the ground, covered in blood, yet his eyes remained fixed on Marsh.
[What's your choice?]
[A. Finish him off]
[B. Offer treatment]
[C. Do something shocking with Kalifa in front of him]
...
'Is this really necessary?'
'I can't kill him, nor can I heal him.'
'Isn't this just forcing me and Kalifa...'
"B!"
Well, it's just a simulation anyway!
Kaku's defiant gaze piqued Marsh's... interest.
To his shock, Marsh felt... aroused?
Whoa, whoa, whoa, what kind of messed-up kink is this?!
Then, in front of Kaku, Marsh ran his tongue from Kalifa's chin to her forehead.
Kaku struggled to get up, but his limbs had all been shattered by Marsh's Shigan strikes!
Even his voice was gone, only managing guttural "mmph" sounds like a trapped beast.
Kalifa's whole body trembled, only driving Marsh's primal instincts further!
But as he was about to tear Kalifa's clothes, she suddenly said, "Wait! We... we all have poison hidden in our molars! If you do anything, I'd rather die than let you have your way!"
At this, Marsh surprisingly released her.
But in the next moment, he moved to Kaku, wedging his fingers in his mouth.
With a twist, he shattered all of Kaku's teeth, extracting the poison capsule hidden there.
"You!" Kalifa started to charge, but stopped in her tracks.
Marsh pressed his foot to Kaku's head, speaking softly.
"Kalifa, you don't want Kaku to die in front of you, do you?"
***
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