Even Charles, who paid little attention to current events, often heard gossip about this Governor. To put it simply, the new Governor was a man who also liked men. Of course, that in itself was hardly unusual; it was quite normal, in fact. However, openly marrying six husbands was another matter entirely—that was simply outrageous. Fortunately, his sexual preferences aside, he took his duties of governing Coral Island and improving the people's livelihood seriously, so the islanders were generally satisfied with him.
The garish, golden car pulled up to the dock and stopped. The Governor did not get out, seemingly waiting for something.
At that moment, rows of policemen in black uniforms poured out—nearly a thousand strong. They swiftly cleared the crowds from the Dock District. Laborers moving goods and merchants selling fish were all driven away, leaving the once-bustling dock eerily deserted.
As the coastline vanished into the darkness, a beam of light suddenly sliced through the night. Charles finally understood who the Governor was waiting for.
One, two, three… A total of three gigantic steamships, each nearly the length of the Titanic, blared their deafening horns as they approached the shore with an oppressive presence.
Standing by the window, Margaret caught sight of the flag on the ships, which depicted a crossed long spear and cannon. She was so excited she could barely contain herself. "Mr. Charles! That's my father's ship! He's come to get me! I can go home!"
Nico, wrapped in a furry white cloak, stepped out of the car. Watching the giant steamships draw closer, he smiled and clapped his hands. From the side of the dock, nearly ten heavily-armed warships raised their cannons and intercepted the three massive vessels.
The giant steamships were stuck outside the harbor, unable to approach. No matter how many flag signals their sailors sent, the warships remained unmoved, blocking their passage with military force.
BOOM! A distant cannon fired, and a dark shadow hurtled toward the dock.
As the object drew closer, Charles got a clear look and his pupils contracted. It wasn't a cannonball. It was a man—a burly fellow with a large gut and a thick mustache. He slammed into the ground with immense force and bounced back up, then stood firm as if nothing had happened.
As expected, none of these governors are pushovers. To think he'd use his own body as a cannonball. Charles was inwardly astonished.
"Come on, we're heading over," Charles said, grabbing the young girl beside him and jumping straight out the window. Landing on a nearby rooftop, he dashed toward the docks, leaping across chimneys and tiles.
"Nico! What is the meaning of this!" Daniel roared at the Governor of Coral Island, completely ignoring the guns pointed at him from all sides.
Hearing the shouts from the Governor of He Fang Island, Nico nonchalantly began to file his long nails with a glittering emery board.
"You bring three Royal Giants to another man's island and you have the gall to ask me what the meaning of this is?"
"I told you in my telegram! I'm here for my daughter!" His expression was like that of an enraged lion.
"Hmph. Six years ago, you said the same thing to young Arthur, didn't you? And in the end, his island became yours."
The sharp, urgent sound of police whistles cut through the air, causing both men to stop their argument and turn toward the noise.
They saw a dark-haired young man with a diagonal scar on his face, accompanied by a young girl. They leaped between the rooftops with the agility of monkeys, landing before the two governors in just a few bounds.
Seeing the suspect approach the Governor, the nearby police began to draw their guns.
"Father!" Overcome with emotion, Margaret started to rush forward, but Charles grabbed her and held her back.
Looking at the two of them, Nico batted his heavily shadowed eyes. "Everyone, put your guns down. I believe I recognize this handsome young man."
"You bastard! So you're the one who kidnapped my daughter!" the Governor of He Fang Island bellowed, clenching his fists as if about to charge.
"Father, it's not what you think! Mr. Charles is a good man! He saved me!"
Faced with her father's fury, Margaret hurriedly explained everything that had happened.
After Daniel finished listening to his daughter's story, he gave Charles a cold look. "If it was a misunderstanding, then release my daughter at once!"
Before Charles could speak, Margaret reminded him, "Father, did you forget? You still haven't paid the five million reward you promised Mr. Charles."
At his daughter's thoughtful reminder, Daniel's thick lips twitched. Without a word, he pulled out his checkbook, quickly scribbled on it, and threw the check forcefully onto the ground.
As the check fluttered toward the ground, Charles simply raised a hand, and it flew straight into his grasp.
"Father!" Margaret cried, dashing over and hugging Daniel's large belly. The contrast between the large and small figures was a comical sight.
"How are you? Were you hurt? Did you suffer any grievances? Just tell your father, and I'll get revenge for you!" The Governor of He Fang Island nervously inspected his daughter from head to toe.
"No, not at all. It's all thanks to Mr. Charles. He saved me."
Daniel shot Charles a hostile glance, then took his daughter by the hand and started walking toward the sea. "Come on, we're going home. Your mother has nearly cried herself blind worrying about you."
"Wait, I want to say a few words to Mr. Charles."
"What is there to say to a man like that? Let's go, we're going home!" Without letting his daughter say another word, Daniel simply picked her up and walked away.
Under everyone's gaze, the Governor of He Fang Island walked across the surface of the water, heading toward the distant steamships.
Perched on her father's shoulder, Margaret gazed longingly at the young man on the dock. She had hoped he would say something to her, but he remained silent.
Looking at that calm face, memories of their time together flooded her mind.
She suddenly had the urge to ask her father to let her stay a while longer, but in the end, the words wouldn't come out.
"Mr. Charles! Goodbye! I'll send you a telegram!" Tears trickled from the corners of the young girl's eyes.
Hearing this, Daniel's expression soured, and his pace quickened.
"You've got a good head on your shoulders, managing to extort money from Daniel. But your heart isn't dark enough. If I had gotten my hands on his daughter, the price would have been far higher," Nico said, leaning toward the young man. The heavy scent of perfume assaulted Charles's nostrils.
Charles silently took two steps back. "You're too kind, Governor. For a small fry like me, five million is more than enough."
Five million is just enough to make him uncomfortable. If I had really tried to extort him, I might have gotten the money but wouldn't have lived long enough to spend it.
Nico eyed the young man with interest. "So, you were the one who raised hell in Sodoma and caused a setback for the 'King'?"
Charles was impressed. This Governor is surprisingly well-informed to have found out so quickly. "Yes. I killed the 'King'."
But Nico's next words stunned him.
"No, you couldn't have killed him. If he could be killed that easily, he wouldn't be the 'King' of Sodoma. As far as I know, there isn't a single person in the entire Abyss-Sea who can kill him."
Charles recalled the corpse sinking to the seabed, a chill running down his spine. Half his head was cut off and he's still not dead? Is that guy even human?
"You're quite something, kid. Come visit me in the center of my island sometime. We can get to know each other... more intimately," Nico said before turning and striding toward the garish, golden car.
Charles immediately vetoed the idea in his mind. There's no way I'm becoming that guy's seventh husband.
Looking at the five-million check in his hand, Charles let out a breath. That affair was finally concluded. With these Echoes, he wouldn't have to worry about funds for some time.
Charles slipped the check into his pocket, glanced around, and said to a white mouse in the crowd that was watching the spectacle, "Lily, get the crew together. Vacation's over. It's time to set sail."