บท 21: Chapter 22: Desert Confrontation and Deception
As the sun set, the desert's sweltering heat quickly gave way to freezing cold. Josh stretched, cracking his bones, as he gazed toward a small peak. Standing there was the leader of the royal guards, staring down at the rebels and weapon dealers, suspicion in his eyes. It was clear they knew something was up.
Josh glanced at Mikita, who swiftly pulled out a small Den Den Mushi snail from her robes.
"Call the boss. Ask him what we should do," Josh said, his gaze still fixed on the royal guards.
Though he was confident in his abilities, Josh wasn't foolish enough to believe he could take on all of the royal guards alone. He was fast, and knowing one of the Six Powers techniques helped, but a direct hit could be devastating. He preferred to avoid unnecessary risks.
Meanwhile, a tense standoff ensued between the rebels, dealers, and the royal guards.
"You are all under arrest for rebelling against your kingdom and violating the weapon commerce laws!" declared the captain of the guards.
One of the rebels interrupted with defiance. "The real criminals are you! You've left the villages to starve while the king sits on his throne!"
The captain raised his sword, pointing toward the merchants. "You are using violence against the crown. You will all be arrested."
Back with Josh, he looked at Mikita. "What did the boss say?"
Mikita glanced at the snail. "We have strict orders not to let the kingdom's reputation improve. The guards can't be seen as heroes."
"So, who do we attack?"
"It depends. But we can't tarnish the rebels' reputation either," Mikita said, repeating Crocodile's orders.
Josh nodded, understanding Crocodile's long game. The warlord wanted the king of Alabasta to fall, and if the rebels were painted as villains, the entire uprising would lose support. To make Crocodile's plan work, the rebels needed to be seen as legitimate, and the kingdom as corrupt.
"So, we let them go," Josh concluded.
"Seems like it. Just make sure the guards aren't seen as heroes, but don't let the rebels get slaughtered either," Mikita added.
Josh moved quickly. He darted between the rebels and the weapon dealers just as the rebels prepared to seize the rifles.
"Deal's off. No weapons for you," Josh declared, stopping a rebel mid-motion.
"Hey! What the hell are you—"
"No money, no deal," Josh interrupted, kicking the rebel hard, sending him flying several meters away.
"Anyone else want to try?" he said, glaring at the others.
"We'll fight and then pay you!" one of the rebels yelled.
"I don't care. We don't trust you," Josh replied sharply.
Rey, the leader of the merchants, was sweating profusely. The rebels' leader hesitated, his eyes darting between Josh, the merchants, and the royal guards. After a moment, he made the only logical decision.
"Retreat! Let them deal with the guards!" he ordered.
The rebels quickly mounted their camels and horses, retreating into the desert. There was no point in fighting a losing battle.
"Arrest everyone!" the captain of the royal guards shouted, and the guards charged, intent on capturing the remaining dealers and anyone else in sight.
Josh knew the merchants needed to escape too. Before the guards could close in, Mikita opened her umbrella and floated into the air. With a sudden increase in weight, she crashed down, knocking several soldiers and their horses to the ground. Sand flew into the air, blinding the guards.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Josh vanished, using his speed to strike. Kicking and punching the guards, he moved like a blur, disarming and incapacitating them one by one. He even managed to steal a few berries from their pockets as he moved.
Before long, half the royal guards were down, and Josh reappeared next to Mikita, who was brushing dust off her hat. She noticed a fresh wound on Josh's arm, a cut from a dagger.
"You! You'll pay for this!" Mikita shouted, her eyes blazing with anger. She was about to charge at the remaining guards, but Josh grabbed her arm, shaking his head.
"Calm down. The mission's complete. We still have the weapons, and we can leave," Josh said calmly, glancing at the remaining soldiers.
The merchants had taken the opportunity to vanish into the desert, and the royal guards now eyed Josh and Mikita warily, unsure of what to make of the pair who had just decimated half their numbers.
"What are you?" the captain of the guards asked, his voice filled with caution.
"Just some bodyguards," Josh replied nonchalantly. Mikita tore a piece of fabric from her robe and wrapped it around Josh's wound.
"What is your intention?" the captain demanded, still trying to grasp the situation.
"Doing our job and getting paid," Josh said. Then, with a smirk, he added, "By the way, how's Vivi doing?"
The captain's eyes widened in shock. "How— How do you know about the princess?!"
Princess Vivi had only recently returned to Alabasta, warning them of potential dangers. Yet here was this mysterious man, speaking of her as if he knew her personally.
"What's your relation to the princess?" the captain asked, his voice trembling.
"Friends with benefits," Josh said casually.
Everyone around him froze, eyes wide in disbelief. Mikita, standing behind Josh, wrapped her legs around his waist and locked his neck with her arm in mock jealousy.
"Friends with benefits!" she exclaimed. "Since when did that happen?!"
"I didn't mean it like that—cough—calm down, babe. Calm down," Josh said, struggling to breathe. "Benefits mean benefits. Besides, we've been—uh—together every night. When would I have the time?"
Mikita released him, calming down. "Sorry," she muttered, satisfied with his explanation.
The royal guards exchanged bewildered looks, unsure whether to be more shocked by the bizarre display or by the implication of Josh's connection to the princess.
Just then, a voice interrupted the tension.
"And here I was wondering how the royal guards ended up here."
All eyes turned toward the source of the voice. Standing on a nearby building was a tall, tanned woman with striking blue eyes. She had an hourglass figure, a cowboy hat, and a dangerous smirk. Her presence radiated power and danger.
"You…"
Before anyone could react, the woman crossed her arms. In an instant, dozens of arms appeared around the soldiers, wrapping around them like ropes and cracking their bones. The guards fell, immobilised.
"And for you, Mr. 7," she said, her eyes scanning Josh with amusement.
Josh tensed, feeling suddenly wary of the newcomer. He scanned her in return, unsure of her intentions.
"Yes?" Mikita answered on his behalf, stepping in front of him.
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