Rhodes brandished the long sword, then raised it, admiring the intricate patterns on its blade. A satisfied smirk played on his lips. "Though I'm no true swordsman, it's a pleasant surprise to acquire such a fine, sharp blade. I wouldn't have expected someone so weak to possess such a good knife."
He glanced at the prone Mr. 11, then bent down, unfastening the scabbard from the defeated man's waist. With a smooth motion, he sheathed his newly acquired weapon.
"That's my knife!" Mr. 11 protested, watching Rhodes casually claim his sword.
"It's mine now," Rhodes replied indifferently, his gaze meeting Mr. 11's.
Mr. 11, recalling how easily Rhodes had subdued him, knew he was outmatched. "Who are you?" he managed, hoping to at least identify his adversary.
"Don't you want my bounty?" Rhodes countered. "Why? Don't you know me?"
Mr. 11 scrutinized Rhodes and Neru, his expression shifting dramatically. Red hair, emerald eyes... they were members of the Rhode Pirates: Rhodes and Neru!
"Just wait patiently for the battle to end," Neru said, taking two wine glasses from the tavern's bar. He poured wine for himself and Rhodes, and they quietly awaited the conclusion of the street brawl.
The Aftermath of Battle
Meanwhile, on the street...
Genos exhaled deeply, pulling the broken knife from his chest and tossing it aside. He then extracted two bullets from his neck, discarding them before slowly approaching Mr. 5.
Mr. 5 lay on the ground, his body covered in wounds of various sizes—injuries Genos had sustained during their brutal, hour-long fight. All 67 ordinary members of Baroque Works were either severely injured or dead. Their two chief commanders were moderately wounded, but utterly exhausted, unable even to stand. Genos, the "Zombie Man," had been repeatedly pierced by swords and knives, shot through the chest, and had his bones shattered by heavy blows.
Mr. 5 stared at the unscathed Genos, a hint of terror in his eyes. This was a truly unkillable monster!
"Can you tell me why? Why do you have to go to such an extent?" Even with his Devil Fruit power allowing for rapid recovery, the damage sustained and the pain endured were very real. Not even the most brutal pirates would fight like this.
"Why?" Genos gripped his almost completely shattered one-handed axe, glaring down at the man on the ground. "You sent someone to steal my Sissi, and you ask me why!?"
"Sissi?" Mr. 5 echoed.
"That's the dog I raised. He's my only companion! I will never let go of anyone who dares to hurt my companion!"
"Because of a dog!?" Mr. 5's eyes widened. They had fought to this extent all because of a dog?
"The white dog!" Mr. 11's eyes also widened as he remembered his subordinate. It was that subordinate who had stolen Genos's dog and ordered it to be disposed of.
"Did you do this?" Genos looked up abruptly, his gaze darting between Rhodes and Neru before settling on Mr. 11. During the fight, he had noticed the two red-haired individuals, but they showed no hostility, so he hadn't paid them much mind.
"No, not me, I know nothing!" Mr. 11 cried out. Was he kidding? Mr. 5 and Ms. Valentine were already defeated. Mr. 11 had no intention of fighting Genos. Besides, it wasn't he who did it in the first place.
"Your Sissi is over there," Rhodes said, pointing to a box by the wall.
Upon hearing Rhodes, Genos tossed his axe and rushed to the box, carefully opening it. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Sissi inside, intact and soundly sleeping. Gently lifting Sissi from the box, Genos looked at Rhodes and Neru.
"You were the ones who saved Sissi, right? Thank you very much! I will repay you well, no matter what your request is, I will do my best to fulfill it!"
A joyful smile spread across Rhodes's face. "Then come aboard my ship and sail with me!"
"Huh?" Genos was slightly taken aback. He was indeed grateful to the two red-haired individuals who had saved Sissi, and he genuinely wanted to repay them. However, he had initially refused Baroque Works' recruitment because he desired a peaceful life, which had led to the current events. Their request...
"You are..." Genos began tentatively.
"We are pirates!"
"I'm sorry," Genos said, his face filled with apology. "I just want to live a peaceful life. I truly don't want to be a pirate, constantly chased by the Navy across the sea with no peace."
Rhodes ignored Genos's refusal, pouring him a glass of wine and gesturing for him to sit down and talk. "No one wants to be chased around if they have a choice. But that's just how the sea is. You can't calm it down just because you want it to. Hasn't this incident made you see the situation clearly?"
He raised his glass and clinked it with Genos. After taking a sip, he pointed at the defeated Baroque Works members. "The person you just defeated was Mr. 5, the chief commander of Baroque Works. You're a smart person. You should understand from his code name that since he's number 5, there are four stronger people above him, and above those four is their behind-the-scenes president, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile."
Seeing Genos's expression change, Rhodes shook his head slightly. "You've been dragged into this now. If you want to continue to maintain the peaceful life you desire, you can only eliminate all those who wish to disrupt that peace."
"What a hassle!" Genos raised his head, drained his glass of beer, and let out a long sigh. It was clear he simply wanted to live a peaceful and tranquil life with Sissi.
Rhodes poured him another glass of wine, then laughed and clapped Genos on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, being a pirate is not as hard as you think. As long as you have enough strength, you can live a carefree life no matter what you do."
"However, your worries are not wrong. Pirates often encounter pursuit from the Navy."
Rhodes stood up, his gaze fixed on the distance, and a red light flashed in his eyes.
"Like now!"
Genos's character is definitely compelling, with his incredible regenerative abilities and fierce loyalty to Sissi. The irony of him wanting a peaceful life but being constantly drawn into conflict is a classic One Piece element that adds depth.
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The immediate next challenge for the Rhode Pirates, now that Genos is potentially joining, is the arrival of the Navy. This creates an excellent opportunity for Genos to prove his worth and for the crew to solidify their bond under fire.