When hearing about those World Nobles, parasites of the world, Kōta already knew what was happening.
It must have been that a World Noble had taken a liking to Liya's beauty.
"What bastards, Liya was only fourteen or fifteen three years ago!"
"A true lolicon."
The World Nobles are descendants of the 19 kings who formed the World Government 800 years ago. They consider themselves "descendants of the creator" and enjoy all sorts of privileges.
If they are offended, a Marine Admiral or CP0 must be dispatched to protect them.
Therefore, basically no one dares to resist the World Nobles. If they go against the will of a World Noble, not only will they suffer misfortune, but their family and even their entire nation could be wiped out.
These guys are nothing but a bunch of foolish pigs being kept by the entire World Government. They have no fear whatsoever.
Not only do they believe they are "gods," but they truly live their lives as such. They look down on all ordinary people, treating them as slaves.
These guys are also the biggest slave owners in this world.
These guys can also take anyone they fancy as their spouse and discard them once they've grown tired of them.
It's likely Liya was taken by a World Noble in this way!
Kōta looked at Hachida and raised his hand, taking a sip of wine.
"Well! Continue! Since Liya was captured by a World Noble, how did you rescue her!"
Hachida snapped back to attention, blinked, and then began, "By the time I got the news, the World Noble's ship had already set sail."
"However, this fellow was out for a pleasure cruise, so the ship's voyage wasn't very fast. I used my Devil Fruit's transformation ability to sneak onto the World Noble's ship."
"By the time I found Liya, it was already too late."
"Too late."
Kōta knew the nature of World Nobles very well. Once they took someone back, they would brand them with a slave mark. As for whether she had been violated...
That was up to individual imagination.
"Mm! Too late."
At this point, Hachida suddenly burst into tears.
"It must be painful!"
No one could watch their daughter suffer and remain indifferent.
Everyone looked at Hachida, their faces heavy.
Even if they hadn't seen them, everyone had heard of the World Nobles.
And for Kuina, who had been reading newspapers for a long time, she knew the cruelty of the World Nobles.
So, a flash of pity crossed her eyes.
She could hardly imagine how desperate a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl would be, captured by a World Noble.
Thinking of this, murderous intent flared in her eyes.
Hachida wiped the tears from his face.
"I apologize, I couldn't help it."
"It's alright, it's only natural. If it were me, I would kill all the World Nobles."
Kōta looked at Hachida, his expression calm and his tone cold.
Hachida was stunned by the killing aura emanating from Kōta, then clenched his fists, veins bulging on his arms.
"Of course, I've thought about killing World Nobles." He paused.
He suddenly slumped, as if his spirit had been drained, and said in a low voice,
"But when I thought of the entire kingdom of Bass, I just couldn't bring myself to do it!"
Kōta paused, not asking further.
One should not interfere in matters outside their purview.
He was not Hachida; he was Kōta. If it were him, he would not only kill all the World Nobles but also all the forces associated with them.
This was the confidence that came with strength.
If he were an ordinary person, he might not have had such thoughts.
Therefore, he felt no contempt or mockery towards Hachida's actions and intentions, but rather great admiration.
Behind this man were not just one or two people, but tens of thousands!
If he truly killed a World Noble, all these people would die.
"Then, after you rescued Princess Liya, how did the kingdom of Bass fall?"
Indigo looked at Hachida, asking with a hint of confusion, "And also! With your strength, how could you possibly let these pirates and bounty hunters ravage Bass Island like this!"
Hachida was a strong individual who was personally invited to join Golden Lion's crew!
Just look at Kōta to see Golden Lion's judgment.
As he spoke, his gaze swept over Kōta, and he muttered to himself, "Both were invited and both refused. One became a failure, while the other killed Golden Lion and became a true powerhouse."
Thinking this, he couldn't help but shake his head, "Such similar backgrounds, yet such different fates!"
"The kingdom of Bass?"
Hachida stroked his chin, deep in thought. "By the time I brought Liya back, the kingdom of Bass had already been overrun by CP0 and the Navy."
"And I was injured in a battle with members of the World Government's spy organization, a group calling themselves 'CP0'."
"This also forced me to use my abilities to erase myself, in order to protect the remaining people of Bass."
"As for the pirates on Bass Island now..."
As he spoke, he slowly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his sturdy chest.
He reached out and touched a long-healed scar on his chest, then looked up at Kōta and said, "This scar was left when I fought with 'CP0'."
Following Hachida's gaze downwards, upon closer inspection, the scar was not large, but it was deep. Even healed, it looked as if a piece had been gouged out.
"Even this scar has healed now!"
"With your strength, you couldn't have been incapacitated by a single gunshot, right!"
Indigo looked at the scar, his confusion deepening instead of abating.
"Of course, it wasn't that simple."
"Don't be fooled by the healed scar. Inside the wound..."
"What's inside?"
"The bullet hasn't been removed yet!"
Indigo looked at the scar, and understanding gradually dawned on his face.
A regular bullet might not be fatal to a strong individual, but what about a special bullet imbued with Armament Haki? That would be fatal.
"Is it impossible to remove, or is it forbidden to remove?"
He needed to clarify this. He was a doctor himself, and there was a significant difference between the two.
If it were impossible to remove, it might mean the doctor's skills were insufficient, which wasn't too difficult to handle.
But if it were forbidden to remove, that would be troublesome.
"Forbidden to remove."
Hachida buttoned his shirt and looked up at Kōta. "This is why I couldn't clear the pirates from Bass Island."
"The bullet in my chest from that gunshot wound is a special bullet from the World Government. Inside it is a small bomb. As soon as I exert my strength, or even if I get too emotional, this timed bomb will detonate completely."
"This leaves me with strength that I dare not use."
As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He then stood up, walked in front of Kōta, and slowly knelt down.
Kōta looked at Hachida, remaining silent, and made no move to help him.
This man had endured for three whole years for his beliefs, his nation, and his people.
He didn't know how this fellow managed to suppress the urge to rush to the rescue of his citizens.
But this fellow was certainly not a coward, so there must have been a reason he had to endure.
This was why he had delayed his actions for so long.
He looked at the hundreds of children around them, and gradually understood.
Was it for the future of Bass?
If he truly died, then these children...
He couldn't bear to think about it.
So, Hachida must have felt the same way.
Bang—!
The sound was not loud, but it was soul-shattering.