Only the Victor Is Justice

Rota followed the sound and found a little boy with extensive burns across his body leaning against a pile of rubble.

It was hard to imagine that a child could have held on for so long. His burned skin exposed bloody muscle, and many areas had already become necrotic.

Rota walked over to the boy, crouched down, and patted his head. "Little one, what's your name?"

"Uncle... There's a scar on my face, so everyone calls me Little Flower Face."

"Little Flower Face is a very cute name..."

Little Flower Face gritted his teeth and reached out to clutch Rota's cloak. Trembling, he said, "Uncle... You came to punish those bad people, right? Right!"

As he spoke, an excited expression appeared on Little Flower Face's face.

"That's right. This uncle came to find that bad guy!"

"I knew it... I knew you came to get rid of those bad guys. This is something I tore off one of them while he wasn't paying attention..."

Little Flower Face's other tightly clenched fist slowly opened, revealing a red crystal before Rota's eyes.

"This is?" Rota hurriedly took the item Little Flower Face handed him.

"This... cough, cough... belonged to a man who set fires. I was going to hand it over to the law enforcement team..."

If Little Flower Face had suffered nothing but burns, Rota would have saved him immediately. Unfortunately, he was only a child, and Rota had just noticed a huge hole in the middle of his abdomen.

When Little Flower Face had been curled up on the ground earlier, it had not been very clear. Now, however, Rota could see it plainly. Forget treatment—even moving Little Flower Face would only worsen his injuries.

"Uncle... Can you do me a favor? My friends and I have been saving money, hoping to become Soul Masters someday."

Little Flower Face paused slightly. Every word he spoke now sent a searing pain through his chest and lungs.

"I want you to help get rid of that bad guy. The money my friends and I saved is in a tree hollow inside a huge willow tree not far outside the city... Please, you have to help me..."

Little Flower Face still had more to say, but unfortunately, his life had reached its end.

Rota picked up Little Flower Face. The series of events today had truly made him angry.

Though he had to play the role of Kizaru, Rota had feelings of his own. Even Uncle Kizaru would surely not ignore something like this.

"Elder Kizaru, so you were here. We didn't find anything over there..."

Ghost walked over to Rota just then and happened to see him holding Little Flower Face.

"This is..."

"Give him a proper burial. Bury him by that willow tree outside the city. This old man will be back shortly!"

Rota handed Little Flower Face to Ghost, then headed off in one direction.

Ghost did not hesitate in the slightest over the task Rota had given him. He immediately left with Little Flower Face.

"Only the victor is justice... Doflamingo was right. Only those with great strength have the right to speak, and only then will they not be bullied!"

Without strength, one would be powerless when faced with such danger.

The red gem in Rota's hand was a Soul Tool. Based on his observations, it should have been an enhancement-type Soul Tool, perhaps even an incomplete fragment.

However, as long as the distance was not too great, Soul Tools could form a resonant connection with one another. If the other party was still in Nuoding City, this red gem could lead Rota to those murderers.

As it happened, the red gem had been continuously emitting a faint glow, indicating that a trace of resonance remained.

In other words, the other party was still in Nuoding City.

The red gem flickered at different frequencies when pointed in different directions. Generally speaking, the stronger the resonance, the faster it flickered.

"That way, huh~"

Rota fixed on a direction and slowly strolled away. His steps were as steady as though he were taking a walk. Perhaps a more fitting description would be—the calm before the storm!

Inside a bar in Nuoding City, more than twenty burly men were drinking merrily in a luxurious private room.

"Boss, that job was beautifully done! What we stole is enough for us to splurge for ages. When are we going to get another Soul Bone to sell?"

"Do you think Soul Bones are so easy to get? Every Soul Bone causes a huge uproar across the continent. It hasn't been long since we last dealt one. What are you in such a hurry for?"

A man in black armor spoke while enjoying a massage.

"The boss is right. We'll listen to the boss in everything! But... are we really going to be okay? Can we really avoid being discovered just by relying on disguise Soul Skills?"

"This is the first time I've seen you so cowardly. Are you scared? Haven't you heard that the most dangerous place is the safest place?"

None of the people around him took his words to heart. They simply let them go in one ear and out the other.

"Fire Bull, didn't you usually wear a ruby necklace around your neck? Why don't I see that gem anymore?"

Fire Bull slammed his hand onto the table and said angrily, "Damn it, just thinking about that makes me mad. I actually lost it."

"What are you mad about? We stole so much money this time, it's enough for you to buy another one. Besides, if there's something we want, can't we just take it?"

Fire Bull laughed too. There was nothing wrong with that logic. They had even robbed Spirit Hall's Soul Bone, so what was the problem with stealing a Soul Tool?

"You're right. Come on, come on, drink up!"

The tavern owner paced back and forth outside the private room, looking extremely anxious. This group looked fierce and vicious—who knew if they planned to drink without paying?

The owner had a terrible headache. People often came to his tavern to freeload drinks, and if these people refused to pay, it would be another massive loss!

After thinking it over, he decided to go in and remind them. He lightly knocked on the door.

"Who is it? Come in!"

That shout nearly scared the tavern owner unconscious.

For the sake of his livelihood, the owner mustered his courage and pushed open the door. The sight of those hulking men inside made his legs tremble uncontrollably.

"What is it? Speak!"

"Well, the tavern is about to undergo renovations today. How about you gentlemen come back another day?"

"Renovations? Who are you trying to fool? Have you ever seen a tavern close this early?"

"Th-this... honored guests, that's not what I meant! We really are closing. Could I trouble... everyone to settle the bill?"

The last half of his sentence was so quiet that it was nearly inaudible.

"Oh! You want us to pay for the drinks, is that what you mean?" One of them deliberately put on a ferocious expression to intimidate him.

The tavern owner finally could not hold out any longer. He hurriedly backed out, not daring to stay for even a moment. He would just consider this loss something he had suffered for nothing. At least that was better than getting beaten up by those people.

"At this rate, I don't even know what I'll do about the employees' wages... Sigh..." The tavern owner did not know what to do. Every day, his tavern was occupied by those thugs.

Should he hire some Soul Masters as guards? But that would be another huge expense. Where would he get the money for that now?

Before he knew it, the tavern owner had walked outside and bumped into someone. Startled, he hurriedly said, "I'm very sorry, sir. I was lost in thought and didn't notice you just now!"