"Impossible! What kind of ability do you have?!" Holo's face was filled with horror, as if he had seen a ghost. He had encountered many abilities before, but except for the captain, he had never seen a person whose body could withstand this kind of force.
Boom!
However, Bones didn't respond. Instead, he swung his fist at Holo, who was towering at five meters tall. The punch struck him squarely, and despite his size, Holo couldn't bear it. His abdomen caved in instantly, and his entire body was sent flying, crashing into a wooden hut. The massive body shattered the hut completely.
*Cough cough...*
"Stop! Don't come any closer! If you do, I'll kill all these kids! You came here for them, didn't you? If we mistakenly grabbed someone you know, you can take them, but if you dare kill us, our captain won't let you off..." Holo climbed up from the ground, coughing up blood. Despite his terrified expression, he instinctively made the right move.
He rushed toward the group of children. His distance was much shorter than Rosen's or Bones', and he quickly grabbed a disabled beggar who hadn't reacted in time.
Whoosh!
But Rosen had been anticipating such a situation. That's why he hadn't made a move until now. He transformed into a whirlwind of sand and arrived at Holo's side in an instant. Grabbing his thick arm with one hand, he activated his Desert Prison technique.
Holo's arm rapidly withered, losing strength in an instant. The disabled child dropped to the ground, and Rosen's golden hook pierced Holo's chest. The heavy body, like an elephant, was easily lifted by Rosen. "You just mentioned your captain?"
"Ah! Damn it, who the hell are you?! Let go of me! If you dare oppose our pirate crew in Wine City, you're dead! Haha, the captain will tear all of you to pieces..." Holo was filled with both fury and fear, writhing in pain.
"BOSS, what should we do next?" Bones asked. Though he felt he could have handled it himself, having the boss step in certainly made things more secure.
"Call the Marines. After all, they're law enforcement. There's no way they can just ignore these kids. I've seen their basic info. The two commanders at the Marine base should have some skill." Rosen said calmly.
This was the reason Rosen had hesitated earlier. He feared that rescuing these poor children might end up being for nothing if they didn't get proper follow-up care. It would only shift them from one hellhole to another.
"Understood." Bones took out a Den Den Mushi and started dialing the local Marine base.
"Call your captain and tell him to come speak properly. Otherwise, with the speed of blood loss, you'll be dead in less than an hour, and it'll be very painful," Rosen sneered, pulling out his golden hook and delivering a kick that left Holo lying on the ground, his eyes cold and filled with utter indifference.
"I…" Holo pressed his hand to his wound, wanting to say something threatening, but when he saw the expression on Rosen's face, his heart chilled. It was a look as if he didn't care about his life at all.
He was afraid.
"You still have one arm left. Want me to help you hold the Den Den Mushi?" Rosen had only disabled one of Holo's arms. Keeping him alive was necessary to prevent him from causing more trouble later on.
The implied meaning of "helping" was to break his other arm too.
To Rosen, today's actions were not about right or wrong, good or bad. What mattered was that he could sweep away the frustration building up inside him. He realized that in this world, as long as you had enough power, you could do whatever you wanted, without worrying about consequences, as long as you could bear them.
"I'll do it, I'll do it…" Holo, terrified, no longer dared to speak too much, though he couldn't help but laugh coldly inside. He was asking for death by trying to provoke the captain. If he died and the children were taken away, the captain might never even find them. Now he was actually being made to call for reinforcements... He was waiting for death.
Bru bru bru… The Den Den Mushi dialed, while Bones busied himself gathering the children together. There were more than twenty of them, both big and small, with even more unaccounted for.
Click. The Den Den Mushi was picked up, and Holo, fighting through the pain, tried to keep his voice steady, not letting the captain hear any abnormality in his tone or mood.
"Captain, the funds for this month have been gathered ahead of time. Are you free to come take them?"
The Den Den Mushi on the other end was silent for a moment, mimicking the expression. After some time, the voice on the other side replied, "I'll send someone to collect it. There's a banquet at the three great taverns tonight, and I need to prepare."
"Captain, no, I think—" Holo began, panic rising.
"Is something wrong? Did you get into trouble?" The voice on the other end darkened instantly, causing Holo to panic even more.
Rosen snatched the Den Den Mushi from Holo. "He's in a bad mood, so he's venting on his crew. You won't mind, right? Don't worry, he's still breathing, but if you're any slower, who knows what will happen. And this money is quite a lot."
Clearly, the other side was very interested in the money.
"I don't mind, but I do mind you and your whole family!" Holo cursed inwardly. Even though he was a worthless pawn, he was still a cash cow for the captain, bringing in a lot of money each month. How dare this outsider act so arrogantly, treating his crew like this? Who gave him the courage?
"Wait for it, I'll be sure to take your head and make you regret saying such things."
Bang!
The Den Den Mushi was smashed, and Anlin was consumed by a fiery rage. Usually, he would keep his composure, but after his bounty had exceeded a hundred million, hardly anyone dared speak to him this way, not even the heads of the three taverns.
"No matter who you are, I'll tear you to pieces," Anlin declared, brimming with confidence. But overconfidence can sometimes lead to blindness. Sadly, he didn't understand this, and Rosen's words had pushed him too far.
---
"Major Harry, we've received a report from the Shichibukai Crocodile, saying that the criminal group exploiting disabled children in Wave District has been dismantled. The Shichibukai hopes that we can offer some assistance." A Marine officer quickly rushed into the office to report.
"The Shichibukai… they can never behave themselves, no matter where they go. Fine, we'll go take a look. And if this criminal group has been dealt with, it's still a good thing. Even if it's black on black, we might as well investigate whether Colonel Luca has made any deals with them," Major Harry mused.
"Gather all available soldiers, and let's sweep through Wave District." Major Harry issued the order. Since they were heading there anyway, it was a good opportunity to show some force.
Such operations happened every few months, though their effectiveness was often minimal. But at least it served as a reminder to any unlucky souls.
"Major Harry, where are you going?" Colonel Luca, along with a few subordinates, walked into the office, noticing Harry's hurried pace.
"What's the matter?" Colonel Luca asked curiously, although his rank was slightly lower than Harry's, he had more real power now. If he disagreed, the operation would be stalled.
"There's a criminal group dismantled in Wave District, and the Shichibukai Crocodile was involved. We're going to take control. What's your take on this, Colonel Luca?" Harry asked casually.
"What criminal group?" Luca inquired.
"Child trafficking and exploitation. I've received similar reports before, but we lacked the manpower to investigate. With the pirates constantly coming and going, we couldn't find out much." Harry didn't hide the truth from Luca, since this was official business.
"When did the Shichibukai start doing good deeds? How strange," Luca thought to himself.
"Colonel Luca, do you have any other matters?" Harry asked, already preparing to leave.
"No, Major. Please go ahead. Oh, and about tonight's prize at the banquet, be sure to protect the Devil Fruit. I've heard some pirates are targeting that treasure," Luca smiled, offering a reminder.
"Of course. But don't be too careless yourself, Colonel Luca." Harry responded before leaving.
"Send a message to Captain Anlin, let him know the opponent is a Shichibukai. We wouldn't want him thinking we've taken money and not done our job. He'll enjoy watching this show…" Colonel Luca's smile turned a bit sinister.
(End of Chapter)