Kapitel 576: Every Building and Old Man Has Its Historical Background
「…I'll pretend I didn't hear that just now.」 Elizabeth silently turned around, raising a signboard slowly. 「Renpou regulations state that an immediate purge will follow if any hint of rebellion is shown.」
「Shut up, I won't remind you again.」
Watching Elizabeth retract the signboard and walk away with a slightly sad silhouette, Katsura spoke calmly: "If the general shows any intention of rebellion, it would incite everyone to rebel. In that case, everyone would be purged, right?"
Elizabeth stopped again, without turning around, slowly pulling out another signboard.
「I learned many things on Earth…」
「Things that this cold star doesn't have…」
「…Many warm things.」
「I learned them after fighting together.」
「From the back of that person.」
「So, I don't regret it…」
「I have something I must protect.」
「Even if it means destroying Earth…」
「Even if it means fighting that person…」
「A person who protects their friend's back is called a friend.」
「Yes, that's what that person… Earth's friend taught me.」
Raising the last signboard, Elizabeth looked back at Katsura, then turned and ran off swiftly with duck-like strides.
Watching Elizabeth disappear into the distance, Katsura Elizabeth opened her mouth, revealing Katsura's face full of unresolved emotions.
"Eli… Elizabeth…"
Seeing Katsura's expression, Kawaki rubbed his eyes and yawned. Then, he tried to scratch his head but couldn't reach it due to the suit, so he gave up.
At this awkward moment, an urgent alarm sounded over their heads!
Immediately, all the Renpou soldiers playing UNO stopped and looked up.
A black virtual screen appeared above them.
[Deployment order! Full assault on Earth in one hour! All units are prepared immediately!]
Seeing the deployment order, all the Renpou soldiers dropped their UNO cards, stood up, and hurriedly ran towards the armory's exit with duck-like steps.
"It's… it's a deployment order, aru!" Kagura's expression grew slightly tense.
"They're deploying so soon?!" Shinpachi panicked, "How did Luffy's negotiations go?"
"Hahahaha…" Sakamoto chuckled, then spoke into his communicator, "Luffy, it seems you failed."
「I bought us a lot of time. Do you have a plan?」 Luffy's face remained calm on the communicator screen, her tone matching her expression.
"Of course!" Sakamoto replied eagerly, "My dealer tried to skip a Draw Two with a Draw Four, but I told him Earth rules say he can only play another Draw Two, so he tore the Draw Four in half…"
On the other side, sitting in a cell, Luffy's face twitched, veins popping as she gritted her teeth, listening to Sakamoto's nonsense.
"What are you doing, idiot?! We risked our lives to buy time for you! Now what?! The entire Kaientai is locked up! We can't do anything now!"
"Don't worry, we're ready." Katsura stepped up behind Sakamoto.
"Katsura-san…" Shinpachi called out.
"I'm relieved…" Katsura's face, hidden deep in the suit, spoke, "That guy hasn't changed. He's still the Elizabeth I trust. Earthlings and Renpou, though we stand on different grounds, the things we believe in haven't changed. So, I won't betray the trust of a friend…"
Katsura drew his sword from his mouth, revealing a face devoid of confusion, filled with resolve.
"I'll stop the Renpou! Even if it means cutting down Elizabeth!"
Seeing Katsura's determined expression, Gintoki mumbled, "Zura…"
"What an idiot…" Kawaki shrugged, twisting his neck, "But… at this point, we should do something. After all, there's a lot on Earth I love… uh, ouch!"
"This is not the time for dirty jokes! Know your place!" Tsukuyo yelled, stabbing a few kunai into Kawaki's head for good measure, and stomped on his head.
Katsura turned to look at Kawaki, still stomping on by Tsukuyo, Gintoki, and Kagura, "Kawaki, you said one cannot change this country without putting down their sword. I believe that. But… not now. My sword still has much to do."
「Sensei, what are you doing? Go to the frontline; the general has already deployed.」 A running Renpou soldier stopped and raised a signboard at Katsura.
"Right, I'm on my way." Katsura gripped his sword tightly and turned, walking towards the departing Renpou soldiers, "I will stop Elizabeth's front line."
"Wait! Zura!" Kagura called out, "Are you going to…"
Sakamoto interrupted, "Oh! Go wild, Zura!"
Kagura turned to see Gintoki and Sakamoto heading in the same direction as Katsura.
"While you clear the way, we'll take the general's head." Gintoki spoke without looking back.
"Gin-chan! Sakamoto!" Kagura called, turning to Kawaki with a plea, "Uncle! Stop them! Elizabeth is…"
Kawaki simply yawned and wiped his eyes, but they were filled with seriousness when he opened them.
Seeing Kawaki's demeanor, Kagura blinked and murmured, "Uncle…"
"If the head is taken off, even the largest serpent can't move," Sakamoto said without looking back, "So we don't have to cut the tail, right, Gintoki? But that means we have to hold out no matter how tight the squeeze…"
"What are you babbling about? The thing being squeezed is your head." Gintoki replied nonchalantly.
At this moment, Katsura, Gintoki, and Sakamoto stopped simultaneously.
Katsura's shoulders seemed to tremble slightly, and he softly warned, "Don't look back."
"I won't," Gintoki's dead fish eyes seemed to stare at something only he knew, his tone flat.
"I leave the rear to you." Katsura spoke again.
"Hey, Sakamoto," Kawaki suddenly called out, "Were you serious about causing a ruckus? Are you sure we won't be held responsible?"
"What's wrong? Has your blood boiled too?" Sakamoto chuckled lightly.
"No, just worried since you guys have tricked me badly before." Kawaki pulled his umbrella from his mouth, "If I accidentally blow up this metal planet, I'm not taking responsibility…"
"Hey!" Katsura turned in shock.
Gintoki and Sakamoto turned, too, cold sweat trickling down their faces.
"You said you wouldn't turn back." Shinpachi commented dryly, "Kawaki's one sentence made all three turn back."
"Operation time is thirty minutes," Kawaki stated flatly, then glanced at Katsura, "Zura… do what you believe is right."
He then looked at Sakamoto and Gintoki and said, "The same goes for you two; do as you see fit."
"What kind of plan is that?!" Gintoki retorted, "It's no different from saying nothing!"
"But one thing…" Kawaki continued, "Within thirty minutes, get everyone off this planet. Remember, everyone…"
"What are you talking about…" Gintoki started, but Sakamoto cut him off.
"Seems… you've noticed something before us again…" Sakamoto sighed. You were always ahead, always sprinting off while we were still planning. We must've covered your tab at Flower Street countless times."
"That's you guys…" Kawaki retorted, "Always running off first is you guys! The ones who ditch on bills are you!"
"Gintoki, remember that?" Sakamoto looked at Gintoki.
"It's Gintoki," Gintoki corrected, then casually added, "No, I don't remember. Never been to such places anyway."
He whispered to Sakamoto, "Did you hear? That guy who looks like the protagonist of this series said he's been to those places. Can someone like that be the protagonist? This isn't good, in many ways. He'll definitely get complaints."
Sakamoto nodded, occasionally glancing at Kawaki.
"I want to kill you both now…" Veins bulged on Kawaki's face as he glanced around the armory, noting no one else was present, and slammed his umbrella to the ground.
"Operation start!!" Kawaki roared as he smashed the umbrella down.
Boom!! As the booming sound echoed, Gintoki and the others turned and ran in their original direction.
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