Waves churned, and the Oro Jackson rocked violently.
On deck, the Roger Pirates had barely recovered from the shock of seeing Bullet sent flying by a single punch when a nimble figure leaped into the sea.
It was Sambel, the Fish-Man crewmate wielding a trident.
Using his natural affinity for water, he cut through the surface like an arrow and dove into the depths. Soon, he hauled the blood-soaked Bullet out of the rocks on the seabed.
"Cough, cough..." Bullet was tossed back onto the deck, coughing violently as seawater mixed with bloody foam spilled from his mouth.
His chest was caved in, his muscles torn. Combined with a Devil Fruit User's weakness to water, even that brief immersion in the deep sea had clearly left him unable to fight.
Buggy hurried over with Crocus, scrambling to help Bullet up, only to be shoved away.
"Get lost..." Bullet growled through gritted teeth, his eyes burning with frustration.
He stared fixedly at the sky, clenching his fists until his knuckles cracked.
That was... that was... humiliating. Utterly humiliating!!
On the warship's deck, the soldiers had already withdrawn to the rear in unison, leaving Gern plenty of room.
It was an unspoken understanding between them.
Tesoro looked puzzled at first. The petty officer patted his shoulder and explained, "Rather than get in his way, Gern would prefer us to stay here and watch how things unfold."
As Tesoro gazed at Gern's straight, imposing back, a fiery light kindled in his eyes.
He could almost see his future self, wearing a cloak of justice and standing shoulder to shoulder with this man!
Especially since Gern had recently taken to calling him "Gild Tesoro."
Gild Tesoro? That name sounds pretty good...
Meanwhile, Gern stood at the bow, watching the scene with cold eyes