Chapter 100: PeakRushing through the main gates, Marcus was shocked by the scene inside Peak.Compared to the chaos outside, the interior of Peakfelt completely different; there were only crowds of people coming and going, looking at the dazzling array of goods.What met his eyes was a slightly curved commercial street; based on the exterior of the Peak building, the entire commercial street should be circular.Furthermore, this commercial street had many levels, with overpasses connecting the shops on both sides above.Before Marcus could finish looking around, Ashleysuddenly appeared in front of him, giving him a huge fright."So, Marcus, I wasn't wrong, was I? It's super big in here, right?" Ashley gestured with both hands."Yeah!" Marcus nodded in response. "It really is huge in here."Such a massive mall was truly the largest Marcushad ever seen, without exception, and the overall layout gave him a feeling of being back in his previous life."Of course! This mall is the largest in the world, and there's only one like it. Plus, the variety of goods here is extremely complete; you can basically find whatever you want."Uncle Teng walked over and introduced it to Marcuswith a smile."A mall this big can indeed be called the world's number one," Marcus sighed in admiration.Suddenly remembering something, he asked, "By the way, with such a big incident outside, doesn't someone need to handle it?"Uncle Teng waved his hand dismissively. "That kind of thing isn't my forte, and there are specialized people to handle those matters.""As it happens, I'm free right now, so I might as well take you on a tour," Uncle Teng suggested.Marcus naturally wanted to, "But aren't we going to visit Ashley's father? Going on a tour so suddenly...""Hahaha..." Uncle Teng chuckled softly. "It's fine. We'll introduce the place to you on our way to see the Master."Since that was the case, Marcus had nothing to worry about; he was also very curious about Peak."Alright! I also want to see just how big this Peak is.""Then let's go!"Ashley happily grabbed Marcus and ran toward an elevator on the side.Seeing the heartfelt smile on the Young Miss's face, Uncle Teng also showed a happy smile; he hadn't seen such a smile in a long time."Follow them and protect the Young Miss."With a wave of his hand, Uncle Teng led many security personnel to follow. Although it was much safer inside Peak, it wasn't absolutely safe.After that thrilling scene earlier, Uncle Teng didn't dare lower his guard again!...Meanwhile, outside Peak.A man flattered the Young Master, saying, "Young Master, as expected, it seems that person really has everything prepared."He had no expression in response to his subordinate's flattery, instead thinking about the thrilling scene just now. As an expert, the Young Master had naturally observed it."More than that, I'm interested in that youth. That youth is not simple," the Young Master said meaningfully."Youth?" The people around him looked suspicious.The man had naturally seen the brat's battle scene. In his view, the brat had simply eaten a powerful Devil Fruit; if he were to take action himself, he could definitely crush the brat."Let's not talk about that. Let's go meet our colleagues; we can't play out the next part without them."Inside Peak, under Ashley's lead and Uncle Teng's explanation, Marcus gained a clearer understanding of Peak.Uncle Teng introduced, "The entire Peak covers a circular area with a radius of 500 meters, an area of nearly 780,000 square meters. Walking one full circle is equivalent to 3,140 meters."Hearing these numbers, Marcus was shocked; the area of Peak was actually this large.One should know that the largest Plaza in his previous life,had an area of only 440,000 square meters. Peakwas equivalent to two of them; it was a place that could accommodate a gathering of one million people."And the entirety of Peak is divided into upper and lower parts. We are currently in the lower part. The outer perimeter of the lower part is a 100-meter-wide commercial street, which is what we see now.""Here, there are thousands of shops. It can be said that things from all over the world can be found here. You can see all kinds of items, and even people."Marcus looked around, and there were indeed countless strange things, like plants that could inhale air, flowers with smiling faces, and creatures that looked like fish but could fly... "This commercial street is divided into nine levels, each ten meters high, so every shop is extremely tall. Even some young Giants can enter."Under Uncle Teng's explanation, Marcus didn't take long to finish touring the commercial street and arrived in front of a tunnel.Marcus looked at this straight tunnel and asked suspiciously, "Why is there only this one tunnel? Aren't there many other places in Peak?""Hehe..." Ashley giggled. "Marcus, you don't know yet. Once you walk in, you'll be in for a big surprise."Seeing Uncle Teng's similarly smiling expression, Marcus's interest was piqued. I'll have to see for myself what exactly is in this tunnel.Without hesitation, Marcus stepped right in. After walking about ten meters, the scene that appeared before him indeed gave him a shock.What appeared in Marcus's eyes was azure—a vast expanse of azure seawater. Through the transparent passage, Marcus could see countless fish swimming, and beneath his feet was a beautiful, colorful coral landscape.Ashley looked at the shocked Marcus and laughed softly, "Marcus, you didn't expect there to be an Underwater Paradise in here, did you?""Yeah," Marcus nodded, stunned. He really hadn't expected an Underwater Paradise to be built inside a building. Just how rich would one have to be to have such an idea?Ashley said something that shocked Marcus even more, "There's not just an Underwater Paradisehere; there's also a very fun Zoo."Hearing this, the corner of Marcus's mouth twitched involuntarily. This was truly the mindset of the super-rich—actually building a Zoo."Then wouldn't there also have to be an Amusement Park?" Marcus said offhandedly."Eh? Marcus, how did you know there's also an Amusement Park here?" Ashley asked, very surprised.Marcus's legs went weak, and he almost fell to the floor. If it hadn't been for the passage wall supporting him, he would have collapsed from the shock."Uh, I guessed. Just a guess. I thought since there's an Underwater Paradise and a Zoo, there should be an Amusement Park too."I just made a wild guess. Who knew your dad was so awesome that he actually built all three? At this moment, Marcus's admiration for Ashley's father was like a surging river, continuous and unending, like the flooding of the Yellow River—unstoppable.When would he ever be able to be so rich and willful?"In this middle section, besides these three parks, there's also a library, a museum, a calligraphy and painting gallery, a leisure center... and so on.""At the intersection up ahead, there's a detailed zoning map. You can use these interconnected passages to go wherever you want."Uncle Teng said, pointing to the cross-intersection ahead.Under Uncle Teng's guidance, Marcus felt he had truly opened his eyes. This Peak was completely like a small town, containing all sorts of things.Uncle Teng spread his hands and said to Marcus, "Once we reach here, we're in the central-most area of Peak. You've almost seen the full scope of Peak."As Marcus stepped forward, a spectacular sight appeared before him.A transparent pillar several meters in diameter stood right in the center. The entire pillar was composed of nine elevators. Each level had nine passages connecting to these elevators, allowing everyone to move up and down.Surrounding it were circular corridors, mostly filled with food stalls. As soon as he entered, Marcuscould smell an extremely fragrant aroma.Marcus walked along the edge and looked down, discovering that on Level Five, there were no passages, but rather a circular bar.Seeing Marcus's confusion, Uncle Teng explained, "On Level Five, everything related to that area is connected to Pirates, so it's also a gathering place for Pirates.""Setting up such a large Pirate gathering place right next to a Marine base—aren't you afraid of the Marines?""Hahaha..." Hearing Marcus's words, Uncle Tengburst out laughing!Uncle Teng suddenly stopped laughing and asked in return, "What if we said this is what the Marines want?"A smile touched the corner of Marcus's mouth. He didn't answer but let the topic drop there.Marcus could guess the general reason; there were just some things where you could understand the intended meaning without needing to say much.Seeing the two of them speaking in riddles, Ashleyimmediately became annoyed!"Aiyaya, you two stop talking and let's hurry up. I still have to take Marcus to tour the upper levels."At Ashley's urging, Marcus and Uncle Teng finally walked quickly toward the elevators.Arriving at the elevators, Marcus thought they could just enter any one of them, but what he didn't expect was...Uncle Teng went to a section of the wall and pressed several numbers on a keypad. The wall opened up, revealing an elevator inside."The upper part is not open to the public. You must have permission to go up, and you can only get there through this special elevator."This elevator was massive; over ten people standing inside didn't feel crowded at all, and it was very stable."Uncle Teng, the area of the upper part of Peak is about the same as the lower part. What exactly is up there that it's not open to the public?"Marcus really couldn't figure it out. Such a large place could be used for so many things, yet it wasn't open to the public. What on earth was up there?"You'll be able to see for yourself when we get there!"Just then! The elevator doors opened!UU Reading—Welcome, readers, to our site. The latest, fastest, and most popular serialized works are all at UU Reading! Mobile users, please go to our site to read.
