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East-Haven Association Headquarters, President's Office.
Simon typed on the computer keyboard with an expressionless face, issuing one command after another.
Although there were no more Emerald-rank demons, the evacuation order for residents had already been issued.
That's what he was dealing with now.
BANG!
Suddenly, the keyboard was struck hard. Several keycaps even flew off.
Looking at the string of garbled characters randomly typed on the screen from the smashed keyboard, Simon's face was so gloomy it seemed like water might drip from it.
"Russell."
The young man's name came out through gritted teeth.
Simon had lived long enough to know there was almost no possibility of reconciliation between them.
After all, it was basically his fault that Russell had been forced to face the Emerald-rank demon.
Judging from his own experience—if he were in Russell's position, he'd have complained to Blake long ago.
"Yes. Why hasn't he complained?"
Simon suddenly grasped a suspicious point he'd never considered before.
If Blake hadn't found him yet, there were only two possibilities.
Either Russell was a saint who never took his actions to heart, so he didn't complain to Blake.
Or...
"He can't contact his teacher." Thinking this, Simon's eyes lit up. "Does that mean..."
"I can strike first?"
But then he slammed the table hard again.
Striking first would only give him the advantage.
He could still use work mistakes as an excuse to shirk responsibility for the previous incident. At most he'd be suspended—but his life wouldn't be in danger.
But if he really made a move against Russell, he'd need to carefully consider how many ways there were to write the word "death."
Of course, there was one most crucial reason.
"I can't fucking beat him!"
Considering that the young man's unknown means could crush an Emerald-rank demon without getting hurt, wouldn't attacking Russell be pure suicide?
I dare not open my eyes, I hope this is my imagination~
As he thought about it, Simon's composure began to crumble.
He slumped helplessly in his chair, a trace of regret rising in his heart.
If I'd known earlier...
Obviously, he hadn't expected there was a third possibility.
"Hey, what happened to you, President Simon?"
The sudden voice startled him.
He quickly sat up straight and looked carefully.
A cardmaker he'd never seen before was sitting calmly on the sofa, legs unceremoniously propped on the coffee table.
"Who are you?" Simon calmed himself and asked in a deep voice.
The unknown cardmaker raised an eyebrow and took out his phone, shaking it. "Didn't you keep sending messages to the patriarch saying 'this kid is so scary, he'll become a great threat, we absolutely can't let him stay'?"
"So the master sent me."
As if remembering something, Simon quickly took out his phone.
After a while, he placed it on the table and asked. "Lord Sterling sent you?"
"Mm." The unknown cardmaker nodded and threw an orange slice into his mouth. "From today on, I'll listen to you."
"Whatever you say, I'll do."
Simon breathed a sigh of relief. "What's your name?"
Another orange slice was thrown into his mouth. The unknown cardmaker replied casually. "Just call me Sebastian Sterling."
Then, the cardmaker surnamed Sterling seemed to remember something and continued. "Let's be clear upfront. If this succeeds, everyone's happy."
"But if it fails, I'll just say you ordered it. It has nothing to do with the Sterling family."
Simon fell silent.
Sebastian didn't care and continued eating his sweet oranges.
After a long while, the President of the East-Haven Cardmaker Association seemed to have made up his mind. He said calmly. "That's how it should be."
"So we have a deal?"
"We have a deal."
However, even though the cooperation was finalized, Simon still felt uneasy.
He thought about it and finally remembered what he'd overlooked.
In his perception, Sebastian Sterling was just a Gold-rank cardmaker!
That was completely useless in his current situation.
"I have good news and bad news." Simon's eye twitched. He asked Sebastian in a stiff tone. "Which do you want to hear first?"
Sebastian scratched his head and hesitated. "Well... the good news."
"The good news is that Russell is only a Gold-rank cardmaker."
"And the bad news?"
"The bad news is that he just killed an Emerald-rank demon."
"..."
It was as if the mute button had been pressed in the President's office. Apart from the slight hum of the computer running, there was no other sound.
After a long time, Sebastian's voice sounded again.
"Sorry to bother you. Goodbye."
But although he said this, his body didn't move at all. He just stared at Simon.
Seeing this, Simon sighed and told him what had happened on the coast.
After listening quietly to Simon's account, Sebastian touched his chin and fell into deep thought.
After a long while, he raised his head and looked at the middle-aged man behind the desk. "I'm just saying..."
"Were you frightened by him?"
Then he began to analyze in detail.
"Think about it—if he really had that ability, there'd be no need to lure the Emerald-rank demon away, right?"
"Doesn't that act of taking off your pants to fart prove he's guilty?"
"Who knows? Maybe that Emerald-rank demon was killed by the Master Zhang you mentioned."
"After all, the timing fits, doesn't it?"
Simon was stunned. But after thinking carefully, he found that what Sebastian said actually made sense.
He slammed his fist into his palm and said solemnly. "That makes sense. Let's do it."
