Chapter 23 The “Evil” Of The King

As they looked upon Wapol, who lay motionless on the ground with no signs of life, the guards and citizens in the distance were momentarily stunned. Then, a wave of exhilarated cheers erupted:

"Wapol is dead!"

"Wapol is dead!"

"Hooray"

Dylan walked towards the guards and asked, "Where is Dalton? Where is he being held?"

The leading guard swallowed nervously. The woman appeared to be his superior.

"He's in prison..."

"Take me there," Dylan commanded, scanning his surroundings. This country would likely be targeted by Teach again in a few years.

Dalton... Dylan shook his head. Dalton wasn't the best choice. The man was too kind. In this age of great pirates, kindness wasn't always a good asset.

Upon reaching the dark prison, Dylan found Dalton imprisoned at the bottom.

"Release him," Dylan ordered.

"Yes!" The guards didn't hesitate; after all, Dalton was innocent and was beloved by them.

The Dalton looked at the man outside the prison with a puzzled expression.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"It's not important who I am," Dylan replied. "What's important is who you are and who you want to be."

"Huh?" Dalton was momentarily confused.

Kind-hearted and a little slow, Dylan thought to himself, shaking his head.

"Captain Dalton, King... No! Wapol has been executed," the guard informed Dalton solemnly. Though imprisoned, Dalton still upheld the principles of his country.

Once outside the prison gate, Dalton couldn't resist asking, "You..."

"I have no interest in this shabby country. Frankly, I could kill Wapol and leave, and the World Government wouldn't bat an eye. I sought you out because you seem to be a good man that the people in this country trust," Dylan explained.

The wind and snow howled outside the door, as two tall figures stood facing the elements.

"Dalton, do you understand what will become of this country if I simply leave?" Dylan asked, his voice carrying over the whistling wind.

"I'm not sure," Dalton replied after a moment's contemplation.

"No, you do know," Dylan insisted.

As he gazed at the swirling snow, Dylan continued, "If I were to depart, the fate of this nation would inevitably fall into the hands of the Celestial Dragons."

"You people..." Dylan shook his head, his tone tinged with disapproval. "Always seeking kindness and favors from others. Frankly, I find it distasteful."

Dalton remained silent, feeling the weight of Dylan's words.

"Compared to Wapol, you're not much better," Dylan remarked, his voice carrying a hint of disdain.

Confusion flickered across Dalton's face. He couldn't comprehend why this man would say such a thing.

Dylan chuckled, his tone cutting. "Wapol's evil lies in his greed, corruption, and depravity. Yours, on the other hand, lies in incompetence and hypocrisy."

The word "hypocrisy" struck Dalton like a blow to the chest, leaving him stunned and speechless.

Mariejois.

CP0 left after delivering their report, leaving the Five Elders still posing enigmatically.

"The Drum Kingdom... no... is now called the Sakura Flower Kingdom. Is Adams Dylan... taking action against the government?" one of the Elders mused.

"It seems that Wapol provoked first. His original purpose was to go to Drum Island to heal his subordinates," another Elder commented.

"Having said that... but as a Marine..." a third Elder trailed off.

The blond Five Elders crossed his fingers and legs, adopting a contemplative stance. "He has obtained the power of the small human race, which shows that Lord 'Im''s guidance is correct. He is the enemy of 'Lamp', and the rights of the kingdom are nothing to worry about."

"Agreed," the Five Elders holding a long knife chimed in. "For hundreds of years, those ancient families and races have refused to submit to the World Government. Some even prefer to isolate themselves from the world and is currently waiting for Him. Adams Dylan has achieved unprecedented success, and we should not hold him back at this time."

"Seconded," another Elder echoed.

"Seconded," the last Elder concurred.

The G5 branch, half a year after returning from Drum Island.

"Hey, did that guy 'Heavenly demon' complain about us to headquarters again?" Bell-mère held a cigarette in his mouth and casually tossed the phone aside.

"That guy is involved in all sorts of underground dealings. I heard his operations are vast, from arms trading to Devil Fruits, human trafficking, and even meddling in political power struggles directly," another Marine remarked.

Dylan, with his face obscured by newspapers, remained focused on his work, ignoring the chatter of his subordinates.

Why do they insist on chatting in my office? Didn't I assign them their own?

Over the past six months, G5 had initiated a series of operations dubbed "hunting." Although confined to the vicinity of the branch, these actions had a significant impact on the local pirate population.

The man behind it all was the individual who single-handedly took down the "Red Hair Pirates" – Marine Vice Admiral "Raijin" Dylan. Alongside him was the notorious assassin Shiryu of the Rain.

After a period of relentless pursuit, many pirates had begun to avoid this area altogether.

"JOKER's" operations have also been severely disrupted as a result.

Listening to his subordinates lamenting their recent boredom, Dylan lowered the newspaper from his face.

"Let's take a trip to West Blue!"

Six months ago, upon returning to the G5 branch, Dylan had taken the opportunity to return to East Blue and retrieve all the gains he had accumulated over the years.

Having a space ring would certainly make things easier, he mused, as he surveyed his neatly organized collection within the vast castle.

At the top were two Devil Fruits awaiting their future users.

The purpose of his upcoming journey to the Kingdom of Kano was to dismantle the "Eight Treasures Navy." Along the way, he planned to explore the mysteries of the "Great Glacier" and understand why the red-haired individual had deviated from his usual approach by directly attacking the Marines.

As a Marine, confiscating stolen money from pirates is not only reasonable but also part of their duty to uphold justice and maintain order in the seas.

"Tom! Take care of things here and protect Mansherry," Dylan instructed.

"Leave it to me, boss," Tom responded with a laugh.

Dylan felt reassured by Tom's strength. At this stage, aside from the Four Emperors and their top subordinates, there were likely very few individuals capable of directly challenging Tom's prowess. However, Dylan remained wary of hidden threats, such as the likes of Golden Lion or others.

"Vice Admiral... We can't exactly fly from here to the land of Kano," one of Dylan's subordinates pointed out, noting the logistical challenge of reaching the distant destination.

Dylan pondered the situation, glancing over at Tom who was playfully interacting with Mansherry at the base.

Although Dylan had the world's best shipbuilder under his command, the lack of suitable materials presented an obstacle. He couldn't help but wonder where figures like Roger had sourced materials like Adamantium trees.

Perhaps it was worth considering enlisting the help of CP0 or other allies like Brother Ming or Aunt to acquire the necessary resources. However, Dylan decided to postpone such plans until he obtained the Munch-Munch Fruit.

For now, Dylan had a plan in place for his own ship but wasn't in a rush to execute it. After all, there were still several years until the anticipated "big event" would unfold.

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