Chapter 101: It's Him!"T-this! This! This!..." After stuttering for a long while, Marcus finally finished his sentence. "Is this real?"Marcus looked at the Peak that was dozens of meters high; upon closer inspection, it was indeed a miniature mountain, with lush green forests, a beautiful small valley, and a lake with shimmering ripples.Under the gentle breeze, several strands of weeping willow dipped into the water, dancing with the wind and creating ripples that startled a few birds into flight.Seeing these living birds, Marcus finally realized that everything before him wasn't an illusion; it was all real.Atop Peak was a true paradise on earth! A man-made paradise!Marcus had always wondered what was in the upper half of Peak, but he never expected it to be so shocking—no, it should be said he was stunned.Seeing the scene before him, Marcus was completely dazed, not even noticing when the others stepped out of the elevator.Ashley grabbed Marcus's hand and pulled the still-shocked Marcus out of the elevator.Spreading her arms, Ashley twirled joyfully in front of Marcus and said with a smile."Well, Marcus? I was right, wasn't I? My home really is beautiful!""Yeah!"Marcus nodded mechanically. Although he had come to his senses, he still couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.Seeing that golden gate, Marcus learned what it meant to be wealthy; seeing the small city below, his concept of wealth was refreshed.Seeing this, Marcus could only say one thing: the wealthy people from his past life were nothing; compared to this, they didn't even count as a fart.Inside a building two hundred meters high and covering 780,000 square meters, they had used the lower half to build a small city.And that wasn't even the most awesome part; they actually used enough space to build another small city just to create a residence.At a height of a hundred meters!Marcus felt that he couldn't find any words created by humans, whether in this world or his previous life, to describe Ashley's never-before-seen father.Uncle Teng said with a smile, "Marcus, do you find it very shocking?""Shocking?" Marcus smiled bitterly. "It's more than shocking; my legs have gone weak from the shock.""Hahaha..."Uncle Teng laughed loudly. "It's nothing. When I first walked in here, I felt the same way you do.""But honestly, anyone who comes here would look shocked."Marcus nodded. Facing such a scene, no one could remain calm.Ashley suddenly stepped between the two. "Marcus, I'm very familiar with this place. How about I give you a good tour?"Saying this, Ashley grabbed Marcus's hand, wanting to run off to the side.Uncle Teng saw through Ashley's little scheme immediately. Ashley just wanted to find an excuse to run away because she didn't want to see the Masterand was afraid of being scolded.Uncle Teng slid his feet and turned slightly, blocking Ashley's path, and said very seriously."Young Miss, you can't run around now that we're here. The Master is waiting for you. As for giving Marcus a tour, I'll take him after you've seen the Master."Hearing this, Marcus could only wave his hand at Ashley, indicating it wasn't that he wouldn't help, but that he couldn't. He naturally saw through Ashley's little scheme.Seeing both of them like this, Ashley could only stand aside, pouting and sulking.Uncle Teng stepped aside and said to Marcus, "Come, Marcus, I'll take you to see the Master."Marcus nodded slightly and followed behind Uncle Teng. Ashley didn't want to go in her heart, but under Uncle Teng's gaze, she reluctantly followed.Led by Uncle Teng, the group entered a small forest path.In this small man-made forest,there were many unnamed but beautiful flowers, as well as animals occasionally glimpsed among the trees.It seemed Ashley's father had put in a lot of effort when building this place, spending quite a bit on various plants and animals.Building a complete biosphere within such a space was extremely difficult; it was barely possible in his previous life.This forest was only about a hundred meters wide. It didn't take long for the group to cross it.What appeared before them was a plain, and in the very center, an extremely ancient castle stood tall.Without Uncle Teng's introduction, Marcus could guess that this must be Ashley's home, and the person waiting for him inside was Ashley's father.What kind of man was Ashley's father, to possess such great power and build something like Peak?Perhaps knowing they were coming, many black-clad bodyguards and beautiful maids stood in rows on both sides of the road in front of the castle to welcome them."Welcome, Young Miss!"Seeing Ashley approach, the maids and bodyguards bowed ninety degrees and shouted loudly!Watching this scene, Marcus let out a soft sigh of admiration. He never expected to experience a scene that only existed in fantasies!Of course, this was all thanks to Ashley.Facing such a scene, Ashley showed no expression and remained unhappy. Clearly, this was routine for her and didn't hold the slightest interest!However, she still maintained the basic conduct of a noble.Ashley walked forward a few steps and stood before everyone. Within those few steps, Ashley's temperament underwent a massive change from the inside out.Previously, Ashley was a scatterbrained, happy, and cheerful ordinary girl who made people feel at ease.Now, Ashley exuded a noble aura—the aura of a true aristocrat, giving off a sense of superiority.At this moment, Ashley still maintained a faint smile, but behind that smile was a sense of "do not approach."Between before and after, Ashley underwent a startling transformation, as if an ugly duckling had turned into a noble swan—at least in terms of temperament.If Marcus hadn't seen this transformation with his own eyes, he would have thought Ashley had become a different person, reborn just like himself!Looking at Ashley, Marcus was reminded of a similar figure—that equally noble woman on Saxon Island!Thus, following Ashley, Marcus finally experienced what it felt like to travel like a noble.To describe it in one word: "Great."In two words: "Very great."In three words: "Extremely great."In four words: "Great to the extreme"... Unfortunately, that feeling of greatness didn't even last for a short while!Entering the castle gates, he looked at the architecture filled with a historical atmosphere and some exquisite carvings.However, Marcus felt nothing. In his eyes, these were just ordinary places for people to live. As for any special charm, it was useless to him.In Marcus's words, he was just a commoner and couldn't understand such elegant things at all, so they were useless to him.It was like placing a painting worth hundreds of millions of Berries and a pile of tens of millions of Berries in front of him; his eyes would definitely be fixed on the pile of Berries.In truth, how many people in this world actually understand elegance? Most are just pretending to be cool; elegance is something that needs to be cultivated from childhood.It's not that you can become elegant just by spending money to buy things that sound awesomeand elegant.So, facing these things, Marcus only gave them a glance before losing interest; he was just a commoner!"Sigh, putting on this act is really tiring. I really don't want to do it anymore."As soon as they entered the gate, Ashley's noble temperament vanished instantly, and she returned to being that lively, scatterbrained girl from before.Uncle Teng only smiled dotingly at Ashley's behavior. Compared to the noble Ashley, Uncle Teng preferred the current one.A maid walked over and said respectfully, "Butler Teng, the Master said he wants you, the Young Miss, and the guest to meet him in the hall.""Mm, I understand." Uncle Teng waved his hand, signaling the maid to leave.Turning back to Marcus, he said, "Marcus, let's go to the hall. I think the Master is also very eager to see you.""Okay!"Marcus followed behind Uncle Teng toward the hall the maid mentioned. Ashley followed reluctantly at the back.After turning through several corridors, the three of them arrived at a large door. After pausing for a moment, Uncle Teng slowly pushed it open.A man with quite a bit of white hair, whose full and energetic face revealed the vicissitudes of time, was wearing clothes that resembled ancient garments from his previous life.Marcus recognized this clothing; it came from the longarm tribe, and the lifestyle of the entire longarm tribe was very similar to how people lived in ancient times in his previous life!It's him!UU Reading, welcome to our site for the latest, fastest, and hottest serial works! Mobile users, please go to read.
Chapter 102: The World's Richest ManSeeing the man's smiling face, a hint of surprise appeared on Marcus's face, but it instantly vanished!Unfortunately, the surprise that flashed across Marcus's face was clearly seen by the man's sharp eyes.Father, I missed you so much!Behind him, Ashley saw the man sitting on the high platform and stuck out her tongue. Then, looking very happy, she opened her arms and ran towards the man.However, before Ashley could run close, the man said with a serious expression, "Stop, stand right there. Do you even remember you have a father?"Hehe... Ashley acted coquettishly, "Father, how could I forget you? You have always been in my heart."Usually, whenever she made a mistake, she would use this trick on her father, and it was always foolproof. As long as she acted coquettishly, her father would let her off.Unfortunately, this trick didn't work today. The mistake Ashley made this time was too big; she almost died at the hands of those assassins.The man didn't want to let this matter slide so easily today; otherwise, if she ran out again next time and something happened, what would he do?Don't try to charm me. You actually dared to sneak out this time. Do you know what happened? So many assassins were after you. If it weren't for your good luck, you would have died long ago.Originally thinking that her father wasn't falling for her trick and that she was doomed, Ashley revealed a smile after hearing these words.It seemed that her father was just worried about her safety and wasn't blaming her for sneaking out. That made things easier to handle.With a light laugh, Ashley suddenly ran over and squeezed the man's shoulders, "Father, I'm fine, aren't I? I won't go out next time, okay? Don't be angry this time, I promise to listen to you from now on."You!Pointing at his daughter's nose, the man looked helpless. He really found it hard to be angry with his beloved daughter!Ever since his wife died, and with him often being busy with business, he didn't have much time to accompany her. Therefore, Ashley had always stayed in this huge, yet prison-like Peak.It was precisely because of this that Ashley always wanted to go out and see the world, so the man found it really hard to blame her for sneaking out this time!Looking at the man in front of him who doted on Ashley so much, Marcus almost thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.Was this really the capital tycoon who, if he stomped his foot in the business world, would make the whole world tremble?Was this the World Government's biggest partner, known as a vampire by the World Government?Was this the businessman who could flip clouds and rain in the business