Seeing this, Sebastian shrugged indifferently and continued eating oranges.
In truth, his previous words were more for reassurance. There was another possibility he hadn't mentioned.
That was: Russell did have the means to kill an Emerald-rank demon, but the conditions for using it were rather harsh. He didn't want others to see his weakness, so he'd led the Emerald-rank demon away.
After all, it didn't matter where you killed something.
However, had Simon not realized this?
Probably not.
But now the arrow was on the string—he had to shoot.
There was no choice.
On the coast, Russell was solemnly thanking Warren and Bianca. "Thanks to you two this time."
He meant it sincerely.
Even though the two seemed to have done nothing, at least they'd done well by not running away when the Emerald-rank demon appeared.
Not to mention Warren had risked his life to retrieve Zayne and Luther.
After all, there'd be nothing wrong with them even if they'd said they were going back to protect evacuating residents.
At this moment, both were full of smiles, waving their hands repeatedly. "It's our duty, Vice President. You're too kind."
They were sincere too.
In their opinion, this business trip to East-Haven was basically completing the mission without doing any work.
The Emerald-rank monster was killed by Russell. The fleet was killed by Zayne and Master Zhang.
Not only was the job easy, but they'd also gained the favor of someone like Russell.
They just wanted more assignments like this.
Then, after Zayne and Luther sincerely thanked them, Warren and Bianca left East-Haven.
Watching the man and woman leave, Russell finally relaxed his stiff body and stretched. "The two directors should go back and rest early. You've worked hard these past few days."
By now, several days had passed since the day the Emerald-rank demon appeared.
During this time, Russell, Zayne, and Luther had been staying on the coast to clean up.
Fortunately, the Unification Sect hadn't caused any trouble during this period.
"It's you who should go back and rest early, Vice President." Hearing this, Luther hurriedly said.
Russell nodded. "I won't be polite with my own people. I'll head back first."
"You two take care."
But just before leaving, he suddenly stopped. "Although the Unification Sect seems to have disappeared these days, I keep feeling something's wrong."
"So I'll have to trouble you two the day after tomorrow."
With that, he waved his hand and vanished from the coast, leaving only Luther and Zayne standing there in a daze.
On the other side, Russell returned home and threw himself onto the sofa.
"Ahh..."
"A long-awaited break."
After lying on the sofa for a while, he turned over and sat up.
"Time to make the next card."
"Who should I promote first—Luffy or Zoro?"
"Or..."
Russell currently had three sets of materials on hand.
They were [Hollow Demon Bat] (Red), [Pirate Swordsman] (Red), and [Kingly Might] (Red).
Plus over 20,000 points.
No matter which material was used as the core, it was enough to make the next card.
Logically, promoting Luffy would be the safer choice.
After all, Russell rarely took action as a Spirit Begging Society member.
But...
"I can't take it anymore."
Thinking of Simon's smug face, Russell's anger level rose rapidly.
He no longer hesitated and immediately took out his phone to select materials.
"...Gold-rank [Physical Strengthening Pill - Strength Type I] (Blue)?"
"No, no. Pick another one."
"Gold-rank [All-Round Physical Evolution Potion] (Gold)?"
"That's the one."
Russell spent 9,990 points to take the first shot.
Then he began selecting the second set of materials.
The second set was chosen quickly. Russell spotted materials suitable for Zoro's promotion at a glance.
Gold-rank [Eye of Insight] (Purple), priced at 4,500 points.
After shopping, his points shrank to 6,030.
While waiting for materials to arrive, Russell began silently planning his assassination of Simon.
Of course, he couldn't be like a certain Old Man of the Mountain who used evil methods like assassination and killing everyone in sight.
If he really wanted to do this, he had to wait until the truth was revealed.
But thinking about it, the Association was basically his own territory now. Russell couldn't help but smile crookedly.
That was fine.
Not long after, the two materials were delivered.
After signing for them, he handed the materials to the Shadowkhan beside him.
Making cards now was definitely impossible.
He was tired after working so long. He'd take a nap to recharge first—this was also to increase the success rate of card-making.
At least that's what the books Russell had read said.
At night, Russell stretched in bed, feeling refreshed.
He rarely slept nowadays—basically replacing it with meditation.
But occasionally, he still got to experience this activity that had been one of his favorites as a mortal.
Feeling his mental strength fully restored, Russell simply washed up and went to his study.
Spreading the three materials belonging to Zoro on the table, he took a deep breath and summoned Zoro's card in his mind.
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[Zoro and Perona, who'd been knocked away by the Warlord, fell onto Kuraigana Island together—where they met Hawkeye, the world's greatest swordsman and also a Warlord.]
[After receiving news from Luffy and the others, Zoro defeated the island's baboons and asked Hawkeye to teach him.]
[Hawkeye refused at first, thinking it shameful for Zoro to bow his head and seek guidance from his enemy.]
[But in the following days, seeing Zoro's sincerity, he agreed to train him in swordsmanship.]
