The heart beats.
A violent heartbeat, as if crashing out of the chest.
...
"Colonel Griffin, what are you thinking? You should be thanking the master for his grace."
"For a lowly commoner like you to serve the World Nobles is the greatest fortune of your life!"
The cold voice of the white-suited man echoed in his ears.
Clang—
Griffin gripped the hilt of his sword.
In that instant, countless thoughts raced through his mind.
...
...
Am I a good person?
No, I've killed many who didn't deserve death—I'm not merciful.
To climb the ranks, I've repeatedly undermined Doll, showing no integrity whatsoever.
I must admit, I'm a shameless scoundrel with no moral bottom line.
I could stand by and watch Ginny and her daughter die without lifting a finger.
Their deaths wouldn't be my doing, so I'd feel no guilt.
But...
Killing a child right in front of their mother, who's fighting with everything she has to protect them...
The Celestial Dragons' command weighed against an infant's life on the scales.
...
...
Comparatively, attacking a Celestial Dragon seems far easier!
I'm no saint.
But I'm not depraved enough for that!!
—
Griffin made his decision.
He'd only have one chance to strike!
I can't kill Luo outright—I'm no match for that sunflower-faced bastard. If I try, he'll kill me on the spot.
If I just injure Luo, Sunflower-face's only option will be to protect and tend to the Celestial Dragon, not hunt me down.
That's my only way out.
...
His gaze flickered toward the "Marines" who had boarded with him.
Fortunately, anticipating he might not be able to hold back, he had assigned some prisoners to pose as naval soldiers.
If these men were killed by the Celestial Dragons in a fit of rage, it wouldn't matter.
A pity for Doll and the others—they'll have to join me as pirates at sea. As for Smoker...
Kuzan should be able to protect him.
...
"Ah... I'm truly honored..."
So my brief stint as a Marine ends here? I'll really miss that salary.
Swish—
Griffin drew his sword, its blade radiating a chilling aura as he aimed it toward Ginny's small boat in the distance.
Thump!
He leaped from the footboard, his wrist flexing as he prepared to pivot the blade for a surprise thrust attack targeting Luo on the ship.
He concealed his intent perfectly—even Sunflower-face's Observation Haki failed to detect it.
Perhaps... it was because he never imagined anyone would dare attack a Celestial Dragon, so he hadn't activated his Observation Haki.
A crimson flash gleamed within his black hair, and the phantom of a white wolf materialized.
White Wolf Kill - Swallow—
—
—
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
Suddenly, the calm sea churned violently without warning, as if stirred by an invisible hand—the waters seethed!
Griffin's movement halted abruptly, and he retreated to the deck.
Immediately after, a massive shadow rose swiftly from the depths.
Its speed was so immense that the displaced water formed a colossal whirlpool.
A creature several times larger than the opulent ship loomed into view, blotting out the sky!!
...
"What... what is that thing!?"
A slave pointed a trembling finger at the sea, his voice shaking so badly that the fruit platter prepared for the Celestial Dragon clattered onto the deck.
It was becoming clearer.
It possessed a body as massive as an island, with rough skin covered in barnacles and seaweed, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.
On its enormous head, a pair of eyes shone with a cold and ferocious gleam, like two blood moons radiating a chilling light.
Its mouth gaped open, revealing sharp and jagged fangs, each as thick as a giant stone pillar, seemingly capable of crushing anything that stood in its way.
The most powerful species in the ocean, known as the rulers of the seas...
Sea Kings!!
...
"It's... it's huge! We're so far from the Calm Belt—how could there be such a massive Sea King here?!"
Luo forced himself to remain calm, possessing slightly more common sense than his foolish peers.
Just the exposed head of this Sea King was nearly a hundred meters long. Normally, Sea Kings of this size only inhabited the Calm Belt and deep-sea regions.
Of course, nothing was absolute—it wasn't as if giant Sea Kings didn't exist outside the Calm Belt.
...
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!
Bullets struck the Sea King's skin like mosquito bites, leaving not even a trace.
Even cannon fire from the ship only stirred up clouds of smoke, failing to inflict any substantial damage.
The Sea King's cold, merciless eyes seemed to mock the weakness of these insignificant creatures.
In its eyes, Celestial Dragons, ordinary people, and even the ship itself were no different.
Just food.
...
"A mere Sea King, daring to defy the descendants of the great creators..."
"Show some respect!"
"Beast!!"
Whoosh!!!
The man in the white suit roared coldly, crouching slightly as the deck beneath him instantly cracked.
His body shot over the ship's railing like a cannonball, leaving a trail of white vapor in the air.
His tall frame leaped in front of the Sea King's head, his right arm coated in Armament Haki, giving his skin a metallic black sheen.
He raised his fist high above his head.
All his strength and Haki converged into a single point...
...
"Boom——————"
!!
A deafening roar!!
His fist pierced through the Sea King's skull, exploding into a massive cloud of blood!!
Blood gushed out like a fountain, dyeing the sea red.
The Sea King's body convulsed violently, its enormous tail fin thrashing wildly across the water's surface, the resulting waves startling even the distant seabirds into scattering.
...
Finally, the colossal creature's movements gradually slowed, the ferocious light in its eyes fading as it sank like a submerged island.
An instant kill.
Without a shred of doubt!
...
Thud—
The man in the white suit landed back on the deck, bowing at a 90-degree angle beside Luo. "My apologies for the fright, Saint Luo."
Luo let out a long sigh, his tone indifferent. "Next time, detect it earlier. You should have killed it before anything happened!"
"Yes, sir! My failure!"
...
Griffin frowned slightly.
The combat prowess this guy displayed might surpass that of an ordinary Vice Admiral.
If I had acted just now...
An ordinary Celestial Dragon shouldn't have such a powerful personal guard. Is this Luo someone special?
Could he be a son of the Five Elders?
...
...
As the wind and waves subsided, the sudden upheaval had cost them sight of Ginny's small boat.
Most likely, that little vessel had already been lost to the storm.
Luo was seething with frustration.
"Find her! She's not so easy to kill!!"
"I want her to die in despair before my eyes! This is a work of art! How could she dare die so easily!"
"She wouldn't dare die without my permission!!"
...
After a moment, Luo's tone softened as he looked at Griffin.
"Mr. Griffin, even if it's just a corpse, I want to see Ginny. You can help me find her, can't you?"
...
"Of course."
"I'll immediately take people to begin the search operation!" Griffin bowed his head to accept the command and left with others on a small boat.
...
...
"Sir... that guy isn't a loyal dog."
The man in the white suit with a chrysanthemum-like face watched Griffin's retreating figure, hesitated for a moment, but still spoke up.
Luo glanced at him coldly, a smirk curling at the corner of his mouth: "Do you know how many slaves I've played to death?"
"I understand better than you whether someone's respect is genuine or not..."
The smile beneath the glass cover gradually faded.
"I particularly like such arrogant and beautiful creatures."
"Slowly shattering their pride, making them willingly and humbly prostrate at my feet..."
"That's what makes it interesting~"