"Insubordination?"
Tina's expression changed instantly. At the same time, she glanced at Garp, who was suspended in mid-air, and instinctively blurted out, "Mr. Garp is a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral. He has dedicated his life's work to the Marine and justice. How could he possibly be insubordinate and offend an adult? Tina is very confused!"
Upon hearing this, Gunko's eyes instantly turned cold. "Presumptuous! How dare a mere Marine Colonel question This Young Master!"
Before she finished speaking, the bandages wrapped around her long legs suddenly erupted with terrifying energy fluctuations.
The next second, her feet seemed to have been pulled up, directly shooting into the air like a spring onion, transforming into a super long-legged race. She looked down at Tina from above, and as her sleeves fluttered, an arrow formed by wrapped bandages appeared before Tina.
"This subordinate would not dare!"
Facing Gunko's sudden attack, Tina did not dodge, but just as the arrow was about to pierce her forehead, she knelt on one knee before Saint Ian, abandoning her usual aloof demeanor. She hurriedly said, "That was a slip of the tongue, Saint Ian. What Tina meant was that Vice Admiral Garp must have some misunderstanding with Saint Ian. Now he has been punished, and I hope Saint Ian will be magnanimous and spare Mr. Garp this time!"
Seeing that Saint Ian did not react much, Tina quickly added, "With Saint Ian's identity and status, executing Garp only requires a single command. However, this subordinate still hopes Saint Ian will reconsider. After all, Vice Admiral Garp has great influence in Marineford. If he were to be executed, it could lead to a series of undesirable consequences, and even be used by the Revolutionary Army for extensive propaganda, adding fuel to the fire and speaking ill of Saint Ian. That Saint Ian can leave Mary Geoise and interfere with World Government matters indicates that Saint Ian already has some understanding of the current world situation and knows that the current world situation is unfavorable to the World Government!"
"Most importantly, Tina believes that Saint Ian is different from the other Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise, and firmly believes that Saint Ian will become the ruler of the World Government, leading the World Government to a brighter future!"
Watching Tina become articulate in her efforts to save Garp, Saint Ian blinked, somewhat caught off guard.
In his impression, Tina's image in Marineford had always been aloof and taciturn, rarely engaging in lengthy conversations with anyone. What surprised him most was that Tina, who always presented herself with a cold demeanor, had actually learned to flatter.
After watching Tina for a moment, Saint Ian suddenly shook his head and laughed: "Colonel Tina, why did This Young Master never notice you were so articulate before? You've even learned to flatter This Young Master! However, you are clearly overly worried. This Young Master has no intention of executing Garp! As you said, This Young Master's ultimate goal on this trip to the East Blue is to force Dragon to appear through Luffy, and then once and for all eliminate the rebels who are already threatening the World Government!"
At this point, Saint Ian turned his head and gestured for Gunko to release Garp.
As the bandages dissipated, Garp, whose body had been pierced twice, immediately fell to the ground with a thud.
However, he was a master of martial arts, one of the few remaining masters of Armament Haki on the Grand Line. Although seriously injured, he would not die on the spot.
"Garp, for Colonel Tina's plea on your behalf, This Young Master will spare you for now!"
Saint Ian glanced at Garp, who had gotten up from the ground, clutching his wound. He lightly patted his robes and then slowly said, "What you need to do next is to contact Dragon before tomorrow morning. If he doesn't appear in Foosha Village by tomorrow morning, This Young Master will kill one person every ten minutes until there is no one left to kill in Foosha Village!"
With that, Saint Ian no longer lingered, simply stood up and turned to walk towards the Foosha Village market.
"Oh, right~"
After only a few steps, Saint Ian suddenly stopped and turned back, ordering Tina: "Colonel Tina, you are responsible for watching over the Foosha Village villagers. If even one is missing, This Young Master will cut a piece of flesh from you!"
"Yes, Saint Ian!" Tina bowed in response.
It wasn't that she was blindly obedient to Saint Ian; it was that all she could do now was obey Saint Ian's orders. As a Marine Headquarters Colonel, she was naturally familiar with Saint Ian, the young master of the Nerona Family from Mary Geoise!
She knew that if she displeased Saint Ian at this moment, the anger she had so painstakingly calmed would surely reignite. By then, even without Dragon appearing, the Foosha Village villagers would surely be implicated, and even she and Garp would not escape this calamity.
