"Actually, you're already very strong. You really don't have to be this perfect."
Even though the climate of Minion Island was freezing cold, Rosinante was still wiping away cold sweat.
"…"
Tanaka simply shook his head at those words, offering no further explanation.
After all, the backgrounds of their worlds were different.
The highest level of war that Rosinante had ever encountered in his life was the battle against the Donquixote Pirates.
Unlike in the Naruto world—where in just fifty years, the Five Great Villages had waged three major wars that engulfed the entire ninja world.
Not to mention the Fourth Great Ninja War, which escalated to the level of what could only be described as a nuclear apocalypse.
If you didn't improve, others would—and then you would just end up getting beaten.
Even someone as powerful as Kaguya was sealed inside the moon for a thousand years due to a single mistake, let alone him.
"Rosinante, are you still over there chatting and laughing with him?Hurry up and help!"
Who's-Who, who had been sliced into multiple pieces by Tanaka's Devil Fruit ability, was still alive. The portion of his body connected to his brain was now furiously yelling at Rosinante.
He was already in this condition.
And yet?
Rosinante was standing there, chatting and laughing with Tanaka. How could he not be enraged?
"Help? Help who?"
Faced with Who's-Who's furious ranting, Rosinante looked bewildered, as if he didn't understand what the man was talking about.
"Of course, help me! Are you planning to help him instead? We're on the same side!"
Seeing this, Who's-Who became even more infuriated.
"On the same side with you? No way! You're CP9."
Rosinante took a step back, widening the distance between himself and Who's-Who.
"You bastard! You're in the Marine, and I'm in CP9—we both serve directly under the World Government. If we're not on the same side, are you saying you'd rather side with him?!"
Who's-Who was already mentally collapsing from dealing with Tanaka.
Now, with Rosinante turning against him, it was the final straw that broke his sanity.
"What else? Have you forgotten why I even came to this island in the first place?" Rosinante spoke confidently, completely unshaken.
He used to be a Celestial Dragon. Now, he was the adoptive son of the Fleet Admiral.
What was there to be afraid of?
Besides, CP9 had hidden themselves aboard his ship and launched an attack on Tanaka without his consent, which had already greatly angered him.
"You…"
Who's-Who instantly realized that Rosinante was determined to stand by Tanaka. So, he had no choice but to turn to the Marine soldiers that Rosinante had brought with him.
"Rosinante might be confused, but are you all going to be confused too? The person standing in front of you is a criminal that the World Government has explicitly ordered to be captured."
"If you refuse to help, that's the same as committing a crime. I don't think I need to explain what happens when you offend the World Government, do I?"
As soon as he said this, the dozens of Marine soldiers behind Rosinante immediately turned pale.
As Marine soldiers from Marine Headquarters, they were even more aware than the average person of how terrifying the World Government was, and what the consequences of offending them would be.
At best, they'd be imprisoned and executed.
At worst, their entire families would be jailed or enslaved.
"Rear Admiral Rosinante."
Many Marine soldiers turned their gazes toward Rosinante. Their meaning was clear.
"Anyone captured by CP9 is, without a doubt, a wanted criminal. If we really stand by and do nothing, the World Government will hold us accountable later."
Seeing the shift in the situation, Kalifa's eyes flickered with a subtle smile as she quietly fanned the flames.
Initially, she thought that failing the mission was already an irreversible fact. But now, Who's-Who's strategy might just have an unexpected effect.
"Hohohohoho!"
Tanaka glanced at Kalifa, a meaningful smile appearing on his face. But in the end, he didn't make a move. Instead, he crossed his arms and looked on with amusement at the Marine in front of him, as well as Rosinante.
"Whew!" As soon as Tanaka's gaze moved away from her, Kalifa let out a long sigh of relief.
Just a single glance had already made her break out in a cold sweat. She had even prepared herself to make a move at any moment.
Thankfully, he didn't act.
"What is the duty of a Marine soldier? To obey orders and fight all evil on the seas in the name of justice."
"If the government issues an order, we will risk our lives to carry it out. But are they really CP9? Is Tanaka truly a criminal?"
Rosinante stepped forward unhurriedly, stabilizing the Marine soldiers' morale with just a few words.
No matter what world it is, those who undertake undercover missions may not always be the strongest, but they are certainly intelligent.
In a fight, he might not be able to beat CP9, but in terms of wits, he definitely wouldn't lose to Who's-Who.
"If we're not CP9, then what are we?"
Who's-Who was furious.
"How the hell am I supposed to know which pirate crew sent you as a spy? You secretly infiltrated our ship and attacked my friend without reason. I haven't even questioned you yet, and now you're accusing me?"
"Until your identity is verified by our superiors, you are criminals."
Rosinante let out a cold snort. Upon hearing this, the Marine soldiers also found it reasonable.
Indeed, while Who's-Who claimed to be CP9, how could he prove it?
And more importantly, they hadn't received any orders from their superiors.
If Who's-Who was truly CP9, then fine. But if he was an impostor, that would be a huge problem.
"You all should know that I came here to bring Tanaka the training method for Haki. And this training method came from Marine Headquarters."
"If the government had really sent CP9 to capture him, then why would Headquarters allow me to bring this Haki training method to him?"
Rosinante held up the leather-bound document.
Hearing this, the Marine soldiers who had been hesitant suddenly saw the logic in his words.
That was right!
If Tanaka were truly a wanted criminal, as Who's-Who claimed, then why would Marine Headquarters hand over a Haki training method to Rosinante and have him deliver it all the way here?
"If he really is a criminal, then why hasn't Headquarters issued an order for us to assist CP9 in capturing him? If you are really CP9, then why did you sneak onto our ship in secret?"
"A sneaky rat, first pretending to be a Marine soldier, then pretending to be Cipher Pol… What's next? Are you going to claim you're a Celestial Dragon?"
Rosinante's words, both probing and attacking, left Who's-Who questioning his own identity.
Watching this scene unfold, Tanaka couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.
No doubt about it—only the one falsely accusing you knew just how innocent you really were.