Fellix Crouch

While Hancock was being "treated" by Luffy, Tate went to the hospital with Astrid, Jessie, and Luka at his side.

"Mayor!"

"It's the mayor."

He was greeted with fanfare the moment he entered. Tate looked at the injured patients and tired doctors who were passionately calling out to him. A frown appeared on his face as he raised his hand.

"Don't cheer for me when I wasn't able to protect you from the harm you experienced today. A lot of you suffered greatly, lost body parts, lost loved ones, and received scars; both mentally and physically."

He bowed his head.

"I failed you all as your leader and for that I'm greatly ashamed."

"Rise your head!"

"You have nothing to apologize for!"

"Please, Mayor!"

Tate's actions caused an uproar in the hospital. Astrid, Jessie, and Luka who were with him followed suit and bowed their heads.

"Not you guys too!"

"Please, Children raise your head."

"As the leader of the younger generation it's unforgivable I arrived late to protect everyone."

Jessie said.

"I was here but was too distracted by my emotions and failed to protect those around me. With my power and skills, I could've saved more lives than I ended."

Luka said.

"......"

Astrid didn't say anything and silently bowed his head.

"As Mayor, No, as a fellow bounty hunter and human being..."

Tate lifted his head and looked forward with a determined expression.

"I, Tate Tobin, promise to never fail you again."

"M-Mayor..."

Tears gathered in the eyes of those before him. Many started crying while others wiped the tears before they fell.

"We'll hold a funeral for the fallen at sunrise. You're all welcome to say your goodbyes as we send the fallen on their next journey."

Sometime after, Tate and the boys left the hospital lobby and was walking down the halls. Patients and hospital staff greeted them as they walked past.

"You can be quite dramatic, Tate."

Astrid said while putting on lip balm.

"Dramatic? I merely spoke from my heart."

"I know, however, you didn't need to bow your head. When a man of your stature starts bowing his head it unsettles those around him. In the end, you were trying to take the blame for everything even if it meant being hated. You wouldn't care, as long as it distracts people from their pain."

"That's why you're saying I was dramatic?"

Astrid nodded.

"You're afraid to let people experience pain around you. The people here will bounce back without your pampering."

"So basically, Tate believes in nurturing and Astrid prefers tough love."

Luka whispered to Jessie who seemed confused.

"I see. Then I don't see a problem."

Jessie walked in front of them and showed a huge grin.

"I mean, you two both care about everyone on the island, right?"

"I only care about those I consider my equal."

"Then why did you bow your head along with us, Astrid."

Astrid said nothing and started checking his appearance in a mirror. The other three grinned and walked in silence. After some time, they arrived in front of the room where the Sea Guards were. They opened the door and entered. They paused the moment they entered. In the room were Connor and his subordinates lying in bed. They were noticeably tucked in comfortably but had nervous expressions. The source of their nervousness was sitting by Connor's bedside peeling an apple with dishes of fruit next to him. This man was tall and lean with tanned skin and black shoulder-length hair. He wore the local attire plus a pair of circular sunglasses.

"Oh, shit!"

Upon seeing the man, Tate and the boys tried to close the door. The moment Tate's hand touched the knob, a knife stabbed into the door inches away from his finger.

"All of you come in."

The man spoke with a nonchalant tone as he took out another knife and resumed peeling the apple. Tate and the boys came in and closed the door behind them. They stood in silence as the man arranged the fruits he was cutting on a platter.

"Felix..."

As Tate spoke, the sheriff stood up which caused everyone to flinch. He took up the plates and gave them to Connor and his comrades. They slowly came from under the covers and took the plates.

"Wait."

They froze when he spoke. He went behind Connor and fluffed his pillows. He then placed the pillows behind him. He repeated this for the rest of his crew as well.

"You can lean back now."

They nervously nodded and leaned on the soft pillows. They slowly ate the fruits prepared for them and joy slowly covered their faces. Felix nodded before facing Tate and the boys who froze under his gaze.

"So, can any of you explain to me what the hell happened today?"

Tate opened his mouth.

"Before you say something stupid, let me clarify I'm not talking about the invasion itself."

Felix took off his glasses and revealed his golden eyes.

"I'm talking about the fact you clowns allowed pirates to make it to the residential area where the elderly, the children, and other non-combatants are hiding."

"We thought you would handle it."

"What if I hadn't?"

Tate and the boys put on a confused look.

"Is such a scenario even possible?"

Felix became quiet for a bit before sighing.

"Even if that's the case, you still risked the lives of the civilians and dared to have the gall to ask for forgiveness."

"Oh, you heard that huh?"

Tate started blushing for some reason. Felix lifted his hand and it flickered. With a thud, Tate and the boys all fell to their knees holding their heads. A large lump grew on their heads, except for Tate who had three lumps on his head.

"As the current and future leaders of this island, you can't leave the safety of your people up for grabs."

He took a seat on his chair and faced them.

"My bad..."

Tate said while rubbing his head. Felix looked at him for a bit before speaking again.

"If you're here to question these guys, you're wasting your time. They don't know any more than you do."

Tate and the boys stood up.

"We figured as much. We actually came to check on their conditions."

Tate looked at Connor.

"Are you guys alright?"

"We're fine, Mayor. The doctors took care of most of our injuries."

Connor put away his fruit and answered.

"Two of them had their legs broken, three of them were stabbed in the legs and shoulders, one of them has a cracked skull, and all of them have burns on their backs and stomachs as well as holes in their hands."

Felix listed off their injuries without missing a beat.

"They are not fine. That's why I'm here taking care of them."

"We said you really don't need to, Sheriff. You're too busy to take care of people like us."

Connor spoke up quickly.

"People like who? My job is to protect the people of this island. I'm doing my job by being here with you."

He pointed at Tate and the boys with his thumb.

"Besides, these four can handle things since they're perfectly fine after fighting."

Luka lifted his hand.

"Actually, I took a lot of damage, and you also are perfectly--"

A knife past Luka and lodged in the wall behind him. A cut appeared on his cheek and he started bleeding despite being a Logia.

"I understand."

Luka stood like a soldier for some reason. Felix nodded and then turned his attention to Connor.

"That aside, you guys are too weak for my liking."

Connor and his comrades flinched.

"I taught you guys the Six Powers of Cipher Pol and yet you were caught so easily. That doesn't sit well with me as your teacher."

"But, Sir--"

"No, buts. The truth is your weakness led to what happened to you. As such, I'm going to put you through the boot camp again."

Everybody in the room flinched. Connor looked at Felix and then around the room. He spotted a window not too far away from him.

"This is the third floor."

Felix's words caused Connor to freeze up.

"Then again, go for it. This is a good way for you to practice fusing Iron Body and Armament Haki."

He showed a small smile.

"How about this? For every bone you break from the fall, I increase the intensity of the boot camp?"

Connor's face paled and his body started trembling.

"We'll obediently do the training."

He mumbled.

"Really? That's too bad. I wanted to see how Iron Body affects broken bones when used."

Nobody said anything. They just watched as Felix peeled an apple for himself and ate it.