"So… that's your excuse for slacking off here?"
Peacock said softly, her tone tinged with helplessness.
Borsalino's expression remained unchanged as he enjoyed the sea breeze, acting as if none of this concerned him.
Helping the Navy wouldn't get him a bonus anyway, so why bother? He'd rather rest and wait for old man Zephyr to return.
Peacock opened her mouth, but swallowed the words she was about to say, slowly shaking her head.
There was no helping it; Borsalino was just that kind of guy.
Besides, Borsalino was right. With Zephyr-sensei's strength, taking down a weakened Captain John was a piece of cake.
"Are Jin An and the others alright?"
At that moment, Kuzan landed from the sky, panting for breath.
His speed was far inferior to Borsalino's, and he had tried his best to barely keep up.
However, he already sensed Jin An and the others' presence as soon as he entered this area.
Hearing this, Peacock looked towards the room where Jin An was, a worried expression on her face, a trace of concern flashing in her eyes.
"We don't know yet… Jin An is seriously injured!"
She turned to look at Kuzan and asked,
"Did you rescue him? Thank you for your hard work!"
Kuzan shook his head.
"Jin An was already free when we arrived in Wano Country."
Borsalino's eyes flashed, as if he was pondering something.
Peacock exclaimed in surprise,
"Vice Admiral Jin An, he…"
Kuzan knew what she was going to say and nodded directly.
"Jin An has been fighting on his own until now!"
Kuzan looked at the room where Jin An was with a complicated expression, then turned towards Onigashima.
His gaze fell upon a scorched landscape, scattered with the corpses of pirates, and buildings reduced to ruins, engulfed in raging flames.
Peacock felt a pang in her heart; she could imagine the ordeal Jin An had gone through in that battle.
They all knew that Jin An was a stalwart Marine warrior, but seeing him in this state still made her heart ache.
"He alone…"
Peacock murmured, her voice filled with shock and admiration.
Borsalino finally spoke, his tone tinged with admiration.
"Vice Admiral Jin An is indeed extraordinary; he can persevere until now in such a difficult situation."
Kuzan nodded.
"Yes, but he needs our help now. We can't let him continue fighting alone."
Peacock took a deep breath and looked up at the sky, her eyes gleaming with determination.
"We must bring him out of Wano Country safely; he… has done enough."
She turned to look at Kuzan and Borsalino, her eyes filled with unwavering determination.
"We can't interfere with Zephyr-sensei and Captain John's battle, but we can ensure Jin An's safety."
"Moreover, there's no need to keep Kaido's main base."
The Marines stationed on the main island had also reported all the terrible things Kaido had done in Wano Country.
Such a den of filth was better off destroyed!
Borsalino chuckled and stood up. "Don't worry, Peacock; I'm good at this kind of thing."
He stretched and looked towards the distant horizon, a strange light flashing in his eyes.
Kuzan nodded and patted Peacock on the shoulder.
"The situation in Wano Country is under control, and Jin An will definitely pull through."
Peacock looked at them, and her heart felt a little more at ease.
......
Wano Country, Main Island, Ringo.
Mountains and hills stretched across this land, forming a secluded sanctuary.
Trees and flowers grew lush and green, and countless animals and plants thrived in this area.
Suddenly, the animals scattered across this land panicked and fled in all directions.
They all sensed the arrival of danger!
"Boom!"
A dark figure fell to the ground at an extremely fast speed, leaving a huge crater, causing the entire land to shake.
Violent coughing sounds came from the deep pit.
"Cough, cough, cough…"
A bloodstained hand stretched out from the pit.
Then, Captain John, covered in blood, struggled to climb out of the pit, gasping for breath and shouting angrily.
"Damn Zephyr!!!"
The sinister cunningness of his eyes was gone, replaced by endless anger and worry.
Captain John wiped the blood from his face, panting heavily, his eyes becoming more and more fierce.
Almost every inch of his skin was in pain, but his will remained strong.
He had to be strong, because death was chasing after him, and he dared not relax in the slightest.
"I even took the initiative to admit defeat, but you still won't let me go!!!"
"This is unforgivable!!!"
He roared, his voice echoing through the valley.
He originally just wanted to take Orochi away, but Jin An stopped him.
He wanted to take Jin An and Orochi away, but Zephyr stopped him.
So, the little one is beaten and the old one comes, huh? Bullying him for being alone now, huh?
His eyes were blazing with anger, and countless thoughts of revenge flashed through his mind.
Captain John used his sword to support himself and stood up staggeringly.
He took a deep breath and felt the sharp pain in his chest, but he forced himself not to fall.
He knew that Zephyr would catch up soon, and he had to escape as soon as possible.
"These Marines are so shameless!!!"
He gritted his teeth and growled, dragging his wounded body and moving with difficulty towards the depths of the forest.
Every step he took felt like stepping on the tip of a knife, but he did not flinch, his anger supporting him forward.
Captain John's eyes swept around; he had to find a hidden place to quickly heal and recover.
He had already begun to calculate how to retaliate and how to avenge himself on these Marines who had made him so embarrassed.
His breathing was heavy, and his heart beat like thunder in his chest.
He knew that this battle was far from over, and he still had a chance.
He would definitely make a comeback and give those Marines a lesson they would never forget.
As he moved step by step away from the pit, the light in the forest grew dimmer and dimmer, and the surrounding shadows of the trees became blurred in his eyes.
He knew that he had to survive, he had to become stronger.
"Even at this time, you're still spouting nonsense…"
Zephyr's voice was low and calm, as if it came from the depths of the valley, carrying an irresistible pressure.
He slowly stepped forward, and although his movements seemed slow, he actually shortened the distance between them in a few steps.
Captain John felt the oppressive feeling of Zephyr approaching, the sweat on his forehead kept sliding down, and his heartbeat seemed to jump out of his chest.
He gritted his teeth, clenched the sword in his hand, his eyes staring at Zephyr, the fear and anger in his heart intertwined.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you…"
Zephyr said coldly, his tone without a trace of emotion.
Zephyr's reputation of not killing admirals wasn't something he made up himself, but something he had always done.
Although he wouldn't kill the pirates he caught, the punishments they ultimately received varied depending on the crimes each pirate had committed.
Zephyr's gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, staring directly into Captain John's eyes, as if he could see through his heart.
Captain John felt an invisible pressure, his body trembled slightly, and the sword in his hand seemed to become extremely heavy.
...
