Riku's words plunged Kuro into an eerie silence.

After a long silence, he slowly uttered a single word.

"ha?"

The words were filled with surprise, confusion, and a hint of disgust.

"Old man, I'm going to have a word with you about what you're saying."

Kuro stepped forward, standing taller than the old man, and stared intently at Liku.

That look in Riku's eyes, still carrying a hint of murderous intent from the battle, made him instinctively take a step back.

"Your Majesty, please step back!"

Cyrus hopped on one foot to Riku, wary of Kuro.

Riku might not have fully sensed that murderous aura, but as a warrior, he was extremely perceptive.

Although only a small amount was leaked, it was enough to alert Cyrus.

The navy man before you is someone who has emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

That dangerous aura was no less than that of Doflamingo.

"Cyrus...?"

Kuro looked the one-legged man up and down. "I know you. You're a pretty famous swordsman. Although as members of the Navy, we can't interfere in the kingdom's internal affairs, there are some things we should talk about."

He pointed to himself, "Look at me, I'm all dirty. Why do you think I'm all dirty?"

As he spoke, he pointed to a large missing piece of land behind him. "Guess how this thing disappeared? Are you blind? Didn't you see it? Charlotte Linlin is a grown woman, can't you see her?"

These words made Cyrus freeze. He had, of course, already sensed the earth-shattering battle that lasted for two days.

Big Mom, one of the Four Emperors, is one of the most terrifying beings in the world.

Riku, speaking from behind Kyros, said, "That Yonko was clearly looking for you. You did protect your people, that's true, but the Straw Hat crew also saved my country..."

"ha?"

Kuro, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, exhaled a puff of smoke that swirled around Cyrus and Riku's faces.

"Get this straight, I'm not talking about that. Whether you release those petty pirates or not is your business. What I care about is your attitude, old man!"

"You released them, so why did you have to come out and say something? Just say what you want, why are you bringing up the king's decision-making power? Don't you know how you became king? What do you mean the straw hat saved your country? Didn't I save it? My brother and I fought the Four Emperors for two days, two whole days! Do you know how I survived those two days?!"

"What do you mean Lingling came to see me? You know that if you let Lingling in, don't even mention the King, I'll be surprised if there's a place in Dressrosa where anyone can stand!"

Whether it was due to Kuro's roar or something else, Riku and Kyros both took a step back.

"Lingling...is it really okay to call her that?" Cyrus swallowed.

“This… I’m sorry, I didn’t consider that aspect.” Riku lowered his head.

Kuro glanced at him twice, then asked Maynard beside him, "Have the nearby countries all recognized it?"

"Yes... they broadcast it live to nearby countries."

Maynard nodded, then said somewhat awkwardly, "Kuro, isn't it a bit inaccurate to call the Straw Hats minor pirates? Fleet Admiral Sakazuki is having a lot of trouble with them right now."

"Bolo bolo bolo..."

Suddenly, the sound of a Den Den Mushi (snail phone) rang out nearby.

A navy officer ran over carrying a Den Den Mushi (a type of Den Den Machine), exclaiming, "Report! It's a call from Marshal Sakazuki!"

Kuro glared at Riku and said, "It's not appropriate for me to eavesdrop on internal Navy affairs. Please get lost. As for the rest, we'll discuss it later."

Without Kurodo saying anything, the two men and their soldiers retreated.

At that moment, Ichisho also answered the Den Den Mushi.

“Sakasan,” he said.

"Fujitora?"

A hoarse, somber voice came from beside the Den Den Mushi, "Big Mom has retreated?"

"That's right. After fighting for two days, we realized things weren't going well and retreated," Yi Xiao nodded.

"Damn it! If we could stall for a little longer, after the Warring States period, maybe we could keep her here!"

Sakazuki paused for a moment and said, "It's not your fault that the Straw Hat crew and Law escaped. You were stopped by Big Mom, and I'm sorry for the trouble you had with that."

“No, Sakasan, I think our navy should apologize for the situation in Dressrosa. The darkness in Dressrosa is the result of the inaction of the World Government and our navy, which led to the spread of evil.”

The chuckle caused the Den Den Mushi to fall silent for a while. After a long time, the Den Den Mushi finally uttered a question mixed with anger: "Huh? Sin? Spreading?"

Besides those words, there was a rustling sound coming from the other end, which made Kuro narrow his eyes.

"I'll do it."

Just as Ichisho was about to continue speaking, Kuro suddenly snatched the microphone from him and said with a smile, "Brother, it's inappropriate to say these things right after the battle. We're the Navy; we can discuss internal matters."

Kuro knows exactly what this guy is trying to say.

He always felt that it was a mistake for Dressrosa to become dark under the rule of the Seven Warlords, as evidenced by his holding back during his fight with Sabo.

As a Marine, he had to act within the rules, but as a human being, he placed his bets on the Straw Hats and believed that saving Dressrosa had nothing to do with the Marines.

This is extremely bad.

If he were allowed to continue, he probably would get into a heated argument with Sakazuki.

This kind of thing can be discussed internally within the navy; there's no need for such heated exchanges.

If they clash in front of so many people, neither side will be able to save face, and things will get really messy.

Kuro spoke into the microphone: "Marshal Sakazuki, it's me. Where are you now?"

"Kuro?"

The Den Den Mushi's anger subsided slightly. "Thank you for your hard work. I'm in Mary Geoise now."

Sure enough, if he were in Mary Geoise now, he would be next to those five old men. If he were to confront them, Sakazuki would definitely be in a difficult position.

"Everything is for the Navy's benefit. As for Dressrosa, we'll discuss it in person when we get back."

"Doflamingo... if it weren't for Big Mom, she should have informed us of this beforehand. That damned King Riku, he tricked us."

He was referring to the fact that Doflamingo's defeat and his ascension to the throne were announced ahead of time without the permission of the World Government and the Navy.

The latter isn't a big problem, but the former would indeed damage their navy's prestige.

As for the prestige of the World Government...

The world government has absolutely no prestige!

"Let the higher-ups consider this matter; there should still be time..."

Kuro glanced around and said, "I'll personally oversee Doflamingo. We should have a result before Sengoku-san arrives."