Let's turn the timeline back to the present.
"Alright, let's not talk about this topic anymore!"
Kanae Kocho said to everyone present with a gentle expression.
"Wahahaha! I won!!!"
Milim, who was in a rock-paper-scissors showdown with Rimuru, suddenly shouted excitedly at Zhong Chen and the others.
As the rock-paper-scissors players gradually left the showdown area.
Ultimately, Milim took advantage of Rimuru's momentary distraction and won the hour-long rock-paper-scissors game.
"A Chen! I won, so that opportunity is mine! I'm the best!"
Looking at Milim's fangs and her 'I won and I'm awesome, praise me' expression.
Everyone present showed a doting smile, and Zhong Chen also spoke with a smile:
"Yes, yes, you're the best, so this opportunity is yours!"
Actually, none of them really cared who got to show off; it was just a pastime when they were bored.
Swish... Diablo suddenly appeared before everyone, placed his right hand over his chest, bowed slightly to Zhong Chen and Rimuru, and then spoke:
"Lord Chen! Lord Rimuru! I have an urgent matter to report!"
Hearing this, Rimuru asked with a puzzled expression:
"What is it?"
"It's about the ships that appeared in the outer sea!"
Diablo replied respectfully.
"If they're pirates, just eliminate them! If they're ordinary ships, just ignore them!"
"Yaozai should be able to handle such a small matter, right?"
Zhong Chen asked Diablo with a serious expression.
"Yes! If it were such minor matters, I would handle them myself, but this time it's a Marine warship."
"Originally, I intended to deal with it directly, but Mr. Yaozai said it would be best to consult with you all first!"
Hearing it was the Marines, Zhong Chen felt a surge of surprise. Logically, the closest country to here was Alabasta.
Crocodile should still be a Warlord right now, so there shouldn't be many Marines in this sea area.
"Where are those Marines?"
Zhong Chen continued to ask Diablo.
"The leading Marine has already been taken to the reception room by Mr. Yaozai."
"As for the other soldiers, they must have received orders not to disembark from the warship."
Diablo replied respectfully.
"In that case, let's go meet them. Anyone want to come along?"
Zhong Chen asked everyone present.
"Me, me, me! I want to go!"
"And me!"
As expected, Rimuru and Milim, the two who loved excitement, immediately jumped out.
"I won't go. I want to carefully study Lord Chen's previous work!"
Veldora, on the other hand, indicated he had no interest.
Zhong Chen: Your interests are getting stranger and stranger!
"Hehe, I'll go too, after all, I'm A Chen's secretary!"
"You scoundrel, I won't go. The barbecue restaurant is almost open, I have to go to the shop!"
Although Kochou Shinobu also wanted to see, she could only give up when she thought about her barbecue restaurant.
As for Kanao Tsuyuri, she certainly wouldn't go.
She planned to go back and start creating new works, after all, she saw Veldora's disappointed face.
"Alright, let's go!"
Reception Room
Kagaya Ubuyashiki looked at the beautiful female colonel in front of him with a gentle expression.
Tina also stared intently at Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
Although the man in front of her looked gentle, she felt no sense of security whatsoever.
Her gaze swept slightly over the guards standing behind Kagaya Ubuyashiki, and the feedback from her Observation Haki filled her with dread.
It felt as if she would be instantly killed if they made a move.
"What kind of place is this? I've never heard of it!"
"How could such a powerful country exist in this sea area? What exactly is the Marine's intelligence department doing?!"
Leaving Tina's thoughts aside, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, who was sitting opposite her, now spoke.
"Miss Marine, may I ask what urgent matter brings you to our Monster Country Federation?"
Kagaya Ubuyashiki's question interrupted Tina's thoughts. Coming back to her senses, Tina quickly said:
"I apologize for disturbing the peace of your country. Actually, we are pursuing a pirate crew called 'Scythe'!"
"But when we arrived in this vicinity, we found that they had disappeared, so we ventured into your country to search for traces of the pirates!"
Hearing Tina's words, Kagaya Ubuyashiki nodded understandingly and continued:
"I see! In that case, I don't think you need to search any further, Miss Marine. The pirate crew you mentioned has already been eliminated by us!"
"This group of pirates plundered villages everywhere and committed all sorts of evil! So they were eliminated by your country! Then I can rest assured!"
Tina felt a sense of relief after hearing that the Scythe Pirate Crew had been eliminated by the other party.
Since the other party would actively eliminate pirates, it could be confirmed that they were likely not a particularly evil country.
After all, there were too many nobles in the world who committed all sorts of evil, which led to some countries treating their own citizens even more cruelly than pirates.
"I see you've had a long and tiring journey. How about taking a short rest here with us?"
"You can also experience the hospitality of our Monster Country Federation!"
Hearing Kagaya Ubuyashiki's words, Tina felt a touch of surprise; the other party was even more benevolent than she had imagined.
"Is that really alright? We are Marines! Non-World Government affiliated countries don't seem to like us very much!"
"Hehe! It's alright. As long as you come with good intentions, you are guests, but..."
At this point, Kagaya Ubuyashiki paused slightly and continued:
"But if you intend to do anything that violates the laws of the Monster Country Federation, we will not tolerate it in the slightest!"
"Indeed! They definitely possess formidable armed forces."
"The steel warships seen at the port alone fully indicate that this country is not simple!"
"Moreover, every guard standing in the corridors along the way made me feel a sense of danger!"
"It's possible this country might even have Admiral-level combat power!"
Thinking this, Tina spoke to Kagaya Ubuyashiki:
"Hehe... you can rest assured on that point. We are Marines, not pirates!"
"Miss Marine, you worry too much. I can tell just by looking at you that none of you are bad people!"
"After all, no bad person would speak so honestly to me, a defenseless person!"
Zhong Chen and the others, who had just arrived outside the meeting hall, heard Kagaya Ubuyashiki's words and all had the same confused expression as a black man with a question mark.
How could Yaozai have the nerve to say he was defenseless?
Although his strength was indeed not great in the Monster Country Federation.
But under Zhong Chen's care, he had still reached Special A-class strength.
Compared to the Pirate World, he would at least be on par with a Marine Vice Admiral.
Thinking this, Zhong Chen pushed open the door and said teasingly to the inside:
"Yaozai, are you complaining that your strength is too weak? Do you want me to boost it for you?"