world, known as the richest man in the world?He was none other than Gudrit!!This person did not exist in the Pirate King from his previous life. Of course, the Pirate King from his previous life was just a manga, while the world Marcus was in now was real. Therefore, in this world, besides pirates and Marines, there were naturally many people who were outstanding in certain aspects and also stood at the Peak of the world.This Gudrit was one of them, and he was hailed as the world's richest man! (Excluding the Celestial Dragons, because the Celestial Dragons could be said to be the rulers of this world; with just one word, they could requisition countless wealth.)As a businessman, Gudrit was involved in every aspect, including arms, medicine, construction, banking, shipping... as long as it could make money, he was basically involved in it.And what made people envy him the most was that Gudrit was the World Government's largest cooperative supplier.Even the simplest military arms were basically produced in his factories. Gudrit could be said to be the largest arms manufacturer in this world!As a Marine, Marcus had naturally heard the name Gudrit, and had even had the chance to see his photo once, so he recognized him instantly.However, in the Marine records, Gudrit was an extremely wise, cold-blooded, calm person who would never show any change in expression. The World Government had never taken advantage of him, and he had always been known as a vampire within the Marine.Now, he was just an ordinary father who doted on his daughter.Seeing that her coquetry had succeeded, Ashleyrevealed a smug smile at Marcus, which then instantly vanished from her face.Alright, stop squeezing, there's still a guest here!" Gudrit gently patted Ashley's hand.Ashley stretched her head in front of Gudrit and said with a smile, "So, does that mean Father isn't blaming me this time?"Gudrit dotingly pinched Ashley's nose, "Yes, yes! But only this time, you cannot run away again next time."Yay!" Ashley suddenly thought of something and said with a bitter face, "But staying in here is very boring. I want to go outside and play."Don't worry, you can go out often in the future, but Uncle Teng must accompany you, or I must accompany you. Do you understand?"When saying this, Gudrit couldn't help but raise his voice to remind Ashley.Yay!Ashley hugged Gudrit's head and said very happily, "Father, is this true? I am really so happy."After experiencing this incident, and the thrilling scene earlier, Gudrit had also opened his mind. While he was still young, it was time to accompany Ashley to go out and play.Anyway, money was just a number to him now, and the company didn't need him to watch over it constantly; he just needed to sign documents every day.It was time to spend some time to properly take Ashley out to play.Alright, alright, our young friend is watching and about to laugh," Gudrit looked at Marcus, then turned back to say to Ashley.However, Ashley didn't think so and said, "It's fine, Marcus isn't an outsider anyway, so what if he sees."Hearing this, Marcus's face showed a hint of embarrassment, and he rubbed his nose awkwardly. This statement was too ambiguous.What did she mean by "not an outsider"? It felt as if something had happened between him and her, but Marcus didn't dare to say this out loud; he could only think about it in his heart.A hint of surprise flashed in Gudrit's eyes. He didn't expect that in just one day, his daughter would have such a good relationship with this young man.You have to know, his daughter looked easy to get along with on the surface, but deep down she was very resistant to outsiders. Yet, this young man was able to walk into his daughter's heart.Young friend, sorry to make you laugh," Gudritlooked at Marcus with a smile.Marcus smiled and said, "Oh, it's fine. Actually, this kind of scene makes me feel very warm."By the way, Marcus, I still don't know where your home is," Ashley interrupted and asked.My home was destroyed by pirates long ago. Now, I'm the only one left.These words, which would sound sad coming from others, seemed plain and ordinary coming from Marcus, because Marcus had long been accustomed to others asking him this.However, sometimes Marcus really wondered if he had truly popped out from a stone. Whether in his past life or now, why was he always an orphan?Seeing that she had asked about Marcus's sad past, the smile on Ashley's face vanished instantly, and she stood there not knowing what to say.Ashley didn't expect that Marcus didn't have a single relative left. Although her mother had died before she could remember, she still had a father who doted on her very much.Comparing it this way, she was actually luckier than Marcus. Although she had lost maternal love, she still had paternal love.Meanwhile, Gudrit and Uncle Teng, who were on the side, had already investigated Marcus when they discovered that he was with Ashley. They knew about Marcus's basic situation, so they didn't show any surprised expressions!Young friend, sorry. My daughter didn't mean to ask this question."Gudrit spoke up at the right time, alleviating the awkwardness that had appeared in the air.Marcus, I'm sorry. I didn't know before, so I asked carefully," Ashley apologized.Marcus smiled slightly and shook his head, "It's fine, I'm already used to it!"By the way, young friend, I saw that you had a look of surprise when you saw me earlier. Have you seen me before?"Gudrit changed the subject; it was always bad to talk about someone's sad past in front of them.He was worthy of being the world's richest man; even such a subtle change in his expression just now had been clearly observed by Gudrit.Not really. Gudrit is very famous in the world, and I once had the chance to see your photo, so I recognized you at a glance."Gudrit felt strange that Marcus had seen his photo. Although most people knew his name, his photos were rarely leaked, almost never. However, thinking of Marcus's identity, Gudrit felt relieved.I have often heard of the name of young friend Marcus. Young friend Marcus is the most promising Marine Soldier in the Marine."Marcus wasn't surprised that Gudrit knew his name. With his power, he was afraid that from the first moment Uncle Teng saw him, he had already started investigating him.The year before last, I had the chance to go to Marine Headquarters and specifically wanted to meet you, young friend, but unfortunately, you weren't there. I didn't expect that we would meet under these circumstances now."Facing Gudrit's praise, Marcus just rubbed his head and laughed awkwardly twice, without showing any smug expression.Watching Marcus's performance, Uncle Teng and Gudrit nodded and praised him secretly; at such a young age, he could already be so calm and not arrogant.Ashley, who didn't know about Marcus's deeds, was confused after hearing the conversation between her father and Marcus. However, Ashley didn't speak up to disturb them, just listened quietly.However, I really have to thank young friend Marcusthis time. If you weren't there, I don't know what would have happened to Ashley, and I really wouldn't know how to face her deceased mother."Speaking of this, Gudrit held Ashley's hand tightly, thanking Marcus with a sincere face. If it weren't for Marcus, at that moment earlier, Ashley would have definitely died.Gudrit found it very hard to imagine what he would do if his only daughter died!It's nothing, this is what I should do. Ashley and I are very good friends, and helping Ashley is my duty."Hearing Marcus's words, Ashley revealed a smile, but a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes.Just friends?UU Reading welcomes readers to visit and read, the latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all at UU Reading! Mobile users please go to read.
Chapter 103: DepartureIn the main hall!Gudrit looked delighted, and a hint of goodwill appeared in his gaze as he looked at Marcus.As a figure who had struggled in the business world for so long, rising step by step from the bottom to the Peak, Gudrit was very accurate in judging people.Gudrit heard the heartfelt sincerity in Marcus's words just now, which was also the reason why he was so joyful.For certain reasons, Ashley was usually lonely. Even when she met peers under his guidance, they would flatter her because of him.So until now, Ashley had remained alone, finding it hard to have any sincere friends. But today, she finally had a friend; how could Gudrit not feel happy?Unfortunately, Gudrit didn't know that in Ashley's heart, she wanted to be more than just friends!One was a person of Rebirth; although he didn't go into business himself, he possessed advanced economic theories from his past life.The other was a capital tycoon who commanded the business world, relying entirely on his foresight and experience but lacking sufficient theory to study.When these two met, it was like a collision between Mars and Earth—they couldn't stop. Even Uncle Teng and Ashley felt like falling asleep listening to them.Finally unable to take it anymore, Ashley checked the time and saw that over an hour had passed. She quickly spoke up to remind them."Can you two please stop and take a break? You've been talking for over an hour, and my stomach is about to flatten from hunger."Saying this, Ashley rubbed her belly to show she was truly hungry.Since she ran out today, was later caught by pirates, and then met Marcus, Ashley hadn't eaten anything yet.Hearing Ashley's complaints, Marcus and Gudritfinally stopped. They glanced at the time and found it was indeed as Ashley said.However, Gudrit still felt he hadn't had enough. He had never heard the theories Marcus spoke of before, and it was hard to imagine such profound theories coming from the mouth of a teenage brat.If he hadn't seen Ashley's complaining face, Gudritwould have really liked to continue chatting with Marcus. However, once Ashley spoke, Gudrit also felt hungry.Seeing Ashley come to the rescue, Marcus truly breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't studied finance back then; he had only read some books on the subject and remembered them.After talking with Gudrit for so long, the ink in Marcus's chest was about to run dry. If they continued, he wouldn't know what else to say."In that case, I'll have someone start preparing the meal," Uncle Teng said.Gudrit nodded. "Yes, go prepare. Young friend Marcus, let's continue our talk in the dining room later."Ashley quickly said, "Uncle Teng, today I want to eat Clover, Fried Deep-Sea Finfish, Stir-fried Citrus Snail..."After listing six dishes