In just three minutes, all forty-two imprisoned doctors were brought out.
"Saint Rosse!"
"Thank goodness! Saint Rosse came to save us!"
"Hahaha! You filthy pirates, just wait for judgment!"
"..."
The moment they saw Rosse standing on the deck, the imprisoned doctors looked as if they had just seen their savior, many of them even shouted out in excitement.
They had all seen Rosse before in Drum Kingdom, back when every doctor there was serving him. At that time, many of them had grumbled behind his back.
But now, all they felt was relief.
If Rosse hadn't stayed in Drum Kingdom for that period, who would have personally come to rescue them now?
At this point, these doctors didn't look like prisoners who had been locked up for nearly a month, they all wore the same look of pride, as if being rescued by Rosse was something they could brag about for the rest of their lives.
"You bastards! Did we mistreat you? Are the Celestial Dragons such good people?", Among the crowd, one Revolutionary Army soldier couldn't hold back anymore and shouted angrily at the doctors.
They hadn't even abused them. It was just that these doctors refused to cooperate, so they were locked up.
Even their meals had been better than what the Revolutionaries themselves were eating.
And now, the Celestial Dragons show up, and these ingrates are overjoyed? Serves them right to be slaves.
"Heh! No matter how bad the Celestial Dragons are, they're still better than you pirates."
One doctor sneered with contempt at the shouting Revolutionary. They hadn't been tortured, true, but they had personally watched as the Revolutionaries destroyed half of Drum Kingdom.
Most of their life's work had gone up in flames with the fires the Revolutionaries set.
If they could have fought back, they would've killed these people long ago.
"We're not pirates! How many times do we have to say it? We're the Revolutionary Army! We came to free you, to give you freedom!", The Revolutionary's face was red with fury as he roared back.
He didn't even care that Rosse was there, he couldn't keep it bottled up anymore.
Even if it meant dying for it, so be it.
They'd acted out of good will, only to be treated as enemies—he couldn't stomach that.
"Heh! What's the difference? Who was it that burned, looted, and slaughtered in Drum Kingdom? You're no better than pirates. In fact, you're worse than the Celestial Dragons."
Another doctor spoke with disdain. After all, he had never been personally exploited by Celestial Dragons, but he had felt the Revolutionaries' destruction firsthand.
From his perspective, the Celestial Dragons had saved him, while the Revolutionaries had ruined his home and life.
With Drum Kingdom's medical system in ruins, he feared his family wouldn't survive the year.
"You!!"
The Revolutionary's face flushed with rage. He raised his fist and swung it toward the doctor.
His own family had died because they couldn't afford the Heavenly Tribute and now this doctor had the gall to say they were worse than Celestial Dragons? That completely broke him.
'Mutual understanding between people? A world where everyone respects each other's freedom? What a joke. That kind of world doesn't exist!'
But the doctor didn't even flinch. With Rosse standing right there, he didn't believe the Revolutionary would dare kill him.
He didn't even try to dodge. In fact, he leaned forward slightly, practically offering his face.
And, just as expected, the Revolutionary's punch stopped midair.
Right in front of his fist, a thin veil of water shimmered into existence, blocking what was already a weak blow.
Seeing this, the Revolutionary's face turned red with frustration, but at the same time, he flinched backward in fear. He didn't even dare to turn around to look at Rosse.
Clearly, once his temper cooled, fear returned.
The doctor, meanwhile, gave him a mocking glance, then instantly switched expressions, his face now full of deep gratitude and emotion, as he turned toward Rosse and dropped to his knees with a thud.
"Saint Rosse! Thank you for saving us! We will never forget your great kindness and mercy!"
Seeing this, the other doctors quickly followed suit, kneeling down and voicing their thanks.
They'd kneeled to Rosse before, after all, this time, with a life-saving debt added on top, kneeling again came easily.
And though they had been imprisoned, they had heard about where they'd be sent next.
If nothing unexpected had happened, they would've been handed over to the NEO Marine to work as medics.
Even just thinking about that filled them with dread.
Everyone who lived on the Grand Line knew what the New World was like, and the NEO Marine was an organization that opposed both the World Government and every pirate crew alike.
You didn't need much imagination to realize what that meant: they'd be treated as expendable. Even if the NEO Marine was short on doctors, getting caught in a battle meant certain death.
Sure, Drum Kingdom's climate wasn't great, but the benefits for doctors there had been excellent.
Especially after Rosse's visit, their pay and conditions had improved even further, and their families were living comfortably.
To many in Drum Kingdom, even being Rosse's slave sounded better than being forced to work for the NEO Marine.
"Get up. You've all done well."
Rosse smiled faintly, waving his hand casually.
He wasn't particularly fond of flatterers, but if the flattery was directed at him, that was another story.
As long as they weren't fools who abused his name behind his back, he didn't mind scenes like this one.
At least it showed his reputation across the seas wasn't bad.
Looking at the obedient doctors standing aside and the terrified, motionless Revolutionaries, Rosse nodded in satisfaction.
Making your enemies fear you, while making your own people feel safe, that was the highest form of rule.
He had never been one to rely on sheer violence for control. Violence could bring absolute rule and suppress rebellion, but it was never as efficient as political governance.
Most people's desires were simple, feed them, clothe them, and let them earn their living, and they'd be content.
Add in a few special opportunities, let them take risks for rewards, and have them shout slogans about loyalty to Rosse, then the world would be stable.
Of course, people always think differently. There would inevitably be some who opposed his rule.
But their existence conveniently filled the gap left by what he couldn't force others to do.
If you simply stop considering those enemies as people, their punishment won't provoke resentment among your own. In fact, most might even cheer, just like now.
"Alright. Pick a few of your representatives and chain them up, use the same restraints they used on you. Our ship's here already. After this, we'll send you back to Drum Kingdom."
Rosse slowly stood up from atop Kuma, and as he moved, Kuma finally collapsed completely onto the ground. Only the faint rise and fall of his chest proved he was still alive.
"Thank you, Saint Rosse," Many of the doctors' eyes lit up with hope, and at the same time, they eagerly began acting on his words, turning around to shackle the Revolutionaries instead.
They were grateful, grateful that the great Saint Rosse had even given them the chance to take revenge on their captors.