“Why should I explain myself to you?”
Such arrogant words made the meeting room fall silent.
Vice Admiral Hattori looked at Eric's unfamiliar expression, his face filled with disbelief.
In the two months since Eric's arrival, Hattori had formed a good impression of him. He was an excellent Navy Headquarters Colonel, but sadly, his life was about to end. Hattori often sighed in private when thinking about him.
But the Eric standing before him now was someone Hattori didn't recognize.
“Colonel Eric…” Hattori murmured, speaking quickly, “Is there some kind of misunderstanding? Admiral Kuzan, what's going on?”
He couldn’t believe that this was the real Eric.
Kuzan showed no surprise.
“So you’re hiding Nico Robin? Why are you protecting a World Government criminal?”
“Criminal? Watch your words, Kuzan. She’s my wife.”
Eric dropped his pretense and revealed his true intentions.
“Wife?!”
Everyone was shocked.
One Branch Colonel was stunned. “Colonel Eric, isn't your wife Miss Reiju? I even attended your wedding a month ago!”
A month ago, Vinsmoke Judge finally arrived in Xi Hong Town, and Eric held a second wedding ceremony.
A third of the officers present had attended the wedding.
Eric ignored this foolish remark.
Kuzan frowned. “You married Nico Robin? What are you trying to do?”
“Colonel Eric, please explain yourself. I’m willing to believe there’s a secret here!” Hattori’s expression was complex. Protecting an orphan of Ohara was a serious crime. Once it was proven, no one could help him.
Eric glanced at him, his expression calm.
“You’re a dedicated and good soldier. How could you protect a criminal? There must be a misunderstanding!” Hattori said loudly, “Eric! The Eric I know wouldn’t do such a thing! Please defend yourself!”
“I’m sorry, the Eric you know never existed.”
Eric remained seated, unmoved.
The air was thick with tension. Everyone held their breath. A fight was about to break out.
Suddenly, Kuzan moved.
“Get out of the way.”
With a single command, his right arm released an intense cold, forming a gigantic ice bird that roared towards Eric.
“Ice Bird!”
Boom!
The ice bird slammed into the other end of the meeting table. In an instant, the meeting room was transformed into a snowy world.
However.
The Eric frozen in ice had already transformed into the Black-Cloaked Man. The ice covering the shadow quickly melted.
“It’s you!!”
Kuzan was taken aback, immediately recalling the mysterious man riding a black dragon when he first arrived in the West Blue.
Hattori also widened his eyes in disbelief, stunned by what he saw.
Now he had no choice but to believe.
“Colonel Eric!! You’re Capone Bege’s man! You’re a traitor!!”
He screamed in despair.
Eric stood up from his seat, his eyes indifferent. “No, let me correct you, Vice Admiral Hattori.”
“What?”
“Capone Bege is my man. I was the one who robbed the eight ships carrying the Heavenly Tribute.”
Silence!
The room was dead quiet!
The numerous Navy personnel gasped. No one imagined that this dying old soldier, this Colonel who had been kicked out of Navy Headquarters, was the mastermind behind this shocking case.
“Why?” Kuzan was puzzled.
He could understand the reason for protecting Nico Robin – he had married her. But why rob the Heavenly Tribute?
Gold?
“Hehehe…”
Eric chuckled coldly. “If I had two qing of land in Luoyang, would I still be wearing the six seals of the vassal states?”
Kuzan: “…”
He didn't understand the meaning, but he understood the tone.
“Looks like I’ll have to subdue you first. As for where you hid Nico Robin… I’ll make you talk later.”
Kuzan moved.
As a Navy Headquarters Admiral, one of the Navy’s top forces, his Rokushiki techniques far surpassed ordinary humans.
In an instant, he vanished from his seat. When he reappeared, he was behind Eric.
He extended his right palm towards Eric's back, releasing a large amount of cold air from his palm.
“Fighting here will hurt innocent civilians. I’m the base commander here after all…”
Eric ignored the cold air, becoming as ethereal and formless as smoke.
“He disappeared?” Kuzan was startled, then noticed a black shadow on the ground. “What kind of power is that?! Ice Ball!”
In an instant, five streams of extreme cold attacked the black shadow on the ground.
However.
The ground froze.
But the black shadow pressed against the ice and continued moving outwards.
In a blink, it had left the meeting room.
…
Xi Hong Town, City Hall.
A black shadow suddenly appeared in the Mayor’s office.
Diaro was busy with his duties. Looking up and seeing Eric, he was startled.
“Colonel Eric, when did you get here?”
“I’m sorry, Mayor Diaro. I can’t help you with this. Leave the capture of Capone Bege to someone else.”
Eric shook his head, waving his hand. A ton of gold appeared from the black shadow beneath his feet.
“This isn't your Rubeck Kingdom’s Heavenly Tribute, but it's equivalent in value. Return it to your King.”
“What?” Diaro jumped to his feet, confused. “What’s going on? Colonel Eric!”
“Goodbye, Mayor Luo. I’m no longer part of the Navy. Next time we meet, please call me Proudmoore Eric, Grand Marshal of the Allied Navy!”
Eric chuckled, and in a flash, he transformed into a wisp of black shadow and disappeared.
The Mayor stood there, stunned, staring at the pile of gold…
…
…
Xi Hong Town, outskirts, military zone.
Navy 187th Branch.
After half a year of construction, the main structures of the base were complete. The naval port was still in the drafting stage.
These construction workers were more capable than expected, and the progress was faster than anticipated.
At that moment.
The workers were busy working.
In the training ground, which was already built, Captain Calvin was training new recruits.
“Colonel, why are you here?”
Suddenly, Calvin saw Eric appear. He immediately stopped instructing the recruits.
“Things have been exposed. Prepare to evacuate.”
Upon hearing this, Calvin’s face changed slightly, and he nodded. “Understood! I’ll lead the team to…”
“No need. I’ll move this base. You can go inside now.”
Eric didn't bother with explanations. The black shadow beneath his feet resembled a giant bat spreading its wings. In an instant, it enveloped the entire base.
The next moment, boom, boom, boom!
The ground began to sink, swallowed by the darkness.
“What’s happening? Earthquake?!”
The workers screamed.
But no one could escape the shadow. They were all dragged into the shadow space.
In a matter of minutes, the bustling construction site was once again barren. The surface revealed yellow earth, devoid of any human presence.
“Here he comes?”
Eric stood there, not turning around.
Kuzan had already caught up and was standing behind him.
His Observation Haki was strong enough to cover the entire town. Even though Eric's presence came and went, as long as he wasn't completely enveloped by the shadow, Kuzan could still sense him.
“The first place you appeared after your presence disappeared was the City Hall. What did you do?” Kuzan’s expression was serious, “Is the Rubeck Kingdom also an accomplice?”
“I just returned a part of the Heavenly Tribute. That mayor helped me with something once.”
Eric slowly turned around, his expression calm as he spoke. “When the Ohara Incident happened, you let Robin go. Today, I’ll let you go as well.”