Listening to Jake's words, Rosinante calmed his emotions.
He then picked up the bowl from the ground, nodded at Jake, and said.
"My apologies, Jake-sama. I lost control of my emotions just now."
"It's alright. Seeing such scenes would make even the most hardened men feel profound pain. Even I, who've grown accustomed to these tragedies recently, felt deeply disturbed when I first saw them."
"I keep thinking—if only I'd arrived earlier, could I have saved them? But regrettably, there are no 'what ifs.' I was still too late. They still died. I couldn't do anything."
Rosinante was surprised by Jake's words.
He looked at him and comforted him.
"No, no, Jake-sama, you shouldn't speak of yourself like that. To us, you're already Flevance's savior. Without you here, I don't know how any of us would survive—physically or mentally. Most of us would probably have chosen to end our lives on some night if not for you."
Jake shook his head, his voice slightly bitter.
"What if I told you everything I've done was merely the basic treatment you all deserved? Would you still consider me a savior?"
"I simply treated you as human beings. That such a small act could fill you with the will to live... The more you say such things, the more I realize how rotten this world truly is. If people can't live as humans, how are we any different from animals?"
Hearing this, Rosinante froze.
He looked at Jake, exhaled softly, then smiled.
"Jake-sama, it seems you need this bowl of soup more than I do. You haven't had dinner yet, have you? I've barely touched mine—please have more if you don't mind it."
At this, Jake chuckled and shook his head.
"I've already eaten, thank you for your kindness. Compared to me, you've been working longer hours, and your labor intensity far exceeds mine. During this special period, food should be distributed according to the amount of work each person does. If you give all this food to me today, what will happen if you collapse while clearing the rubble tomorrow?"
Hearing this, Rosinante blushed and said.
"Don't worry, Jake-sama, I would never collapse!"
Seeing Rosinante's earnest expression as if he wanted to seriously explain himself, Jake simply stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and walked toward his own house while smiling.
"Many temporary shelters have been built recently. The temperature difference between day and night in Flevance is extreme, so make sure to keep warm. Stay in those temporary shelters at night—remember, the men's quarters are on the right, and the women's quarters are on the left. If you dare to sneak into the opposite gender's resting area, don't blame me for kicking you out."
Though Jake's words were clearly meant as a joke, Rosinante still bowed deeply and solemnly promised.
"Rest assured, Jake-sama, I would never commit such a despicable act!"
Jake nodded at Rosinante's response, but the moment he turned away, his expression shifted slightly.
Thanks to the terrifying sensory amplification provided by the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he could detect countless signals emanating from Rosinante.
These weren't signs of schizophrenia or multiple personalities.
Rather, Rosinante was currently functioning as a transmission station.
Whether he knew it or not, minuscule surveillance devices had been planted on his clothing.
Every action Rosinante had taken so far—every word spoken, every conversation held—had been observed by the members of the Donquixote Family.
If not for the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's enhanced perception, Jake might have carelessly revealed Rosinante's true identity in front of him and disclosed that the damned spy within the Marines had already been exposed.
Had that intelligence reached the Donquixote Family today, the situation would have grown dangerously complicated.
The plan to eliminate them all in one sweep would surely have been detected by Doflamingo, prompting countermeasures—and such a perfect opportunity might never arise again.
To Jake, Doflamingo had always been a sharp blade hanging over his head.
As long as Doflamingo lived, Jake would never sleep soundly.
From his days as a slave in a small North Blue kingdom, to Gourmet Town, to the Kingdom of Prince, and even Pica's—everything was intricately tied to Doflamingo.
One could even say that without Doflamingo, Jake's growth would have been far slower.
The simplest example was that Jake would never have obtained the Rumble-Rumble Fruit so early, nor would he have ventured to Sky Island and discovered the City of Gold.
At that time, if Kaido hadn't interfered, Jake would most likely have completed his mission, dueled with Lucci, won or lost, and then remained in the elite training camp to train until now.
However, it was precisely because of Doflamingo's intervention that Jake's growth path was accelerated, which could be considered a blessing in disguise.
But Jake wouldn't show any mercy toward Doflamingo just because the outcome turned out favorable.
For this unruly man, he had to completely uproot him this time to avoid endless harassment in the future.
As for Doflamingo's Black Market Industry, Jake had long since found the right successor in his mind.
Of course, whether that person was willing or not was another matter.
*****
That night, as the Den Den Mushi's "Burururu" sound rang out, Jake stroked the slowly shaking white Den Den Mushi beside him while speaking calmly into his own.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, it's me. Regarding what I mentioned earlier about Vergo, the spy the Donquixote Family planted within the Marines—have you found any leads? That man is extremely dangerous, both in terms of strength and personality. If he discovers anything about Rosinante, Rosinante would likely be imprisoned immediately."
Hearing Jake's words, Sengoku's voice grew hoarse.
"Yes, I've never relaxed for a moment regarding these matters. I've thoroughly investigated all of that man's records, and it's just as you said—he's highly suspicious. I've already sent Borsalino after him. Once we capture him, I'll notify you immediately."
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