in one breath, Ashley finally stopped. These were dishes she usually loved to eat. Today, she was in a good mood, so she wanted to eat all these delicious dishes."Marcus, are there any dishes you like? I'll have the staff prepare them for you," Uncle Teng asked Marcus, who was beside him.Marcus waved his hand. "There's no need to prepare anything for me. Now that I've brought Ashley back, I'll soon...""No, I won't allow you to leave! You said we are friends, how can you just run away like this?"Hearing Marcus say he was leaving, the joy on Ashley's face vanished instantly, and her voice carried a hint of sobbing."Ashley, we are still friends, but even friends have times when they must part. Besides, I have things to do."Facing Ashley's tears, Marcus didn't feel great either, but partings were always like this, filled with sadness."Then how about this, I'll have Uncle Teng help you with it, can you stay then?" Ashley looked at Marcuswith a face full of expectation.Facing Ashley's expectant gaze, Marcus really wanted to nod in agreement. He knew that for the lonely Ashley...how difficult it was to have a friend. Yet this friend was leaving before they had even spent a full day together, and who knew when they would meet again.In this situation, Marcus understood the pain in her heart, because he had experienced it too.But he had to leave. Telling a lie now wouldn't just fail to make Ashley happy; it would cause even more heavy pain later.Taking a deep breath, Marcus closed his eyes and shook his head, because he no longer dared to look at those expectant eyes."No, this matter is my mission. I must complete it myself, so I definitely have to leave."After saying this, Marcus opened his eyes, revealing an incomparably firm gaze.When Ashley heard this, two lines of tears had already appeared on her face. Her sorrowful expression made the entire hall seem to fall into a miserable atmosphere."No, I won't let you! Uncle Teng, stop him!"Seeing the Young Miss so sad, although Uncle Tengunderstood Marcus's actions, he was still displeased in his heart.Uncle Teng would naturally obey the Young Miss's command. He stepped back a few paces and leaned against the main door.Seeing this, Marcus's eyes narrowed. The thing he had been worried about earlier had happened after all. If Uncle Teng insisted on not letting him go, he really wouldn't be able to leave.Marcus didn't think he could defeat Uncle Teng with his current strength. In Marcus's view, Uncle Teng's strength was comparable to an Admiral!The scene suddenly fell into a deadlock!After a long while, Gudrit, who had been watching the developments, finally stepped forward to resolve the deadlocked situation.Gudrit waved his hand at Uncle Teng. "Old Teng, clear the way. If someone thinks our temple is too small, why force them to stay?""That's... it's not like that," Marcus said with a bitter smile. "I really have a mission that must be carried out. It's not that I think the temple is small or anything."Ignoring Marcus's explanation, Gudrit took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the tears from Ashley's face."Father, can we keep Marcus here?" Ashley asked with a sob."Sigh!" Gudrit sighed deeply. "He's a Marine and is currently on a mission. No matter what your father does, I can't just detain him.""If he stayed voluntarily, I could find a way, but he doesn't want to stay. Even if I detained him here, do you think you would truly be happy?"Gudrit was truly worthy of being the world's richest man; with just a few words, he laid out the essence of the matter.Hearing Gudrit's counter-question, Ashley fell into deep thought. If she forced Marcus to stay, he would definitely be unhappy. Would she really be happy then?Gudrit spoke, "I am a businessman, and I believe in clear rewards and punishments. Since you saved my only daughter, I will give you a corresponding reward.""Speak! What do you want? Money, gold, status... as long as I can do it, I will satisfy your request."Being spoken to like this by Gudrit, Marcus suddenly felt unhappy. Although he liked money very much, he wasn't the kind of person who only cared about profit. His tone of voice also became a bit heavier."Mr. Gudrit! I didn't save Ashley for money. I did it for our friendship. I don't want..."But before Marcus could finish, he was interrupted by Gudrit waving his hand."Since you don't want these worldly things, I'll give you something else."Without waiting for Marcus to explain, Gudrit fell into thought, wondering what he had that might interest Marcus to give to him.Suddenly, Gudrit thought of something good, but it was something he was hesitant about. In the end, he decided to give it anyway.Thud!Gudrit slowly pulled an unsealed file folder from a nearby drawer and threw it in front of Marcus. While waiting for Marcus, he had been looking at the information inside.Under Marcus's puzzled gaze, he said, "Didn't you say you were here on a mission? And right now, the only thing in Korode that could interest the Marine is probably that 'tenryuubito tribute'.""Could it be... this... is... information related to the tenryuubito tribute?" Marcus said excitedly."Exactly," Gudrit nodded. "Inside is the intelligence I've gathered. Now, consider this your reward."Hearing Gudrit say this, the joy in Marcus's eyes vanished, and he shook his head firmly. "I said, I didn't save Ashley for any reward. I did it for our friendship!"Although Marcus really wanted this intelligence—and Gudrit was someone whose gathered information would surely contain many incredibly important details, much more detailed than what he could collect himself...Marcus still had his principles. Once he accepted this file, it would mean he didn't save Ashley for friendship at all, but for profit.If that were the case, Marcus would not accept it.Seeing Marcus's behavior, Gudrit was not angry; instead, a flash of admiration passed through his eyes."Since you don't want it, don't blame me for not giving it. Someone, see the guest out."Click.The door suddenly opened, and two maids appeared outside. They bowed slightly, pointing their right hands forward.Ashley, I'm leaving!UU Reading. 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Chapter 104: Gudrit's ViewpointWatching Marcus's back slowly disappear from sight until he was completely gone.Ashley could no longer suppress the pain in her heart; the tears in her eyes finally overflowed, sliding down her pure and flawless face like thin streams of water.Those tracks were like a colorless brush painting a sorrowful picture on her paper-white face."Father, I really don't want Marcus to leave, I really don't."Ashley suddenly turned around and threw herself into Gudrit's arms, her tears instantly soaking the clothes on his chest."Sigh!"Feeling the slight chill on his chest, Gudrit sighed deeply and gently stroked Ashley's head."I know, I know, but he has his own affairs to attend to. You can't really expect Old Teng to keep him under house arrest here."Gudrit looked at his daughter in his arms, who was in immense pain, and a look of heartache appeared on his face as he spoke softly to comfort her.Gudrit's hands seemed to possess some kind of magic; under his gentle stroking, Ashley slowly closed her eyes and fell into a dream.Seeing that Ashley had fallen asleep in his arms, Gudrit asked in a low voice, "Old Teng, tell me, what on earth did Ashley and Marcus go through during this half-day that she actually regards him so highly?""Master, forget about you, even I might not be able to match Marcus's current status in the Young Miss's heart," Uncle Teng replied with a bitter smile. "As for their experiences during this half-day, no one saw them."Suddenly, a suspicion crossed Uncle Teng's mind, but fearing he might be wrong, he hesitated to speak.Noticing Uncle Teng's hesitant expression, Gudritasked suspiciously."Old Teng, from the look of you, do you know something?"Uncle Teng nodded and said hesitantly, "Actually, it's just my speculation... I... I think the Young Missmight have developed feelings for Marcus.""The Young Miss's behavior and words toward Marcus are not at all like those between friends; instead, they are more like..."Hearing Uncle Teng's words, Gudrit fell into deep thought for a moment before speaking."Actually, I have that feeling too, but I wasn't sure about this conclusion. Since you say so as well, Old Teng, it's probably eight or nine parts out of ten true."Then, Gudrit changed his tone, "But so what? Ashley is still so young; what does she know about feelings? The reason she has a good impression of Marcus is just because he's the first friend she's made in so many years. After some time, she'll forget.""But..."Uncle Teng originally wanted to say that he feared Ashley might not forget Marcus so easily; seeing her previous look of pain, Marcus had clearly left a deep mark in her heart.However, Gudrit waved his hand and interrupted him!"Old Teng, I know what you're going to say. Isn't it better if she doesn't forget?" Gudrit asked back with a smile."This..." Uncle Teng was momentarily speechless, unable to understand what Gudrit was thinking. The Master's leap in logic was too great.Gudrit said with immense pride, "As my, Gudrit's, daughter, she must marry a powerful man in the future. I will give all this massive Family property to her; without strength, how could she protect it?"Hearing this, how could Uncle Teng not understand? The Master actually approved of Marcus and Ashley's relationship, but they were still young and lacked the ability to recognize their feelings."That Marcus, to be hailed by those old fogies in the Marine as the most potential Marine Soldier in history, his talent must be matched by few in this world. As for his strength, you've seen it yourself.""That's right!"Under the Master's gaze, Uncle Teng nodded. Although Marcus's strength was nothing in his eyes, to have such power at that age made him a Prodigy.At the very least, when I was Marcus's age,My own strength was worlds apart compared to Marcus's."Furthermore, his attainments in business are actually stronger than mine. If I let him manage my assets, they would surely improve again. It's a pity..."Having said this, Gudrit suddenly stopped, sighed, and shook his head with a trace of disappointment on his face."I can see that Marcus only treats Ashley as a friend; it might just be unrequited love on Ashley's part.""Hahaha..."Uncle Teng suddenly laughed, "Master, you don't need to worry about that. The Young Miss is so beautiful, with excellent character and personality, and she's the daughter of the World's Richest