"Cough, cough, cough."
Tokikake looked at Shanna's "I'm interested" demeanor, involuntarily displaying a disgusted expression and coughing repeatedly. Alright, alright, there are outsiders here!
"Are you catching a cold? Go back and drink some hot water quickly!" Cross glared at Tokikake, speaking impolitely.
"Hehe~"
Shanna chuckled softly, gracefully extending her fair hand. "Rear Admiral Tokikake, I'll have to trouble you greatly in the coming days!"
"Your Majesty is too kind. Protecting innocent citizens is precisely the duty of the Marines!" Tokikake's expression turned serious. He gently took Shanna's hand with his right hand, then bowed, symbolically kissing the back of her fingers before decisively letting go. Clearly, Tokikake was well-versed in such courtly etiquette.
"This place is very small and lacks everything. It must be tough for you all to be stationed here. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask!" Shanna withdrew her hand, speaking in a gentle tone. "Although the Bion Kingdom isn't a powerful nation, it doesn't lack ordinary supplies. Whether it's vegetables, meat, fresh water, or alcohol, we can provide ample quantities!"
"I remember there's still some Filit 07 red wine in the royal cellar. If Rear Admiral Tokikake doesn't mind, I'll have someone send back a few bottles for you!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty! If I were to dislike even Filit 07 red wine, then I'd truly have no palate!" Tokikake quickly expressed his gratitude, then cleverly added, "Captain Cross, I believe I still have some documents to process. I'll leave Her Majesty for you to entertain!" With that, Tokikake didn't wait for Cross's reply and then turned to Shanna, "I must take my leave, Your Majesty!" He then turned and hurriedly left the port, leaving Cross alone to face Shanna.
"Aren't you going to invite me to look around here?" Shanna's beautiful eyes were like water, and she spoke sweetly, extending her hand to Cross. The two knights behind her looked straight ahead, as if they saw nothing amiss.
"Ah..."
Cross looked at the five slender, jade-like fingers before him, feeling his throat dry. He desperately wanted to take her hand, but an invisible force prevented him from raising his arm, no matter what. It was as if a terrible power would descend if he were to take her hand, forcing him to stop there (those who know, know).
"Meow~"
At this moment, Bastet, who was by Cross's feet, rolled her eyes in a human-like manner. She then turned, found a sunny spot, lay down, stretched lazily with a cute meow, and comfortably closed her eyes, peacefully enjoying the warm afternoon sun.
Seeing that he had not taken her hand, a flicker of disappointment crossed Shanna's beautiful eyes, though the smile on her pretty face didn't change at all. She simply lowered her hand silently.
Noticing this, Cross breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "Let's go. I'll show you around, but be careful. Some areas haven't been completed yet, and there are building materials everywhere, so it's quite messy!"
"It's fine!"
Shanna waved her hand, indicating she didn't mind, and followed Cross as they strolled around the fortress. Along the way, many workers from the Bion Kingdom were surprised to see Shanna. They successively knelt on the ground, proclaiming, "Long live Her Majesty the Queen!"
To the people of her own nation, Shanna acted with both pride and approachability, majesty and gentleness, and personally greeted everyone, which truly astonished Cross beside her.
This woman is truly a born actress! If this were game data, wouldn't it be... Popularity +1, Popularity +1, Popularity +1... Prestige +1, Prestige +1, Prestige +1...
"Your Majesty, I have important news to tell you!"
Suddenly, a loud voice rang out from the crowd. A thin man with an ordinary appearance stood up, wearing a dirty brown long-sleeved shirt, dark blue jeans, and mud-stained black combat boots. His appearance was no different from a regular construction worker, completely inconspicuous in the crowd.
"Important news... Then come closer and speak!" Shanna was somewhat puzzled. What important news could an ordinary worker have? However, to maintain her approachable image, she still allowed him to approach, ready to listen carefully.
"Your Majesty, it's like this: last night, there was a strong wind, and the waves overflowed the port..." The man's face was filled with tension as he spoke, slowly walking out of the crowd.
"Wait, what nonsense are you spouting?" Cross frowned tightly, interrupting him impolitely. "I've been on this island almost constantly since I arrived. Why don't I know about something like this happening last night?"
"Ah, I forgot to tell Captain Cross that I made it all up!"
Suddenly, a smile appeared on the man's face, completely changing his previously tense expression. His tone turned sinister. "The Big Mom Pirates send their regards!" As he spoke, he had already approached within two meters of Cross and Shanna. A 30-centimeter-long dagger slid from his right sleeve into his grip. Then, he lunged forward, stabbing directly at Cross.
Pfft—!
In an instant, the shadow beneath Cross's feet twisted like a living thing, detaching from the ground and transforming into a black spear that elongated like lightning, instantly piercing through the assailant's body.
"Ugh—!" The assassin, disguised as a construction worker, coughed up a mouthful of blood, looking at Cross who was just inches away with disbelief. He then lowered his gaze to the shadow spear piercing his body, wanting to say something, but the surging blood in his throat choked him, leaving him only able to make "ugh" sounds.
At this moment, silence reigned. Everyone stood frozen, their eyes blankly staring at the scene before them, completely unable to react. What happened? An assassin? He was counter-killed? It was too damn sudden!
"Captain Cross!"
"Protect Captain Cross!"
"Your Majesty, an assassin!"
"..."
Soon, some of the surrounding Marines reacted, rushing forward anxiously. The two knights behind Shanna also reacted, quickly stepping in front of her, holding their long-handled polearms aimed at the workers in front. At this point, the others finally snapped out of it, standing in terror, or retreating backward, repeatedly waving their hands to explain that it had nothing to do with them.
"Master!" The black spear slowly retracted from the assassin's body, forming a graceful black shadow standing beside Cross.
"Are, are you alright? Are you hurt? Let me see!" Shanna was still a bit shaken. She quickly grabbed Cross's arm, checking his body.
"I'm fine. Scáthach blocked his attack for me!" Cross frowned deeply, subtly pulling away from Shanna's examination. He then stepped forward to inspect the assassin's corpse. He hadn't detected any abnormality at all before the attack, not even a hint of killing intent. Could his Observation Haki have failed?
If Scáthach hadn't reacted quickly and killed the assailant with one blow, he would have had to deal with the assassin's attack while also trying to protect Shanna beside him, which would have put him in a frantic situation.
"This method of concealing one's presence and blocking Observation Haki... why does it remind me of that fellow Siren?" Cross muttered to himself. "This assassin from the Big Mom Pirates... or rather, an assassin from the underworld hired by the Big Mom Pirates?"
"B-Big Mom..." Hearing Cross's muttering, Shanna's face turned pale, and she nearly swayed and collapsed to the ground.
The assassin from the underworld, Siren, who killed her father and brother, was undoubtedly her nightmare. Now, another assassin from the underworld had attacked, and it even involved a behemoth like the Big Mom Pirates. How could she not feel fear?
Moreover, in this part of the New World, you might not know who a Marine Admiral is, but you wouldn't not know the names Big Mom, Kaido of the Beasts, and Whitebeard. These were names that could stop a child's nighttime crying.
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