When Vivi heard kane's words, she froze as well.
Go back and tell her father, and he would understand?
She suddenly recalled what kane had said earlier.
He was doing this for money.
In other words, did that mean the Marine vice admiral before her had reached some sort of deal with her father before helping Alabasta?
Actually, if that were the case, it was not entirely unacceptable.
After all, this kingdom had already suffered so much hardship.
"What's wrong? Even that won't do? If not, then move aside. I'm going to arrest them," kane said impatiently.
"No!" Vivi came back to her senses and answered at once.
"So now you're toying with me?"
"No!"
"Then be decisive."
"But…"
"No 'buts.' Either pay up, or they get arrested. There's no third option."
"I really don't have that much money!" Vivi was almost in tears.
"Didn't I already tell you? Just tell your father and that'll settle it. I'm even letting you pay in installments, and that's still not enough?" kane's tone had already become openly impatient.
Vivi still felt it was difficult.
But she also understood that if she did not give a clear answer now, the Marine before her would never let Luffy and the others go.
"Miss Vivi, forget it! If we get arrested, then we get arrested!" Sanji said at once.
"Don't worry about us," Zoro added.
kane's expression darkened.
"Looks like the lesson I gave you still wasn't enough. Since that's the case, I'll beat you half to death first. You people still dare to talk."
His tone was ice-cold.
Then he started walking forward.
Vivi's face changed drastically.
She could clearly sense the killing intent radiating from kane.
That murderous aura made her whole body tremble.
"Wait, I agree!" Vivi blurted out.
The moment she said it, she felt the killing intent around kane vanish instantly.
Then he revealed a kind smile toward Vivi.
Just like a benevolent old grandfather.
Vivi felt somewhat dazed.
Why had the Marine vice admiral before her changed so completely in an instant?
"Wouldn't it have been fine if you'd agreed earlier? Remember to mention it to your father."
Vivi nodded blankly, still not quite having processed everything.
kane, however, no longer cared.
He had already gotten the result he wanted, and Cobra would not dare default on the debt anyway.
"All right then, Vivi, take them and leave. I'm going to arrest Fire Fist Ace."
Only then did Vivi fully react.
"Vice Admiral, are you still going to arrest Luffy's older brother?" Vivi asked immediately.
"What? Don't tell me you think three hundred million beri is enough to ransom that brat too? That kid's strength is actually pretty decent. His own bounty is five hundred fifty million beri. Are you sure you can come up with one billion one hundred million?"
Vivi was stunned.
So Luffy's brother's bounty was that high.
Wasn't that a genuine great pirate in every sense?
Looking at her blank expression, kane said directly, "Besides, you don't actually think that amount is enough, do you? Give it up. You can't afford his ransom."
Vivi did not even know what to say.
Three hundred million beri already felt impossibly difficult to her, because she knew very well the kingdom's current situation.
So she could only look at Ace apologetically.
At this moment, Ace's face was filled with fury.
Because the way kane was acting made it seem as though he and the others were nothing more than goods being priced.
The key point was that kane was absurdly strong.
His flames were completely useless against him.
"What are you staring at? You should be happy. Here with me, you still have some value," kane sneered.
Ace said nothing more.
He had already lost. Anything he said now would be useless and would only invite further humiliation.
After that, Nami and the others helped carry Luffy's group away.
kane had shown no mercy earlier; their injuries were all very serious.
Because kane felt that only this way could the "fodder" before him grow more quickly.
Watching the group leave, kane immediately shouted:
"You lot, remember this well! Try improving a little, will you? Don't make other people pay your ransom for you every single time. As men, do you even have any shame? And you still talk about becoming the world's greatest swordsman? You can't even afford your ransom!"
Zoro and Sanji were so enraged they almost exploded and wanted to rush back and fight kane to the death, but Nami firmly held them down.
In her view, things were already turning out as well as they possibly could in the current situation.
As for Luffy's brother, they truly had no way to help him and could only apologize.
After that came their thanks to Vivi.
Vivi finally let out a long breath. This matter was finally over.
kane then looked toward the Marines.
"Bocchi."
"Vice Admiral kane, awaiting orders!"
"Chain this fellow up and take him back to the ship."
"Yes, Vice Admiral kane!"
Bocchi looked extremely excited.
The pirate before him was none other than Fire Fist Ace, a famous figure of the New World.
The second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, one of the Four Emperors' crews renowned throughout the entire New World.
At the level of a pirate like him, bounty numbers were no longer the most important thing.
Because basically no one would actually go after them just for the bounty.
What mattered more was that sense of glory.
At this point, Ace had completely lost the ability to resist.
Ignoring Ace's murderous glare, Bocchi directly put seastone handcuffs on him.
On the other side, the Marines aboard kane's ship had already moved aside and opened a path for the Straw Hats.
It was a strange scene.
Marines making way for pirates.
But that very sight made Smoker's expression in the distance turn ugly.
"That damned old man—why let Straw Hat go? They're pirates. How can he show mercy just for money? This is a desecration of justice."
"Captain Smoker!" Tashigi looked worried at his side.
She clearly remembered what had happened back in Loguetown.
But kane's actions just now had also made her deeply admire him.
So her heart was full of conflict.
While she was still tangled up in her thoughts, Smoker had already strode over quickly.
Her face changed and she followed at once.
"As a Marine who stands for justice, how can you let pirates go? I absolutely do not approve of what you've done," Smoker shouted.
kane frowned slightly, and then his face darkened.
"Brat with the smoke powers, are you lecturing me again?"
Tashigi's expression changed.
Then she stepped forward at once.
"Vice Admiral kane, I don't quite understand your actions. They are pirates, so why are you letting them go?"
Faced with this overly earnest young woman, kane instead smiled.
"Tashigi, from the very beginning my target was never the Straw Hat crew, but Fire Fist Ace. Besides, even if I personally didn't make a move, I don't recall stopping any of you from making one. Weren't they your targets?"
Tashigi was stunned at once.
"But…"
"No more 'buts.' Didn't that smoke brat just now also give
up on Fire Fist Ace and insist on capturing Straw Hat instead? How is that any different from me? Though of course, that kid was never Fire Fist Ace's opponent to begin with."
Tashigi had no answer.
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