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Chapter 15: Rocks' Plan! Retaliation Against the Marines
Hearing Fleet Admiral Steel Bone Kong's voice filled with unwillingness,
Whether it was the Marine soldiers or the Vice Admirals currently clashing with the cadres,
All of them showed looks of astonishment in an instant.
Was this for real?!
Retreating now
Meant complete defeat for Marine Headquarters' operation this time!
Even though they had killed many of the Rocks Pirates' cannon fodder, those casualties were utterly negligible compared to the forces the Marines had committed!
Not a single cadre had been successfully eliminated.
For the Rocks Pirates, this didn't even count as a scratch!
Garp's expression also tightened instinctively.
For a moment, he showed a slight opening, which Golden Lion caught sight of.
As a top powerhouse in the New World seas, Shiki naturally wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity.
A golden blade light sliced through the air,
Whipping up a howling gale as it charged straight toward Garp.
Snapping back to his senses, Garp's face changed.
He clenched his fists fiercely, Armament Haki coating them as he blocked in front.
Bang!
He took the blade light head-on,
But the force still pushed his figure back several steps before he could dissipate the momentum.
His face grim, he stared fixedly at Golden Lion Shiki ahead.
Though Shiki's strength was slightly below his,
Defeating him was far from simple.
On the other side,
Buddha-form Sengoku, currently clashing with Whitebeard Edward,
Heard his Fleet Admiral's words and couldn't help but sigh.
He had already anticipated this outcome.
Compared to the current Rocks Pirates,
The naval force dispatched by Marine Headquarters this time was simply insufficient to face Rocks head-on.
They had underestimated the present-day Rocks far too much!
With this thought,
Sengoku raised his head and spoke heavily toward Garp.
"Garp, it's time for us to leave."
"Continuing the fight yields nothing—this operation ends here."
"Are you going to disobey even the Fleet Admiral's order?"
The voice carried over,
Making Garp grit his teeth in deep unwillingness.
His gaze locked onto the distant, calm Lotte.
"Tree Demon Lotte—I've remembered you!"
For Garp,
Failing to eliminate a pirate genius like Tree Demon Lotte this time
Was absolutely intolerable!
But with the Fleet Admiral's retreat order issued, even he couldn't disobey.
The Marines began withdrawing one after another.
Though they had killed many of the Rocks Pirates' cannon fodder this time,
The losses the Marines suffered were far from negligible.
The fallen soldiers were all elites from Marine Headquarters.
Their value was completely different from mere cannon fodder.
So once Steel Bone Kong realized he couldn't defeat Rocks,
He immediately ordered the retreat without hesitation.
He knew full well
That continuing the fight would only result in devastating casualties for Marine Headquarters.
That was not a sight he wanted to see.
Even if this retreat damaged the Marines' prestige, Steel Bone Kong still issued the command.
Lotte, who had been studying the Rokushiki he had stolen,
Heard Garp's words.
He lifted his head with an odd expression and glanced at the man.
"Oh, got it."
He didn't take Garp's threat seriously at all.
After all, even now Garp hadn't been able to kill him.
Once he grew stronger next time, the man would have even less chance.
With the abilities he had gained from Wood Release,
Even if he wasn't Garp's match yet, he was confident he could escape unscathed.
Golden Lion Shiki, Whitebeard, and the other cadres saw the Marines retreating and looked eager to pursue.
If they could kill a few more Marine officers,
Their bounties would skyrocket even higher!
But before they could chase,
Rocks extended a hand, blocking them from behind.
"That's enough. No need to chase a pack of beaten dogs."
"There'll be chances for you to shine soon enough."
Rocks calmly watched the retreating Marine fleet.
He had already achieved his goal.
Continuing to pursue the Marine warships now would only lead to unnecessary further casualties.
Though Rocks didn't care about the lives of cannon fodder,
Losing too many would still impact his plans to some degree.
The plan was only a few years away from execution.
No need to keep tangling with the Marines.
Though the cadres led by Golden Lion Shiki were puzzled,
Out of respect for Rocks' authority,
They could only stop and reluctantly sheath their weapons.
Rocks turned to Lotte and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Kid, you performed quite well."
"Keep growing strong. A cadre spot will be yours in due time."
Lotte's growth speed in this battle had been impressive.
Becoming a cadre should only be a matter of time.
As the words fell,
Many cadres turned their gazes toward Lotte.
They had naturally seen the strength he displayed earlier.
But hearing Rocks say this,
They still felt a touch of surprise in their hearts.
In the past, even the strongest geniuses had never received such high praise from Rocks.
This Lotte had set a precedent on this ship.
Cadre Silver Axe, hearing Rocks' words, had a slight flicker in his eyes.
He hadn't expected even Rocks to hold this kid in such high regard.
But just a rookie who had only recently awakened Haki—what qualifications did he have to stand alongside them?
Though Silver Axe felt displeased inwardly,
He couldn't show it in front of Rocks.
Lotte simply smiled upon hearing this.
"Thank you, Captain. I'll keep working hard."
A cadre position had never been Lotte's goal.
What he aspired to
Was to one day become a true hegemon like the current Rocks.
A mere cadre was far from enough to satisfy his ambitions.
Rocks gave a slight nod.
He then swept his gaze over the corpses of fallen crew members on the ship.
A ferocious grin spread across his face.
"Since the Marines dared to come looking for trouble with me this time,"
"The next move will be true retaliation against them!"
"Those Marines want to protect their affiliated nations? Then let's show them
The price of provoking the Rocks Pirates!"
As the voice fell,
The pirate crew gripped their weapons in excitement.
Rocks' words were undoubtedly highly motivating to them.
After all, the affiliated nations were filled with treasure.
If they could seize it,
They'd make a fortune!
Lotte's eyes also flickered.
Affiliated nations, huh?
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