The Chief Judge glared at Meiser with an ugly expression, clearly not expecting the other party to have infiltrated his private quarters.
Most importantly, his hidden stash of gold and jewels had been discovered. How had they managed that?
Perhaps sensing the Chief Judge's confusion, Meiser explained, "I came specifically for you. Finding your room was just a fortunate coincidence."
For a ninja, searching a room for hidden items was no difficult task. Upon discovering the treasures, Meiser unceremoniously sealed them away in a Sealing Scroll.
There was no need for courtesy with enemies!
"You bastard! Those were confiscated goods we seized from pirates!" the right head roared. "How dare you touch them?"
"Stashing stolen goods in your own room?"
"As the Chief Judge upholding justice, what's wrong with confiscating pirate loot?"
The money had been stolen by pirates to begin with. The Chief Judge saw no issue with his actions—keeping a portion of the spoils was an unspoken rule among their ranks.
"Mm, reasonable," Meiser nodded. "Then me confiscating your stolen goods is equally justified."
"After all, we're enemies~"
At these words, the Chief Judge's expression darkened further.
Indeed, strictly speaking, the other party's actions weren't wrong—they were wicked pirates after all!
"No, this bastard must be bluffing," the left head interjected. "Haven't you noticed he's not carrying anything?"
If he'd truly taken all that treasure, he'd at least need a large bag to carry it. Yet this kid only held a small weapon—something wasn't right.
"If you say so," Meiser shook his head before adopting a serious expression. "Alright, I'll give you one chance. Tell me where Nico Robin and Franky are, and I might let you go."
"We'll give you a chance too!" the right head countered. "Kneel and beg for forgiveness, and we'll make your death quick!"
"Then you'd better lie down first!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Meiser appeared instantly before the Chief Judge, delivering a vicious punch to his abdomen.
The Chief Judge's pupils contracted as he instinctively tried to counter, but Meiser was far faster.
"Take this!"
"BAM!"
The tremendous force made the Chief Judge's eyes bulge as he was sent flying backward.
"WHOOSH—"
"CRASH!!"
He smashed through part of a distant staircase upon impact.
"Guh..."
A mouthful of blood sprayed out as the Chief Judge's face paled considerably.
He'd never imagined this seemingly scrawny kid could be so strong—the explosive power in that instant had been terrifying, nearly knocking him unconscious.
"Hey, you okay?" the left head asked.
"I'm... fine," the Chief Judge stammered weakly.
"You evil pirate, I—"
The right head's tirade was cut short as Meiser interjected, "Spare me the pointless drivel."
Perched on a nearby stair railing, Meiser stared down at the Chief Judge with his Sharingan eyes. "Tell me—where are Nico Robin and Franky?"
The moment the left and right heads saw Meiser's eyes, the light in their own eyes faded, as if they had turned into lifeless puppets.
"You think I'd tell you..."
"Nico Robin is in the building behind you, you..."
Chief Judge: !!!
The Chief Judge stared at his companions in disbelief. Sure, they had skimmed a little money here and there, but when it came to major principles, they had never sided with the wrong party.
What was the meaning of this? Were they betraying information to save their own skins?!
"Bastards!!"
He didn't give them a chance to continue. Immediately bursting out from within his robe, he snatched the large blade from the right head's hand and swung it straight at the left head.
"Thud!"
With a single slash, the left head was instantly grievously wounded, collapsing unconscious.
Not giving the right head a chance to speak, the Chief Judge struck again.
"Thud!"
Watching the Chief Judge take them down one by one, Meiser's eyelids twitched. Wasn't this a bit too ruthless?
To prevent information from leaking, he just straight-up cut down both of them?
Glancing at the two fallen figures and then back at the Chief Judge, Meiser's expression turned slightly strange.
So this guy wasn't some three-headed freak—just three people hiding under one robe. What was even the point of that?
After finishing the deed, the Chief Judge panted heavily, leaning on his long blade as he growled:
"I... I don't know how you did it, but... you won't get any information from me..."
"Why bother?"
"I admit, I have my flaws. I've let those two skim a little off the top," the Chief Judge said. "But... brat, don't underestimate the justice I've upheld for decades!!"
Enraged, the Chief Judge suddenly lunged, raising his long blade high before bringing it down straight toward Meiser's head.
He held nothing back—he knew his body wouldn't allow him a second strike. This one would decide life or death!
"Clang~"
"Bam!"
"Wha...?!"
Staring at the shattered remains of his blade, the Chief Judge's eyes filled with bewilderment.
The enemy had moved to his side in an instant, striking and shattering his blade... Was this the strength of the pirates invading Enies Lobby this time?
No wonder the Marines who reported earlier said they couldn't quickly subdue this group.
If they were all at this level, only Cipher Pol 9 could take them down. Ordinary soldiers would just be cannon fodder!
The Chief Judge knew all too well what a true powerhouse meant to ordinary men.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
Countless shards of the blade flew out, embedding themselves in the Chief Judge's body, causing his already faltering form to slump further.
Blood trickled down the stairs, staining the already crimson carpet an even deeper red.
His body began to slide, inch by inch, following the trail of blood downward.
"Maybe the justice you've carried for decades weighs heavily on you," Meiser said, looking at the Chief Judge. "But... I have my own reasons for doing this. Rest now."
With that, Meiser turned away, leaving the Chief Judge behind as the light in his eyes slowly faded.
The other party had just revealed that it was the rear building of this Courthouse.
Now that they had obtained this crucial piece of information, there was no need to waste any more time here.
Upon hearing Meiser's words, the Chief Judge's eyes gradually regained their light, as if experiencing a final resurgence of clarity.
Struggling, he turned his head with great difficulty, looking in Meiser's direction.
"Brat!"
Meiser stopped in his tracks but didn't turn back. "What? Still holding on?"
"Heh, you won't succeed," the Chief Judge sneered. "Do you really think defeating me means you can save Nico Robin?"
"Do you even know why Enies Lobby has stood unshaken for 800 years?!"
"Don't worry, someone will come to deal with you soon. And when that time comes, your doom will be inevitable!"
"You mean CP9?" Meiser replied. "Rest assured, those guys won't fare any better than you."
With that, Meiser vanished from the spot.
The Chief Judge didn't hear Meiser's response—by the time he finished his last words, his consciousness had already begun to fade.
At that moment, he could no longer perceive anything happening around him.
In the brief seconds that followed, the Chief Judge reflected on his life—a life of grandeur and conviction!
"Teacher... my justice... never faded..."