"You think I'd tell you? A pirate is just a pirate—pah… You attacked a Marine vice admiral today. Starting tomorrow, your death countdown begins."
Vice Admiral Onigumo spat on the ground, gripping his sword tightly.
Rosen and Moris were positioned too well. No matter which direction he chose to escape, he would have to face one of them head-on.
"It doesn't really matter whether you tell me or not. I've already treated this situation according to Marine Headquarters' directives. Now, it's time to send you on your way."
Rosen's voice was calm, indifferent.
It was clear that getting an antidote from Onigumo was impossible.
"Are you really going to kill me over just one subordinate?"
In Onigumo's world, subordinates were disposable pawns.
He had carried out too many brutal, inhumane missions to count.
He had assumed Crocodile was the same—ruthless, pragmatic.
But now…
This was madness.
It was laughable.
Was his life really going to end just because he had killed a single subordinate of a Shichibukai?
No.
He refused to sit here and wait for death.
His words were not meant to spark a conversation.
They were meant to buy a single moment of hesitation.
And in that split second—
"Geppo!"
Despite the agonizing pain in his body, Onigumo launched himself skyward.
Even if it meant dying, he had to get out of here.
But the moment he ascended—
A massive sand fist shot down from above.
At the same time, Moris flicked a finger.
"Sky Rend!"
A bullet-like black projectile tore through the air.
Onigumo had already sensed the attack coming with his Haki, but in midair, heavily wounded, he had no chance to evade.
The attack struck.
At first, it was just a small wound.
Then, the rending power surged.
The wound widened, tearing apart half his body's flesh.
His Haki shattered.
His body lost all strength.
Onigumo plummeted from the sky.
"Desert Requiem!"
Rosen had been waiting for this moment.
A grip in the air—
A massive sand blade materialized in his grasp.
The sand around him surged, coiling toward his blade.
"Damn it… Damn pirates!"
Onigumo let out an unwilling roar.
But on this desolate island, no one would hear it.
And on the shore, the chaotic battle drowned out everything else.
It didn't matter how much he resented it—
He had no way to escape.
No way to block Rosen's attack.
His battered body was nothing more than prey on the chopping block.
Shing!
A deep wound split across his body.
Blood splattered.
Then, the sand—
The moment the blade cut into him, the desert sands flooded into the wound, sprouting outward like a thousand thorns.
Within seconds, Onigumo's entire body was covered in jagged, sand-formed spikes.
His breath stopped.
Rosen withdrew his ability.
The sand spikes crumbled into flowing grains, absorbing into the earth.
No traces were left behind.
There was no way to determine how exactly Onigumo had died.
And yet…
The mission was not complete.
Rosen frowned.
If a vice admiral like Onigumo wasn't worth four hundred million berries, that would be absurd.
The only explanation was that this kill wasn't fully credited to him alone.
Had it been a one-on-one fight, Onigumo might have managed to escape.
"This head is mine to claim."
Moris stepped forward without hesitation, grabbing the lifeless Onigumo.
Rosen didn't object.
He knew exactly why Moris wanted it.
With their leader dead, the morale of the remaining Marines would collapse.
Even if they didn't break entirely, it would severely impact their fighting spirit.
"Make sure not to slaughter them all. The Marine Headquarters' wrath is not something we want to bear right now."
Rosen's voice was casual, but the warning was clear.
Killing a vice admiral in combat was one thing.
If this escalated into a full-scale Marine massacre, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Moris wasn't an idiot.
But in battle, he fought like a berserker.
If he lost control, Rosen could end up dragged into unnecessary trouble.
This had to look like a strategic engagement—
Not a deliberate slaughter.
"Relax. I know how to handle this."
Moris gave him a look.
For a fleeting moment, he considered killing Crocodile right here and now.
But then he chuckled.
"This fight has already been quite profitable. No need to overreach."
Without another word, he strode toward the battlefield, carrying Onigumo's corpse.
As soon as he left, Robin stepped out from behind a rock.
"It's done. Are we setting sail?"
A vice admiral—dead.
To Robin, it was almost surreal.
Vice admirals were just one step below admirals.
Yet Onigumo had died so easily.
It hadn't even felt like a desperate struggle.
He was getting stronger.
More ruthless.
More calculating.
Even paranoid, perhaps.
Because based on their conversation earlier—
It was entirely possible that Rosen had assassinated Onigumo…
Simply out of suspicion.
"Set course for Doberman's route. Make it look like we were in pursuit but couldn't catch up."
Rosen exhaled deeply.
The weight in his chest eased.
Reaching for a cigar—
He found the box empty.
Robin handed him a fresh one.
"You smoke?"
"Depends on the occasion."
She smiled.
Rosen paused.
Robin smoking?
That was unexpected.
But considering her background, it made sense.
The quickest way to gather intelligence was to blend into your surroundings.
At least she wasn't addicted—just pragmatic.
"You look surprised. Do you dislike women who smoke?"
"Not really. Just unexpected. Let's move. Have you set the new course?"
Robin nodded.
"I also contacted the ship. Bones' condition hasn't improved."
Rosen wasn't surprised.
If it had been a Devil Fruit poison, it would have shown signs by now.
But it wasn't.
This wasn't Onigumo's power.
Which meant he had likely collected various poisons—
For what?
An obsession with spiders?
Regardless, the next step was clear.
They needed Trafalgar Law.
If there was even a small chance he was on the island, they had to go.
"Are you sure about this island? I've gathered some reports. It's bad news. The place is overrun with disease."
Robin frowned.
"That's exactly why he might be there. He's a doctor."
It was a gamble.
But the latest reports placed Law in that area.
Whether he was treating patients or studying the disease—
It was worth a try.
Then, the gunfire on the shore suddenly ceased.
Rosen couldn't sense any movement from the battlefield.
Moris had finished his part.
Minutes later, Vice Admiral Doberman's fleet approached Oran Island.
He could see Marine ships still anchored.
But Moris's fleet was already retreating.
What happened?
Had Onigumo failed to stop them?
Brrr! Brrr! Brrr!
Doberman's transponder snail rang.
He answered immediately.
The voice on the other end made his blood run cold.
"Vice Admiral Doberman, Vice Admiral Onigumo has been killed!"
"Impossible!"
Doberman's roar of disbelief echoed across the deck.
(End of Chapter)
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