"Trying to escape?" Seeing Charles leap onto a zombie bat, Hathaway naturally wouldn't let it go. Her burst period was still active, but it was nearing its end. Before it ran out, even if she couldn't kill Charles, this massive threat, she wanted to leave it with some injuries.

After all, Charles had destroyed countless settlements and killed numerous Lantisians. Now, with the monster army launching a full-scale attack, Charles had left the Demon Abyss, presenting a rare opportunity for her. The Demon Abyss was too complex; if Charles chose to hide there, finding it would be nearly impossible.

"Is this woman made of steel? Even with such severe injuries, she's still so fierce," Rosen muttered, watching as Charles was forced to land after Hathaway slashed the giant zombie bat, continuing their fierce battle.

"Big... big boss, you're all here! Let's get out of here..." Pittas, covered in dust, ran over from the Lantisians wounded, surprisingly unharmed. Rosen glanced at him; the man had some luck to survive such chaos.

Moreover, the Lantisians hadn't troubled him. Rosen didn't know that, thanks to the people from the underground city, the Lantisians not only left Pittas alone but even protected him multiple times. After all, Rosen, Pittas' companion, had not only saved Ming City but also reportedly solved the food crisis in the demon-infested lands. It was no wonder they treated him as an honored guest.

As for why it was "reportedly," those involved had only heard it from others. The queen hadn't chosen to publicize it widely.

"Hey, woman, how about I help you take down that demon?" Rosen suddenly spoke up, watching the intense battle between Hathaway and Charles.

If they really wanted to capture Charles alive, Rosen alone wouldn't be enough, even with his enhanced strength. Before the enhancement, Rosen wasn't a match for Charles in single combat. After the enhancement, he could hold his own, even gaining a slight advantage, but now, with his severe injuries, he couldn't sustain a prolonged fight.

So, the only chance was to team up with Queen Hathaway. Together, they might have a shot, though it wasn't guaranteed. If Charles decided to flee, their chances would drop even further. After all, while Charles couldn't defeat both of them alone, it could call on monsters to cover its escape. If they were to act, they had to strike swiftly, giving Charles no time to react or set traps.

Both Hathaway and Charles clearly heard Rosen's words. After a clash, they disengaged, creating some distance between them.

"What do you want?" Queen Hathaway neither agreed nor refused. She didn't fully understand Rosen, and even though he had indirectly saved her life underground, her nature made it hard for her to trust him.

However, it was clear that the Marines were his enemies, and given that Rosen had never had any irreparable conflicts with her, her impression of him was neutral. Not close, but not hostile either. Strictly speaking, Lantis owed Rosen—not just for indirectly saving Hathaway's life, but also for solving the demon-infested lands' food problem.

Even if they managed to break through, the demon-infested lands might no longer be needed, but these were events that happened before the war, and the credit couldn't be erased.

"I want to capture it alive, or rather, I want it," Rosen stated his condition, pointing at Charles. Charles roughly understood and immediately lashed out with a palm strike toward Rosen.

A black mist shockwave surged forward with a roar. Rosen pushed forward in the air, forming a shield of golden sand. The shockwave collided with the shield, scattering to the sides. Just as the black mist was about to corrode the barrier, Rosen dispelled the defense.

A sandstorm tornado formed and swept forward, dispersing the remaining shockwave.

"Alright," Queen Hathaway agreed after a brief moment of thought. On one hand, she didn't want to let Charles escape easily; on the other, she was eager to move to the next battlefield.

If she hadn't seen the flying monsters, she might not have desperately tried to stop Charles when it attempted to leave earlier. But the appearance of the flying creatures gave her a strong sense of crisis.

Now that this man was willing to help, there might actually be a chance to kill Charles. As for capturing it alive? Hathaway agreed, though she thought it unrealistic. If the opportunity arose, she would naturally follow through with the plan. But if it didn't work out, killing it was fine too. In battle, nothing was absolute.

From this, it was clear that Hathaway saw Rosen as a tool to use, but Rosen didn't mind. He needed Hathaway's combat power to suppress Charles, and together, their chances of success were higher.

It was mutual exploitation.

"Roar!" Charles, listening to their discussion, could understand some of it. At the very least, it knew the two were targeting it.

Charles wasn't afraid. Otherwise, it wouldn't have tried to kill that annoying woman in such a situation. It saw that the other powerful human was also severely injured.

Perhaps it wasn't too dangerous?

But the two's actions angered Charles, and with a roar, countless monsters turned and surged toward Rosen.

Feeling that his injuries had mostly recovered, Rosen smiled and pushed forward with his hand. Ten hellish sandstorm tornadoes instantly formed. His enhanced strength and defense allowed him to control even more sand.

The sandstorms rose, and with a wave of his hand, Rosen unleashed a powerful attack, reducing countless zombies to fragments.

"You handle the fight for now; I need to recover..." Rosen said casually to Hathaway.

Hathaway frowned. What did this man mean? Was he planning to use her as free labor?

"I have a plan," Rosen explained.

Hathaway, half-believing, launched an attack on Charles, engaging in close combat. Her sword strikes landed on the demon's body, but its defenses were incredibly sturdy, especially Charles' demonic hand, which could withstand her blade.

The close-quarters battle erupted with sparks and shockwaves, sending zombies flying and tearing them apart. The intensity was no less than her fight with Eric, especially with Charles' powerful abilities, each strike carrying corrosion and shockwaves.

"Find some Seastone handcuffs," Rosen said to Law. On the battlefield, even rare Seastone was relatively common, and some soldiers might even carry it.

In dealing with Charles, Law's abilities were indispensable, as was Seastone.

"I refuse. We're partners, not master and servant. Not yet, at least," Law replied calmly.

"Fair point. Are you short on money? Never mind, pirates don't have a steady income. Without plundering, even if they steal from other pirates, they're usually broke.

I bet your submarine wasn't bought with your own money, right? How about this: 200 million Berries as payment for your help this time," Rosen said after some thought. Indeed, Law's abilities were quite useful.

He couldn't keep using Law for free, especially since he hadn't helped resolve the Doflamingo situation yet.

"You..." Law was momentarily speechless. This somewhat shameless yet forceful man—was he really one of the Shichibukai? But his words, though crude, weren't wrong. Law was indeed short on money; his submarine had been a gift from Wolf.

Thinking about it, helping out for 200 million Berries seemed like a good deal, but why did he still feel a bit reluctant?

(End of Chapter)