"Get off! You damn brat! Get off me!"
"Awooooonk—" Reepel howled like a pig, thrashing wildly, shaking from side to side as if having a fit. It left Viscount Solmen dumbfounded. But at this moment, Reepel was practically stunned; he truly hadn't expected to run into this little monster again, even after returning.
"Quiet down!" Cross barked, delivering three punches squarely to Reepel's head.
Thud—
With a dull thud, a wave of force spread outwards, and Reepel instantly collapsed, his two-story-tall body falling heavily to the ground. Cross jumped off him, smiling as he waved at the huge Carnotaurus in front of him. "Yo~ My name's Cross, a Marine Captain..."
Before he could finish, Viscount Solmen opened his blood-red maw and lunged, snarling.
"Hey, hey, hey~ I mean no hostility! I'm also here to deal with the Roberts Legion!" Cross quickly waved his hands, explaining loudly as he swiftly dodged to the side, avoiding the attack.
Viscount Solmen's bite missed, and he continued to chase and bite several more times, but each time he missed.
Furthermore, Viscount Solmen, ignoring Cross's explanation, refused without hesitation. "Marine brat, we have nothing to discuss with you. You're all just enemies!"
"Don't say that! Anyway, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. At least our goals are the same right now!" Cross pointed to Reepel, who was slowly getting back up a few meters away.
"They're just mere pirates. We're capable of handling them, we don't need your Marine help!" Solmen stopped attacking, still maintaining a hostile stance and sneering at Cross's proposal for an alliance.
"The enemy is in the city!"
"Quick, surround them!"
"Aim your rifles, prepare to fire!"
"..."
At this moment, the Bion Kingdom soldiers at the city gate swarmed forward, hundreds of them, densely packed, armed with muskets, longswords, spears, and other weapons, surrounding both Cross and Reepel. However, a large number of Roberts Legion pirates also poured in, creating a standoff with the Bion Kingdom's forces.
"Oonk-oonk~" Suddenly, Reepel shook his head, exchanged glances with Viscount Solmen, then glared fiercely at Cross, saying with angry surprise, "Since you also dislike the Marines, why don't we team up, take care of this annoying Marine brat first, and then settle our own scores?"
Viscount Solmen thought for two seconds, his hostile gaze lingering on Cross's face for a moment. "Good idea. I see no reason to refuse..."
"Viscount Solmen!"
Abruptly, a majestic and magnetic voice interrupted Solmen. Everyone turned to look, only to see the dense ranks of soldiers part as a young man with blue eyes, golden hair, a golden crown, white soft armor, a large red cape, and a longsword at his waist stepped forward.
"Greetings, Your Grace, the esteemed Duke Attawa!" Viscount Solmen, upon seeing the newcomer, quickly reined in some of his hostility. His massive body stepped back, and he bowed slightly in deference.
"Duke?!" Cross was slightly startled, then quickly understood. In the Bion Kingdom, only the prince recognized by the king as the first heir was qualified to be conferred the title of Duke!
The entire Bion Kingdom had only one Prince and one Duke. According to Marine intelligence, the Bion Kingdom's first heir was the first son of the deceased King Doma VII, this very Duke Attawa, who was also the Bion Kingdom's Grand Prince. So, if nothing went wrong, this Duke Attawa would be the next king.
"You said, you are a Marine?" At this moment, Duke Attawa's eyes sparkled as he asked in a deep voice.
"Good day, esteemed Your Grace!" Cross placed his right hand on his chest, bowing slightly in a noble salute, then answered seriously, "That's right. My name is Amphitrite Cross, a Marine Headquarters Captain. I was sent by the Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters to subjugate the Roberts Legion!"
"Subjugate the Roberts Legion... just you?" Duke Attawa scrutinized Cross suspiciously.
"Marine Headquarters dispatched twenty thousand elite Marines and forty warships of various sizes. They annihilated a unit of the Roberts Legion and all their pirate ships earlier today, helping the Bion Kingdom reclaim Oneway Port and trapping the Roberts Legion on Shiloh Island!" Cross deliberately exaggerated the Marine forces and stated seriously, "I was merely sent by Vice Admiral Sakazuki as an envoy to ally with the Bion Kingdom. As long as Duke Attawa is willing to join forces with the Marines, we can launch a pincer attack and surely annihilate the Roberts Legion that has invaded the Bion Kingdom!"
"This... seems like a good idea!"
Hearing this, Duke Attawa showed signs of being swayed. Even the nearby soldiers, after hearing Cross's words, couldn't help but look pleased, whispering amongst themselves.
Suddenly, Viscount Solmen's body rapidly shrunk, transforming into a golden-haired Dragonoid clad in black armor. Then, his eyes coldly fixed on Cross, he said in a low voice, "Your Grace, the World Government and the Marines are despicable and untrustworthy. Don't forget past history!"
Hearing his subject's reminder, a conflicted expression appeared on Duke Attawa's face. He hesitated, "I know the history from before, but now..."
"Your Grace, I can promise on behalf of the Marines that our arrival this time is solely to subjugate the Roberts Legion!" Cross's expression was serious, and he pledged solemnly, "As long as both sides join forces to completely annihilate the Roberts Legion, our Marines will definitely withdraw from the Bion Kingdom's territory and will not interfere with the Doma family's rule in any way!"
"Stop with your flowery words, Marine brat!" Viscount Solmen angrily retorted, "You Marines, including that World Government, are all two-faced and untrustworthy. There's not an ounce of credibility in your words!"
"Oonk-oonk~ Well said! The Marines and the World Government are both equally hypocritical!" Reepel deliberately chimed in, his shifty little eyes gleaming with schadenfreude and satisfaction.
"Ugh..." Faced with this situation, Cross was extremely frustrated. He had no idea what the Marines and World Government had done to the Bion Kingdom in the past to cause such intense hostility from the Bion Kingdom's nobles.
"Ahahaha~"
Suddenly, hearty laughter echoed above Cross's head.
"Hmm?!" Cross looked up to see that Bartholomew Roberts, the Commander of the Roberts Legion, and Marquis Hebrass, the Grand General of the Bion Kingdom, had stopped fighting at some point and were now standing five meters apart on the city wall, in a standoff.
"The World Government is hypocritical, and the Marines are equally untrustworthy. If you are willing to join forces with me to eliminate the Marines, and then we'll settle our own scores, I'll withdraw my troops now!" Roberts spread his arms wide, declaring indignantly. "If Duke Attawa doubts my sincerity, I can even retreat immediately!"
"Let's go, Reepel!"
With that, Roberts actually started to lead his men in a retreat.
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