Harald did not answer immediately. He fell silent for a moment, then picked up the wine cup on the table, tilted his head back, and took a huge gulp.
Thud.
With the dull thump of the cup slamming onto the table, Harald finally spoke. "Rocks, do you think I would joke with you in this tone?"
"Harald." Rocks's voice grew low. He did not lose his temper, but asked, "I don't understand. Why are you doing this? Just because he's called the 'Cold-Blooded Butcher'? People also call me, Rocks, a vicious thug. Why aren't you asking me to leave?"
"What I understand even less is this: making him leave will save Elbaf? Save the kingdom of giants? Save you, Harald? Can you explain the logic behind that to me?"
Harald's face darkened completely. He did not answer a single one of Rocks's questions. Instead, he asked, "You can't even let go of a crew member who only recently came aboard? Rocks, our friendship is nothing but a joke to you, is that it?"
Harald's words were like a knife, bypassing the heart of every question and turning the point toward Rocks's "stance."
Rocks fell silent. For a moment, the Harald before him felt utterly unfamiliar.
Whitebeard sat on the other side, but his gaze had already shifted between the two several times. He was completely baffled. What was the deal with Ron? Why did he always end up caught in trouble out of nowhere? First Roger, and now Harald was joining in too.
Stussy looked even more bewildered. Though she usually loved money, she still had basic judgment. *Ron was clearly a good person. He hadn't taken a single cent of the Heavenly Tribute they'd stolen last time, and he wasn't ruthless and devious like the others in the Rocks