After hearing Charlos's steward recount what had happened, Borsalino was left completely dumbfounded.
He had specifically tried to find an excuse to avoid crossing paths with Rosinante again.
And yet, of all things...
This incident had somehow ended up being connected to Rosinante too.
I should've known...
There really aren't many lunatics in this world who would dare kill a Celestial Dragon...
I should've realized this had to have something to do with Rosinante...
Why did I even volunteer?!
Borsalino smacked his own forehead in silent regret.
"Kizaru, didn't you hear what they said?!" Shalulia snapped furiously. "He must be heading for Mary Geoise! Why aren't you going after him right now and arresting Rosinante?!"
Her face twisted with rage.
"This time it was Brother Charlos!"
"Last time it was Father!"
"This absolutely cannot be left like this!"
"Even if I have to appeal directly to the Celestial Dragon Elders' Council, I'll make the Donquixote Family pay for this!"
"Princess Shalulia, please calm down for a moment," Kizaru said, then turned toward Charlos's steward. "You... take a look. Is this the man who killed Saint Charlos?"
As he spoke, he pulled a photograph from his coat.
It was a photo of Rosinante taken at Impel Down.
The moment Charlos's steward saw it, he shouted immediately:
"That's him! It was him!"
Kizaru closed his eyes for a second.
This time...
He had no more illusions left.
"This really is troublesome..." he muttered, finally resigning himself.
So it truly was Rosinante.
There was no chance for him to stay out of this anymore.
But once Rosinante was involved, this was no longer something Kizaru could decide by himself.
And besides—
Sengoku had just issued a direct order:
No Marine was to initiate conflict with Rosinante.
In that case, the best thing to do was obviously report upward immediately.
And more importantly...
Rosinante's next destination was Mary Geoise.
That was the real disaster waiting to happen.
"Moshi moshi..." Kizaru muttered as he pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
For once, the snail he took out happened to be the right one.
"This is Sengoku," came Sengoku's voice from the Den Den Mushi. "Kizaru, how's it going? Have you captured the criminal who killed the Celestial Dragon?"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku..." Kizaru said helplessly, "this has become troublesome."
"Troublesome?" Sengoku's expression changed instantly. "For you to call it troublesome... don't tell me...?"
In truth, the moment Sengoku had heard a Celestial Dragon had been killed, he had already felt a bad premonition.
He had a strong sense that this somehow had to be related to Rosinante.
And now, hearing Kizaru's tone...
That suspicion became certainty.
"Oh? Looks like Fleet Admiral Sengoku already guessed it," Kizaru said dryly. "That's right. Rosinante did it."
"And judging from the message he left behind..."
"His next target is very likely Mary Geoise."
Sengoku's face turned as dark as iron.
"Kizaru, come and rendezvous with us immediately!"
"This time, under no circumstances can we allow Rosinante to cause chaos in Mary Geoise!"
"Yes!" Kizaru answered, this time sounding genuinely serious.
He knew very well that the situation had now developed beyond the point where he could keep playing dumb.
If he still tried to muddle through this matter carelessly...
Then his position as an Admiral might truly come to an end.
And honestly?
Being a Marine Admiral was a pretty good job.
The work was usually easy enough.
He really didn't want to lose such a comfortable position.
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku's expression became incomparably ugly.
"You all heard that," he said, voice heavy.
"Rosinante's next target is Mary Geoise."
"We absolutely cannot allow him to cause trouble there."
"Otherwise... the World Government's face will be completely stripped away."
Garp's expression was grave.
"This really is a problem," he said. "If a battle breaks out in Mary Geoise... the entire World Government might get flipped upside down."
"Ara ara... looks like we're going to have to face Rosinante directly after all," Kuzan said. "I wonder what level his strength has reached after ten years."
"Rosinante..." Sakazuki said coldly.
Magma began to rise from his body, his battle intent so intense it almost felt like the room temperature had risen.
At the same time...
Rosinante had already brought Bins and Redfield up onto the Red Line.
For ordinary people, climbing the Red Line might be a major obstacle.
But for Rosinante—
Who could silence gravity itself and fly through the air—
It was absurdly easy.
"What a convenient ability," Redfield said with a faint smile after they landed atop the Red Line.
For a monster like Redfield, getting up the Red Line wasn't impossible either.
But it certainly wouldn't be as effortless as what Rosinante had just done.
"Your Majesty, be careful," Bins said seriously. "Over the years, while the World Government has been developing the Marines heavily, their Army isn't weak either."
"And unlike the Marines..."
"Their military strength is almost entirely concentrated here on the Red Line."
He looked ahead, eyes sharp.
"So on the Red Line, the World Government has a massive number of troops stationed."
"Our movements and intentions were exposed back in Sleepless City."
"By now... they've most likely already made preparations."
Rosinante didn't seem bothered in the slightest.
"It doesn't matter."
"In front of me, sheer numbers don't mean much."
Then he smiled faintly.
"And besides... they're already here."
As he spoke—
On the far horizon, soldiers began to appear.
One row.
Then two.
Then three.
Then more.
And more.
And more.
Soon, the distant land was filling with them in dense, endless ranks.
Unlike the chaotic mobs of pirates, these were true soldiers.
A real army.
They had discipline, Faith and Resolve.
And the iron bearing of men who had undergone strict training.
Rosinante looked at the scene and smiled lightly.
"That's quite a few men."
He swept his gaze over the army and estimated calmly:
"About one hundred and fifty thousand."
His smile turned a little sharper.
"So..."
"Are they planning to use these soldiers to slowly wear me down to death here?"
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