https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-175-The-Sacred-Fist-of-the-Southern-Dipper/12610977/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-177-The-Demon-Slaying-Order-Activated-/12610979/
Chapter 176: Muzzled? Unleashed!
Chapter 176: Muzzled? Unleashed!
Lucci got up from the ground, his hand covering his chest, and a faint trace of blood at the corner of his mouth.
His Zoan-type body gave him the resilience to withstand that kick without his consciousness scattering.
The fight could go on, but...
His transformed leopard-man form retracted at this moment, returning to a normal human shape.
The gap was too vast.
This guy was using the same Six Powers, without any fancy tricks, but whether it was the force exerted or the mastery over the Six Powers, he far surpassed them.
Lucci wasn't one to bumble around recklessly; on the contrary, as a spy, gauging the situation and measuring the gap between their strengths was a better way to accomplish his missions.
All of CP9 present were no match for this guy.
Moreover, seeing how at ease he was, it was clear he hadn't even used his full strength yet, but Lucci, from the very beginning, had already unleashed his secret technique, yet he couldn't even inflict damage, let alone repel his opponent.
Continuing the fight would be pointless.
"Alright, let's go."
Soge waved his hand, paying no heed to these guys, and strolled towards the main entrance as if he were back at his own home.
The strength of CP9, in his eyes, was passable at best.
Lucci was one of the better ones; although he stopped fighting after taking just one hit, in terms of strength, he wasn't that weak. Overall, he surpassed the vice admirals he had encountered and could even reach the level of Moria, but he was definitely weaker than Soge.
It was only because he used body arts.
In terms of strength, technique, and speed, Soge comprehensively surpassed them, and such a gap essentially meant total domination.
The remaining CP9 members, after lying on the ground for a while, silently got up and followed behind Soge.
With CP9 in tow, as Soge entered through the main entrance, the Marines and World Government officials merely watched from a distance without coming forward to stop them, seemingly believing that this 600 million berry bounty criminal had been captured by CP9.
There were a total of three gates on Enies Lobby.
The front gate at the very forefront; after passing through it, one would find a passageway, and on either side of this passage, one could see the bottomless circular waterfall surrounding the island, and at the front lay the main island, connected to numerous buildings, and featuring another grand gate.
"It's still night now, so the two giants guarding here should be asleep, hoot-hoot."
Seeing no giants guarding the gate, the owl bounced left and right, seemingly unable to contain his urge to expose this piece of information.
After passing through the main island's gate and entering the town, when they had walked about half the distance, Gabura started looking around, his hand raised to his brow as he scanned their surroundings, "Katherine, my Katherine, are you here? Today, I must confess my love to her!"
Hearing this, the owl raised his eyebrows, quietly following behind Gabura, his steps becoming silent and stealthy, as if deliberately suppressing his presence.
Just like his codename, 'Soundless', there was no sound.
"Owl, what are you up to?"
However, his actions were too obvious, arousing Gabura's suspicion.
"I want to secretly follow you and see if you succeed. If it becomes a secret, then I'll know the secret, hoot-hoot," the owl replied crisply.
If it became a secret, it naturally meant the confession failed.
If it failed, then he could spill the secret!
"You!"
Without needing the owl to explain further, Gabura understood what he was up to and hurriedly stepped on the owl's body, grabbing his zipper mouth with one hand and tugging at it like kneading dough.
"I won't fail! Katherine definitely loves me! And also, what's the point of your zipper mouth? Some things need to be kept confidential, confidential!"
It was precisely because they didn't keep things confidential that they ended up in this situation.
Otherwise, they would have returned to Enies Lobby earlier, and he would have confessed to Katherine already. Instead, they ended up on Soge's ship, creating this whole mess.
In the end, Gabura still didn't get to see Katherine, the object of his affections. As they walked through the town and reached the courthouse, this was where criminals on Enies Lobby were judged and sentenced.
And beyond this gate, one could see the disconnected Judiciary Tower, a tall tower behind which lay a massive gate, bigger than the island itself, bearing the emblem of the World Government, and appearing hazy on the sea's surface.
"What's that?" Soge asked.
"The Gate of Justice, hoot-hoot."
The owl, who had just had his zipper mouth pulled tight by Gabura, secretly loosened it halfway and said, "After the trial on Enies Lobby, they will pass through that Judiciary Tower and be transported by the prisoner ships waiting there. They will then pass through the Gate of Justice and arrive at Impel Down to be imprisoned."
"That's quite a lengthy process."
Soge smiled, "What would my sentence be if I were to be convicted?"
"Death sentences are rare, hoot-hoot."
The owl said, "As a captain, you would definitely be sent to the sixth level and imprisoned forever."
"Hey!"
Gabura grabbed the owl's face again, "Don't say everything!"
"Even a big criminal like me who caused so much harm isn't sentenced to death. In this sea, very few people actually die."
