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Silence.
Inside the temporary base in the South Sea, everything fell into a dead hush.
Kyle stood there without a word for a long time.
At his sides, his hands clenched, loosened, then clenched again, over and over, so quietly it was almost imperceptible.
If you looked closely, you'd even notice his body trembling slightly.
First came shock, as if lightning had struck him head-on. Then his mind buzzed loudly, and after that, rage. Blazing, uncontrollable fury flooded Kyle's thoughts, narrowing his vision until there was almost nothing else left.
"Heh."
"Hehehe…"
The laughter that slipped out between his teeth sent a chill straight through Sengoku's spine.
"Kyle!"
"Calm down!!"
Sengoku suddenly roared. Even his voice carried faint threads of Conqueror's Haki.
Kyle shuddered. The smile vanished from his face, and his emotions slowly settled.
His thoughts churned as he began to piece together the World Government's real intentions.
To those standing at the very top, the lives of civilians meant nothing. On their scales, they barely weighed a thing.
And the fact that they had named him specifically to handle this matter made the hidden meaning downright chilling.
This was a blade aimed straight at him.
Kill the body and crush the heart.
He, the man who preached equality and justice to the world, was now being forced to face an order like this. How was he supposed to respond?
They were sabotaging him from the inside out, making him personally tear down everything he had said before.
"Kyle!"
Sengoku shouted again, worry clear in his eyes.
This order was far too targeted. To the Five Elders, it might have been nothing more than a casual warning, but Sengoku couldn't tell what was going through Kyle's mind right now.
What if he snapped and really defected from the Navy, turning against the entire world?
Just the thought made Sengoku's body tremble.
He couldn't imagine how anyone could deal with a man who had already grown to rival an admiral, who had taken down Golden Lion Shiki in such a short time, and now stood at the very peak of the world.
If Kyle switched sides and became an enemy…
Even imagining it made Sengoku's soul shudder.
Unkillable. Overwhelming Haki. Peak physical combat. A terrifying Devil Fruit ability. All pushed to extremes.
And on top of that, a man who believed in equal justice, with unshakable ideals, who had just stirred the thoughts of the entire world not long ago.
Sengoku didn't dare think any further.
"Calm down, Kyle," he said again.
But at that moment, Kyle suddenly turned and walked toward the exit.
"I know what I need to do."
Sengoku froze. "What are you going to do?"
With his back to Sengoku, Kyle's lips curled into a strange grin.
He bared his teeth slightly.
"Carry out the World Government's order."
With that, Kyle walked out.
Staring at his disappearing figure, worry flooded Sengoku's face. After hesitating for a moment, he immediately contacted an old friend.
If Kyle did something reckless, then maybe only Garp could pull him back.
Half an hour later, aboard the warship.
The atmosphere was heavy. Everyone in the squad remained silent.
"What are you planning to do?""Are you really going to carry out such a ridiculous mission?"
Crocodile exhaled a plume of smoke and asked in a low voice.
After arranging for Portgas D. Rouge to be hidden away safely, the two of them had returned.
"Carry it out?""You said it yourself. This mission is absurd."
Kyle let out a cold laugh.
His gaze drifted toward the distant sea, his expression shifting back and forth.
Bullet stood behind them, the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint smile.
He was curious.
This man, already standing at the very top of the world, what choice would he make now?
Would he swing the butcher's knife without hesitation and slaughter the innocent pregnant women and civilians of Baterilla Island, or openly defy the order passed down from above?
Either choice would have consequences beyond imagination.
Even Kyle, with his unrivaled prestige within the Navy, might not be able to bear the weight of it.
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, the fifth day arrived.
The warship reached Baterilla Island. Kyle was the first to disembark.
The colonel stationed on the island, Bastille, saluted him crisply, reverence evident in his eyes.
"Colonel Bastille, brief me on the situation," Kyle said, nodding slightly.
"At present, we have completely surrounded the island. The garrison consists of around two thousand troops."
"They're all elite soldiers. We can guarantee that no civilians will escape the island."
Bastille's tone was rigid and formal.
"And the information we received earlier?" Kyle asked casually, glancing at him.
"Yes."
"The source was a report from one of the island's residents."
"He claimed that Pirate King Roger once lived on this island for a period of time. He said Roger acted like an ordinary father, nothing remarkable, which was why no one paid attention to him."
Bastille spoke quickly.
They walked deeper into the island, Crocodile and the others following close behind.
"Where is that man now?" Kyle asked, eyes narrowing.
"He's under guard," Bastille replied.
"Take me to him."
"Yes, sir."
Bastille led the way. It didn't take long before they reached the informant.
The man had a sharp chin, small eyes, and messy hair. The moment he saw Kyle and Bastille, panic flashed across his face.
In that instant, he recognized who stood before him.
"You claim you saw Roger living on this island?"
A cold voice rang in his ears.
The man trembled. "Y-Yes!"
Kyle ignored him and turned to Bastille instead. "What about the others?"
"Everyone else on the island says they've never heard of anyone named Roger."
"This place is too remote. Information doesn't circulate much here. Many people never even leave the island their whole lives."
Bastille answered.
"Is that so?"
Kyle's gaze flickered.
Then he looked back at the informant and suddenly smiled.
"Everyone else doesn't know who Roger is, yet you insist you saw him?"
The man froze, about to say something.
A thunderous shout exploded in his ears.
"While I was stationed in the South Sea, I personally inspected this island more than ten times and never once saw any Roger!"
"So where exactly did you see him?"
"Daring to fabricate intelligence and report false information to the Navy just for a bit of bounty money!"
The booming voice shattered the man's eardrums. His mind went blank.
"Spreading false intelligence… you really deserve to die!"
"The thing I hate most in my life is trash like you!"
Kyle moved in a flash, slamming his palm down onto the man's head.
Crack.
The skull burst open instantly.
Bastille watched the entire scene, his scalp going numb.
He never expected this legendary young vice admiral, famed for his prestige, to kill someone the moment he arrived, so cleanly and decisively.
The implications were too terrifying to think about.
Then Kyle spoke again.
"The higher-ups want me to deal with all suspicious pregnant women on this island."
"Colonel Bastille… what do you think about that?"
At those words, Bastille's entire body shook, shock and fear flashing through his eyes.
"..."
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