Saint Ian nodded, then shifted his gaze to Makino, commanding in an irresistible tone: "Follow me. This Young Master is staying at your house tonight!"
... Due to Saint Ian's formidable background, Makino's gentle demeanor from their first meeting vanished, and she walked with extreme caution.
It took her a full hour to clean and tidy the bedroom. Then, with a nervous heart, she approached Saint Ian, bowing her head and saying, "Saint Ian, the room is ready. You may retire whenever you wish!"
Saint Ian surveyed the living room, then fixed his gaze on Makino. "Didn't This Young Master tell you not to kneel before Celestial Dragons, and that there's no need to bow your head? Lift your head!"
Upon hearing this, Makino secretly took a deep breath, then bravely slowly raised her head to meet Saint Ian's gaze, cautiously asking, "Saint Ian, if Dragon doesn't come tomorrow morning, will you… will you really kill a villager every ten minutes?"
"Oh?"
Saint Ian blinked and asked, "Are you worried Dragon won't come to Foosha Village? Or rather, are you certain he won't come?"
Makino nodded: "If he truly is a revolutionary army leader, then he probably wouldn't put himself in danger for the sake of the Foosha Village villagers."
Before she finished speaking, Makino suddenly fell to her knees with a thud, her voice trembling from extreme tension. "Saint Ian, can you please spare the Foosha Village villagers? They are innocent. I've heard that common people in many places harbor hatred for Celestial Dragons, but the Foosha Village villagers have absolutely never hated Celestial Dragons; they are all very simple and kind…"
Having bravely spoken this far, Makino seemed to have made a significant decision. She looked directly at Saint Ian, her expression resolute, and said, "As long as Saint Ian spares the Foosha Village villagers, Makino is willing… willing to serve by your side!"
"Eh?"
Saint Ian was somewhat caught off guard by Makino's unexpected words, especially her willingness to sacrifice herself to save Foosha Village.
After a brief moment of surprise, Saint Ian couldn't help but chuckle, "Makino, do you perhaps misunderstand This Young Master's identity and status? Any royal princess or noble lady in any country in this world, if This Young Master desires it, they can only be This Young Master's women! Much less a mere Foosha Village villager like you?"
"Putting that aside, This Young Master doesn't need to bargain with you. I could simply kill all the Foosha Village villagers and forcibly take you away!"
"However, your kindness has successfully moved This Young Master, so I will give you one chance!"
"I'll ask you one question. If you answer correctly, whether Dragon comes or not, the Foosha Village villagers will live."
"If you answer incorrectly, half of the Foosha Village villagers will die tonight!"
Upon hearing this, Makino's body stiffened, and she stood frozen on the spot.
This—
In that moment, she believed that demons were not just legends.
Because a demon was right before her.
Before Makino could recover, Saint Ian suddenly changed the subject, grinning wickedly: "The question is, what is the best way for a man and a woman to get along? Think carefully before you answer, because you only have one chance, and only ten seconds!"
Before he finished speaking, Saint Ian immediately began to count down: "Ten, nine, eight—"
Hearing Saint Ian's continuous countdown, Makino felt a sudden suffocation. The invisible pressure made her tremble uncontrollably.
Although the question was simple, everyone had a different understanding of how men and women should interact, which meant that no matter what answer she gave, Saint Ian might deem it incorrect!
The most hateful thing was that Saint Ian only gave her one chance and immediately started the countdown.
Just as Saint Ian counted to 'three,' Makino suddenly remembered a joke told by a customer at the party bar not long ago.
Immediately after, she steeled herself, and just as Saint Ian counted to 'one,' she blurted out: "Held in the palm of your hand, and cherished in your mouth."
What the heck.
Saint Ian's eyes widened, completely caught off guard. He never expected the seemingly gentle and lovely Makino to come up with that answer.
This was a dirty joke he had seen before he transmigrated. He had asked the question purely on a whim.
Yet, he didn't expect Makino to understand it.
Do dirty jokes transcend dimensions?
He had underestimated her a bit!
Thinking of this, a wicked glint flashed across Saint Ian's lips. He then commanded Gunko, who was standing beside him: "Gunko, wait outside the door."
—
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