In the front yard, Rojen quickly stepped up to Trens and examined his wound. After a moment, he let out a quiet breath of relief.
The attacker had struck with precision and force, just enough to completely incapacitate Trens without threatening his life. Even so, the injury was serious enough that it would take Trens a long time to recover.
The piercing blow had damaged Trens' lungs.
His face pale, breath faint like gossamer, Trens was drenched in sweat. As he looked up at Rojen, his face was filled with guilt.
"I… I'm sorry, Captain, I, "
Rojen shook his head and cut him off.
"Don't talk. Just rest."
Then, slowly raising his head, Rojen stared at the retreating enemy. His gaze turned sharp as a blade of ice, killing intent radiating like a blizzard.
Through the crimson Sharingan eyes, he could clearly see each trembling step Lordling took as she left. This woman, always cloaked in the form of a cat, had never intended to abandon them.
Everything that had happened, she had been forced into it. To ensure Rojen and the others would remain safe, Lordling had chosen to submit rather than resist.
"No matter who you are… You are my companion! I won't allow this to happen!"
Watching a cherished comrade get taken away like that was a disgrace he couldn't endure. With a sharper glare, Rojen quickly stabilized Trens' condition, then gently carried him back into the wooden cabin.
Inside, Rouge's cries of pain continued as she struggled through labor. Ace had yet to be born, and the midwife scurried about, drenched in sweat.
Taking a deep breath, Rojen's mind began to calm.
There was nothing he could do about Lordling's forced departure. With Rouge in such critical condition and Trens in need of urgent care, he couldn't leave, not now.
Everything around him felt like chains, binding him tightly to this place. Even breathing had become difficult.
Since setting sail, this moment, this encounter, was the most dangerous and infuriating of his journey.
After a few tense seconds, Rojen pulled out his Den Den Mushi and dialed quickly.
Ten seconds passed. Then another five. Still, the line didn't connect.
Rojen's eyes grew darker, ice cold in their depths.
"Crocodile… Jason."
Unconsciously, his fist tightened.
An overwhelming fury surged inside him like a wildfire, threatening to consume his thoughts entirely. Yet his reason forced him to hold it back. The frustration and helplessness clawed at his mind, driving him into a state of manic tension.
"Rest now. Once I've handled this, I'll get you to a doctor. Hang in there, Trens."
Gripping Trens' right hand tightly, Rojen spoke in a low voice.
Trens, though drenched in sweat, was still conscious. He could feel the perspiration in Rojen's palm. He knew, deep down, how much pressure this young captain was carrying right now.
Elsewhere, the members of Team No. 1 were moving swiftly, with Yilu at the lead. The six of them were growing more distant from Rojen's courtyard with each step.
Then suddenly, No. 1 came to a stop.
"What is it?" Yilu asked coldly.
"Your Highness, I just remembered… they still have unfinished business."
No. 1 smiled faintly, and with a flick of his right hand toward the rear, immediately, No. 3 and another operative nodded and vanished from sight.
"You--"
Yilu's gaze turned to ice. Fury boiled within him.
"It's our master's command," No. 1 said flatly, as the two figures behind him moved into position, one to Yilu's left, one to his right, encircling her completely.
"Your Highness, I suggest you move faster," The man said coldly. "Otherwise… your companions may not meet a pleasant end."
Gritting her teeth, Yilu shot the speaker a frosty glare. Without a word, she resumed her stride.
On a dirt road leading from the outskirts toward Rojen's home, trees lined both sides. Birds scattered in alarm, and in the middle of the road, a fierce battle was raging.
"Phew…" Crocodile exhaled a puff of white smoke. His gaze was colder than ever, but it gradually grew more serious.
He stood rooted to the spot, letting streams of sand swirl around him and form razor-sharp weapons that lashed out at the enemy in rapid succession. The barrage was relentless, raining down like a sandstorm, dense, deadly, almost impossible to dodge.
And yet, the opponent danced through it like a leaf in the wind, not a single hit landed.
"Tch… What a pain," Crocodile muttered.
He glanced over at Jason's side of the battlefield. The massive man, who had been repeatedly struck earlier, was now rising slowly through the smoke. When his burly form fully emerged, his face had turned to stone, icy, hard, and furious.
"You've completely pissed me off," Jason growled, voice low and brimming with volcanic rage.
This hulking man… was about to unleash his full power.
"Angry, are you?" The man in black sneered. "Do you even realize? In the face of Rokushiki, your martial arts or Devil Fruits mean nothing!"
He moved fluidly, stomping the ground with practiced precision. A wind vortex formed at his feet. Then, with a blur, he vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared around Jason's body, then disappeared again, circling him like a gust of wind, too fast to track.
"See it now?" he taunted. "This is a special martial art born from a superhuman physique, true power."
"Against this, you're nothing but a newborn chick!"
BANG!
He stepped on the air itself, disappearing once more. In the next instant, he appeared directly in front of Jason.
"Feel this terrifying strength, weakling!"
His voice was cold and arrogant. Then came the kick,
"Rankyaku!"
A faint blue crescent of energy burst forth, surging violently into a blade-like arc that slashed down toward Jason.
But Jason, his face a blend of calm and fury, lifted his head to meet the attack head-on.
"I don't care whether you use Rokushiki, Shichishiki, or even Hachishiki… You've made one fatal mistake…"
His voice was the calm before the storm, like the silence before a volcano's eruption. And in the next second, that fury exploded into flames and thunder.
Facing the incoming slash, Jason raised his massive, hammer-like fist.
"Power Boost, 400x!"
Off to the side, Crocodile's pupils shrank.
He remembered vividly what it felt like to take one of those monstrous punches. The destructive force still haunted him. And now… it was happening again.
"Subduing Dragons Eighteen Palms!"
Jason shifted from a clenched fist to an open palm. His expression turned regal. His broad fingers flexed like the talons of a dragon.
"Roooaaar!!"
A distant dragon's cry echoed faintly in the air.
"First Style!"
Jason stepped forward, his massive palm surging forward like a charging dragon. The roar grew louder, and a faint golden shimmer appeared on his right arm.
"Haughty Dragon Shows Remorse!"
The dragon's growl intensified. Coiling from his arm, a majestic, snarling dragon of golden light erupted forth, bellowing with primal rage as it launched toward the enemy.
Its aura was overwhelming, tyrannical, absolute, and unstoppable.
(End of Chapter)
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