Chapter 293: The Guardian
Vastaya Island, near the harbor.
Rhodes opened a portal and entered the city, glancing around before frowning slightly.
This was the poorest port city he'd ever seen—most of the common people moving about were emaciated and dispirited.
Rhodes walked along the street, easily hearing voices filled with resentment and hatred.
This resentment was directed toward the harbor.
Rhodes followed the crowd's gaze and saw an incredibly massive golden warship.
It was enormous!
Even larger than Sakazuki's Fleet Admiral flagship. From afar, it resembled a mountain standing upon the sea, or a war beast glaring menacingly, creating a suffocating pressure.
It was precisely the intimidating presence of that terrifying warship that made everyone, despite deeply resenting the burden of Heavenly Tribute, only able to complain in their hearts, not daring to resist.
"World Government..."
Rhodes walked forward slowly, his expression neutral.
Although the Doa Doa no Mi's spatial abilities were powerful, they weren't without fluctuations—the stronger one's Kenbunshoku Haki, the easier to detect changes.
Therefore, Rhodes didn't immediately open a portal directly onto the golden warship, but instead planned reconnaissance.
Ideally, he wanted to cause some disturbance and commotion, drawing out the top-tier combatants aboard.
He didn't want his treasures destroyed in battle.
Reaching a tall building, he looked toward the distant golden warship. Rhodes's eyes were sharp—he could see several figures on the deck.
Most were CP members wearing white cloaks.
"Hm? A Celestial Dragon?"
Suddenly, a figure wearing a bubble helmet appeared on deck.
The CP members respectfully made way.
Rhodes was surprised to find this Celestial Dragon seemed quite composed, and unlike the Celestial Dragons he'd encountered before who were arrogant and domineering, this one appeared rather peaceful, with a slight smile on his face.
But witnessing his next action made Rhodes abandon those thoughts.
Celestial Dragons' personalities might differ—some proud and domineering, others peaceful and gentle—but these people had clearly separated themselves from humanity.
The Celestial Dragon, carrying a rather futuristic-looking shoulder-fired rocket launcher, aimed it at a building in the harbor.
BOOM!
A terrifying roar echoed.
The building almost collapsed instantly, crumbling and shattering amid flames and explosions. Nearby civilians scattered in terror, injured by debris.
"Tsk, Antonio-sei said this weapon is entertaining, and he's right."
The Celestial Dragon fired several more shots, watching humans caught in the flames, his expression calm, a gentle smile playing on his lips.
The nearby CP members remained silent, clearly unconcerned.
Even if the Celestial Dragon suddenly decided to massacre the entire city, they would simply comply.
"..."
Rhodes thought that was the end of it—he'd heard about the Celestial Dragons' inhumanity before.
But then...
Rhodes paused, slightly startled, spotting a familiar, tall figure in the crowd.
Buzz!
The tall figure released waves of purple light, halting the flying debris mid-air, protecting the civilians.
The coat of justice, the epaulets of a Marine Admiral...
Upon closer inspection, one would notice he was blind, with two intersecting scars on his forehead crossing through his eyes, likely the cause of his blindness.
"Issho?"
Rhodes's eyes narrowed slightly, somewhat surprised.
Issho appeared quite disheveled, not from blast debris, but from bits of noodles and pale yellow broth clinging to his mouth and coat.
Clearly, he'd been eating noodles and rushed over upon hearing the commotion.
Issho was a Paramecia-type Zushi Zushi no Mi user, possessing immense strength, absolutely worthy of his Admiral rank. However, due to the explosion's vast area and dense crowd, he was momentarily overwhelmed, anger surging within him.
Issho hadn't expected the Celestial Dragons to be so brazen, treating ordinary people like insects!
Suddenly,
Issho's Kenbunshoku Haki flickered, as if detecting something amiss.
But this fluctuation vanished instantly.
Just then, he saw a massive boulder flying toward terrified civilians. Without hesitation, he rushed to their aid.
While Issho was occupied helping the civilians, Rhodes seized the opportunity to lock onto the golden warship and open a spatial portal.
Click!
A soft sound of a door opening came from within.
A CP member who'd been resting with eyes closed showed a hint of alertness when a lightning rod, compressed and condensed from pure electricity, suddenly shot out and pierced his forehead with a whoosh.
Amid faint crackling electricity, the CP member's eyes filled with terror. He'd lost control of his body, paralyzed, and could only watch helplessly as a figure slowly stepped out of the void.
This was one of Rhodes's tactics.
Perhaps it wouldn't affect top-tier combatants, but for ordinary experts, it was a nightmare.
Rhodes didn't prolong this CP member's suffering before taking his life and storing the body in his dimensional space to avoid trouble from the smell of blood.
"Seems to be the crew's sleeping quarters?"
Rhodes looked around, quite surprised.
He discovered the warship was built from precious wood no less valuable than Treasure Tree Adam—its overall worth was probably unimaginable!
"Unfortunately, I can't take it."
Rhodes sighed and shook his head. With Issho around and another top-tier combatant who could arrive at any moment, it was unlikely Rhodes could claim the warship.
Oh well, he'd temporarily store it with the World Government and have them keep it for him.
Rhodes considered briefly, then released his Kenbunshoku Haki, spreading it silently.
His Kenbunshoku Haki couldn't compare to masters like Issho and Katakuri, but it still surpassed most people—at least, no one on this ship could match him.
His Kenbunshoku Haki spread subtly and silently, imprinting every detail of the ship clearly into Rhodes's mind.
Although Kenbunshoku Haki wasn't omniscient and couldn't accurately detect object details, Rhodes could discern treasure locations by the strength of powerful individuals' auras he detected.
The principle was simple: the more valuable a location, the more powerful the guard.
"Found it!"
Soon, Rhodes locked onto a cabin.
He smiled slightly, reached out, and pressed the air, opening a spatial portal.
Due to the distance, the portal was brief—he arrived at another room in just a few steps.
Before him were exquisite cabinets displaying various precious items.
A quick glance revealed two Devil Fruits, a Saijo O Wazamono grade sword, and priceless jeweled treasures.
An ordinary person would likely be dazzled by the sight.
Rhodes was equally astonished. This was just one cabin—it was unimaginable what robbing the entire Heavenly Tribute would yield.
It would probably be more than sufficient to create a powerful pirate force from nothing!
(End of Chapter)
[Reader Support Milestones]
500 Power Stones → +1 Chapter
10 Reviews → +1 Chapter
Enjoyed the read? Leave a review.
40+ advanced chapters on P1treon Soulforger