Man. Who could resist her charm?"Slap!Gudrit slapped his thigh and said proudly, "Exactly! My daughter is so outstanding; how could that boy possibly resist her charm?"Speaking of which, Gudrit thought about how so many assassins had come to assassinate his daughter, and she had almost died at their hands.A surge of anger rose from his chest, and a powerful Killing Intent emanated from his body. This Killing Intent was so strong that if an ordinary person stood next to Gudrit, they would surely foam at the mouth and faint.Don't be fooled by Gudrit being a businessman; in this era where personal martial prowess reigns supreme, his strength was not simple to become the World's Richest Man, and he had experienced a great deal of bloodshed."However, I definitely won't let those people off this time. This matter cannot be settled like this; none of those masterminds behind the scenes should think about escaping responsibility."Hearing this, Uncle Teng added at the right time, "Among the captured assassins, some have already confessed, but others are truly tough nuts and still haven't talked."Gudrit naturally knew that these assassins were no ordinary lot. The masterminds held high positions, so the assassins they hired were naturally extremely strong; how could they fail to withstand basic torture and interrogation?They were especially good at keeping secrets; it would be difficult to pry their mouths open using ordinary methods. Gudrit rested his chin on his hand and pondered for a moment.He gave a light wave of his right hand.A black figure slowly emerged from the empty Void Realm behind Gudrit, appearing like a ghost.If Marcus were present, he would surely recognize that this was one of the four black shadows from before, who had been staying by Gudrit's side without ever leaving.Gudrit didn't look back but spoke to the shadow, "Ordinary means won't work on those assassins who haven't spoken, so you go. Pry everyone's mouth open.""Dead or alive, I only want to know who hired these assassins and which organizations they come from. As for the rest, do as you wish; I only need results."The shadow didn't speak, only nodded slightly, walked toward the nearby wall, and his figure gradually dissipated into the air."Those assassin organizations or families, since they dared to take the mission to assassinate my daughter, they must be prepared to face my wrath.""It seems that because I haven't taken action for so many years, those people have forgotten my methods from back then. This time, I'll show the entire Underworld that it's fine to move against me, but if they touch my daughter, I won't let them go even if I have to chase them to the ends of the earth."As he spoke, a powerful Aura emanated from Gudrit's body, stirring up a strong gale centered on him within the enclosed hall.Makino, in Gudrit's arms, naturally felt this Aura; her brows furrowed, and her eyelids twitched slightly as if she were about to wake up.Seeing this, Gudrit quickly retracted his Aura, returning to being an ordinary-looking man in his fifties.With the disappearance of the Aura, Ashleytwitched her beautiful nose and fell back into sleep, a smile appearing on her face as if she were dreaming of something happy.Seeing the Young Miss asleep, Uncle Teng then asked, "Should we take advantage of the fact that those masterminds haven't reacted yet and eliminate their lackeys in Korode with thunderous force?""No!" Uncle Teng waved his hand, "This time, Korode is already caught in a massive vortex because of the tenryuubito tribute incident.""As the hosts, we must not move now. If we do, we're very likely to be dragged into this vortex, especially since many people in the World Government believe I was involved in this."Hearing this, a trace of anger rose in Uncle Teng's chest, and he couldn't help but cold snort."How could we possibly be interested in this 'tenryuubito tribute'? Those people just want to use this as an excuse to deal with the Master and get their hands on his staggering wealth. I'm afraid those people are behind this assassination attempt.""I've long known what's on their minds," Gudrit said. "So we cannot move. Not only would that be a poor move, but it would also give the mastermind behind this a chance to strike.""The mastermind?" Uncle Teng asked curiously. "Do we already know the identity of this mastermind?"Uncle Teng pointed to the document on the floor, "Yes, it was just investigated; it's right in this document."Relying on his extensive power and network, Gudritknew much more about the tenryuubito tributeincident than the average person.As soon as the news about the tenryuubito tributecame out, Gudrit already knew that there was an invisible hand pushing things behind the scenes.After reading the entire document, a smile appeared on the corner of Uncle Teng's mouth.This is getting interesting!UU Reading: We welcome all book friends to come and read. The latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all at UU Reading! Mobile users, please go to read.
Chapter 105: TailsMarcus stood by the elevator, gazing toward the castle that was no longer in sight!This day—or rather, this half-day—that he spent with Ashley didn't feel like anything special at the time. But now that he was suddenly leaving, Marcusfound himself unexpectedly reluctant to part.He shook his head and slowly turned around, stepping into the pre-prepared elevator as the doors closed bit by bit.Marcus knew that once he left, it was likely the two of them would hardly ever see each other again.He traveled the Grand Line year-round, and after today's incident, it would be harder than ever for Ashley to come out again.One was forced to stay within this massive steel castle, while the other spent the whole year drifting on a ship, sometimes not even knowing his own destination.By the time they had another chance to meet, who knew how long it would be? They would probably have long since become strangers.Clang!The tourists waiting for the elevator were startled when the wall in the middle suddenly split open."What's going on? Is this elevator shaft broken?""Bullshit! If it were broken, how would the elevators above be running?""You guys don't get it," a man who clearly knew the reason said. "This is actually an elevator shaft; this elevator leads to the upper levels."At that moment, Marcus strolled out and was stunned to see a circle of people surrounding the area.He was just getting out of an elevator; did he really need so many people to welcome him?"Why is it a kid coming out? Brother, do you know what's happening?"The man thought to himself, 'How the hell should I know? I only just realized this was an elevator myself. How would I know anything else? Though, among the people who went in earlier, there did seem to be this kid.'Hearing the crowd's whispers, Marcus immediately understood what was happening and a bitter smile appeared on his face."Who designed this elevator? This is way too high-profile!"Soru! Soru!"Hey, how did that kid suddenly disappear?""Did you see that?""No?"...On the next floor, Marcus looked at the confused crowd with a faint smile playing on his lips, then turned and walked down the corridor behind him.Just as Marcus left, several figures who had been sitting nearby also stood up and quickly trotted toward the corridor Marcus had entered."Group Leader, do we really need six of us for this brat?""Of course. This brat's strength is quite formidable. Old Seven was supposed to kill that woman, but he was likely blocked by this kid in secret."After a pause, the man in front spoke again, "Moreover, this brat has significant value. We must do our best to capture him alive; otherwise, all six of us wouldn't have been deployed together. Understood?""Understood!"Although the five men responded in low voices, the relaxed expressions on their faces showed they clearly didn't take Marcus seriously.In truth, the Group Leader didn't take Marcus to heart either. No matter how powerful such a young brat was, he couldn't possibly surpass battle-hardened veterans like them.They were part of the Boss's Personal Guard, which consisted of only five groups. Each group was extremely powerful, yet an entire group had been sent to deal with one kid.If the Captain hadn't personally ordered it, the man wouldn't have brought the whole group out!Watching Lin Tian disappear around the corner ahead, the man made a hand gesture to the left and right. The team split into three pairs and headed off in their respective directions.Lin Tian had known from the start that he was being followed. That was why he entered this corridor and intentionally headed toward a deserted area—to deal with these tails.The six people who thought they were hunters had no idea that their roles had already been reversed.Leaning against the wall, the man nodded to the other two pairs.He took a deep breath.Three, two, one.The six of them charged out simultaneously, but what appeared before them was an empty corridor. There wasn't a soul in sight, let alone Lin Tian.Faced with this, a flash of annoyance crossed the eyes of all six. No one likes being played for a fool by a kid.This brat had discovered them long ago. They had been foolishly happy to see him heading toward a deserted area.This was enemy territory, after all. If they made too much noise, escaping would be a problem, let alone completing the mission.The six of them weren't so arrogant as to think they could fight their way in and out of the entire Peak on their own.Thinking of this, the Group Leader sensed something was wrong and urgently said to the five annoyed men, "Retreat! Get out of here immediately!"With that, the Group Leader quickly turned and dashed back down the hallway, trying to flee the deserted corner.Normally, someone being followed would head toward a crowd, yet this brat had deliberately gone toward a deserted area.There was only one possibility: the brat was confident he could deal with them. Of course, the Group Leader didn't think Marcus had that kind of strength; rather, he suspected Marcus had used some hidden means to call for backup.Though they were confused by the Group Leader's order, their years of cooperation meant they trusted each other implicitly. If the Group Leader looked worried, something must be wrong.The five men standing there quickly moved to follow the Group Leader, wanting to leave the area as fast as possible.Unfortunately, by the time they reacted, it was already too late. After wandering for so long, Marcus had finally found this remote corner where no one passed by.Marcus wouldn't let these people escape so