"Who is it?" A gentle female voice came from inside the room, but she didn't rush to open the door.
Jason remained calm, offering no response as he continued knocking.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Silence.
Five or six breaths passed before the faint sound of a cat's meow broke the stillness.
"I'm here for the cat." Jason's steady voice carried through the door.
Three breaths later, the door creaked open.
"And you are?"
Rouge stood in the doorway, her expression puzzled as she looked up at the tall, broad-shouldered man wearing a mask.
"Jason. You can call me Jason."
He smiled slightly before removing his mask.
"Meow, meow, meow."
Perched on Rouge's shoulder, Lordling swiped its tiny paws in the air, looking immensely pleased with itself, as if boasting about its accomplishment.
Jason sighed. "Yes, yes, you're amazing. You found her so quickly."
Lordling flicked its tail smugly, then gestured toward Rouge as if explaining something.
Rouge listened, nodded, and then, without hesitation, pulled Jason inside before shutting the door behind them.
The room was modest— just a bed, a table, a chair, a small wardrobe, a dressing table, and a few potted flowers. Not much else.
Rouge sat on the edge of the bed and gave Jason an apologetic look.
"Sorry, the room is small. There might not be enough space." Jason glanced at the tiny chair and awkwardly squeezed himself onto it.
"No, no, it's my fault for being too big, heh."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. They simply observed each other.
"Jason, right?"
Rouge finally broke the silence, her tone cautious.
"Yeah. Jason Statham."
He answered without hesitation.
Rouge frowned slightly. "I don't know you."
Then, after a brief pause, she met his gaze and asked, "Do you know Roger?"
Jason blinked, caught off guard.
"Roger?"
He shook his head. "No. I don't know any Roger. The captain sent me here to help you."
Rouge's expression sharpened. "Captain?"
But Jason didn't elaborate.
"Until we leave this island, I'm responsible for your safety. Oh, and his." He motioned toward Lordling.
"Lordling? That's its name?" Rouge murmured before hesitating slightly.
"Excuse me, but… is it just the two of you?"
Jason scratched his head. "Uh, not exactly."
There was the captain as well, so technically, that made three.
Rouge let out a quiet breath of relief. If it had only been one man and a cat, escaping would have been nearly impossible.
After a pause, she looked at Jason again.
"Can you tell me who your captain is?"
She could sense no malice from him— if anything, there was an unspoken respect in his demeanor. It made her curious.
Who would know about her and come to her aid?
Jason hesitated for a brief moment before speaking.
"The captain didn't say whether I should tell you his identity, but… I can answer that."
His lips parted, and then he said the name.
"Gol D. Rojen."
Rouge's breath hitched.
"Gol D. Rojen…"
She repeated the name softly, and a warm smile slowly spread across her lips.
"So it's him?"
Her expression relaxed, her eyes shining with newfound certainty.
"Alright. I'll trust you."
She had heard that name before.
Her husband had mentioned it to her once, long ago.
"Rouge, I have a younger brother named Rojen. If you ever meet him, you'll recognize him instantly."
"Because he looks just like me."
"Though that brat is way more handsome than I am, haha!"
Now, it all made sense. The one coming to rescue her was that person's younger brother.
"Rojen."
Murmuring, she never expected that in her lifetime, she would have the fortune to meet that person's younger brother.
Even surrounded by the Marines, he was still able to come before her. It seemed that her little uncle was not an ordinary person.
Outside Rouge's door, in a secluded corner, a figure hidden under a black cloak let out a sigh of relief.
"With Jason protecting her, she should be safe now."
Slowly removing his mask, Rojen's eyes sharpened.
"Everything next is up to me!"
With different roles, Jason and Lordling's quest was to stay by Rouge's side and protect her safety. His role was to attract all the Marines' attention and create an opportunity for their escape.
All these Marines included soldiers, ranking officers, and even Vice Admirals, and ultimately, there was an Admiral!
And the Admiral he needed to face was already clear.
"Borsalino, is Kizaru?"
A serious expression appeared on Rojen's face, and his heart felt heavy.
If he had to choose one of the three Admirals he least wanted to face at this moment, it would undoubtedly be this guy.
Having reached the Admiral position at around thirty years old, Kizaru - Yellow Monkey was in his prime now, much stronger than he would be twenty years later when the story begins.
Perhaps he lacked some experience, but that sharp aura was at its strongest.
Moreover, his fruit, Pika Pika no Mi (Glint-Glint Fruit), with its lightspeed capabilities and elementalization techniques, made Rojen feel that it would be difficult to deal with.
He had no Haki - Domineering to counter Logia abilities!
"This is troublesome!"
"I can only hope that the 500 million balance in the system can summon a powerful figure."
Rojen felt a heavy weight in his heart.
Turning around, he left the area.
Now that Rouge's safety was confirmed, his task was to gradually draw the Marines' attention to himself.
A day quickly passed, and before long, night fell.
The crescent moon shone brightly, casting a layer of silver frost on the ground.
Groups of Marines patrolled Baterilla Island, and these stationed Marines continuously changed shifts, ensuring that the island was as secure as a fortress.
But suddenly, a scream tore through the night sky, drawing the attention of all the Marines.
"It's in the north, near the naval port!"
"Quick, someone has been attacked!"
Instantly, the Marines became tense, and a large number rushed towards the street leading to the northern naval port.
However, when the first Marines arrived at the scene, they only saw a ground covered in corpses.
A patrol team of Marines had all been killed, their blood staining the ground.
"One slash killed them all; these soldiers were all taken out with a single blow, clean and efficient!"
"What superb swordsmanship!"
A Lieutenant Commander arrived at the scene, his expression grave as he looked at the bodies on the ground.
"And this type of cut is just like the one from the last time he attacked."
"He's back!"
Quickly, the Lieutenant Commander ordered the soldiers to clean up the area and bury their fallen comrades.
"Reinforce the Marines on Baterilla Island, strengthen the forces in the northern district; that guy is here for revenge."
"He wants to slap our Marines' faces!"
"Then let's see how strong he really is!"
The Lieutenant Commander's keen intuition confirmed that the guy would definitely attack the northern district again.
(End Of This Chapter)
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