[Two years passed in a flash. Soon it was the day the Straw Hat Pirates had agreed to reunite.]
[Thanks to Perona, Zoro was the first to arrive at Sabaody Archipelago.]
[After meeting up with Sanji, the two defeated PX-7—which the World Government had developed based on Warlord Kuma—and returned to the Sunny under Chopper's guidance. The group set off for Fishman Island.]
[On Fishman Island, Zoro accidentally got separated from Luffy and the others, pretending to be imprisoned by the Fishman King.]
[After escaping, he easily defeated the King's Army with Nami, Usopp, and Brook.]
[However, during the battle against Hody Jones, he was captured because he couldn't breathe and was imprisoned in Ryugu Palace.]
[After escaping, he instantly killed Hody's subordinate Hyouzou.]
[After leaving Fishman Island, the group arrived at Punk Hazard and learned of Caesar's plan.]
[To destroy the plan, the group formed an alliance with Law, captain of the Heart Pirates.]
[In the final battle, Zoro fought against Monet—a subordinate of Doflamingo, one of the Warlords—and defeated her with overwhelming strength.]
[At Punk Hazard, Zoro displayed Observation Haki for the first time, able to sense others' auras.]
[After the Punk Hazard incident, the Straw Hat Pirates arrived at Doflamingo's lair: Dressrosa.]
[Doflamingo had set up a factory here to manufacture artificial Zoan-type Devil Fruits called "SMILE" and ruled the entire kingdom.]
[The kingdom was in dire straits.]
[To save the kingdom's residents, the Straw Hat Pirates clashed with Doflamingo's forces.]
[This time, Zoro displayed the results of his two years of training—improved Three-Sword Style and Armament Haki.]
[Pica, a member of the Donquixote Family and user of the Stone-Stone Fruit, was crushed by Zoro with overwhelming strength.]
[Even the massive stone giant was chopped to pieces by Zoro's Three-Sword Style.]
[After the Dressrosa incident, Zoro's bounty reached a terrifying 320 million berries—making him a true member of the Worst Generation.]
The card was made. The card belonging to Zoro floating before Russell was very different from before.
The young man with short green hair had become much more mature compared to his original youthfulness. His angular body contained explosive power.
Putting the card into his mind, Russell looked through the information carefully.
[The Worst Generation: Zoro]
Rank: Gold
Quality: Red
Category: Biological
Skills:
[Three-Sword Style]: After two years of training, Zoro's swordsmanship has become increasingly refined. He has now perfectly integrated One-Sword Style, Two-Sword Style, Three-Sword Style, and Nine-Sword Style, mastering several extremely powerful secret techniques.
[Armament Haki]: Areas of Zoro's body covered by dark Armament Haki gain greatly increased defense and attack power. Armament Haki also grants the ability to touch energy bodies.
[Observation Haki]: Zoro's Observation Haki helps him lock onto enemy positions and dodge attacks from unseen locations.
Traits:
[Swordsman? Literary Master!]: Although Zoro is a swordsman, he's very talented at naming his moves. Therefore, when the opponent's move name is shorter than his, Zoro's attack power increases.
[Heart of the Swordsman]
[Way of the Asura]
[Strong and Sturdy]
Introduction: I want to become the world's greatest swordsman!
Advancement Route: Bronze [Pirate Hunter · Zoro] → Gold [The Worst Generation · Zoro] → Emerald [Great Swordsman · Zoro]
Bonds:
When appearing simultaneously with the [Mihawk] series, activates effect [World's Greatest Swordsman].
When appearing simultaneously with [Luffy] and other series, activates effect [Straw Hat Pirates].
Activated Bond: [Straw Hat Pirates] (3/10)
Bond Effect: When all Straw Hat Pirates members appear simultaneously, if one member dies, the remaining members enter a state of rage.
Note: Rage: At the cost of losing sanity, card attributes are greatly enhanced across all aspects.
Zoro's strength was about what Russell expected.
However, when he saw the newly appeared trait called [Swordsman? Literary Master!], the corner of his eye couldn't help but twitch.
"Go and invite Yong Daimei!"
Russell still remembered the "Spiral Jiraiya Double-Style Maru" launched by Yongdaimei's Nimbus Popsicle—as abstract as the "Spiral Flash Super Wheel Dance Roar Three Styles."
Actually, it was just Rasengan and Flying Thunder God.
Isn't it just stagnant water, still gloomy?
"Where's that voice coming from?" He shook his head, getting rid of the Dead Water Classic that was inexplicably chanting in his head. Russell refocused on Zoro's card.
Overall, he was quite satisfied. But the specific strength still needed to be tested in actual combat.
He shouldn't be disappointed.
Killing Simon should be easy.
But if he had to mention something he was dissatisfied with, it was that Zoro's three swords were still plain, ordinary blades.
"It's really Lu Bu riding a dog."
He was a bit helpless, but this was the best he could do at the moment.
At worst, he could make sword-related item cards later.