easily!Thud!"What!"After only a few steps, the Group Leader slammed into something. A dull thud rang out, and he tumbled to the ground.The others behind him were astonished. The corridor was clearly empty; how could the Group Leaderhave hit something?Seeing what happened to the Group Leader, the others stopped where he had fallen and began to feel around in front of them with their hands.Clutching his head as he stood up, the Group Leaderwasn't as cautious as them. He clenched his right fist and threw a punch forward.Boom!!An even louder thud echoed. A powerful counter-force acted on the Group Leader's hand, forcing him back several steps before he could steady himself.At that moment, those feeling around discovered that an invisible barrier had appeared in the corridor at some point.Now, they were trapped in this small corner.Marcus, who had been hiding his presence, slowly emerged from the Void Realm.Seeing Marcus suddenly appear from thin air, the six trapped men weren't surprised. Since he could disappear from right in front of them, the brat must have some kind of invisibility-related ability.Looking at the trapped pirates, Marcus gave a slight smile. But to the six men inside, this smile triggered a bad premonition.They couldn't stay trapped here; they had to break this barrier to have a chance at escaping. If others arrived, they would be dead for sure.No!It should be said that death would be a luxury. The six of them knew that people like them could never be captured; once caught, they would be left wishing for death.Thus, each of them had a poison capsule in their mouth. If the situation turned dire, they would immediately bite down and commit suicide to ensure a quick death.But even an ant clings to life, let alone a human. Who would want to die before the final moment?"Attack."The Group Leader said only two words before charging forward. He didn't need to explain the consequences; everyone present understood.Break the barrier and live; fail to break it and die!Knowing time was of the essence, the Group Leaderwent all out from his first move, immediately using his Devil Fruit ability.Grow! Grow!The Group Leader's extended right fist rapidly enlarged. In an instant, his massive fist filled the entire corridor.Even the extremely hard walls on the sides slowly buckled inward under the pressure of the giant fist, making room for it.However, the walls of the entire Peak were made of special Materials. Their hardness went without saying; a cannonball wouldn't even leave a mark, and each wall was several meters thick.There were very few people in this world who could break these walls with a single punch, and this Group Leader was certainly not one of them.The Group Leader found his fist could no longer expand after only a slight indentation. Seeing this, a fierce look appeared in his eyes."Ah!"He let out a furious roar.The giant fist grew slightly larger, but this was already the Group Leader's limit. He was overdrawing his life force, ignoring the damage to his body to achieve this.Feeling the immense power in his fist, a look of excitement appeared on his face. How could a mere kid block such overwhelming strength?Gritting his teeth, he summoned all his strength and drove the massive fist toward the invisible barrier ahead.Facing the Group Leader's full-power strike, a look of gravity flashed across Marcus's face. This move would not be easy to block.Taking a deep breath, Marcus placed his hands on the spatial barrier. Using his spatial ability, he manipulated the barrier in a way invisible to the naked eye.It thickened and became even more solid!Boom!UU Reading. We welcome all book friends to come and read. The latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all at UU Reading! Mobile users, please go to read.
Chapter 106: Unexplained SmileCrack, crack...Under the squad leader's powerful punch, cracks appeared all over the spatial barrier. To the naked eye, it looked as if thin, white lines had suddenly appeared in the Void Realm.A warm current rose from Marcus's chest, passing through his narrow throat, right up to his mouth.Marcus swallowed gently, forcing the blood back down into his stomach, but the fiery sensation in his chest made Marcus realize something.Under that Move, some parts of his internal organs had been slightly injured, but the man had likely suffered more severe damage than himself.Marcus could tell at a glance that this man's strength wasn't that high—at most, it was comparable to his own. Being able to defeat him in one Move...This simply wasn't power that the man could control. To obtain such powerful strength, one had to pay a greater price."Pfft..."The squad leader opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood. The bright red blood splattered onto the white wall, like a bleak, poignant painting.Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, the squad leader had no choice but to return his fist to its original state. That last Move had caused immense damage to his body, and he no longer had much fighting strength left."Don't give him a chance to repair the barrier; take this opportunity to break it!"Besides, such a large fist was blocking the entire passageway, so how were the others supposed to attack?Retracting his fist, the squad leader could only lean helplessly against the wall. He had already broken the barrier nearly to the point of collapse; the rest was up to them.Armament Haki! Kyowa Zan!...There was no light, no dust, only pure, forceful attacks. In such a narrow space, this was the only way to attack; other methods would easily cause friendly fire.Crack, crack...These people were all quite strong. Under their continuous barrage of attacks, Marcus could only keep maintaining the barrier that was on the verge of shattering.Once he stopped, the barrier would immediately shatter, and those powerful attacks would strike him.This narrow space not only restricted his opponents but also restricted him.Bang!Seeing that the barrier had finally shattered, a smile appeared on everyone's faces.Now that the barrier was broken, with the strength of the five of them, how could they not deal with this brat?But seeing that this brat was actually smiling too, the six of them were immediately confused. The barrier was broken—shouldn't this brat be running away? Why was he still standing there smiling?Suddenly, the squad leader, who was left behind, looked up and discovered that, at this moment, their heads were covered with several giant, constantly rotating black spheres.A trace of panic appeared on his face, before he could even call out to warn the five people in front.The several 'Grim Reapers' above suddenly dropped down. The five people below felt the sound of something breaking through the air above them and looked up.Unbeknownst to them, several rotating black spheres had appeared above and were now falling down.Armament Haki!Clearly, these five were prepared to take it head-on. The space here was so small, there was simply no room to dodge; the only option was to endure it.Although they didn't know the lethality of these black spheres, based on years of life-and-death experience, the five of them could conclude that these spheres were definitely not simple.However, feeling the attack power and defense brought by their Armament Haki, the five of them immediately calmed down."Imprison!" Marcus shouted softly.The five, who had been preparing to defend, found themselves unable to Move, and a trace of panic and shock appeared in their eyes.The impending attack from above forced them to banish any extraneous thoughts from their minds.The five hurriedly channeled all their strength, accumulated it within their bodies, and then exploded it outward instantly. Under this powerful force, Marcus's imprisonment was shattered in an instant.Although it only trapped them for a tiny bit of time, this had already achieved Marcus's goal; they had entered the range of the 'Grim Reaper's' attack.One of the men, who reacted extremely quickly, channeled all his strength and punched toward the dark sphere in the air.Upon touching the black sphere above his head, the man felt as if countless knives were cutting into his hands. He clearly felt that his fist had been injured."What!"You have to know, he had coated his fist with Armament Haki, yet he had actually been injured by whatever unknown things were on the surface of this black sphere. Although it was a minor injury, it was still an injury; how could the man not be shocked?These minor injuries meant nothing to the man. Without hesitation, he exerted force and punched into the 'Grim Reaper'.Marcus felt a bit regretful that the 'Grim Reaper' could only barely break through the Armament Haki's defense.But, seeing that the man had actually thrust his hand into the 'Grim Reaper'...Marcus couldn't help but sneer!"Ah...!"The man let out a miserable scream, his fist remained inside the 'Grim Reaper', and his arm hung limply, dripping with blood.The 'Grim Reaper' was formed by compressed space; inside the 'Grim Reaper' was actually a chaotic space, filled with spatial rifts.Seeing their companion's miserable state, the other four, who had been about to attack, hurriedly stopped their movements and exchanged glances.Instead of worrying about the attack above, they turned around and charged toward Marcus, who was not far in front of them.Since they couldn't break this attack, the only option was to take down the brat who was controlling it. The four of them were gambling.If they could instantly take care of this brat, the attack above would naturally disappear; otherwise, they would be the ones to die.So this was a gamble; they were betting that this brat couldn't withstand a single Move from them.Watching this scene, the squad leader's face was filled with regret. If he had known, he should have listened to the captain's words; he shouldn't have let his guard down just because of the brat's apparent age.If he had been just a little more vigilant earlier, they wouldn't have ended up in this situation, trapped in this life-or-death desperate spot.Watching the four people attacking him, Marcus's expression changed slightly, but it vanished from his face in the blink of an eye.Facing the attacks of four people at once, even Marcus found it a bit difficult to handle.He took a deep breath, a sharp light shot from his eyes, and he shouted softly.Dark Blade Storm!In the Void Realm around Marcus, small black dots appeared. Once these black dots appeared, they began moving in irregular patterns around Marcus in the center.The speed of these black dots kept