Starting as a Roger Pirates Apprentice-Chapter 452: Kuzan, why don’t you take another look behind you?

Chapter 452: Chapter 452: Kuzan, why don’t you take another look behind you?

After the Straw Hat Pirates and the others left, the Marines were working hard to rescue the soldiers who had been attacked by poison gas. Leading them was Smoker, who had previously been brutally beaten by Vergo.

"Vice Admiral Smoker, we’ve already sent personnel in protective suits to the center of the island to carry out the rescue!!!"

"Mm, I know."

Smoker puffed on his cigar and nodded after hearing the report, but his expression was far from pleasant. He hadn’t expected that Doflamingo, one of the [Shichibukai], would act with such arrogance—not only planting such a high-ranking mole within the Marines, but also secretly researching such terrifying biological poison weapons, not to mention those dangerous SAD artificial Devil Fruit experiments...

A Marine soldier walked over holding a Den Den Mushi.

"Vice Admiral Smoker!"

"Give it to me."

Taking the Den Den Mushi, Smoker’s gaze grew extremely serious. This was something he couldn’t avoid reporting to Marine Headquarters, especially since it also involved [Black Gun] Orin— that man had also participated and shown himself on Punk Hazard.

"Ever since [Black Gun] Orin was listed as a hostile target by the World Government, although his Celestial Dragon status was never explicitly revoked, his relationship with the World Government and the Marines has already frozen and become rigid, so reporting it this way should be fine..."

"Swoosh—!!!"

Suddenly, at that moment, a sharp rushing wind came from the horizon. Accompanied by falling pink feathers, a defiant blond figure instantly appeared among the Marines.

"Do... Doflamingo!!!"

He lightly spread his arms, and before countless Marine soldiers could even react, they were forcibly knocked unconscious.

"Nani?!"

Hearing the commotion, Smoker ignored everything else and rushed over, meeting Doflamingo’s cruel and furious grin.

"The Marines? Why insist on landing on this island~"

Staring at Doflamingo’s smiling face, bloodshot veins appeared in Smoker’s eyes.

"So this is a [Shichibukai]? Secretly doing this kind of business—this is already challenging the bottom line of the World Government and the Marines, isn’t it?!"

"Bottom line?"

Hearing Smoker’s words as if they were a joke, Doflamingo couldn’t help holding his forehead and laughing wildly, "Fufufufufu."

"What is a bottom line? A term exclusive to justice?"

"As a Marine, you should understand very well just how exaggerated the meaning I represent, and the weight of the people standing behind me, truly is in this world!!!"

Smoke began to swirl around Smoker’s hand, his expression sinking.

"If you mean [Black Gun], he’s already long been on the World Government’s and the Marines’ hostile list. And you [Shichibukai] are now nothing more than relics tolerated under the government’s rules!!!"

"Fufufufufuhahahahaha!!!"

Doflamingo’s unrestrained laughter burst out completely, no longer hiding anything as the corners of his mouth curled upward. On his sinister red sunglasses, it seemed as though a trace of blood-colored light flashed.

"How naive. If it really were as you say, that we’ve become enemies... then why do you think the World Government hasn’t made a move?"

With just that single sentence, Smoker froze in place. A thin thread instantly appeared, taking advantage of the moment to tear open his chest. Smoker wasn’t even a match for Vergo, and in front of Doflamingo he had absolutely no ability to fight back. His smoke-transformed body was sliced layer by layer by threads imbued with Armament Haki, and very quickly he was gravely injured, on the brink of death, collapsing to the ground.

Doflamingo casually sat on top of him, grabbing that blood-soaked face.

"Law, the Straw Hat boy, and all of you—kill them all without mercy!!!"

"Don’t!!!"

The Marine soldiers clutched their heads and wailed. With his business disrupted and his foundation destroyed, Doflamingo’s killing intent toward these people had never faded, and he was about to finish Smoker off on the spot...

"Ah la la~"

At that moment, a voice suddenly sounded from behind. Doflamingo’s hand froze instantly, beads of cold sweat appearing on his face.

"Sorry about that."

"Could you step aside for a moment?"

Countless Marine soldiers stared with mouths agape, unable to believe what they were seeing as they looked toward that tall man in a coat.

"That guy..."

"He’s my friend."

Turning around to look at the tall figure behind him, Doflamingo’s expression grew solemn. But then, as if he had thought of something, that solemn look instantly vanished, replaced once more by his usual arrogant, casual demeanor, a smile returning to his face as he prepared to continue attacking Smoker.

Because he had confidence. As far as he knew, Orin was on the island right now, so if Kuzan dared to make a move against him...

"Crack crack crack crack—"

In an instant, countless sheets of ice spread rapidly from beneath Kuzan’s feet, sealing Doflamingo into a block of ice.

"Young Master!!!"

Seeing this, hope immediately ignited in the hearts of the Marine soldiers. With Doflamingo stopped by Kuzan, Vice Admiral Smoker could be saved. That was great!!!

Amid the blizzard of ice and snow, Kuzan exhaled frosty breath, his body wrapped in ice as he stood behind the frozen Doflamingo. At some point, the air grew eerily quiet. As if sensing something, the ice covering Kuzan’s body not only failed to disappear, but instead spread layer by layer.

A figure appeared here at some unknown moment, like a ghost. It seemed not to exist at all within Observation Haki, appearing in a completely incomprehensible manner.

...

A voice sounded calmly, with an exceedingly casual tone.

"Oh my~ bullying Doffy like this won’t do~"

The sound of footsteps followed. Hearing that voice, the Marine soldiers couldn’t even move their eyes, bloodshot veins spreading uncontrollably. Yet just from the voice and tone alone, they could already guess which great figure it was.

"Long time no see, Kuzan. Sorry about that."

"That Doffy... he happens to be an acquaintance of mine."

Where he passed, the ice and snow melted away. A tall black figure stood behind Kuzan, simply standing there quietly, yet the pressure he radiated was immense— even more terrifying and sweat-inducing than the former Admiral Aokiji.

"Crack—"

At this moment, the ice encasing Doffy also slowly shattered. He bared his teeth in a grin as he looked toward Kuzan behind him, his face full of calm, fearless confidence.

Why don’t you take another look behind you?

The captured Buffalo and Baby 5 were on the verge of tears, their eyes sparkling as they stared at that figure whose oppressive presence filled the entire scene. Their faces were flushed red with excitement.

"It... it’s..."

"Lord Orin!!!"

Kuzan also turned around at this moment. Frost covered the lenses of his glasses, obscuring his eyes, as he calmly met those slightly smiling crimson pupils.

Two years had passed since Kuzan defected from the Marines, and the two of them finally met again.