Volume 1 - CH 89

Rhodes, in truth, did not spare a second thought about Gates, let alone that this was a bridge he had willingly built.

The Donquixote family had a score to settle with him, and with their tyrannical ways, there would always be conflicts in the future, even without Gates’ incident.

It just happened a bit sooner than expected.

Furthermore, thanks to this incident, he acquired a perfectly fitting great sword for free.

Rhodes was in a great mood.

Killing with a sword was immensely satisfying, and taking out his enemies was twice the pleasure.

“Are you heading back to the West Sea? Care to have me tag along?”

As Gates was still in shock, he didn’t expect Rhodes to approach him with such a calm tone, leaving him frozen in place like a statue. He had thought that such a young and renowned powerhouse would have been incredibly arrogant.

Gates, being a business leader, soon regained his composure, bowing respectfully, “Your Highness, to have you aboard my ship, is an honor of mine!”

Gates looked overjoyed, and could not dare not show it.

How could he refuse? Rhodes had just killed many before his eyes, and their corpses still lay where they fell.

Rhodes nodded, he prided himself on being persuasive, if words failed, his sword would speak for him.

“Please, please, follow me, I will have a new ship ready within three days.”

Gates spoke with the utmost deference. Initially, he has planned to acquire a commonplace sailing ship to hasten his return to the West Sea, but with Rhodes joining him, he dared not to be halfhearted in his efforts.

“Hm.” Rodd nodded with a hint of apathy, following Gates forward without a second glance back at Soros.

Some things, once missed, are lost forever.

Soros’ decision to step down against Diamante was a common response, but it left a sour taste nonetheless. After all, Rhodes had saved his life before, yet he didn’t even utter a single word.

“…”

In the distance, Soros opened his mouth but failed to say anything, ultimately sighing in disappointment.

Rhodes’ attitude was crystal clear.

His mind was consumed with regret.

“Oh well, it doesn’t matter, maybe he won’t even be able to withstand the relentless pursuit of the Donquixote family.”

Soros whispered consolingly to himself, but his eyes were filled with remorse.

He, who was accustomed to investing in young powerhouses, how could he not see Rhodes’ potential? At this age, after defeating Diamante, becoming a powerhouse like Doflamingo in the future, was as easy as a breeze. Even reaching the peak was not out of the question.

Having good relations with such figures would bring immeasurable benefits, that any merchant in the world would rush towards, yet he let the opportunity slip through his fingers.

With Rhodes and the others leaving, this battle was finally over.

But the impact it caused was like a raging storm, spreading throughout the world. The underground realm, where the Donquixote family held the most influence, bore the brunt of it, followed by the entire grand sea route, and eventually, even the far-off seas on the horizon were affected.

News agencies clamored to report on it.

Perhaps the average person still couldn’t understand the young and rising swordsman Rhodes, but those with a slightly higher status knew of him, understood him, and were shocked by him.

Rhodes, at not even twenty years of age, was famous throughout the world!

…

The New World, Marine G5 branch.

Gion stood tall, draped in righteousness, gazing out the window towards the distant sea. Her striking figure held no expression on her elegant face, revealing no hint of emotion.

Being in charge of the G5 branch may seem like a heavy burden, but in reality, it was quite effortless.

The New World’s Marine base was a military installation to begin with, lacking the responsibility of protecting islands or civilians.

Normally, there wasn’t much to do and there were many Marine captains below her in ranks to handle trivial matters.

Someone like Gion, in actuality, was only responsible for intimidation.

Furthermore, Gion had a very capable and beautiful female vice-captain, which allowed her to leisurely watch the sea every day.

At that moment, footsteps could be heard outside the door, followed by Eleanor pushing it open.

“Something big has happened!”

“Oh?”

Gion’s expression remained calm and unfazed.

Eleanor gritted her teeth, her superior couldn’t be bothered and the problem fell on her lap. She absentmindedly touched her hairline, grumbling to herself, “You must know that the center of the problem is that kid, Rhodes!”

“Hmm?!!”

Gion’s blank eyes suddenly jolted, as if a sword light had flickered in mid-air, slicing through the atmosphere with a sharp sound.

She turned her piercing gaze towards Eleanor; her eyes seemed to pierce right through her.

Eleanor shrunk under the pressure.

Only then did Gion realize her action and casually withdrew her aura, “What happened?”

Eleanor grumbled to herself, feeling gloomy. Gion wasn’t like this before, she always felt that Rhodes took away all the love…

She felt like an abandoned cat, whispering, “That guy killed the Donquixote family’s highest executive, Diamante.”

“……”

Gion heard this news and fell into a contemplative silence, nodding slightly, “It appears that his power has seen a significant boost as of late.”

“……”

Eleanor was left speechless, was this what Gion was most concerned about?

She looked at Gion’s serene expression, and the hint of pride and satisfaction in her eyes couldn’t be missed, but Eleanor couldn’t help but retort:

“Diamante is the face of the Donquixote family, Doflamingo is not known for his benevolence, Rhodes may be in for some dire times.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

Gion’s tone was particularly upbeat, she gestured with her hand and said:

“Come, prepare the ship, we’re going for a patrol near Dressrosa, we’re going to capture some pirates.”

“I haven’t been to sea in a while, my hand is itching for a battle, I always feel like I want to cut something.”

Eleanor: “…”

…

Dressrosa.

In the upper echelons of the palace, in a dimly lit room.

Four luxurious chairs were placed here, each engraved with a spade, heart, club, and diamond.

Each one represents a top official.

These four can be considered the backbone of the Donquixote family, without their support, Doflamingo would not have been able to ascend the throne so seamlessly.

Therefore, even with his tyrannical and cruel nature as a Celestial Dragon, he could not accept what happened to his subordinates.

“Lao G was imprisoned because of him, and Diamante even died in battle…”

“Is he trying to provoke me?”

Doflamingo spoke with a serene demeanor, his features betraying no trace of emotion. However, the atmosphere in the room took on a suffocating quality, as if a tempest was brewing. The already dimly lit room felt as if it were on the brink of the apocalypse.

Even the members of the Donquixote family standing in the room, powerful figures in their own right, did not dare to utter a word, each one of them sweating profusely, as if they were being hunted by a prehistoric monster, death looming over them at any moment.

The atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive.

At that moment, Trebol entered the room in a hurry, urgently saying:

“Doflamingo, a marines warship of the rank of an Admiral is patrolling near the coast!”

“It appears to be equipped with heavy artillery!”

“Based on my observation, it should be the Vice-Admiral, Gion.”

His words caused the air to get colder still, like a harbinger of doom, the atmosphere suddenly came to a standstill before quickly dissipating like spring snow.

Doflamingo’s face twisted with anger at that instant.