High above, on the thick branches of the giant trees, the Shandians looked down at Rojen's group with solemn expressions.
At the same time, Rojen and the others were sizing up the newcomers.
Compared to Wyper, Kamakiri, and the younger warriors, these Shandians were clearly older. Their faces were more mature, and the aura they gave off was steady and imposing, they had the look of veterans tempered by years of battle.
They might not match Wyper's group in raw explosiveness or fighting spirit, but they were far more experienced and much harder to deal with.
"So?" Jason laughed, looking up at them. "You want another fight?"
His booming voice echoed through the forest, and the atmosphere instantly became tense again. The Shandians sharpened their gazes, while the Nether Soul Pirates quietly prepared for battle.
Raki's heart tightened. Without hesitation, she stepped off her Waver, leaped down from the tree, and landed in front of Rojen's group.
"Oh?" Rojen raised an eyebrow. He could tell she wasn't hostile.
"Everyone... we're not here to fight. This was all a misunderstanding." As soon as she landed, Raki put away her weapons and bowed deeply.
Seeing that it was a young woman, and hearing her apology, the Nether Soul Pirates relaxed slightly, watching her in silence instead of attacking.
"A misunderstanding?" Rojen smiled. "But your people attacked us first. How do you explain that?"
Raki froze. She had prepared a speech on the way here, but that single question wiped it clean from her mind. She had no answer.
'Those hotheaded idiots...' She cursed Wyper and the others inwardly.
"...A misunderstanding," after hesitating for a long while, she could only repeat those same two words.
"Heh. Fine. We'll call it a misunderstanding," Rojen chuckled. "So... what do you want?"
Raki glanced at the unconscious Wyper and the others before answering seriously. "Please allow me to take them back. I apologize on their behalf for offending you."
"Take them back?" Rojen smiled meaningfully. "Would you let enemies who tried to kill you walk away?"
Raki's expression turned ugly. She looked at Wyper again before lowering her head. "It really was a misunderstanding. The Shandians will apologize properly. I hope you can forgive what they did."
Rojen quietly studied the young woman before him. She looked three or four years younger than he was. Her features were delicate, but her eyes were full of determination. There was a unique charm to this female warrior.
"You can take them. But you'll have to agree to one request."
He didn't care about the defeated Shandians lying on the ground. None of them posed any threat to the Nether Soul Pirates. Besides, this was an internal conflict within Skypiea; as an outsider, he had no intention of interfering too deeply.
"What request?" Raki asked nervously.
If it was simple compensation, the Shandians could accept it. But if it crossed the line... the warriors of Shandia would rather die than submit.
"I haven't decided yet. I'll come visit you after a while, and that's when I'll tell you," Rojen smiled. Then he waved at the others and turned to leave. "Come on. It's morning. It's about time we paid a visit to Skypiea's so-called God."
The Nether Soul Pirates naturally followed Rojen without question, giving Raki one last glance before turning away. Garrido said nothing either, with Chaporos supporting him, he helped his crew onto their Wavers.
'Rumble...'
Five minutes later, the Wavers roared to life. Jets of air burst from the engines as they sped away along the river. Before long, Rojen's group had disappeared from sight.
Only then did the Shandians jump down from the trees and hurry over to check on Wyper and the others.
"Their injuries aren't serious. The enemy held back, they're only unconscious." After examining them, one of the Shandian warriors finally let out a sigh of relief.
Raki, however, looked troubled. She stared in the direction Rojen's group had vanished, unable to stop thinking about that single request.
He had released Wyper and the others without the slightest concern that the Shandians might go back on their word. That confidence said everything. He simply wasn't worried about being betrayed.
And that overwhelming confidence was exactly what frightened her.
If he later made an unreasonable demand... the Shandians might not even have the power to refuse.
"Withdraw!" After the others hoisted the unconscious warriors onto their shoulders, Raki gave the order.
The Shandians leaped back into the trees, and a few flashes later, they had vanished into the forest.
---
About fifteen minutes later, they returned to the Shandian village.
"Wake them up." The chief looked at the unconscious Wyper with a dark expression.
There was no doubt about it, these reckless fools had disgraced the proud warriors of Shandia.
"Chief... Raki..." Before long, Wyper and the others regained consciousness. After realizing they were back home, every one of them wore an embarrassed, dejected expression. They all knew exactly what had happened.
"Chief..." Raki stepped forward apologetically. "In order to bring Wyper and the others back safely, I agreed to one request from them without asking for your permission."
"What request?" the chief asked.
"They didn't say. They only said they'll visit us after some time and tell us then." Raki shook her head.
"That's all?" The chief looked surprised.
"Yes. They released Wyper and the others immediately." Raki nodded solemnly.
The chief fell silent, thinking for a long time before finally sighing. "That group... they're not ordinary people."
He pushed his uneasiness aside and turned a stern gaze toward Wyper and the others. "Tell me exactly what happened."
Naturally, none of them dared hide anything. One after another, they recounted everything that had happened in the forest.
When they finished, the chief took a deep breath. Then he shouted, "You've disgraced the warriors of Shandia!"
"We're sorry!" Wyper and the others immediately lowered their heads and bowed.
"You didn't disgrace yourselves because you lost. You disgraced yourselves because of your recklessness and ignorance. You attacked without even understanding how strong your opponents were. The passion of youth is a strength, but blind arrogance and impulsiveness... are fatal weaknesses."
The chief's voice thundered through the village. "You were lucky this time. Now get out of my sight and reflect on what you've done."
(End Of This Chapter)
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