Chapter 94 - CHAPTER 94 - I'm Just Here as a Bodyguard

"Useless trash! Why is someone like you, the captain of the guards, so weak? You couldn't even take down a single Shichibukai, and you still have the audacity to return? What use do I have for you? Trash, trash...!" Zodi raged furiously. He relentlessly stomped on a bloodied man, one foot after another. The man beneath him had long since lost his breath, yet Zodi continued his assault. Those standing near Prince Zodi instinctively stepped back. His morbid frenzy chilled not only the Marines but even his own kingdom's soldiers. The man being stomped to death beneath his feet was their captain of the guards. Had they attempted to save him, there might have been a chance. But Zodi hadn't even considered it, hadn't even made a token effort to keep up appearances. Instead, he poured all his cowardice and rage onto the captain. "What a mad dog," a Marine Rear Admiral muttered but had no intention of provoking Zodi at a time like this. "Alright, my dear servants, let's go and cut that damned Shichibukai into a thousand pieces," Zodi said with a smile as warm as a spring breeze, as if his outburst of anger had never happened. But the scene remained silent. No one dared to respond first. Zodi's emotions were too unstable—who knew what would happen to the first one to speak? "Did you get what you wanted, Boss?" Nico Robin asked. She felt a slight pang of pity for the dead captain, but she knew that he had always served at Zodi's side, and his hands were hardly clean. Perhaps some things went against his original intentions. But did that matter? No. What mattered was that he had done them. Even if it was under orders, he had done them nonetheless. "Yes. This Zodi is easy to deal with, but he can't be let off. We need to find an appropriate opportunity to get rid of him—but not in public. Though it's risky, I need you to draft a formal accusation letter in advance," Rosen said, puffing on a cigar. Smoke curled around his face, obscuring his expression. If Zodi had attempted to save the captain, it would have shown that he had some sense and strategic thinking, making him a more challenging opponent. Someone like that might have chosen to cut his losses and swallow his pride. That would have made Rosen's job easier. But as things stood, Zodi clearly intended to fight to the death. The good news was that he was utterly brainless. Robin and Pittas were shocked by Rosen's words. Was he really planning to kill him? Even in the best-case scenario, the Shichibukai wouldn't be stripped of their status over this. But if the heir to the Andia Kingdom died here, the entire nation would hunt them down. "An accusation letter?" Robin didn't understand his reasoning. Why prepare a formal complaint? "Yes. The villain complains first. We're about to play the role of villains ourselves. Hopefully, he'll do something even crazier. But judging by the situation, the Marines are unlikely to support him. After all, I'm still an official Shichibukai... Now, let's see what he does next. Heh..." Robin thought for a moment and began to understand his plan. "You scoundrel!" Pittas shivered at Rosen's eerie smile. Wasn't the original plan just to cripple Zodi? Why had it escalated to taking his life? What now? No, this wasn't worth the money. He had to find a way to escape. But Rosen was too strong—if he got caught while running, the consequences... "The Marine base's forces are off-limits to you. And I strongly advise against going after a Shichibukai. If anything happens, you alone will bear the consequences," a voice called out. From the crowd, Eric and Bartholomew Kuma stepped forward. "Commander Eric, what do you mean by this? Are you saying that as a royal, I must endure such humiliation without fighting back?" Zodi's face darkened. Still, facing an official from a World Government agency, he didn't dare show outright defiance. He only questioned cautiously. "I've been briefed on the situation. The government has an extremely important military operation coming up. It's not that we don't want to support you, but the Marines simply don't have the manpower to spare. Besides, your conflict isn't a significant issue. I could act as a mediator—how about that?" Eric wanted to support Zodi, but the Shichibukai weren't easy to deal with either. At this juncture, he needed to avoid unnecessary conflicts. He had received direct orders from the Five Elders to cooperate with Fleet Admiral Sengoku's operation. They had to prepare for an island landing mission while also fulfilling other responsibilities—such as searching for remaining genetic samples in the Ninth Garden. Although Lantis Island had been under lockdown for years, multiple expeditions had been sent there to recover remnants of the "Lineage Factor" research. However, due to widespread monsterization and the control of the Crimson Queen, the Marines had been unable to reach the island's depths. This time, under Fleet Admiral Sengoku's direct orders, they could no longer keep it a secret. They were organizing an unprecedented landing operation: Three Vice Admirals, seven Rear Admirals, 8,000 Marines, and a Shichibukai's forces were mobilized to secure a foothold on Lantis Island, conduct evacuation efforts, and investigate. "And why should I accept that? A mere Shichibukai—how could he be compared to royalty? Mediation? Impossible! Besides, don't we have our own Shichibukai? And we have more than enough soldiers! What is there to be afraid of?" Zodi snapped, unable to contain his anger. Eric frowned at Zodi's petulant attitude but remained patient. "Prince Zodi, the Shichibukai are our allies. It's not worth escalating over such trivial matters. You've only lost a few subordinates. Let's end this here." "Trivial matters? Eric, my pet Bone Human is gone! Do you know how much I paid for that?!" Zodi's face twisted with rage. "Enough. If you want revenge, do it yourself. The World Government and the Marines won't back you," Eric said coldly. "I will report today's events to the World Government! Is this how you treat your most loyal allies?!" Zodi roared. "I quite agree with our Marine friend's decision," a voice suddenly cut in. "It's always better to resolve disputes peacefully." From the far end of the street, Rosen walked forward step by step. "Crocodile?!" Gasps erupted from the crowd. Why was Crocodile standing at the entrance of the Marine base? Could he be here to hunt Zodi? No way—he wouldn't be stupid enough to try and kill him in broad daylight, right? "What are you doing here?" Eric frowned. Rosen's presence complicated things. "Damned insect," Zodi snarled, about to order his soldiers to attack Crocodile. But the moment their eyes met, an uncontrollable fear gripped Zodi's heart, leaving his mind blank. "Oh, nothing important," Rosen said casually. "I just had a little run-in with this guy earlier. I was worried someone might frame me for an attack, so I kindly escorted him to the Marine base." Complete nonsense. Rosen spoke without hesitation, as if he had rehearsed the lie a thousand times. But why was Bartholomew Kuma here?! Things were getting complicated. "Shut up! This is all your fault! Kill him!" Zodi screamed, humiliated. Clang! Clang! Clang! Swords and guns were drawn in an instant. "Stand down!" Eric commanded. "This is a minor issue. How about this: Shichibukai, if you bow your head and apologize to Prince Zodi, we can put this matter behind us. True, Prince Zodi was in the wrong, but he also lost many subordinates. A simple apology should suffice." 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