After Rosse left in the direction of Sakazuki's warship, Kuzan eventually couldn't hold back. After giving a brief instruction to his adjutant, he entered Ohara alone.
He and Saul were close friends who acknowledged each other's justice.
Sending Saul off for the last time was something a friend like him should do.
With both hands in his pockets, Kuzan arrived at the bay where Saul had been killed.
Inside the bay, the afterglow of the setting sun weakly scattered across the rippling water's surface, unable to brighten this tragedy-shrouded corner. The sea breeze, carrying salt and an almost imperceptible sorrow, gently swept across every inch of space.
Saul's enormous body, tens of meters long, lay lifelessly in a shocking pool of blood.
His fists were tightly clenched, as if still holding onto the unyielding resistance of his last moments, and in the place where his heart should be, a horrifying large hole gaped openly, silently telling the cruelty of the fatal blow. Across his body were countless intersecting wounds, some deep as carvings, others thin like whips, resembling marks left by a demon, recording the suffering he had endured.
"Saul…", Even though he was mentally prepared, Kuzan still let out a sigh, staring blankly at his friend's corpse.
Kuzan's hand silently touched Saul's body.
Chilling cold air overflowed, and Saul's body began to freeze.
In just a moment, Saul's body was completely encased in ice, and Kuzan shaped it into the form of an ice coffin.
Kuzan silently gazed at the ice coffin. With a flip of his wrist, a small cluster of ice crystals appeared in his hand.
Holding the ice crystals, he gently placed them in front of the ice coffin.
This was his farewell to his old friend.
Sometimes, Kuzan would ask himself whether the Navy's justice was truly right.
What had the historians really done wrong? They clearly hadn't harmed anyone, yet they had to endure the wrath of the Buster Call.
Since the World Government was so powerful, why didn't they focus their strength on purging pirates, instead of having the already stretched-thin Navy deal with places like Ohara?
Could the Navy truly be considered executors of justice?
At this moment, Kuzan was confused.
"Hmph, I knew you'd be here, Kuzan!", A hoarse voice rang out from not far away, startling Kuzan awake as he turned his head alertly.
When the difference in Observation Haki wasn't significant, if one person wanted to hide, the other would find it hard to detect.
What's more, he had just been lost in confusion.
But upon seeing who it was, Kuzan relaxed his guard, "Sakazuki, what are you doing here?"
"Of course I'm here to wait for potential traitors. Saul appearing in Ohara couldn't be a coincidence. There must be someone inside the Navy working with him to stop the Buster Call," Sakazuki said blandly, using an extremely poor excuse.
When he bet with Rosse earlier, he had considered the possibility that Kuzan might come, but figured he'd just sneak a look and not make a big deal of it.
Unexpectedly, not only did Kuzan come, but he even wanted to give Saul some dignity.
'Giving dignity to a Navy traitor, such a sinful act…'
"Hmph!", Sakazuki's expression darkened as both his hands gathered scalding magma.
Being stared at angrily by Sakazuki, Kuzan slightly frowned, feeling a bit baffled.
'Just because you, Sakazuki, are heartless, does that mean all Navy members should be heartless?'
Saul was at least a former Navy Vice Admiral, and had shared camaraderie with many other Navy officers, including him.
Even if Saul was dead, coming here to pay respects. How could that be considered traitorous?
"Sakazuki, I came here for similar reasons, but I didn't find any other traitors," Kuzan said blandly.
He didn't want to argue with Sakazuki. Sakazuki was a lunatic who wanted to kill all pirates.
Reasoning with such a lunatic was basically playing music to a cow.
"It better be that way. I will report everything about your presence here to Saint Rosse and Fleet Admiral Kong," Sakazuki stared deeply at Kuzan, then turned and walked away.
Even if Kuzan was here, so what? He had countless excuses to defend himself.
They were now of the same rank. He really had no reason to do anything to Kuzan.
But once this matter was reported, someone would naturally handle Kuzan.
In Sakazuki's eyes, a lazy Marine like Kuzan was essentially a parasite.
'Occupying a position without properly executing missions, such a person should be handed over to the World Government, not remain in the Navy.'
'The Navy should uphold a heart of iron toward pirates and traitors.'
———
Elsewhere, Rosse soon returned to the ship with his group.
Just as he boarded the ship, Stella came up to greet him, "Master, you're back!"
"Mm. The newcomers need treatment. Heal them all well, don't miss the upcoming grand event."
Rosse nodded slightly and pushed Olvia in his arms toward Stella.
Upon hearing Rosse's words, Olvia's eyes lit up immediately, and she subconsciously glanced at Robin.
The others weren't injured, only she and Robin were. Exactly two people.
She had thought Robin was already dead, and Rosse simply didn't want her buried there and brought her back to bury her himself.
Unexpectedly, Robin wasn't dead.
'That's great!'
"Treat little Robin first," Hearing Rosse's command again, Stella quickly ran to Gion's side and began treating Robin using her Devil Fruit powers.
Robin's injuries weren't severe. Once the bullet was removed, her condition rapidly improved under the effect of the fruit's power.
Watching Robin's wounds gradually return to normal, Olvia felt both relief and anxiety.
She definitely didn't want Robin to die, there was no doubt about that.
But her actions just now must have deeply hurt Robin.
Most likely in the future, Robin wouldn't even acknowledge her, maybe even want to kill her.
Suddenly, Olvia became nervous.
Unless necessary, she didn't want to raise her hand against her daughter a second time.
But soon, Olvia thought of a solution.
"Saint Rosse, may I beg you for one thing?", Olvia looked at Rosse pleadingly, tightly gripping his right hand like clutching her last lifeline.
"What is it? Let's hear it," Rosse replied noncommittally.
"Even if Robin wants to kill me, I beg you to protect me until I finish researching that part of history," Olvia pleaded.
"This request, huh…", Rosse narrowed his eyes slightly. Olvia's obsession with history had probably already become a form of madness.
But he could understand.
Even if this whole situation hadn't happened, Olvia was already obsessed with researching ancient history. It's just that without being forced to choose, her stance hadn't been so firm.
Now that she had made her choice, Olvia was willing to do anything to continue her research.
"I agree," Rosse said calmly.
Hearing Rosse's agreement, Olvia's entire body relaxed and she collapsed into Rosse's arms.
She had been forcing herself to endure the pain from her injuries during the battle, and now her strength was completely gone.
But on her face, there was still a slightly sickly smile.
Rosse's words not only meant he would block Robin for her temporarily, but also showed he truly intended to keep his promise.
On the way out of Ohara, Olvia had really been afraid Rosse would go back on his word. If that happened, she would truly have nothing left.
But luckily, Rosse was a trustworthy Celestial Dragon who would even risk taboos to let her continue researching that part of history.
If she had met someone like this earlier, the Buster Call might never have happened, and the Tree of Knowledge's foundation could have been preserved.
'As long as, as long as I can satisfy Saint Rosse and continue my research…'
'Even it means sacrificing myself, my companions, or even my daughter, I will…'
[T/N: I am repeating again, MC is not gonna do anything according to your understanding of good, reasonable, benevolent or even GREY, he is a sadist and selfish person. So, in the future do not comment anything saying MC is not worthy, he is selfish, trash, etc. I know it.]
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