Chapter 22 - Prince Ilia of Prinz

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22 - Prince Ilia of Prinz

The sound of splashing water filled Rosha's ears as he paddled furiously, like a frantic dog, thirty meters from the shore.

"Am I going to be the first to get hit by the cannon?"

Rosha had thought his stamina would keep him from falling behind, but the reality was stark: all thirty-one officers, including Lieutenant Richard, were swimming at an astonishing speed.

Just a few seconds of delay had left him far behind the pack.

After several minutes of desperate paddling, Rosha had to admit a hard truth.

He didn't know how to swim.

Yes, despite living on an island surrounded by sea for twelve years, his body had always been so drained from the uncontrolled Life Return that even daily activities were a struggle, let alone swimming.

Old John and his wife wouldn't have allowed him to swim in the sea anyway.

So, in this world full of oceans, Rosha hadn't learned to swim.

Fortunately, his body was now healthy, and his stamina was at an impressive level.

Even though he hadn't mastered the swimming techniques like Richard and the others, his immense stamina and physical prowess were helping him to increase his speed gradually.

Just then, a loud booming sound came from the nearby sea, making Rosha's heart skip a beat.

Before he could react, a basketball-sized gray rubber cannonball splashed into the water just a few meters away.

Boom!

The water surged violently, disrupting Rosha's movements and pushing him toward the shallow waters.

At the same time, the soldiers crouched on the beach raised their long flintlock rifles, ready to fire if he entered the shallow zone.

The intense sense of danger made Rosha tense up, his limbs flailing even faster.

"They really fired the cannon! If I get pushed to the shallow zone, I'll be riddled with bullets from a hundred rifles!"

"No, no, no!"

Rosha screamed in his mind.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As if responding to his cries, a series of loud booms echoed like thunder.

The soldiers on the warship, skilled in operating the cannons, adjusted their aim after the initial misses.

When the next three cannonballs splashed around him, Rosha finally felt the impact of being hit by a rubber cannonball.

With a heavy thud, the basketball-sized projectile slammed into his left abdomen.

The immense force and shock lifted Rosha out of the water, sending him flying ten meters before crashing into the shallow zone.

"Ugh!"

Despite his robust physique, the rubber cannonball's impact caused intense pain.

His left side turned red, and it felt like his ribs were shattered, making him gasp in pain.

Dizzy from the blow, Rosha struggled to stand in the water, only to hear the sound of gunfire.

The next moment, bullets rained down, most missing and splashing into the water, but some hit his body, causing him to scream in agony.

"Oww!"

Though they were hollow bullets, the force from the gunpowder was real.

Each bullet felt like a sledgehammer hitting him.

Rosha tightened his muscles, shielding his head, and awkwardly dived back into the water, hastily moving away from the shallow zone toward the distant Richard and the others.

Five minutes later.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sound of cannon fire resumed, mixed with the boy's screams, sending chills down Richard and the other officers' spines.

"Thank goodness for Rosha. Looks like today's training is manageable. Whew, it's not easy. Usually, I'm the one suffering. After this, I should take him to the tavern for a drink as thanks."

Richard sympathetically glanced back at Rosha, now several hundred meters behind, and his face showed a grateful smile.

Back at the branch base, Hibari lay bored on a soft bed, burying herself in a big fluffy bear doll.

"So boring. Dad and Uncle Adilla are out. Daws and Uncle Denno are busy with supplies and food, and Rosha is training. I'm all alone in the base. It's so annoying."

The girl lazily rolled on the bed before suddenly sitting up.

"Right, after training, Rosha will be starving. Why don't I cook something for him? Dad always praises my cooking. Yes, that's a great idea!"

Her pale face lit up with determination as she dashed out of the room towards the kitchen.

"Rosha will be so happy."

In the royal palace of Prinz, Prince Ilia stood before Rear Admiral Adilla, who wore a white Justice cloak and kept his hands behind his back, staring coldly at the pale prince.

"Prince Ilia, how do you explain your collusion with the Revolutionary Army, secretly sending them large quantities of food?"

The grand, ornate palace hall was empty save for Adilla and the royal youth.

Rear Admiral Adilla stood tall and stern, while before him, the youth with delicate features and an exceptionally tall stature was Prince Ilia of the Prinz Kingdom.

A few days ago, Adilla and Akainu had left Rocky Island and arrived at the Prinz Royal Palace under the pretext of pursuing Revolutionary Army criminals to question Ilia.

Typically, naval officers in various seas had no right to interfere in the internal affairs of the kingdoms.

Even the highest-ranking officers in the Four Seas, often referred to as the Sea Admirals had to speak courteously to the high officials of the kingdoms.

Otherwise, these influential figures could simply complain to the World Government officials who collected the Heavenly Tribute, causing severe trouble for the so-called Sea Admirals.

But times had changed.

Firstly, Adilla's rank was far above the Sea Admirals, making him a high-ranking and influential officer in the Naval Headquarters.

Secondly, Ilia was at fault, having been caught contacting the Revolutionary Army by the intelligence agents of the 177th Branch.

The World Government had zero tolerance for the Revolutionary Army.

The Revolutionary Army's actions and ideology directly threatened the World Government's rule.

Over the years, the Revolutionary Army had successfully overthrown the governments of several small countries in the Four Seas, increasing pressure on the World Government.

Therefore, although the Revolutionary Army's overall strength might only rival one of the Four Emperors' crews in the New World, the World Government elevated the threat they posed to the highest level.

Among them, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon, was known as the world's most dangerous criminal, surpassing even the New World's Four Emperors.

This was why Adilla dared to question Ilia so harshly.

Hearing Adilla's question, Prince Ilia's face showed pain and bitterness as he looked at Adilla.

"Admiral, you don't understand. The Revolutionary Army taking food from me wasn't my choice."

"You don't know how violent Dragon is. If I didn't comply with his demands, he threatened to kill everyone in the royal city!"

"Our Prinz Kingdom is just a small member state. How could we resist a world-class criminal like Dragon?"

"I was forced to do this, to ensure the safety of the people of Prinz."

"If the Navy wants to hold me accountable, I will not evade responsibility. As long as Rear Admiral Adilla has the arrest warrant from the World Government, I, Ilia of Prinz, am willing to bind my hands and go with you to the 177th Branch."

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