I Think You're Pathetically Weak Now

The two CP Agents glanced at Lucci amid the rubble, then looked at the corpses in the warehouse.

One of them walked over to Lucci.

"Can you still stand?"

Lucci did not answer.

The other agent turned to Ron.

"Major Ron, the World Government is taking over the scene. Please do not interfere any further."

"Fine."

Ron nodded and held out his hand.

"Hand over the mission documents."

"What documents?"

"The government's authorization for your mission, your objectives, and your authority to act at the scene."

Ron looked at the two of them.

"I want to see whether your orders told you to kill these five hundred people."

"Our authorization only required us to eliminate the pirate threat. It didn't say we had to ensure every captive survived."

The CP Agent looked toward the warehouse.

"As for how to handle the captives, that was for the operatives at the scene to decide."

"So you're saying that once someone's taken captive, they don't deserve to live?"

Ron pointed at the corpses on the ground.

"Then if you ever fall into pirate hands, should we leave you there too?"

The agent's expression changed.

"You..."

"What?"

"You don't like it when it's you?"

The man instinctively reached for the gun at his waist.

But just as his fingers touched the grip, his gaze fell on Lucci nearby.

He pulled his hand back.

"Didn't the king ask you here to deal with the pirates so you could rescue his people?"

"We were here to suppress the pirates and end the kingdom's crisis!"

"The pirates are dead, and so are five hundred soldiers."

Ron pointed at the corpses.

"You call that ending the crisis?"

The agent clenched his teeth.

"The pirates have been eliminated. At least the main mission was accomplished!"

"Fine."

Ron nodded.

"Save that for when you're standing in front of the king."

For a moment, neither of them had an answer.

Just then, a flurry of footsteps sounded outside the warehouse. The kingdom's reinforcements had arrived.

The king was at the head of the group, shouting before he even reached the door: "That Cipher Pol brat! Have you rescued the five hundred soldiers?"

The next second, his voice cut off.

The king entered the warehouse and stood before the corpses, looking over the familiar uniforms again and again.

"They're... all here?"

The army's commander had already rushed to the pile of bodies.

"Āren?!"

He turned over the body of a young soldier. Rough ropes were still tied around the man's wrists, and half a bloodstained family crest showed at his collar.

The commander's hands shook violently.

"Who did this—?!!"

Ron jerked his chin toward Lucci in the rubble.

"He did."

The king whipped around, his voice cracking. "Weren't you here to save them?!"

A Cipher Pol Agent immediately stepped forward.

"Your Majesty! This matter concerns World Government secrets, please—"

"Secrets, my ass."

Ron pointed at the bodies covering the floor.

"Five hundred people are dead here. Who are you still trying to fool?"

"Don't move the bodies yet."

Ron looked at the king.

"Your Majesty, the evidence at the scene needs to be documented first."

"Photographs, the identities of the dead, their wounds—don't miss a thing."

The king nodded.

The commander froze, then rose to his feet with reddened eyes and roared in a hoarse voice, "Do it!"

The Kingdom Army immediately got to work.

A military doctor examined several bodies, his expression growing increasingly grim.

"General, none of these men have gunshot wounds."

He pointed at one man's chest.

"All their wounds are like this, as though they were pierced straight through by a finger."

The commander clenched his teeth.

"Write that down."

The two scouts from the high ground were also brought over and questioned separately.

Only then did the king come to his senses and hurry to arrange for people to help count the bodies.

Ron watched the busy Kingdom Army, then turned and gave them a reminder.

"Keep an eye on the evidence. Don't let anyone tamper with it."

"Ron!"

"You have no authority to investigate the CP System!"

"Who said I was going to investigate you?"

Ron pointed at the corpses.

"The dead are Kingdom Army soldiers. Can't I even ask about them?"

"Besides,"

Ron glanced at him.

"So what if a Cipher Pol Agent did the killing?"

"If a Cipher Pol Agent kills someone, does it not count as murder?"

"And don't get any ideas about this evidence."

Ron glanced at an agent who was trying to approach the Photo Den Den Mushi.

"The Kingdom Army will keep the original evidence from the scene."

Ron looked at the commander.

"The Marines need a complete copy."

"As for Cipher Pol, you can apply to the kingdom to review it."

He looked at the two agents.

"None of you is taking any of this away on the sly."

The agent withdrew his half-extended hand, his chest heaving with anger.

"Ron! Do you think having Vice Admiral Sakazuki backing you means you can meddle in Cipher Pol missions whenever you like?!"

The air went still, and the other Cipher Pol Agent nearly reached out to cover his mouth.

Ron slowly turned his head. "Are you threatening me?"

"I'm just reminding you!"

"Remind me all you like. You still have to write a report, don't you?"

Ron pointed at the bodies on the ground.

"Planning to say the pirates killed them?"

"How are you going to explain wounds left by Shigan?"

"Or are you going to say they were caught in the crossfire?"

He glanced again at the soldiers whose hands had been tied behind their backs.

"All five hundred of them were caught in the crossfire?"

"..."

"Fine. Then write what happened."

"Rob Lucci killed five hundred captive kingdom soldiers while carrying out his mission."

"As for who gave the order, let your superiors investigate that themselves."

"If you don't dare write it, I will."

The two agents exchanged a glance, and neither mentioned the report again.

Lucci leaned against the wall, his expression growing darker.

The other Cipher Pol Agent finally softened his tone.

"Lucci is only thirteen! He's just a child!"

"Oh, he's a child now?"

Ron gave a laugh.

"When he killed five hundred people, he was a genius."

"Now that it's time to hold someone accountable, you're telling me he's only thirteen?"

The agent's expression stiffened.

"Well..."

"Save it."

Ron waved a hand.

"Whoever's responsible takes responsibility."

Ron looked at the two agents.

"Record what happened, have Cipher Pol explain it to the kingdom, and pay whatever compensation is owed."

"As for what to do with Lucci, have your superiors give us an answer."

"Don't think you can brush this aside with 'mission accomplished.'"

The two Cipher Pol Agents' faces darkened. "You have no right to make those decisions!"

"Yeah, yeah, you're right."

Ron actually nodded, leaving the two agents stunned.

"So I'll find someone who does."

He took out a Den Den Mushi and began dialing.

Click.

The Den Den Mushi connected, and Sakazuki's fierce expression immediately appeared on its face.

"Speak."

"Old man, something came up."

"Call me sir."

"Okay, old man."

A vein throbbed on Sakazuki's temple.

"Spit it out!"

"That Cipher Pol brat they call a genius killed five hundred Kingdom Army soldiers who'd been tied up."

Ron paused.

"I beat him up."

There were two seconds of silence on the other end.

"Did you kill him?"

"No."

"Then why did you leave him alive?"

"Huh???"

As soon as he said it, the two Cipher Pol Agents went deathly pale.

A Cipher Pol Agent hurried over.

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki! Lucci was carrying out a World Government mission!"

"I heard."

Sakazuki's voice grew cold.

"Since when did a World Government mission involve slaughtering the soldiers of an Affiliated Nation?"

"This..."

"Go back and tell your superiors."

"The navy won't take the blame for five hundred lives for you."

"Did you hear me?"

Ron gripped Zhenyuan's hilt and looked at the two Cipher Pol Agents.

"Didn't you just say that anyone who interfered with your mission could be dealt with however you wanted on the spot?"

Both agents' expressions changed.

"Major Ron, what are you planning to do?"

"Nothing."

He smiled.

"I just suddenly realized how pathetically weak you two are."

He drew Zhenyuan half an inch from its sheath.

"Now you're getting in my way too."

"By your rules, does that mean I can kill you too?"