The king jumped up, his face full of surprise:
"Really!"
"He is..."
Before he could finish speaking, a young man in a black suit, with an indifferent demeanor, walked out.
The young Rob Lucci entered the empty hall.
The king looked at the teenager, who appeared to be in his teens, with a bewildered expression. Was this... reinforcements sent by the World Government?
Two ministers grimaced. Damn it... was the World Government toying with them, sending a child?
But no matter what they thought, Rob Lucci continued to walk indifferently and stopped.
"Where is the prey."
The slightly plump minister was stunned:
"Prey?"
"Are you referring to those pirates?"
"They've occupied the port west of the kingdom as their base."
Rob Lucci said indifferently:
"I understand."
Then he turned and left the hall.
At this moment, the king suddenly spoke:
"Please wait a moment."
"Regardless of anything else, please prioritize the safety of the hostages."
"I beg you."
Rob Lucci turned his head and glanced at the king:
"Are you offering suggestions to the World Government?"
As he spoke, a slight oppressive aura emanated from him.
Those in the hall froze, a slight sweat appearing on their brows... this oppressive feeling...
When they came to their senses, Rob Lucci had already vanished.
The king's body went limp, and he slumped onto the throne, his forehead covered in cold sweat, disbelief etched on his face:
"The World Government..."
----
The port, the pirate stronghold.
The pirate captain sat at the head of the table, raising his wine cup:
"Well done, my brothers!"
"Let's indulge tonight!!!"
"Hahahahaha!"
His subordinates either raised their cups or embraced women they had seized.
They celebrated and vented wantonly, without restraint.
"This kingdom isn't all that impressive!"
"That's right!!"
"Now the entire kingdom belongs to us!"
"Hahahaha!"
"Long live the boss!!!"
"What are you saying! We should call him the New King!!"
"Hahahaha!!"
"More wine, more wine!"
The celebrating crowd didn't notice that a young man in a black suit had suddenly appeared on the ship.
Rob Lucci walked behind a group of drinking pirates:
"Who is the leader of your group."
Several pirates looked back in shock and immediately moved away:
"Where did you come from, you brat!"
At this moment, pirates on nearby ships also spotted Rob Lucci and casually asked:
"Where are you from, kid?"
Rob Lucci's indifferent voice sounded:
"I am here to arrest you in the name of the World Government."
The pirate captain seemed to hear a joke:
"Hahahaha!"
"Arrest me? You?"
"It seems the World Government is truly running out of people."
"To send a child to arrest me."
"What a joke."
"Don't make me laugh!"
"Scram, we don't have time to play with children."
With a casual wave, two pirates, holding swords, leaped to attack.
Rob Lucci let out a soft "kuh" and said:
"Tekkai."
*Crack—*
Two snapping sounds were heard. The pirates on the ship watched in shock as their greatswords, which had struck Rob Lucci, shattered.
The pirate captain's heart sank slightly, but he remained confident, for he had hostages:
"So, that's how it is."
"You've got some skill. It seems you are indeed from the World Government."
"However, if you dare to make any rash moves, I cannot guarantee the safety of the hostages."
"Kid."
Six or seven pirates raised their guns, aiming at Rob Lucci.
Seeing Rob Lucci standing still, the pirate captain thought he had succeeded and laughed arrogantly:
"Lock this kid up too."
"As a hostage to threaten the World Government."
"This way, we'll have nothing to fear."
"Hahahaha."
His subordinates also sneered:
"Yes!"
----
Several pirates escorted Rob Lucci towards the warehouse where the soldiers were held.
They shoved Rob Lucci inside and closed the door.
Their laughter could be faintly heard:
"With a hostage from the World Government."
"Now the World Government will have to do as we say."
"This is too great."
----
Inside the warehouse.
As the pirates' voices faded into the distance.
Rob Lucci looked at the startled soldiers and asked:
"I want to confirm something."
The closest soldier, dazed, asked:
"What?"
Rob Lucci said indifferently:
"Are all the hostages here?"
