But after a short while, he quickly recovered, turned his head, and looked at the fish tank beside the little girl, which contained six fish.
At this moment, it seemed as though he understood something.
Kuzan fell silent for a moment, his gaze returning to Ian, his expression somewhat strange. "You didn't catch a single fish, did you?"
"Bullshit! What do you mean, I didn't catch a single fish?!"
Hearing Kuzan's words, Ian was immediately so angry that he started jumping in place, glaring at Kuzan in exasperation. "If it weren't for you, I'd already have reeled in that two-thousand-meter-long fish just now."
Kuzan: "..."
Why did it get bigger again?
And two thousand meters...
What does this guy think this place is?
The deep-sea zone, or the Calm Belt?
"You really know how to ruin the mood!"
Looking at the silent Kuzan, Ian sneered dissatisfiedly. "You made that three-thousand-meter fish get away. Forget it, I'll forgive you this time. You can't do this next time, you know, other old fishing geezers... If you let their four-thousand-meter fish get away, even if you're an Admiral, they'd absolutely fight you to the death!"
Kuzan: "..."
Four thousand meters?!
That damn thing would already be a large Sea King.
Kuzan's face was covered in black lines, but before he could say anything, Ian waved his hand, sighed as if saying, since we're all acquaintances, I'll forgive you!
Then he looked at him and said, "So, tell me. What did you come to see me for?"
Kuzan: "..."
Kuzan looked speechless at the magnanimous Ian. If there weren't children present today, he really would have wanted to argue properly with this guy about what a four-thousand-meter fish actually looked like.
He would argue using his Ice Age.
But… not right now... maybe next time.
Kuzan jumped off his bicycle, leaned it against the ship's rail, then jumped onto the ship himself.
After lazily stretching, he glanced around and said unhurriedly: "You really have some nerve. You actually built your base in this place?"
As he spoke, his gaze sharpened, and a bone-chilling cold radiated from his entire body as he stared expressionlessly at Ian. "Is the Umbrella Corporation insulting the World Government?!"
"Put the cold away. Don't you see there are children here?"
Facing the icy-faced Kuzan, Ian showed no concern at all and instead said irritably, "If they catch a cold, Robin will blame me."
Kuzan: "..."
Hearing Ian's words, Kuzan fell silent again.
Then, glancing at the small girl beside him, who was really trembling a little. He silently retracted the ice and sat down directly, returning to his leisurely demeanor as he looked at Ian. "Children should wear more clothes."
Ian: "..."
Hearing Kuzan's words, Ian silently looked at him.
What nonsense was this guy talking about?
If you hadn't come over, would the child feel cold?
Ian raised an eyebrow but didn't say more. Instead, he looked at Kuzan with a meaningful smile.
"It's been so long already that I was starting to wonder whether Marine Headquarters had discovered where our base was. Now it seems there's no need to wonder anymore. Marine Headquarters really does know!"
"It was only confirmed not long ago."
Kuzan didn't hide anything, shrugged, and said casually. "Before, there were just some guesses, but nothing certain. Now it seems..."
He sighed and looked at Ian just as meaningfully. "You really are even bolder than Marine Headquarters thought."
"Only confirmed not long ago?"
Ian seemed not to hear Kuzan's latter sentence at all. He frowned and pondered. "Because of the slave-catcher incident? Looks like the World Government issuing so many legal slave-catching permits wasn't just about catching slaves!"
"Maybe it really was just about catching slaves."
Kuzan said calmly. "After all, Umbrella Corporation's base has already been discovered, but the slave-catching incidents still haven't ended."
"Hahaha, that really is a headache!"
Ian had already heard the displeasure in Kuzan's tone, but he didn't say much. That displeasure was toward the World Government, not toward him. Why care so much?
He smiled at Kuzan and said curiously, "So, tell me. What did you come to see me for?"
"I didn't come to see you. I was just traveling through this sea area and happened to discover this place."
Kuzan explained perfunctorily.
After a brief silence, he then said in a cold tone: "Umbrella Corporation's boss, Ian the God of Sun... What were you plotting with the Beasts Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates in the Kingdom of Dressrosa?"
"Just that?"
Hearing Kuzan's words, Ian was stunned for a moment. Then, without caring about Kuzan's tone just now, he said casually: "Relax. We weren't plotting anything. The Beasts Pirates' captain, Kaido, came to chat and drink with me. As for the Whitebeard Pirates' captain, he came to thank me. Even though I kept saying I didn't take action in the Enies Lobby incident and I was busy fighting an Admiral, he just wouldn't believe it and insisted on thanking me."
He spread his hands and sighed. "There's nothing I can do."
"Is that so?"
Kuzan seemed to accept this perfunctory answer. He nodded and even whistled. "That puts Marine Headquarters at ease. If the three major forces really joined hands, as an Admiral, I'd have quite a headache."
"Did Marine Headquarters send you to be a lobbyist?"
Ian raised an eyebrow, as if he had already understood something.
"Looks like Marine Headquarters is worried about us intervening in the public execution? But why didn't they let Garp come as the lobbyist this time?"
"It's a critical moment right now. Fleet Admiral Sengoku is worried that if Vice-Admiral Garp is let loose, he'll secretly slip away and go on vacation. If, when the public execution happens, the Hero of the Marines isn't present, Marine Headquarters would be in quite a bind!"
Ian: "..."
No wonder Garp didn't come this time!
Makes sense. With that old guy's personality, he really could do something like that.
If he were in a better mood, he might even come back only on the day of the public execution.
"Not getting involved, huh? I didn't expect to hear good news this time!"
Kuzan nodded in satisfaction. Then his tone sharpened as he stared straight at Ian. "But since it has nothing to do with you, why did Umbrella Corporation assist the Straw Hat Pirates in escaping back then?"
"What do you mean by assist?"
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