As Roger and his crew gradually disappeared into the distance, the weight hanging over Is's heart finally lifted.
"…Phew."
He let out a quiet breath.
During the voyage, he had already considered the possibility of encountering pirates—or other enemies.
But what he never expected…
…was to run into pirates—and not just any pirates, but the Roger Pirates.
Fortunately, the losses this time weren't too severe.
"You alright?"
Madara asked from the side.
Is glanced at him.
"If you had played around any longer, you would've arrived just in time to collect our corpses."
"Hahahahaha!"
Madara burst into laughter, completely unbothered.
Is was actually quite satisfied with this kind of dynamic.
Under normal circumstances, they could joke around and tease each other—but in critical moments, absolute obedience was guaranteed.
If it were someone who blindly followed orders without any sense of self, like a mere puppet…
Is wouldn't have accepted that.
To him, that would be nothing more than a killing machine.
"…Looks like I need to push myself harder."
"Otherwise, if I run into a situation like today again, I'll definitely suffer."
Madara nodded slightly.
"After this voyage, I'll help you train."
"And… I'd like to learn that technique from this world as well."
"Technique?"
"Yeah."
Madara continued,
"The one they use in battle—the one that enhances both attack and defense."
At that, Is immediately understood.
Madara was referring to Armament Haki.
"Shff—"
In the next moment, Is's right arm was partially coated in black.
"Yes, that's the one."
"No problem."
After the battle, most of the Marines had been killed.
The remaining survivors were transferred onto Is's ship.
And the first task they were given—
—was to repair the ship.
Inside a closed room—
Two maids were tending to Is's wounds.
"Master, how does it feel?"
Is kept his eyes closed and replied calmly,
"This level of pain… I can handle it."
"Master, shall I help you relax?"
The maid leaned closer, but didn't act immediately—waiting for his permission.
Is gave a slight nod.
Only then did she begin.
Mary Geoise—
After hearing the report from the World Government agents, the Five Elders were completely stunned.
"What did you say? Is successfully held off the Roger Pirates?!"
The bald elder's face was filled with disbelief.
"Yes. He held them off for nearly an hour. In the end, the Roger Pirates chose to retreat. Lord Is only sustained minor injuries."
The Den Den Mushi relayed the report clearly.
"…Understood."
The bald elder hung up.
This outcome—
—was something none of them had expected.
Not even dared to imagine.
"That kid… created a miracle."
"Indeed. Facing the Roger Pirates with that lineup—and not only holding them off, but forcing them to retreat, while only suffering minor injuries… that's nothing short of extraordinary."
"I didn't even think they could escape alive from Roger, let alone achieve this result."
"I really wish I could've seen how that kid handled it firsthand."
"…He's worth cultivating."
The bald elder grinned.
As for him—he was growing more and more fond of Is.
"For the Celestial Dragons to produce someone like him is already rare. If only there were more like him—ambitious, driven…"
"At this point, you still expect more? Most have already been corrupted by privilege. The fact that even one has appeared is already a blessing."
At the very least, the Five Elders were now more determined than ever—
—to cultivate Is.
Since Is's destination was unknown, the Marine reinforcements were ultimately called off.
Sengoku, Kong, and the others instead stationed themselves temporarily on a nearby island.
One reason—
—if needed, they could provide support quickly.
Though the chances of that were now slim.
The second—
—convenience.
If no further action was required, they would return to Marine Headquarters the next day.
"Crunch, crunch…"
Karp sat there eating snacks, complaining to Sengoku.
"Man, if I'd known it'd turn out like this, I wouldn't have come."
Sengoku shot him a glare.
"I told you before we even set sail—you didn't need to come."
After a pause, he added,
"But I really didn't expect Is's group to be able to repel the Roger Pirates."
Karp kept munching, saying nothing.
But hearing this, he couldn't help but grow curious about this unusual Celestial Dragon.
A few hours later—
Is finally reached his destination.
Thankfully, the location hadn't spawned in the middle of the sea—otherwise, excavation would've been quite troublesome.
After landing on the island, Is initially planned to leave the World Government agents behind to guard the ship and protect the maids.
But after thinking it over—
…he decided those guys weren't reliable.
So instead, he left Tatsumaki behind.
In the end—
Only Is and Madara set off together for the excavation.
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