The most shameless alchemist in history

614 Tavern Cellar

Dure had originally hoped to win over Speaker Varo's former subordinates and unite their forces, which would be enough to confront Lord Tamma, who now controlled everything. However, they underestimated the enemy's power, and their four-pronged attack all ended in failure.

Fortunately, they weren't too unlucky and all of them escaped; otherwise, the outcome would have been disastrous, and they would have been completely wiped out.

Faced with the current complex situation, Du Lei was also a little at a loss for what to do. Just as they were discussing the next step, there was a commotion outside. Both Kotetsu and Du Lei were extremely perceptive and immediately realized that something was wrong with the sound.

"That sound is... a gunpowder gun? Oh no, run!" Kotetsu shouted, issuing a loud warning!

"You can't leave now, we're completely surrounded. You can't escape even if you grow wings!" Just then, someone strode over from outside and kicked the door open. A middle-aged officer held a flintlock pistol and aimed it at Leopard Tail, who was charging at the front.

"It's you? Colonel Luffy?" Leopard Tail was no stranger to Luffy; they had crossed paths twice before. When they went to the Valan mansion, it was Luffy who led the way, and it was Luffy who arrested them as suspects in Valan's murder and imprisoned them.

"Didn't expect we'd meet so soon, did you? Long time no see, everyone," Luffy said with a gloomy face.

A large number of guards armed with gunpowder guns surged in from behind him, raising their guns and aiming at Dure and his men.

"What's going on? How did you all end up here? Pa...m?" Dom was shocked to see this. He was a well-known figure in Rock City, and very few people knew about this place. It should have been a foolproof place. He couldn't understand why he had attracted Luffy's attention.

When he saw Pam following behind Luffy, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Pam? What are you doing there? Do you know what you've done?" After a brief moment of shock, Dom immediately realized what had happened. Apart from his trusted subordinate, only the people present and his brother knew about this place.

Dure and the others couldn't possibly volunteer to let Luffy bring his men to capture them, so the only one who would object was Pam!

"What's going on?" Leopard Tail frowned, looking at Dom and then at Pam.

When the incident occurred, his first suspicion fell on Dom, since Dom was the one who arranged this place.

But seeing Dom's expression at this moment, Leopard Tail could tell that Dom was the most shocked of all.

“As you can see, my dear brother, I have only done the right thing.” Pam smiled sinisterly.

"Right? Is betraying me the right thing to do?" Dom roared in fury, his anger intense!

"Betrayal? That's a good word. I'm telling you, my dear brother, you always act so superior when you talk about betrayal. You've always been incredibly capable, far more capable than me in everything you do. But does that give you the right to berate me at will? You humiliate me in front of my subordinates, regardless of the occasion. I'm your own brother, and you're actually siding with outsiders?"

Pam unleashed all his pent-up resentment. He had so much bitterness in his heart. He also longed for recognition and praise, but he had always lived in Dom's shadow. Dom was the one who gave him recognition and praise.

No matter how much Dom took care of him, in the eyes of outsiders, he was just Dom's little follower, Dom's stupid younger brother!

This drove Pam to the brink of madness, and all his grievances erupted in the underground casinos.

That bastard Dom actually made me apologize to some kid in front of so many people! He still has some pride, you know. He still has to live in Rock City. What will people think of him if this continues? The more Pam thought about it, the more he felt a fire burning inside him!

“Pam, the reason I’m so strict with you is because I did many wrong things when I was a child because I didn’t have a father and lacked discipline. I don’t want you to repeat my mistakes, so I’m so strict with you. Who knew you would…” Dom sighed deeply.

He never expected things to develop to this point.

"You two brothers can save your talk for later. I'm here to arrest criminals, not to listen to you brothers complain about family matters. Arrest them both! What, you look so resentful, don't you?" Colonel Ruf waved his hand and ordered the arrests.

He noticed the fierce look in Leopard Tail's eyes, and without warning, he threw a punch at Leopard Tail's chin!

"You!" Leopard Tail was furious and made to rush forward and give Luffy a good beating.

"Calm down!" Hu Che and Du Lei both stepped forward to pull him back, preventing the situation from escalating further.

“Listen to your companions’ advice. Going against me will only lead to bad consequences. Take them all away. That guy Zoren just let you go, but this time I won’t send you to Zoren’s prison. I’ll lock you up in the most terrifying and gloomy place. I think you’ll be satisfied…” Colonel Rufus chuckled, and under his orders, the guards began to arrest people.

Because of the narrow space and the fact that there was only one path, Kotetsu and his companions had no way to escape. Faced with Luffy's well-preparedness, they had no chance to run away and could only let the guards handcuff them.

