"Yes!"
Sakazuki nodded without hesitation, accepting Ross's wager.
The stakes were irrelevant. This was a wager for his dignity as a Marine.
If a Marine went to collect the body of Sauron, a Navy Traitor, the Marines would become a laughingstock.
"Straightforward!" The smile on Ross's face deepened. "The stakes aren't high either. If I lose, after this Buster Call, I'll recommend you to the Five Elders as the new Admiral, replacing Zephyr."
At those stakes, a flicker of temptation flashed through Sakazuki's eyes.
That recommendation alone could save him several years of waiting to build up his credentials.
Even if he could not take the position in one leap, he could still use his achievements in this Buster Call to become an Admiral Candidate ahead of schedule.
Once he became an Admiral Candidate, everything afterward would be set in stone. Only time would remain.
"If you lose, the demand isn't high either. Publicly admit that you're inferior to me, then punch yourself with all your strength. How about those stakes?"
Drawing from his experience defeating Guernica, Ross had tailored a wager specifically for Sakazuki.
As for the outcome, from the moment he voiced it, he had never believed he would lose.
Given Kuzan's personality, there was no way he would not go see Sauron one last time.
If Kuzan truly did not go, then Ross had misjudged his justice. It could only mean that, from top to bottom, the Marines did not have even half a decent person among them.
"Fine! I'll go stake out Sauron's corpse right now."
Sakazuki agreed decisively, without the slightest hesitation.
If he won, he would make a huge profit.
Even if he lost, he would only lose a little face.
The mere fact that a Marine had gone to collect a traitor's corpse would already be humiliating enough for him. These stakes were nothing.
Besides, Sakazuki had never considered pride to be worth anything.
Sakazuki turned and headed toward Sauron's hiding place.
Borsalino would handle matters here afterward, so Sakazuki was not needed. He only wanted to see whether any Marine would do something so foolish before the Buster Call annihilated everything.
After Sakazuki had gone some distance, Zephyr, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly said,
"Based on what I know of Kuzan, he'll definitely go."
"So Vice Admiral Sakazuki is bound to lose this bet?" Gion asked curiously.
"He lost from the moment the wager began." Zephyr shook his head with a sigh.
"Huh?" Gion did not understand.
Zephyr glanced at his foolish student, but still patiently explained,
"Regardless of whether he wins or loses, Sakazuki will be branded as Ross's man. For Sakazuki, that is both an impenetrable shield and a shackle that restricts him."
"So that's how it is!"
Gion was not stupid. With Zephyr's brief explanation, she immediately understood.
Even if Saint Ross lost, the very act of Saint Ross recommending Sakazuki to the Five Elders for the position of Admiral would leave Sakazuki with no path of retreat within the Marines.
An Admiral recommended by a Celestial Dragon already had his nature defined.
And if Sakazuki lost and publicly declared himself inferior to Saint Ross, would that not be openly bowing his head in submission to Saint Ross?
No matter which path he took, the result would be the same.
At that thought, Gion looked at Ross with both admiration and fear.
Fortunately, he was one of their own. Otherwise, she would truly fear being plotted against by him...
Wait, it seemed she had already been plotted into becoming one of his own.
At that thought, Gion's expression stiffened slightly, and she lowered her head in dejection and self-imposed silence.
"Alright, let's take a look at the main reason we came here."
Ross did not pay attention to the conversation behind him. He was in an excellent mood right now.
The wager was not merely about branding Sakazuki as his man. More importantly, it was about the reward he would receive for defeating Sakazuki.
This alone would probably allow him to break through to B-rank in an instant and gain the strength of a Headquarters Vice Admiral.
In high spirits, Ross led Gion to the historians who had been taken into custody.
"Saint Ross!"
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At the sight of Ross, the surrounding Marines all bowed and saluted him.
Had Ross not seen it so often these past few days, and had he not disliked seeing the same people kneeling before him every day, these Marines should have knelt to welcome him.
"Mhm."
Ross merely nodded lightly, signaling for the Marines to rise, before turning his gaze toward the encircled crowd.
The people within the encirclement were clearly divided into two groups.
The larger group consisted of several dozen people of different ages and genders, all dressed like civilians. They should have been the Informed of History.
The other group had only a few people: a nervous elderly couple, a handsome young man and beautiful young woman, and finally, a little girl around ten years old.
Ross found that the people of the Pirate World were generally quite good-looking. At the very least, this young pair stood out.
The woman was as beautiful as a flower, with a curvaceous figure. The man was tall and muscular, with a resolute, unyielding expression.
These people should be the historians who had surrendered themselves, along with their family members.
"Are you the ones who surrendered?"
Ross examined the young man and woman as their evaluation information appeared before him.
Doyle Lina Overall Rating: G+ Doyle Wilen Overall Rating: D+
When Ross saw Willen's rating, his gaze immediately locked onto him.
With his perception, he could tell that Willen was not particularly strong. At most, he was only a little stronger than an ordinary Marine.
Someone at that level should only be D-rank at most. It was impossible for him to receive a D+ rating.
The remaining points most likely represented Willen's reputation among historians. He was a well-known historian, likely even on the wanted list.
"Saint Ross. My name is Doyle Wilen. I am a historical researcher from Ohara, a scholar who studies history."
Willen stepped in front of his family and dropped to one knee before Ross in salute.
Willen was a student of history. Just from the suffix in Ross's name, he knew Ross's identity.
"Uncle Willen..." Robin cried out, clearly recognizing him.
However, Willen never looked at Robin, as though he did not know her.
Only historians like them knew that Robin was also one of their own.
Whether this Celestial Dragon knew Robin's identity or not, it should not be revealed by him.
"Willen?"
Ross softly repeated the name, not because it rang any bells.
Rather...
"Saint Ross."
Gion, understanding the situation, leaned close to Ross's ear and introduced him.
"Willen is on the wanted list, with a bounty of twenty million. His reputation at sea is no lower than Olvia's. He is known as the Informed of History, though his appearance on the wanted poster differs from how he looks now. The face on the poster is more ordinary."
"This is your real appearance?"
Without Ross needing to say anything, he merely held out his hand, and a prepared Marine beside him handed over Willen's wanted poster.
Ross compared Willen's current handsome appearance to the unremarkable face on the wanted poster. They were indeed drastically different. No wonder no one else had recognized him.
"That's right. When traveling outside, one must take precautions. Your Highness may not recognize my true appearance, but you should recognize this mark."
As he spoke, Willen extended his right hand, revealing the Tree of Knowledge emblem on his arm.
Gion continued whispering into Ross's ear, "When the wanted poster was issued, it did state that Willen had a Tree of Knowledge tattoo on his right arm."
That tattoo alone was enough to prove Willen's identity.
Not to mention that Robin had called out his identity. Robin had no time to collude with him, and in her current emotional state, she would not have thought that far. His identity was beyond doubt.
Still, Ross was truly curious why Willen had surrendered himself.
Since no Marine knew Willen's true appearance, he would most likely have been able to slip through this time. There was no need to drag his family down with him.
Ross could tell that Willen cared deeply about his family. Unless absolutely necessary, he would never put them in danger.
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