Soge shook his head and smiled, "So, I was right. You guys really are prostitutes who insist on establishing a reputation and giving yourselves titles like 'Entertainment Queen'."
"This is a human right." Kakku said, "The just World Government respects everyone's human rights, which is why there's Enies Lobby."
"So there are people like you in CP9?" Soge glanced at him with a mocking tone.
He didn't know about the others, but as for Rob Lucci, he could tell that while he had a sense of justice in his heart, he craved 'legalized killing' even more.
On the vast sea, even the Navy would rarely kill someone after defeating them, unless it was the heat of battle.
Only those hidden in the shadows, like CP9, would kill without hesitation.
But the contradiction lies here. If you're going to kill anyway, why bother with such complications?
"If I were to be captured, I wouldn't die either? Then I'd be locked up here and convicted? I really have to thank the World Government. A pirate like me wouldn't be executed?"
Soge snorted, "If you ask me, it's all bullshit! You might as well tell me that it's because 'it's hard to kill you, so we might as well capture you'—that would be more convincing."
Who hasn't heard of the infamy of the Celestial Dragons?
The Kingdom of Bridges was a perfect example of their nature, and Soge knew it well from the subordinates he recruited there.
Human rights?
What was CP9's purpose then?
They were the exact opposite of human rights—they were legalized murder!
"It would be better to be straightforward and admit it. That way, I might even respect you a little!"
Soge spread his arms and revealed a sinister smile. "What's wrong with being a slave? What's wrong with exploitation? What's the problem with not considering people as human? The original accumulation of capital is always ugly. If you want to enjoy privileges and then exploit others, everyone would do the same! Why hide it?"
"Admit it openly and declare to the world that this is how the World Government operates. If someone doesn't agree, let them try to overthrow it!"
"What about the opinions of the allied nations? Do you think those countries care about such things? They only care about ruling. Whether it's slaves or Celestial Dragons, as long as it doesn't hinder their rule, anything goes. It would be better to be frank about it, and everyone can be more straightforward. There's no need to beat around the bush all the time. Who are you trying to impress?"
He pointed at CP9, "You guys?"
Then he pointed at himself, "Or me?"
Soge had robbed numerous countries and had seen good kings, like Cobra, but he had also encountered cowards, which were the majority.
Or perhaps he had only met one Cobra, along with his daughter, who was also decent because he hadn't managed to extort any money from them.
In the other kingdoms he visited, he always returned with abundant spoils. Even in the Anukoku, it was only due to the battle that the foolish king's gold was melted; otherwise, he would have obtained a substantial fortune there as well.
Money doesn't appear out of thin air, and even if Soge took it himself, he would have to use force.
Having witnessed so much, Soge naturally understood that whether it was an allied nation or not, they were all the same.
In non-allied nations, what about human rights?
It didn't matter because the kings of those nations didn't treat their people as human either.
There wasn't much difference between the two.
The poor would always be poor, and the weak would always be weak, whether in an allied nation or not.
So... why complicate things?
It was either not killing or human rights, but it was like...
Soge stared through that massive Gate of Justice, gazing at the World Government's emblem as if he could see through it to the distant Red Line Continent beyond.
"Mice!"
Soge burst into laughter. "Just like mice! That emblem is like a maze of mouse holes, hidden in the shadows, carefully avoiding detection."
"But mice in the sewers can't stand the light, and they scurry away when exposed. It would be better to be out in the open, stepping out of the mouse holes, and letting others see their ugly appearance. Perhaps it would even strike fear in people!"
"When I have my own territory, and you guys come to work for me, I'll let you experience what it's like to live under the sun!"
"Killing doesn't have to be done in the shadows. If you want to rule, do it openly and let everyone see everything laid bare. You don't need to care about anything as long as you're strong enough. There will be people who will whitewash your actions for you! Hahaha, whooohahaha!"
His laughter echoed through the courthouse, reaching the tall Judicial Tower ahead, as if mocking everything that emblem stood for.
What's wrong with exploitation?
It's an inevitable part of life!
Ruling involves exploitation. Not just people, but all living things in the world are subject to it. Even plants compete for nutrients in the soil.
But that's not necessarily a bad thing!
Soge would give when he should, and he would kill when necessary.
He didn't like being compared to a mouse, but he could be the mighty dragon perched atop the mountain.
Watching Soge laugh maniacally, the CP9 members stiffened. Even Lucci felt a chill in his heart.
He didn't know what was different, but he felt a sense of strangeness, a feeling that even induced a baseless fear within him.
He couldn't explain it, but at that moment, Soge seemed to transcend humanity in his eyes, as if a monster in his heart was about to be unleashed!
"Alright, enough! Go find your idiot boss and initiate the plan!"
After his laughter subsided, Soge strode toward the courthouse's entrance, fearless of this place that could convict anyone of their crimes.
Who were they to judge him?
He hadn't lost!
Only losers would be convicted!
Winners were the ones who decided the fate of losers, and it was unclear who would judge whom!
(End of Chapter)
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