"Luffy, you...did you orchestrate this attack? You pinned the crime of killing Valan on us, while the real Valan is locked up in prison by you." Leopard Tail gritted his teeth; he was unwilling to be captured like this.

"I don't understand what you're saying. The real Lord Valan has been killed by you, so stay put until you face your judgment. Take them all away!" Ruf smiled coldly and waved his hand, signaling the guards to take the men away.

"Let me go, let me go!" Leopard Tail struggled, but he was very strong and broke free from several guards.

"You better behave yourself!" The guard swung his flintlock pistol, gripping the barrel and smashing it at him.

"Leopard Tail, don't be impulsive. Let's go with him. It's okay," Du Lei stopped Leopard Tail.

Although their current situation is very bad, they must leave the cellar first, as this environment is too unfavorable for them!

m.

615 General Titus

Kotetsu and Hyo-o, who had just managed to escape from prison, fell back into Colonel Luffy's hands. Coincidentally, it was Colonel Luffy who had previously arrested them. Colonel Luffy was overjoyed to have his prisoners back.

The anger he had been holding back because of Zoren vanished in an instant. Moreover, he not only captured the previous prisoners, but also a young boy and girl. According to information from above, it seemed that the young boy and girl were even more valuable.

Thinking of his bright future, Colonel Luffy's steps became a little light. He was in high spirits, which was probably the best way to describe him. However, his good mood did not last long, and soon the smile on his face froze.

The reason was simple: when he and his men were escorting the prisoners out of the tavern, they had just turned the corner and hadn't even left the block when a large number of guards rushed over and surrounded them. This made Colonel Ruff frown, because he recognized these guards.

"Lava Guard? What are you doing? Why are you blocking my way? Where is Kai?" Colonel Luffy recognized the soldiers as members of the Lava Guard, one of the six major guard units of Rock City, and the leader of these guards was Kai, who shared the same rank as him, a colonel.

He wasn't very familiar with Kai, and the two weren't on the same side. Now, at this critical moment, Kai's subordinate suddenly appeared, which gave him a bad feeling.

"I'm here, Lord Luffy. How have you been?" Kai stepped out from the crowd. Although the heavy rain had temporarily stopped, the sky was still gloomy and the atmosphere was rather eerie. Dozens of soldiers from both sides faced off, holding gunpowder guns, while some citizens watched through the cracks in their windows.

For a moment, no one knew what had happened, and not only the citizens, but even the arrested individuals, such as Kotetsu, were completely bewildered.

They knew Kai and his group; it was Kai who led the team to pick them up after the train derailed outside Rock Castle.

Not long after Kai brought them to the Valan residence, something happened. So, as far as Kotetsu and the others were concerned, they always thought that Kai and Colonel Luffy were in cahoots. But now, seeing Kai confronting Colonel Luffy, they realized that things were not as they had imagined.

"Kai, what do you mean by this? Do you know whose orders I'm following? How dare you block my way?" Luffy's face darkened immediately. Although he had heard some things about Kai, he and Kai were equals, and neither of them was superior to the other.

Moreover, he had his own backing, and just when a great achievement was about to be attributed to him, someone came along and caused trouble. How could Colonel Ruff not be furious? He was already being very lenient with his colleague by not directly ordering Kai's arrest!

"I don't care whose orders you're on, Lord Luffy. I only care about the orders I'm on. Please hand these people over to me, Lord Luffy, and avoid unnecessary conflict," Kai said calmly, completely ignoring the threat in Colonel Luffy's words.

"Spread conflict? Kai, you're taking your Lava Guard way too seriously. Your Lava Guard is the elite force protecting the capital, but my Steel Rock Guard isn't to be underestimated either!" Colonel Luffy was furious. What an arrogant and proud man he was.

He was already seething with anger after being humiliated by Warden Zoren, but he knew Zoren had his backing and was not someone he could easily offend, so he could tolerate it. But now, who was Kai to act so arrogantly and boss people around?

"So... Lord Luffy, you're unwilling to hand the man over to me?" Kai emphasized.

His Lava Guard soldiers raised their guns and aimed at the enemy, and Luffy's men also reacted.

The two sides were on the verge of conflict and in a state of extreme tension.

"Kai, don't push your luck. If you know what's good for you, take your men and leave. Otherwise... whoever gets in my way, I'll kill them!" Colonel Ruf said ruthlessly, he didn't have much patience to waste any more time.

"So, Luffy, are you going to kill this old codger too?" Just then, a voice came from behind.

Luffy was visibly startled by the sound, and behind Kai, the Lava Guard soldiers quickly made way for him.

Luffy's men didn't realize what was happening, and their guns were still pointed at them.

To Kai's right, an elderly man walked over with a brisk pace, dressed in a crisp military uniform.

He didn't look strong; he was rather thin, and even his back was a little hunched.

