At his words, Dragon, who was holding Gloriosa across from him, faltered for a moment. But he quickly relaxed and summoned soldiers to take her away for treatment.
Ron calmly waited for them to act before speaking a moment later. "Well? Can you see my sincerity now?"
Sheltering Nine Snake Island at such a critical time—if word got out, even as a first-class Honorary Noble, Ron would not have an easy time of it.
Do not forget the criterion for awarding the Honorary Medal: "Making outstanding contributions to maintaining the government's rule!"
On that point alone, Ron was now going completely against the grain.
Plop...
As soon as he finished speaking, a figure sprang out of thin air. Hancock clutched her shoulder to keep herself covered, her face filled with hatred and confusion as she asked, "What is going on?!"
Why had Azure Dragon hidden her in that ring at the crucial moment? When had Dragon arrived? What exactly were these two talking about? Hancock was utterly baffled.
Clap, clap, clap!
Dorte silently applauded. Squatting down, he smiled. "You did very well, Hancock."
"You showed no fear before a Marine Admiral, nor any regret in the face of death... If you had wavered in the slightest while overwhelmed by fear, or even begged for mercy, being reduced to ashes would have been your only end."
"In short..."
Dorte thought for a moment, then extended his hand. "Congratulations. You passed the test!"
"What kind of joke is this?!"
Hancock froze at first, then grasped the crucial point. Her beautiful face turned icy as she slapped Dorte's hand aside.
She turned furiously toward Dragon. "I did not choose to resist for your sake! Your sympathy is nothing but an unnecessary nuisance to me, bastards!"
The Pirate Empress was also a wielder of