Decision

"Bastard!!"

The man roared, his body trembling, his mind a complete mess, unable to think of anything. "Baro!!!"

Baro lay quietly on the ground, naked, with gruesome wounds all over his body. However, many of them were meaningless, not looking like they were inflicted in battle. For example, during a fight, one would never carve the word "whore" onto someone's face.

His arm was severed, his legs bent at a bizarre angle, his chest ripped open with his innards crushed, his neck torn more than halfway, exposing scarlet blood vessels. His genitals were cut off and their whereabouts unknown. This was clearly an insult.

Rhode, upon receiving the news early that morning, had pushed through the crowd with the Blood Hand Pirates and entered to see this scene.

"First Mate!!!!"

Louis tried to force an angry expression onto his face, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He instantly unbuttoned the coat draped over his body and knelt down to cover Baro with it. He turned back and roared, "Get lost, all of you! Do you want to die?"

"Yo!"

A pirate from the crowd sneered, "It's just like a motherless puppy crying after its mother dog dies, ha, it's really exciting—"

"Crack!!"

The pirate didn't get to finish his sentence. His neck was grabbed by the enraged man. "Do you want to die!!"

Rhode had never been so angry in his life. He could accept his comrades dying in battle, but such a humiliating death was something no one could accept.

"Enough, Rhode. It's our fault,"

The captain of the insolent pirate placed his hand on Rhode's. "I apologize for my subordinate's foolish behavior. I understand your grief, but what's more important now is to find the killer."

"Hoo."

Rhode forcibly suppressed his anger, let go, and threw the trembling pirate onto the ground. "Do you have any leads?"

"Get lost!"

The pirate captain kicked his disrespectful subordinate away and looked at Rhode. "I don't know if there's a connection, but I saw Flog returning from this direction last night."

"Are you sure?"

Rhode grabbed the pirate captain's collar and said sternly.

"You two have had bad blood. If you weren't under Admiral Golden Lion, a fight on the spot wouldn't be strange,"

The pirate captain didn't seem to care. "I have no reason to instigate you. I just saw it with my own eyes."

"That being said, I also saw First Mate Baro heading this way last night,"

Someone else spoke up from the crowd. "Not long after, Flog followed."

"..."

Rhode let go, his fists clenched tightly.

"I saw it too. The meeting ended a long time ago, and Flog returned to his base alone."

Another person spoke.

"Captain!!"

Louis turned back and looked at Rhode. "It was him!!"

"Hoo."

Rhode raised his head and slowly exhaled, his voice very slow. "Aili, take a few people to help Baro tidy up properly. He was always a dignified man, don't let him leave unhappy."

"Yes, Captain."

Aili, with red eyes, gritted his teeth. He wanted to follow the captain more, but some things had to be done by someone.

"Mario!!"

Rhode put on his gloves. "Take people, we're leaving!!"

"Ah!!"

Louis drew his sword and stood up.

"Let's go,"

The pirate captain who first informed Rhode of the news made way. "We'll follow along too. We can't let them cause too much of a commotion. This is a critical moment for Admiral Golden Lion's strategy."

"Makes sense."

"I was also looking forward to some excitement."

"That bastard Flog is really asking for death!"

Many pirates followed the Blood Hand Pirates, partly to limit the scale of the incident, and partly out of a desire to watch the show.

They didn't reach the Flog Pirates' base before the two groups met on the road.

"Yo, Captain Rhode, I heard—"

Although Flog had a mocking smile on his face, a hint of panic could still be seen. Clearly, he had heard not only the news but much more.

"Go to hell! Toad!!"

Rhode had no intention of wasting words. His body shot out like a cannonball, swift and fast.

"Hey! Rhode, what do you mean? Are you trying to break Admiral Golden Lion's rules?"

Flog was clearly prepared. His body instantly transformed into a giant frog, and with a powerful push of his legs, he leaped into the air, landing far away.

"Talk about rules after you're dead!!"

Rhode was incredibly strong. Even in an era of inflated bounties over twenty years later, a 150 million bounty was enough to qualify as a Supernova, a level renowned even in the New World.

"I know why you're doing this!"

Flog gritted his teeth. While he wouldn't back down, he no longer had the chance to be stubborn. "It wasn't me! I had no reason to kill Baro!"

"Stop with the damn nonsense!!"

Rhode leaped forward. "Explain yourself to Baro in hell!!!"

"Let's go!"

With the two captains clashing, their subordinates couldn't fall behind. Louis, wielding his long saber, let out a roar and charged forward.

Clang!

His long saber struck heavily against another long saber. Louis took the lead. "Take them down!!"

"Ooooh oooh oooh!!"

Desperate soldiers are bound to win. The pirates of the Blood Hand Pirates were in high spirits, their combat power boosted. They suppressed Flog's men, who couldn't lift their heads. In just a few minutes, pirates lay scattered on the ground, with Flog's side having more men down.

Boom!

On the other side, the battle between Flog and Rhode grew fiercer. Rhode was a master of body techniques proficient in Armament Haki, while Flog was a Zoan-type ability user. Both were incredibly powerful.

"No, we can't let them keep fighting like this!"

A pirate captain among the onlookers spoke up. "Admiral Golden Lion will probably arrive soon. Capture Flog! Stop Rhode! Let the Admiral decide!"

"Alright."

"Let's go together!"

They immediately agreed. The twenty-odd pirate captains who had been watching swarmed forward. Most of them were experts with bounties exceeding 100 million. Even the enraged Rhode couldn't withstand a siege from this level of fighters. Suddenly, he found himself restrained, and Flog was even worse, instantly pinned to the ground, unable to move.

"Captain!!"

Similarly, Louis was intercepted and blocked, unable to get close.

"It's about time to stop, Rhode!"

Firmly restraining Rhode, a pirate captain shouted, "We've captured Flog. Now, we'll wait for Admiral Golden Lion's judgment."

"Let me go! Bastard! Let me go!!"

Rhode struggled constantly, but facing several experts of similar strength, he was powerless.

"Tsk, this kid..."

On the other side, the pirate who had blocked Louis was startled. Just a moment of distraction looking at Rhode, and Louis had already slipped out of their guard. He instantly lunged in front of Flog, his long saber already descending.

"Die, bastard!!"

Louis roared. This man had to die.

"Didn't I tell you to stop?"

But a blade blocked Louis's strike. A pirate captain said helplessly.

"Admiral Golden Lion is here! Everyone stop!!"

Suddenly, someone shouted.

"Rhode! Don't you trust Admiral Golden Lion?"

A pirate restraining Rhode yelled.

"..."

After a brief silence, Rhode looked up. "Stop! Mario! Wait for Admiral Golden Lion's judgment!"

"...Damn it!"

Louis cursed angrily. He was ultimately a step too late. He casually thrust his saber into the ground, the blade just grazing Flog's neck. He walked up to Flog, grabbed him, and held him tightly. "You just wait to die!!!"

Hoo

Flog finally breathed a sigh of relief, getting a chance to explain.

"Jiehahahaha, I just wasn't paying attention and caused such a commotion?"

In the sky, a man drifted over.

"Humans all have their limits! In my long journey of updating, I've realized this. The more I conceive plots, the more I feel the constraints, unless... I have recommendation tickets!

Jojo! I need recommendation tickets!"

"For your updates, how many recommendation tickets have you asked for?!"

"Will you remember how many slices of bread you've eaten in your life?"