increasing, getting faster and faster. In the end, Marcus was surrounded by an unknown number of black lines.This was because the speed of the black dots had reached a certain limit, making it impossible for the eyes to lock onto them, creating an optical illusion for the naked eye.Disperse!Following Marcus's soft shout, the surrounding black lines quickly spread out, filling the entire passageway. As the distance increased, the four of them finally saw what these black lines were!"Hiss..."The four of them couldn't help but gasp. These black lines were actually countless black, semi-circular blades, each about a thumb long and gleaming with a cold light.Who could imagine that those semi-circular blades, which made one's scalp tingle just looking at them, and whose number was unknown, were constantly rotating in the Void Realm.To attack Marcus, they had to break through the blockade of this Dark Blade Storm, but looking at the countless blades before them...The four of them couldn't help but doubt: could they break through this blockade? They would probably be sliced into pieces by these blades before they even got through.Go!Under Marcus's control, the Dark Blade Storm in front and the 'Grim Reaper' behind slowly moved toward the five people in the middle.Facing this pincer attack from front and back, the four who had been attacking stopped in their tracks. In such a narrow space, facing such a Move, unless there was a huge gap in strength, there was simply no way to break through."Sigh!"The squad leader sighed, "This time, I've let you all down. If I hadn't failed to properly warn you, we wouldn't be trapped in a place like this, dying so frustratingly."In such a narrow space, the six of them could hardly exert their true fighting strength.Over the years, he had experienced countless battles, but he never expected to die like this today, and in such a frustrating way."Squad leader, this is our own fault; we all underestimated that brat," one man said, glancing at Marcus standing behind the countless blades.The others nodded, regret appearing in their eyes.The five of them looked at each other, a sense of determination appearing in their eyes—this was a determination to face death.Ever since they embarked on this path, they had long been prepared to die at any moment.And just at this moment, Marcus made a surprising Move.Marcus actually dispelled the 'Grim Reaper' and the Dark Blade Storm, and then, under the puzzled gazes of the six, he glanced in the direction of the squad leader.A hint of a smile appeared on his face, and then he turned around and walked out of the passageway, very leisurely.UU Reading welcomes readers to visit and read. 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Chapter 107: Entrance to the Underworld"Go!"Although they didn't understand why this brat suddenly let them go, escaping was the most important thing right now; without escaping, everything was just a pipe dream.The commotion just now must have alerted many people. If the Peak's Security Team arrived, their strength was not weak, and the six of them would surely die.However, just as the Leader finished speaking and was about to move, a cold sensation came from his neck, causing him to stop abruptly.The Leader glanced sideways and saw that a Man in Black had appeared beside him at some point, holding a dagger to his neck.The other five also spotted the Man in Blackinstantly, looking at him warily with a hint of panic in their eyes.The Leader's boss was Gudrit's enemy. As the saying goes, 'The person who knows you best is your enemy.' As the boss's personal guard...The six of them naturally knew a lot of intelligence about Gudrit and immediately recognized this Man in Black as one of the Four Personal Guards under Gudrit; each of them possessed unfathomable strength.Their entire squad wouldn't be a match even if they all attacked at once, let alone now when they had no combat power and one of them had a severed hand.This time, their entire squad was truly doomed!Only then did the Leader understand why that brat had stopped; it turned out he had discovered the Man in Black long ago and deliberately left them for him.Furthermore, that brat's final smile wasn't for them, but for this Man in Black. However, it was too late for the Leader to realize this now.Understanding the strength of this Man in Black, the six knew that escape was impossible, and a look of resolve appeared on their faces.They bit down hard, preparing to crush the poison capsules in their mouths so they could die quickly and avoid torture.The other five could commit suicide, but the Leaderwas not so lucky.The Man in Black quickly grabbed the Leader's chin and, before he could bite down, gave it a gentle twist, dislocating it.Realizing he couldn't even commit suicide, a look of despair appeared in the Leader's eyes!...Meanwhile, Marcus had already walked out of the commercial street area."With that Man in Black taking action, those six people surely won't be able to escape," Marcusthought to himself.Although Marcus hadn't seen them in action, as Gudrit's personal guards, these four must be very strong.However, none of that was his concern; he had a very important matter to attend to now.Passing through the busy commercial street and seeing the people shopping happily without a care in the world, Marcus couldn't help but shake his head.As ordinary people, how could they know that undercurrents were already surging in Korode? Current Korode was like sitting on a powder keg that would explode at any moment, blowing the entire island to the sky.However, this was also the luck of being an ordinary person; anyway, if the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up, so they didn't need to think so much.After staying at Peak for so long, it was already night outside.The bright sky was covered in darkness, and countless stars broke through the night curtain to peek out. The night's dampness slowly seeped through the air, spreading a sentimental atmosphere amidst the surging undercurrents.Strolling down the street, he watched the countless multicolored neon lights continuously blooming with their brilliance, illuminating the entire street.The arrival of night did not affect the busy commercial street; instead, it made one feel that the night was when the commercial street was most full of life.Walking along this busy street, he felt the bumps against his shoulders and saw the numerous shops that appeared exceptionally gorgeous under the lights.In this instant, Marcus felt as if he had returned to his previous life, back to those intoxicating nights.The same crowded throngs, the same brilliant lights, the same abundant goods, and these countless eye-catching stores.Everything was just like his previous life,but things were the same while the person had changed; he had come to another world.However, in this world, Marcus had gained many things he had always hoped for: family, love, friendship, and many people worth treasuring.Therefore, Marcus had to possess enough strength to protect these things and prevent them from disappearing before his eyes."Forget it, why do I suddenly have so many realizations? For now, I should finish dealing with this tenryuubito tribute matter," Marcus thought to himself.Marcus didn't stay at Peak to wait for the pirates to gather; instead, he walked in the opposite direction and actually came outside of Peak. This was because Marcus already knew from Uncle Teng's introduction that the Peak Hotel was actually the entire tenth floor.Plus, it had just turned dark, and it was still early compared to the time written on the white card; he couldn't just sit there waiting idly.Thus, Marcus decided to use this time to first gather some specific intelligence regarding the tenryuubito tribute.And there was only one place in the entire world where one could quickly obtain complete and accurate intelligence: the Underworld.In the Underworld, as long as you have money, you can get basically everything in this world, though of course, some things cannot be bought with money.For example, the heads of the Gorosei; no matter how much money you spend, you can't get them, because probably no one in this world can achieve that.In the Underworld, intelligence is strictly priced, and this tenryuubito tribute incident involved so many people.Many people would likely see the business opportunity in it, though the price might be a bit high.However, for Marcus, who had obtained the wealth of the Dark Port on Saxon Island, this amount of money was just pocket change.On such a prosperous island with such high foot traffic, there must be an Underworld stronghold on Korode Island.However, he still needed to find a bank to withdraw some money; otherwise, going to an Underworldstronghold would be useless without cash.As the most prosperous place on Korode Island, banks certainly weren't lacking; Marcus hadn't wandered for long before he saw one."Alright, I'll choose this place!"...Heaving the black suitcase in his hand, Marcussuddenly felt a sense of security; as a man, having money on you makes you feel much more grounded.Fearing that the people selling intelligence in the Underworld might be too greedy, Marcus directly withdrew fifty million Berries before feeling it was enough.Now that he had the money, it was time to take a stroll in the Underworld!Walking along the busy street, Marcus's eyes constantly scanned both sides.As the dark side of this world, the Underworld was destined to exist only in dark corners, unable to see the light of day.Therefore, the entrance to every Underworldstronghold was hidden within various buildings, such as bars or shops... these buildings would place a special mark at the door to tell people that an Underworld stronghold was inside.Right now, Marcus was looking for this special mark to find where the Underworld stronghold was.There were too many shops on this street, and combined with so many people, Marcus had to slow down and carefully observe whether each shop had this special mark painted outside.Suddenly, Marcus looked at a bar with a smile on his face and headed straight toward it.Unlike the other bars on the street, it was quiet outside this one, with not many people going in or out.Just as he was about to enter the bar, two bodyguards in black at the door reached out to stop him.Marcus didn't say much in response, simply pointing at the painting beside the bar door; perhaps it shouldn't be called a painting, as it was actually a world map.This map was somewhat strange; it only had one color—black—and in the center of the map was a skull, which gave one a chilling feeling.Seeing this, the two bodyguards quickly withdrew their hands and made a gesturing motion to invite him in.This painting was actually the symbol of the Underworld: a black world with a skull in the middle, which was the most authentic introduction to the Underworld.Pointing at this symbol was to show that you knew of the Underworld's existence; otherwise, you wouldn't be allowed to enter an Underworldstronghold.Phew!Looking at the door right in front of him, Marcus took a deep breath. In a sense, this door could no longer be considered just a door, but a dividing line between worlds.This dividing line split the world into two halves: one side filled with light and order, and the other a raw world where the strong preyed on the weak, filled with endless darkness.Reaching out his hands, Marcus slowly pushed open the bar's door and stepped inside.UU Reading: Welcome to our readers! The latest, fastest, and most popular serialized works are all at UU Reading! Mobile users, please go to read.