But just standing there, he exuded an aura of authority that no new recruits in Luffy's Steel Rock Guard had ever witnessed.

"General... General Tie Da?" Colonel Ruf, who had been furious and imposing just moments before, trembled slightly upon seeing the old man.

"Young people these days are really brave. It's been many years since someone pointed a gun at me." The old man's gaze swept over them.

The guards of Luffy's Steel Rock Guard looked at each other, not knowing what had happened.

"You idiots, put your guns down right now! How could you aim at General Titus? Put them down now!" Colonel Ruff shouted at his men.

His men did not recognize the old general before them, but under Ruf's orders, they had no choice but to obey.

"Luf, I remember the last time I saw you, you were just a greenhorn. Now you've become the captain of the Steel Rock Guard, one of the six major guards protecting the capital. Who are you working for now? That old bastard Shanlong?" The old man sneered.

In this vast mountain country, there are not many people who dare to call Shan Yan "old scoundrel".

In reality, there's only one.

"This... I am working for His Excellency the Speaker, and for the people..." Luffy said, bowing his head and barely daring to breathe.

If anyone else had dared to speak like that, Luffy would have arrested them long ago.

However, even though he had been retired from the military for many years, Luffy still felt immense pressure facing this old general.

"You're talking nonsense! Do I need to tell you what the situation is like in Rock City now?" the old man reprimanded sternly.

“No, it’s not necessary…” Luffy was sweating profusely and suffering greatly.

"Alright, I'm too old to scold you. Hand the person over to me, and I'll take him away." The old man waved his hand.

“This…” Luffy hesitated, then stopped himself.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" the old man raised his voice.

“No, no problem, General Titus, please make your way.” Ruff waved his hand, signaling his men to make way.

He would absolutely not dare to contradict the old man to his face.

616 Military Camp Outside the City

When the prisoner, whom they had finally managed to capture, was taken away, Colonel Luffy was seething with rage. The clouds in the sky churned, and a strong wind blew up, a sign that it was going to rain again. The rain, which had only just stopped for a moment, was about to blanket the sky above Rock City again, which was quite rare.

As the raindrops began to fall, some of his men came forward to hold an umbrella for Colonel Luffy, but Luffy ripped it to shreds and threw it on the ground. He hadn't dared to vent his anger on the old man earlier, but now he could only unleash it on the umbrella or his men.

"Sir, are we just going to hand him over like this? We won't be able to explain ourselves when we get back." One of Luffy's trusted men asked cautiously. Compared to the ordinary guards, he knew more or less the inside story, and given his understanding of Luffy, he really couldn't understand why Luffy would do this.

"Isn't what you're saying nonsense? I know it's hard to explain, but General Titus wanted the man to leave, so how could I dare not hand him over?" Ruff berated his staff officer, though he was a hundred or a thousand times unwilling if he had a choice.

"Sir, who is General Tidus? I've never heard of him before, and he doesn't seem to be from our Mountain Kingdom." The staff officer racked his brains but couldn't recall the name "General Tidus."

"It's not surprising that you haven't heard of General Teda. Back when General Teda was in office, I had just joined the army and was still a new recruit. At that time, the Mountain Country was at war with the Swamp Country in the south for a long time and was in a very unfavorable situation. Our Mountain Country had no choice but to ask the Iron Country for help."

Colonel Ruf was in his prime, but he had been in the army for over twenty years. He earned his position as captain of the Steel Rock Guard through his own meritorious service.

"The Land of Iron? It is said that our Land of Mountains and the Land of Iron used to have a very good relationship, but I don't know what happened later, and they quickly became enemies. Now we are not only tense on the border with the Land of Snow in the north, but also on the unstable border with the Land of Iron in the west." The staff officer nodded and said.

“General Tidus is a nobleman of the Land of Iron, and even has the right to inherit the throne of the Land of Iron,” Colonel Luffy continued.

"What? The right to inherit the throne of the Iron Kingdom? That old geezer? Is he really that powerful?" The staff officer was taken aback.

"That's right. Back then, General Teda was the second in line to the throne of the Iron Kingdom. When the Iron Kingdom received our Mountain Kingdom's plea for help, they asked General Teda to send troops to reinforce them. General Teda commanded the Iron Kingdom's army and our Mountain Kingdom's army to defeat the Swamp Kingdom's army and turn the tide of the battle."

"So that's how it is! I really didn't do my homework. General Titus has such a big background!" The staff officer exclaimed in amazement.

"It can be said that without General Teda and his Iron Country army, our Mountain Country might not exist anymore. But while General Teda was attacking the Swamp Country, the Iron Country was in turmoil. The old king suddenly died, and his brother declared General Teda a traitor and refused to let him return to the country." Colonel Luffy was very familiar with this history and said softly.