Clash of Ice and Magma

After Ross left in the direction of Sakazuki's warship, Kuzan couldn't hold back any longer. He gave an order to his adjutant and entered Ohara alone.

He and Sauron were good friends, and they both deeply agreed with each other's sense of justice.

It was only right for him, as a friend, to bid Sauron a final farewell.

Kuzan walked to the bay where Sauron had met his end, hands shoved into his pockets.

Within the bay, the setting sun's dying rays weakly cast themselves upon the shimmering water, yet they couldn't illuminate this corner shrouded in tragedy. The sea breeze, carrying a salty dampness and a hint of imperceptible sorrow, gently brushed every inch of the space.

Sauron's massive body, tens of meters long, now lay lifeless in a shocking pool of blood.

His fists were clenched, as if still holding onto the unyielding struggle of his life, and where his heart should have been, a horrifyingly large hole was starkly visible, silently narrating the brutality of the fatal blow. His body was crisscrossed with countless scars, some deep as carvings, others long and thin like whips, like marks left by a demon, recording the suffering he had endured.

"Sauron..."

Even though he had prepared himself mentally, Kuzan still let out a sigh, gazing at his friend's corpse with an expression of utter bewilderment.

Kuzan's hand silently touched Sauron's body.

A chilling coldness emanated, and Sauron's body began to freeze.

In just a moment, Sauron's body was completely encased in ice, and Kuzan shaped it into an ice coffin.

Kuzan silently stared at the ice coffin. With a flick of his wrist, a cluster of ice flowers appeared in his hand.

Holding the ice flowers, he gently placed them before the ice coffin.

This was his farewell to his old friend.

Sometimes, Kuzan would ask himself, was the justice of the Marines truly right?

What had the historians done wrong? They hadn't harmed anyone, yet they had to suffer the lash of a Buster Call.

If the World Government was so powerful, why didn't they spend their efforts eradicating pirates, but instead used the Marines' already scarce resources on places like Ohara?

Were the Marines truly upholding justice?

At this moment, Kuzan was lost.

"Hmph, you are here after all, Kuzan!"

A hoarse voice sounded from not far away, startling Kuzan, who turned his head warily.

When Observation Haki is not significantly different, it is difficult for one person to detect another who wishes to remain hidden.

Moreover, he had been lost in his own bewilderment just moments ago.

However, upon seeing who had arrived, Kuzan relaxed his guard.

"Sakazuki, what are you doing here?"

"Of course, I'm waiting for potential traitors. Sauron appearing in Ohara couldn't have been a coincidence. We must have an inside informant within the Marines who colluded with him to try and stop the Buster Call."

Sakazuki said blandly, using an extremely poor excuse.

When he had made the bet with Ross earlier, he had considered that Kuzan might come, but he had expected him to just sneak a peek and not make a big fuss.

He hadn't expected Kuzan to not only come but also to want to give Sauron a dignified farewell.

The Marines giving a traitor of the Marines a dignified farewell... such a wicked act...

"Hmph!"

Sakazuki's expression was grim, and scalding magma gathered in his hands.

Under Sakazuki's angry gaze, Kuzan frowned slightly, feeling somewhat bewildered.

Just because Sakazuki is unfeeling, does that mean all Marines are unfeeling?

Sauron was, after all, a former Vice Admiral, and he had had connections with a group of Marine generals.

Even though Sauron was dead, what crime was it for them to come here to mourn him, to be considered traitors?

"Sakazuki, my intentions here are similar to yours, but I haven't found any other traitors," Kuzan said calmly.

He didn't want to argue with Sakazuki; Sakazuki was just a madman who wanted to kill all pirates.

Trying to reason with such a madman was essentially like playing a lute to a cow.

"It better be! I will report your presence here truthfully to Saint Ross and Fleet Admiral Kong."

Sakazuki gave Kuzan a deep stare, then turned and left.

Even if Kuzan was here, he had countless reasons to defend himself.

They were currently of equal rank, so he truly had no grounds to do anything to Kuzan.

But once this matter was reported, someone would deal with Kuzan.

In Sakazuki's eyes, a lazy Marine like Kuzan was essentially a parasite.

Someone who occupied a position but didn't properly carry out their duties; such people should be sent to the World Government, not continue to serve in the Marines.

The Marines should have a heart of iron towards pirates and traitors.

Meanwhile, Ross quickly led his men back to the ship.

As soon as she got back on the ship, Stella rushed forward:

"Master, you're back!"

"Mm, the newcomers need treatment. Heal them all, don't miss the ceremony later."

Ross nodded slightly, pushing Olvia into his arms towards Stella.

Hearing Ross's words, Olvia's eyes lit up, and she subconsciously glanced at Robin.

No one else was injured; only she and Robin were hurt, so that made two people in total.

She had thought Robin was dead, and that Ross had only brought her back to the ship because he didn't want Robin buried there and wanted her to bury her personally.

She hadn't expected Robin to be alive.

This was great!

"Treat little Robin first."

Hearing Ross's further instructions, Stella quickly walked to Gion's side and began using her Devil Fruit ability to heal Robin.

Robin's injuries weren't severe. After the bullets were forced out, her wounds quickly began to heal under the effect of the Devil Fruit ability.

Seeing Robin's wounds gradually return to normal, Olvia felt a pang of anxiety.

She didn't want Robin to die, that much was certain.

But her actions just now had likely deeply hurt Robin's heart.

She figured Robin wouldn't acknowledge her in the future, and might even want to kill her.

In an instant, Olvia became nervous.

If it wasn't absolutely necessary, she didn't want to attack her daughter twice.

But soon, Olvia thought of a solution.

"Saint Ross, can I ask you for one thing?"

Olvia looked pleadingly at Ross, tightly gripping his right hand as if it were a life-saving straw.

"What is it? Tell me." Ross replied noncommittally.

"Even if Robin wants to kill me, I beg you to protect me until I finish researching that history," Olvia pleaded.

"This request..."

Ross narrowed his eyes slightly. Olvia's obsession with history had likely driven her mad.

But he could understand.

Even without today's events, Olvia was obsessed with researching ancient history, but her stance hadn't been so firm due to the lack of a choice.

Now that she had made her choice, Olvia would do anything for her research, which wasn't surprising.

"I agree," Ross said calmly.

Hearing Ross agree, Olvia's body relaxed, and she slumped into Ross's arms.

She had already been injured in the fight and had been enduring the pain, but now her body had completely lost its strength.

However, a slightly sickly smile still lingered on her face.

Ross's words not only meant he would temporarily shield her from Robin but also that he would truly keep his promise.

On the way out of Ohara, Olvia had been terrified that Ross would go back on his word, in which case she would truly have nothing left.

But fortunately, Ross was a trustworthy Celestial Dragon, and he would even go against convention to let her continue researching that history.

If she had met someone like him earlier, the Buster Call wouldn't have happened, and the texts of the Tree of Knowledge could have been preserved.

As long as, as long as... she could satisfy Ross and continue her research.

Whether it meant sacrificing herself, sacrificing her companions, or sacrificing her daughter, she would