Volume 1 - CH 90

In the waters off the coast of Dressrosa, a sense of unease washed over Eleanor as she turned to her captain. “Are we really sure about this?” she queried, her tone heavy with reservation. “This is the territory of one of the Shichibukai, appointed by the World Government. We can’t just go around interfering with them.”

But Gion was unperturbed, her voice calm and steady as she replied, “Don’t worry. I’m just helping to eliminate some local dangers and clear the shipping lanes.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth, than a massive sea king breached the surface of the water, its body stretching for dozens of meters. Like a miniature mountain, it charged toward the marines’ ship, which was a mere fraction of its size.

A blinding light erupted from nowhere, slicing through the sea king as if it were butter, bisecting the creature with ease. Blood and guts spilled out like a deluge, raining down upon the waters below.

The sea king let out a mournful cry, before crashing back into the sea with a deafening roar, creating towering waves that rocked the marines’ ship. But the light did not stop there, it continued its relentless advance, cutting through the thick clouds above as if nothing would stop it from reaching the sun.

It was as if a sword of pure energy had cleaved the very sky in two. The concentrated sword aura was almost palpable, leaving all who witnessed it in awe.

From the summit of the palace, Doflamingo surveyed the scene before him, his anger slowly dissipating as he pushed aside the thought of personally hunting down Rhodes.

“That insane woman,” Trebol murmured, wiping the sweat from his brow.

If it had been one of the current three admirals, they wouldn’t have caused them much concern, as those individuals were known for their restraint and adherence to a code of conduct; they wouldn’t actively harm one of the Shichibukai.

But Gion was different.

Women are already hard to understand.

Powerful women, even more so.

As for a woman who has reached the pinnacle of power…

Her level of caprice was such that even Doflamingo had to yield to her, and he knew of her powerful connections.

One was a Vice Admiral who had been in love with her for a lifetime.

Another was almost like a sister to her, one of the major figures in the marines, a former Vice Admiral who had actually once chased after Doflamingo.

Just thinking about it gives Doflamingo a headache.

He silently retreated to his chamber to ponder.

Vengeance and killing her in return was impossible.

However, the underworld places great importance on reputation and infamy. If he just accepts the death of one of his highest officials without repercussions, no one would ever take him seriously, let alone respect him, it would even affect his family and business connections.

But if he acted personally, Gion would probably tear down Dressrosa the next day, hunting him down to the ends of the earth, and who would be able to stop the killing intent of a sword master.

“Let’s place a bounty on Rhodes’ head in the underworld,” Doflamingo suggested, his voice heavy with contemplation. He turned to Trebol, his gaze cold and calculating as he spoke, “The reward will be a whopping one billion Belly.”

The mere mention of this figure sent shockwaves through the room. One billion Belly was an astronomical sum, one that was typically reserved for only the most notorious and dangerous of pirates. Even the likes of Charlotte Katakuri, Vice-Captain of one of the Yonko, had a bounty that barely exceeded this amount. Jack the Drought, one of the Three Disasters, had a bounty of only one billion Belly. Doflamingo’s own bounty during his prime had never reached such heights.

“At one billion Belly, even the top-ranked assassins in the underworld will come running, aside from the Killing King, X Drake,” Trebol sneered, a twisted smile playing at his lips as if he already envisioned Rhodese’s demise.

The assassins in the underworld were known to be powerful foes, with methods that were both devious and deadly. They were experts in using, weapons with high technology, deadly poisons, and other covert means of killing. Some even possessed dangerous abilities. When they were truly sinister, they could even take out high-ranking officers of the Marines. It was said that X Drake, the world’s top-ranked assassin known as the Killing King, had infiltrated the holy land of Marijoa using his special superhuman abilities, and assassinated high-ranking members of the World Government before disappearing, leaving the entire world in shock. This made the Five Elders furious, but they were unable to catch him.

……..

As the sailors bustled about the Saboady Archipelago, loading the final provisions onto a grand sailing ship, Gates kept a watchful eye on the proceedings. However, his gaze couldn’t help but wander toward a particular scene not far away.

There stood Rhodes, his arms crossed and his eyes distant, lost in deep thoughts. At his side, stood a young girl no older than eleven or twelve, her petite frame standing tall and determined. The sea breeze played with her delicate features, tingeing them with a rosy hue, her body trembled, yet her resolve was unwavering.

For a long time, Rhodes said nothing, his tone tinged with a hint of resignation as he finally spoke, “Do you know how old I am? And yet you want me to be your master?”

The young girl looked up at him, her gaze unwavering. “Age is but a number,” she said in a determined voice, despite her chattering teeth, “All that matters to me is your strength.”

“I must become stronger, as strong as you are. So that I will never feel as helpless as I did on that fateful day.”

For if it had not been for that tragic day, when she had been shopping in a shop owned by her father’s friend, she would have been reduced to ashes along with the ship, like so many others. And her father’s tale of survival had only fueled her determination and desire to become stronger.

Rhodes couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease that settled in his chest as he looked at the determined young girl before him.

The girl in question was the daughter of Gates, Snowy. It appeared that the events of that day had sparked something within her, for she had immediately sought out Rhodes’ teaching in the art of swordsmanship, despite his attempts to deter her.

Suddenly, Snowy dropped to her knees, her voice resolute as she declared, “I understand that I am not yet worthy of being your disciple, if I can just be your maid, I will do it. So long as you teach me the ways of the sword.”

Rhodes couldn’t help but chuckle, “A maid, you say? Can you wash clothes? Can you cook?”

But Snowy was quick to surprise him, her small face alight with pride as she proclaimed, “I can do all of that and more!”

“My mother is the renowned chef of the West Sea, I have been learning these skills since I was a child.”

“From court cuisine to barbecue, I am well-versed in dishes from all corners of the world, and I even know how to brew my own wine!”

“I promise you, on our journey back to the West Sea, you shall never be served the same meal twice.” She patted her chest confidently, her words carrying a hint of challenge.

Rhodes couldn’t help but be tempted by her offer, but he knew he had no experience in teaching and could only say, “Get up.”

“The path of cultivation is a grueling one and depends heavily on one’s natural talent…”

But Snowy still knelt on the ground, her expression a mixture of tears and determination. The unspoken message was clear – if her request wasn’t granted, she would continue to cry and kneel.

Rhodes had initially intended to reject her outright, but something in the pit of his stomach, that insatiable hunger for new food, stirred. And before he knew it, the words slipped out of his mouth, “Fine. I’ll teach you a bit during our journey but forget about becoming my disciple. I haven’t even figured out my own path yet.”

Snowy’s face lit up with joy and she bounded to her feet, practically skipping with glee. For a moment, she looked like the innocent child she truly was.

Shaking his head, Rhodes shrugged. The journey was dull and he figured it wouldn’t hurt to spend some time mentoring her. It might even help him to clarify and solidify his own understanding of what he had learned.

As the saying goes, “reviewing the old to understand the new.”

Just as this thought crossed his mind, a group of people came into view, approaching them from a distance.

Leading the pack was a blonde man, astride a white horse, a rose between his lips. His flamboyant air was almost unbearable, making Rhodes want to chop him with a sword.