Chapter 294: Issho
The dimensional storage space Rhodes had created was considerable—several rooms in size, with plenty of capacity.
So Rhodes didn't hesitate, taking whatever he could find quickly. In less than three minutes, he'd emptied the room.
Perhaps because nothing had ever happened before, the World Government was overconfident and hadn't installed any surveillance equipment, making this redistribution of wealth remarkably easy.
Later, Rhodes even stored the cabinets themselves in his dimensional space, taking whatever he could carry.
Anyway, the World Government was wealthy and powerful, receiving annual Heavenly Tribute, so this loss wouldn't be a problem for them.
"Tsk, this appears to be a Paramecia-type Jiki Jiki no Mi, right?"
Rhodes examined the uniquely shaped Devil Fruit before him, quite surprised.
He hadn't expected that Eustass Kid's Devil Fruit had been reborn and recovered, then presented to the World Government.
The Jiki Jiki no Mi's power wasn't weak—if developed properly, it could definitely produce a formidable combatant, with reaching top-tier status not impossible.
Rhodes chuckled. Rather than offering it to the Celestial Dragons to waste on slaves, it was better to contribute to the great cause of overthrowing the World Government. Kid would probably approve from beyond the grave.
"Tsk, a crimson crystal the size of a human head—probably worth billions of berries, right? The Shirasaya Harusame of the Twenty-One O Wazamono grade?"
Rhodes laughed heartily.
Even though he'd anticipated the Heavenly Tribute wouldn't disappoint, it still exceeded expectations.
It was truly unimaginable what resources the World Government, which had ruled for eight hundred years while constantly collecting Heavenly Tribute, possessed.
No wonder the Celestial Dragons would feed Devil Fruits to their slaves for entertainment. According to Rhodes's intelligence, many slaves had even consumed Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruits!
Consider that with a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, even someone moderately talented could grow into a powerful pirate. If exceptionally gifted, the Three All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates were prime examples.
"Hmm?"
Rhodes was feeling quite pleased when suddenly his Kenbunshoku Haki flickered slightly, indicating this enjoyable redistribution was coming to an end.
The next moment.
The vault door was pushed open from outside, and a tall, blonde woman dressed as a CP agent walked in.
"..."
The blonde woman was completely bewildered.
Where was everything?
It was empty!
Even the cabinets were gone?!
She rubbed her eyes, her face showing utter disbelief.
Her gaze shifted, then she spotted Rhodes in the corner.
Their eyes met mid-air.
A glance confirmed it—a complete stranger.
The blonde woman's mouth opened slightly, about to cry out.
But in that instant,
a flash of silver light appeared.
Then, a warm hand gently gripped her delicate, pale neck.
The blonde woman swallowed hard, the scream about to burst forth caught in her throat.
She blinked her large eyes, looking pitifully at Rhodes, indicating she wouldn't scream.
Rhodes remained expressionless—his Kenbunshoku Haki had long allowed him to sense emotions.
Although the blonde woman's performance was impeccable—her eyes, heartbeat, and facial expressions all incredibly realistic—it couldn't escape his Kenbunshoku Haki's detection.
Crack!
The blonde woman's neck snapped, her eyes dimming, yet she stared intently at Rhodes, as if in disbelief.
She was a highly trained agent—her performance should have been flawless!
Rhodes clearly had no intention of explaining, leaving the woman with only unfulfilled questions.
Before true powerhouses, ordinary experts have no room for deception.
"I've been discovered,"
Rhodes thought to himself, but it was about time.
The reason he hadn't been discovered yet was because the World Government hadn't expected anyone to dare steal Heavenly Tribute.
"Oh well, I'll let the World Government keep the rest for now, and make them return it double later."
With this thought, Rhodes felt relieved, then smiled slightly, opened a spatial portal, and left the Heavenly Tribute warship.
Thud!
A heavy sound of a corpse falling came from behind.
Almost instantly,
a piercing alarm suddenly rang out, clearly audible even to Issho on the harbor shore.
Everyone's expression changed—this was the signal that Heavenly Tribute had been attacked!
"What happened?"
CP agents sprang into action, scattering to investigate.
Then, to their shock, they discovered all the Heavenly Tribute they'd collected was gone?!
It's over!
The Celestial Dragon's face turned ashen, his gentle smile vanished, and he erupted in a tirade of curses.
"A bunch of incompetent fools, I @#￥%..."
The CP agents went pale, heads bowed in silence, inwardly grimacing. They knew severe punishment awaited their return.
Issho manipulated gravity, returning to the ship. After a few questions, he learned the whole story and was left speechless.
He hadn't expected his first official mission as a Marine Admiral to go awry.
The Celestial Dragon was utterly arrogant. With Issho's return, he seemed to have found a better target, unleashing continuous rage.
"Hmm?"
Issho's expression darkened slightly, releasing a chilling aura. The Celestial Dragon instinctively shut his mouth, feeling as if facing a ferocious tiger about to devour him.
Issho wasn't like Sakazuki or other Marines who'd been trained from childhood—he was a newcomer to the Marines, and his deference to Celestial Dragons wasn't particularly high.
"The thief shouldn't be far. Let me investigate."
After subduing the Celestial Dragon, Issho lightly tapped the deck with his shikomizue, and immediately, ripples of pale purple light spread rapidly in all directions.
Those swept by these ripples trembled, felt unease, as if stripped naked and exposed, but experienced no other discomfort.
Issho was searching for the thief, sensing his opponent.
His Kenbunshoku Haki, fused with the Zushi Zushi no Mi's power, ranked among the world's top-tier, with an immeasurably wide range—capable of drawing meteorites from outer space!
But soon, Issho showed a hint of surprise, because he sensed the opponent, and not far away.
Most importantly, the opponent seemed to have no intention of concealing their presence.
The wider the range of Kenbunshoku Haki, the easier to make errors. As long as one's Kenbunshoku Haki isn't too weak, concealment is possible, but the opponent clearly had no intention of hiding.
"Hasn't moved, waiting for me?"
Issho understood, and couldn't help but smile. Was he being underestimated?
The Marine Admirals represent the world's top combat power, and the Heavenly Tribute was accompanied by another top-tier combatant, located in the nearby Vastaya Royal City.
This person neither fled nor concealed his aura, clearly confident in handling Issho.
Moreover, because the other top-tier fighter could arrive at any moment, the person was even confident of easily escaping Issho's engagement and avoiding encirclement.
"This one will return shortly."
Any top-tier powerhouse is an extremely confident individual, and Issho was no exception. He flashed away like lightning, quickly disappearing from the CP agents' sight.
After Issho left, the Celestial Dragon finally recovered, realizing he'd been intimidated by a mere human, which greatly displeased him.
However, he dared not vent anger on Issho, and could only punch and kick nearby CP agents, shouting curses.
"Hurry up and follow! If you fail to retrieve the Heavenly Tribute, you can all commit suicide!!"
(End of Chapter)
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