"Can!"
Sakazuki nodded without hesitation, accepting Ross's bet.
Regardless of the stakes, this was a gamble of his dignity as a Marine officer.
If the Marines were to collect the body of Saul, this Marine traitor, they would be making a laughingstock of themselves.
"Great!" Ross's smile widened. "The stakes aren't high either. If I lose, after this Buster Call, I'll recommend you to the Five Elders as the new Admiral, replacing Zephyr."
Upon hearing the bet, a flicker of excitement crossed Sakazuki's eyes.
This recommendation alone could save him several years of experience.
Even if he couldn't reach the top level immediately, he could still become a candidate for Admiral based on his achievements in this Buster Call.
Once he became a candidate for Admiral, everything else was a done deal; it was just a matter of time.
"If you lose, I won't ask for much: publicly admit you're inferior to me and punch yourself with all your might. How about that bet?"
Ross drew on his previous experience of defeating Guernika and tailored a bet specifically for Sakazuki.
As for the outcome, the moment he said it, he didn't think he would lose.
Given Kuzan's personality, it was impossible that he wouldn't go to see Saul one last time.
If Kuzan really didn't go, then let's just say Ross misjudged his sense of justice. It just goes to show that there wasn't a single decent person left in the entire Marines, from top to bottom.
"Alright! I'll go and keep watch over Saul's body right now."
Sakazuki readily agreed without the slightest hesitation.
If we win, we'll make a fortune.
Even if we lose, it's just a loss of face.
The mere fact that the Marines had to collect the traitor's body was enough to make him lose face; the stakes were nothing compared to that.
Besides, Sakazuki never thought face had any value.
Sakazuki turned and headed toward Saul's hiding place.
Borsalino would handle the rest; he didn't need to do anything about it. Right now, he just wanted to see if any Marines would do something so foolish before the Buster Call was carried out and the area was destroyed.
After Sakazuki had walked away, Zephyr, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke:
"Based on what I know of Kuzan, he will definitely go."
"So, Vice Admiral Sakazuki is destined to lose this bet?" Gion asked curiously.
"He lost from the very beginning of the gamble," Zephyr said, shaking his head with a sigh.
"Huh?" Gion asked, puzzled.
Zephyr glanced at his foolish student, but still patiently explained:
"Regardless of victory or defeat, Sakazuki will always be labeled as the Saint Ross. For Sakazuki, this is both a powerful protective shield and a restrictive shackle."
"So that's how it is!"
Gion wasn't stupid either; she understood immediately after just a few words.
Even if Saint Ross lost, the fact that he recommended Sakazuki to the Five Elders to become a Marine Admiral alone left Sakazuki with no way out in the Marines.
The fact that an Admiral was recommended by the Celestial Dragons already determined his background.
If Sakazuki lost and publicly admitted that he was inferior to Saint Ross, wouldn't that be tantamount to openly declaring his submission to Saint Ross?
No matter which path you take, the outcome will be the same.
Thinking of this, Gion looked at Ross with a mixture of admiration and fear.
Thankfully, it was someone from her own side; otherwise, she was genuinely afraid of being tricked...
Wait a minute, it seemed she had already been manipulated into becoming one of them.
Thinking of this, Gion's face stiffened slightly, and she lowered her head in frustration and isolation.
"Alright, let's take a look at the main point of our visit."
Ross didn't pay attention to the conversation that followed; he was in a good mood.
The bet wasn't just about getting Sakazuki's name on it; the main thing was the reward for defeating him.
This single wave alone could probably allow him to instantly break through to rank B, possessing the strength of a Vice Admiral.
In high spirits, Ross led Gion to the controlled historian.
"Saint Ross!"
Upon seeing Ross, the surrounding Marines bowed and saluted him.
If Ross hadn't seen it so often these past few days, he wouldn't have liked seeing the same people kneeling every day. These Marines would normally be required to kneel to greet him whenever they saw him.
"Um!"
Ross simply nodded slightly, signaling the Marines to stand up, and then turned his gaze to the surrounded crowd.
The surrounded crowd was clearly divided into two circles.
There was a large circle of dozens of people, men, women, young and old, all dressed in ordinary clothes, and they were probably in the know.
The other group consisted of only a handful of people: a nervous elderly couple, a handsome young couple, and a little girl of about 10 years old.
Ross discovered that most of the people in the One Piece world were quite good-looking, at least this young, handsome man and beautiful woman were quite striking.
The woman was beautiful, with a curvaceous figure. The man was tall and strong, with a resolute and unyielding expression.
These individuals were likely the historians who had surrendered themselves, along with their family members.
"You're the one who turned yourself in?"
Ross sized up the young couple, and rating information appeared before his eyes.
[Doyle Lina]
Overall Rating: G+
[Doyle Velen]
Overall Rating: D+
Upon seeing Velen's rating, Ross immediately focused his attention on him.
Based on his perception, he could tell that Velen wasn't very strong, at most a little stronger than an ordinary Marine.
This level of performance was at most a D-, making it impossible for it to reach a D+ rating.
The remaining ratings, unsurprisingly, reflected Velen's reputation among historians. He was a well-known historian and was likely on the wanted list.
"Saint Ross. My name is Doyle Velen, a historian from Ohara, a scholar of history."
Velen stood in front of his family and knelt down on one knee to bow to Ross.
Velen, being a history scholar, knew Ross's identity just by hearing the suffix of his name.
"Uncle Velen…" Robin exclaimed, clearly recognizing Velen.
However, Velen never glanced at Robin, as if he didn't know her at all.
Only historians like them knew that Robin was also a scholar.
Whether or not this Celestial Dragon knew Robin's identity, it was not his place to say so.
"Velen?"
Ross murmured the name, not because he had any recollection of it.
Instead...
"Saint Ross".
Gion, being very sensible, leaned close to Ross's ear and introduced him:
"Velen is on the wanted list with a bounty of 20 million Berries. His reputation at sea is no less than that of Olvia. He is known as a 'knowledgeable person about history.' However, his appearance on the wanted poster is different from his current appearance. His face on the wanted poster is more ordinary."
"Is this what you really look like?"
Without Ross giving any orders, he simply stretched out his hand, and a Marine who was waiting nearby handed him Velen's arrest warrant.
Ross compared Velen's current handsome appearance with his unremarkable look on the wanted poster, and it was indeed very different. No wonder the others didn't recognize him.
"That's right. When you're out and about, you always have to be careful. Your Highness may not recognize my real face, but you should recognize this mark."
As he spoke, Velen extended his right hand, revealing the Tree of Knowledge mark on his arm.
Gion continued to whisper in Ross's ear, "It did say when the arrest warrant was issued that Velen had the Tree of Knowledge tattoo on his right arm."
This tattoo alone was enough to prove Velen's identity.
Not to mention that Robin had already revealed the other person's identity. Robin didn't have time to conspire, and given her current emotional state, she wouldn't think that much about it. The other person's identity was already clear.
However, Ross was genuinely curious as to why Velen had turned himself in.
Since no Marine knew Velen's true appearance, he could most likely get away with it this time. There was no need to drag his family into this.
He could still tell that Velen valued his family highly. He wouldn't put his family in danger unless absolutely necessary.