And those villagers who no longer dared to resist and had become numb were led onto the boat one by one... like animals.
In no time, everyone and everything were packed, and even the sails were hoisted.
Only…
"Rip-sama."
A subordinate approached anxiously and said respectfully, "A ship has been spotted to the southwest, with a banner that appears to be the flag of the Grado."
"Grado? That West Blue mafia?"
Hearing his subordinate's words, Rip frowned, his heart skipping a beat.
"What are these guys doing here?"
Although he didn't care about mere mafias, he knew that the guy behind the Grado was a monster not to be trifled with!
Especially considering what happened not long ago... He didn't want anything else to happen at a time like this.
Even though the Celestial Dragons are Gods in his heart, those monsters are not ones he can afford to provoke.
"Forget it, let's ignore those guys!"
Rip suppressed the inexplicable fear rising within him, his face grim, his tone still cold. "Let's leave!"
He paused slightly at this point, then continued, "Tell your men to leave here immediately!"
"Understood!"
After his subordinates left, Rip took a deep breath, calming his previously flustered mind.
Gazing at the vast ocean before him, he muttered to himself, "This sea area belongs to the territory of an affiliated country, and we're transporting Heavenly Tribute. Those guys definitely wouldn't dare come here; otherwise, it would be declaring war on the World Government!"
Moreover, although that guy successfully escaped the siege of the gods, it is rumored that the Umbrella Corporation suffered heavy losses, and even their base was blown up.
Therefore, now is definitely not the time for the Umbrella Corporation to declare to the World Government.
If those despicable criminals in the Umbrella Corporation had any sense left, they wouldn't have started a war at this time.
However, despite trying to comfort himself with these words, the way he gripped the gunwale tightly indicated that he was not as calm as his face suggested.
But only when the ship started to move slowly, and the other ship still hadn't come any closer, did he let out a heavy sigh of relief, realizing that his earlier guess might have been correct.
Therefore, his inner worries subsided considerably at that moment.
All that's left is to safely deliver the Heavenly Tribute to its destination!
Thinking of this, Rip calmed down, regaining his indifferent expression as he watched the slowly sailing fleet.
He frowned, about to reprimand those guys and tell them to speed up.
Suddenly, for some reason, he felt a wave of heat sweep over his entire body, making him sweat profusely, even his back was soaked, and not only that... Everything in front of him seemed to have become brighter.
Is it because the sun is particularly strong today?
Rip frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and then, unable to bear it any longer, reached out and unbuttoned his collar, loosening it slightly. He then looked up at the sky, muttering to himself, "Damn it, the weather in this area is so..."
However, before he could finish speaking, he seemed to notice something as he looked up; his eyes widened, his pupils contracted, and he stared intently at the sky.
And it wasn't just him; at this moment, even his other subordinates beside him noticed something was wrong.
They all looked up, just like Rip, staring wide-eyed at the sky, their voices filled with shock, "The… the sun… There are two suns in the sky?!"
"No, that's not the sun!"
At that moment, a chill surged from the soles of Rip's feet, spreading upwards to his back and forehead.
The unbearable heat from before had vanished, leaving only a chill that paralyzed his entire body. "That was..."
Before he could finish speaking, the sun, which suddenly appeared in the sky, broke through the white clouds as if it had fallen from the heavens.
And as the sun sank lower and lower, everyone finally saw clearly what that dazzling sun, which seemed to pierce their souls, really was.
A colossal golden ship, radiating light, slowly descended from the sky, like a sun too bright to look directly at.
And at the bow of that giant golden ship stood a figure.
He held a child in his arms, his face beaming with a sunny smile, bathed in sunlight, like a god descended from the heavens.
"The king of the West Blue..."
"Ian, the God of Sun!!!"
Despite the scorching sunlight, he felt cold all over.
Rip stared intently at the golden behemoth hovering in mid-air; no, it should be said that it was the exclusive vessel of the God of Sun, his eyes fixed on the figure at the bow.
Damn it, what's this guy doing here?
Just passing through here?
Don't be ridiculous, it's obvious they came specifically to find them!
The incident in Ohara had only just ended, and this guy was already looking for them?
Is this an act of retaliation against the World Government, aimed at eliminating all CP agents within the West Blue?
Or... Are they eyeing this Heavenly Tribute?
With cold sweat beading on his forehead, Rip's mind raced with all sorts of guesses, but no matter what, he knew... they were in deep trouble!
Damn it, the battle in Ohara just ended. Is the Umbrella Corporation not afraid of starting another war?
But Rip suppressed his fear. As a CP agent of the World Government, no matter what happened, he had to protect God's treasure!
"Mr. Ian."
Rip took a deep breath, stepped forward, looked up at the Umbrella Corporation boss standing on the bow of the ship, and forced a smile. "Good afternoon. I am one of the people in charge of the West Blue's Heavenly Tribute collection. May I ask what brings you here?"
"Quite polite, aren't you?"
In response to his greeting, Ian didn't reveal why he wanted to see him.
Instead, a playful smile appeared on his face. "I thought you hyenas of the World Government would just tell me to get lost!"
Rip: "..."
These words made Rip's face stiffen as he forced an awkward smile, but he suppressed his anger and continued with his stiff, unsightly smile, saying, "You're joking, Mr. Ian!"
You think I don't want to?!
If he weren't outmatched... Why would he be here greeting a lowly commoner?!