Chapter 108: The Man Wearing Baby ClothesWalking into the bar, the first thing one felt was the music!Then came the colorful lights and the delicate bodies dancing on the dance floor; of course, this Underworld stronghold was actually just used for transactions.Therefore, there weren't many people on the dance floor; those who were there were just professionals with good figures and revealing clothing.Rather than calling it dancing, it was more like showing off their figures.Most people were just sitting in the booths on the side, chatting with smiles on their faces, carrying out those expensive yet crime-filled transactions.Seeing the bar door open, everyone in the bar scanned the entrance simultaneously. Seeing a teenager walk in, a flash of surprise crossed their faces.But they only looked with surprise for a moment before returning to their own business. Everyone knew that those who could come to the Underworldwere either rich or noble.Ordinary people didn't even know if the 'Underworld' existed, let alone how to get in, so in a place like this, silence was a virtue.After a quick scan, Marcus headed straight for the bar. Having been to the Underworld several times, he knew the basic rules.The real transactions of the Underworld didn't happen here. Don't let the crowd fool you; only small transactions were conducted here.The real trading center was inside, and to enter, one had to ask the management here.Clack!Marcus slammed the briefcase in his hand onto the counter. The people at the bar were old hands; seeing such a large black case, they immediately understood that it was likely filled with money.Coming to the Underworld, who would carry such a large black briefcase if it wasn't filled with money?Before Marcus could speak, a bar waiter walked over and bowed, saying: "Sir, may I ask what you are looking for?""Information," Marcus said softly, uttering two words."Then, sir, what kind of information are you looking for?" the waiter asked again."The tenryuubito tribute!" Marcus said. "I want to know where I can find complete information on the tenryuubito tribute!"Regarding Marcus's answer, a look of expectation appeared in the waiter's eyes. He didn't know how many people had come to buy information about the tenryuubito tribute in the last few days."Alright, sir, then I will take you inside, and someone there will guide you."After speaking, the waiter reached out to pick up Marcus's case.Slap!Suddenly, Marcus reached out a hand and slapped it onto the black briefcase.Seeing Marcus do this, a flash of irritation crossed the waiter's face.If a waiter helps you carry things, you have to pay them a tip; this was a hidden rule of the Underworld.Generally, people who entered to trade were either rich or noble, and no one cared about such a small amount of money.The waiter thought he was about to have another source of income, but this brat wouldn't even pay this little bit of money.Marcus seemed not to see the waiter's irritated gaze and pulled the case over. "Call your manager out; I want to discuss this business with him."The waiter said in an unhappy tone: "Our manager has many things to do. Our manager generally doesn't get involved in such trivial matters."In the waiter's eyes, this brat couldn't even bear to pay a tip; it seemed he was just putting on a front. At the end of his sentence, his tone actually carried disdain.Hearing the disdain in the waiter's tone, Marcusrevealed a look of contempt.With a gentle flick, he turned the black case around and opened it, revealing stacks of neatly arranged banknotes.The waiter made a rough estimate and realized that this black case was actually filled with tens of millions of Berries.Cold sweat instantly covered the man's forehead. Anyone who could carry tens of millions of Berriesaround was not someone he could afford to offend, yet he had actually looked down on him just moments ago."I really don't know how someone like you has managed to stay in the Underworld. It seems your luck is quite good, though I don't know how your luck will be this time."How could the waiter not hear the implication in Marcus's words? Whether this gentleman would hold him accountable now depended on his own performance."Sir, please wait a moment, I will go notify the manager immediately," the waiter said, bowing hurriedly.Before he even finished speaking, he ran toward the small door behind the bar!Seeing the waiter's behavior, Marcus's eyes showed even more contempt. Bullying the weak and fearing the strong, with a slavish nature from the inside out—where was there any dignity in that?Tap, tap, tap...He thought that after threatening the waiter, his efficiency would be extremely fast, but Marcuswaited for a while, and there was not a shadow of anyone.Bored, Marcus had no choice but to rest his head on one hand, tapping the bar with the other, watching the bartender's impressive performance on the side.Hahaha...At this moment, a burst of mocking laughter came from the side, involuntarily drawing Marcus's gaze behind him.He saw a group of people off to the side mocking a handsome man. The others who were drawn over by the laughter were surprised at first when they saw the man's attire, and then they burst into laughter.If you only looked at his face, this man was indeed extremely handsome, but paired with his attire, all one could feel was that it was ridiculous and perverted.A middle-aged man was actually wearing a Pinkbaby hat, biting on a pacifier, and wearing a yellow diaper with star patterns.Seeing such a perverted outfit, anyone would probably be unable to help but laugh.However, when Marcus saw this man, a look of surprise and curiosity appeared on his face, because Marcus knew his identity.Senior Pink was a cadre of the Great Pirate crew, the Donquixote Family, on the Grand Line, and he possessed great combat power.The Donquixote Family was the Pirate Crew led by Doflamingo; Marcus didn't know exactly how strong their combat power was.It was just because he had learned about Doflamingo's strength through the manga in his past life that Marcus had specifically investigated him while in the Marine.However, Doflamingo was not a Shichibukai right now; he was a Great Pirate who was constantly being pursued by Grandma Tsuru and whom she hated to the bone.But hadn't the Donquixote Family always been active in the New World? Now that Senior Pink was actually here, it meant the Donquixote Family had also come to Korode from the New World.It seems that this incident involving the tenryuubito tribute has even attracted Great Pirates from the New World!Marcus scanned the area but didn't see any other members of the Donquixote Family; those people must have gone inside.Only then did Marcus focus his gaze on Pink. Marcushad recognized Pink just now not only because he was a subordinate of Donquixote, but also because of the changes that had occurred to him.In the Marine records and photos, Senior Pink was very handsome, had a habit of smoking, wore a standard suit, and acted like an English gentleman.But the change now was too great. What reason could possibly make a man give up everything and become like this!Facing the mockery of the crowd, Pink didn't make any move; he just held a photo in his hand, dazed, with a look of happiness on his face.The photo showed a woman who wasn't very beautiful, sitting in a wicker chair outside a house, holding a baby with a face full of maternal radiance.And beside the woman, Senior Pink stood quietly, watching everything with a smile on his face; what a heartwarming Family picture.Marcus couldn't see the content of the photo, but he could feel that this photo might be the reason for Pink's drastic change.Unfortunately, there were always some blind people in this world; a pirate actually took advantage of Pink being unprepared and snatched the photo from his hand.He glanced at the content of the photo and then burst into laughter!Hahaha..."I didn't expect that you, this pervert, would actually have a wife and son. You're actually quite handsome without this baby outfit.""Come, come, let me show everyone the content of this photo. This pervert even has a Family. But I think, marrying this pervert, his wife was very likely angered to death by him."The pirate said this while laughing, slowly raising the photo in his hand, preparing to show everyone.Hearing the pirate's words, the onlookers on the side were immediately stirred with curiosity, and they all simultaneously fixed their gazes on the photo in the pirate's hand.Except for Marcus, none of these people noticed that as the pirate spoke, Pink's face was filled with anger, his hands tightly gripping the edge of the table.As the pirate moved, the photo slowly appeared before everyone. At first, it was Pink wearing a suit, and just as the woman in the photo was about to appear...The pirate suddenly found that he couldn't move his hand; no matter how hard he tried, the hand holding the photo wouldn't move.Immediately after, for some reason, a look of terror appeared on the pirate's face, and his whole body began to tremble unnaturally.But those who observed carefully could see that a bloodstain had appeared on the pirate's neck, and this bloodstain was getting larger and larger, with more and more blood flowing out.Perhaps everyone would think this was Marcus's doing, but Marcus was also confused when he saw this scene. Marcus had intended to act.But that was just an intention; in fact, Marcus hadn't acted yet!Suddenly, Marcus felt a powerful killing intent coming from behind and hurriedly turned around to look!