The closest soldier replied:
"Yes, why?"
Rob Lucci's lips curled slightly:
"Is that so..."
"Shigan!"
*Swish—*
An afterimage flashed, and Rob Lucci instantly appeared before a soldier, his finger piercing the soldier's heart.
*Swish swish swish—*
Blue, crescent-shaped blades of air shot from Rob Lucci's feet, bisecting several soldiers.
Flowers of blood bloomed repeatedly in the warehouse.
Like slaughtering chickens and sheep, these ordinary soldiers were butchered amidst their screams.
The five hundred soldiers of the Royal Guard were annihilated in moments.
Outside, the celebrating pirates hadn't even reacted.
Rob Lucci flicked the blood from his fingers and kicked the corpses towards the center of the warehouse, piling them into a small mountain.
----
By the time the pirates finally realized, it was already irreversible.
The pirate captain, with his subordinates and mortars, surrounded the warehouse door:
"You bastard!!!"
"You actually... the most important hostages to me!!!"
Rob Lucci said indifferently:
"Because they committed crimes."
"So I resolved them in the name of justice."
The pirates said in disbelief:
"Crimes?"
Rob Lucci stated calmly:
"As soldiers of the kingdom, weakness is a crime."
"Surrendering to evil forces, plunging the kingdom into crisis and on the brink of destruction."
"Soldiers like these are not fit to live."
The pirate captain felt a chill of fear. Such a reason...
"Are you... a World Government official like this?"
Rob Lucci said calmly:
"Justice will not yield to evil."
The pirate captain was instantly awakened. This person could not be spared...
"Fire!!"
"Take him down!!!!"
*Boom boom boom boom boom—*
Five mortar shells exploded.
The top of the corpse pile instantly became a sea of fire.
Just as the pirates thought they had succeeded and breathed a sigh of relief.
From within the flames, a figure slowly rose.
Rob Lucci, using his back and Tekkai, endured the artillery fire.
Then he vanished instantly, appearing before the terrified pirate captain, and with one hand, gripped his face:
"Shigan!"
Blood erupted. The pirate captain's body, riddled with countless small holes like a beehive, died instantly.
He casually dropped the body and looked at the fleeing pirates in terror:
"Rankyaku."
----
The Grand Line, Enies Lobby.
At CP9 headquarters, Spandine looked at the young man who had shocked both the kingdom and the government and smiled with satisfaction:
"Good work, Lucci."
"I've covered up this incident for you."
"Justice allows no compromise."
"From now on, do whatever you deem necessary, and I'll take responsibility if anything happens."
Rob Lucci nodded slightly:
"Thank you, Officer."
Spandine smiled:
"Alright, go rest."
"Relax properly."
Rob Lucci replied:
"Yes."
He slowly walked out...
At the window, Spandine watched Rob Lucci leave, a contemptuous smile on his face.
His white-haired subordinate asked curiously:
"Officer, aren't you afraid of losing control if you indulge him so much?"
Spandine snorted coldly:
"No matter what, he's just a weapon brainwashed since childhood."
"He can't make any big waves."
As he spoke, he thought of something and sighed:
"Every family has a disappointing junior."
"It's mainly for my own son."
"I've made arrangements with the higher-ups. Once things clear up in the next two years..."
"I'll be transferred to a higher position in the government."
"You all will have to come with me then."
"I plan for my son to take over CP9."
"I need to leave him some foundation."
"Right now, he's being trained in CP5, that useless fellow."
"Sigh."
The white-haired man shrugged and said nothing. Outsiders couldn't comment on such matters...
----
Several months later...
A shocking event occurred at sea.
On the territory of the New World's Big Mom, several islands were uprooted, soaring into the sky, and vanished without a trace.
Whole Cake Island.
Charlotte Linlin was in a frenzy of rage, wantonly destroying everything around her:
"Damn Shiki!!"
"What does he want to do!!!"
"Find him!!!"
"I'll kill him!"
Numerous children shivered:
"Yes!!!"