"Max, we are doing this for your own good!" Garp shouted, his tone growing sharp with frustration as Max's laughter rang out, echoing in the open space outside the Empire Library.
The smug confidence on Max's face was clearly getting under their skin. "By coming under the banner of Danzun, nobody can bully you. You'll be protected. Do you even understand the kind of opportunity this is?"
Max's sneer was cold, almost mocking. His red-pink eyes, sharp as blades, glanced over the trio with pure disdain.
He wasn't impressed—not by their words, not by their posturing, and definitely not by the name they kept throwing around like it was a divine shield. "Danzun? What Danzun?" he replied, casually brushing past them, not even bothering to give the name weight. "Never heard of him."
Then he paused mid-step, turned his head slightly, and spoke flatly, "Now, if you three can step aside, I've got things to do."
