Katakuri was likely weighing all sorts of considerations in his mind, already thinking ahead to how this new alliance would work and what it might mean for the future.
But among everyone gathered there, the one least interested in overthinking any of it was undoubtedly Douglas Bullet.
The massive man was built like a mountain, and the instant he saw Dragon emerge from the temple, his eyes lit up as though he had just discovered some priceless treasure.
Completely ignoring the heavy atmosphere hanging over the area, Bullet strode straight toward him.
Every step seemed to make the ground tremble faintly beneath his weight, his heavy footfalls radiating the kind of raw power that made it seem as though he could simply walk through anything standing in his way.
The moment he reached Dragon, Bullet raised one enormous hand—the sort of hand that looked capable of crushing solid rock without effort—and brought it down heavily on Dragon's shoulder with a booming laugh.
Dragon, unfortunately, had yet to recover from his earlier injuries.
His body was still badly weakened, and the unexpected slap made him sway slightly on his feet. His brow tightened as a flash of pain crossed his face.
Bullet noticed none of it.
He was far too caught up in his own enthusiasm.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
His enormous frame shook with laughter, the sound rolling across the area like a giant bell.
It was loud, unrestrained, and perfectly suited to a man of his size.
"Dragon! From now on, we're family!"
Bullet grinned broadly at him.
"So quit acting like such an outsider! Look at you, always walking around with that grim face. Doesn't it get exhausting?"
His aggressively friendly behavior shattered the solemn mood almost instantly.
The expressions of everyone nearby became rather complicated.
Jozu frowned slightly before shaking his head with helpless resignation, looking as though he had already given up trying to control where this conversation was going.
Crocodile remained lazily propped against a nearby pillar. He exhaled a perfect ring of cigar smoke, watched it drift upward, then gave a quiet scoff filled with amusement and mockery.
Even Katakuri, normally the picture of composure, seemed to suffer a momentary crack in his calm facade.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Barely.
But it definitely twitched.
Dragon himself had been completely caught off guard by Bullet's sudden attempt at treating him like a long-lost brother.
The force of that slap had landed squarely across his injured shoulder blade, sending a sharp stab of pain through him like dozens of needles piercing the same spot at once.
His eye twitched involuntarily.
Then Dragon looked at Bullet.
There was no calculation in the man's expression.
No hidden agenda.
What burned in Bullet's eyes was nothing more than the pure, almost childlike excitement of someone who had just gained another powerful fighter he could someday test himself against.
That utter lack of ulterior motive was strangely refreshing.
Some of the tension Dragon had been carrying ever since arriving here unexpectedly eased.
For the first time in quite a while, even the air around him seemed a little less oppressive.
Dragon slowly drew in a deep breath and forced down the discomfort from his injuries.
He straightened himself as much as possible, then looked at Bullet before turning his attention toward all the core members of the Divine Kingdom gathered around him.
His expression became solemn.
"The grievances, conflicts, and battles of the past are behind us now."
Dragon's voice was steady.
"Whether they brought glory or failure, they were only the opening movement of a much longer struggle."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"From this day forward, I—and every comrade who once fought under the banner of the Revolutionary Army—will devote ourselves fully to fighting for the Divine Kingdom."
"We will put aside the divisions of the past and stand together as one."
His gaze passed slowly across the gathered fighters.
"For the future of the Divine Kingdom, and for the world we intend to build together, we will give everything we have."
His eyes finally settled on Ron, seated upon the distant raised platform.
For a brief moment, the two men simply looked at one another.
No words were exchanged.
None were necessary.
There was expectation in that silence.
And trust.
Bullet's grin only widened after hearing Dragon's declaration.
He slapped Dragon across the back again.
Hard.
"Now that's more like it!"
Dragon immediately let out a muffled grunt, his already battered body nearly pitching forward.
Bullet remained blissfully unaware.
"Don't worry, brother! Whenever there's a fight, I'll be the first bastard charging in!"
He laughed loudly.
"When the time comes, keep those eyes open and watch closely. I'll show you what real power looks like!"
Bullet clenched one massive fist.
"The kind of power that can shake heaven and earth!"
Dragon said nothing.
His expression suggested he was beginning to question whether surviving the God's Knights had actually been the difficult part.
...
Inside the temple, ancient and mysterious symbols had been carved across the surrounding walls, glowing faintly as though preserving echoes of some forgotten age.
Towering columns rose overhead like giants supporting the immense chamber, their surfaces covered in intricate carvings worked with extraordinary craftsmanship.
At the far end of the hall, Ron sat upon a throne carved from flawless white divine stone.
A gentle, almost sacred radiance emanated from the material, casting his figure in an otherworldly light.
His fingers tapped absentmindedly against the armrest.
Slowly.
Steadily.
Each quiet tap echoed faintly through the otherwise silent hall.
Ron's gaze was distant.
It seemed to pass straight through the towering ceiling above him and into the vast unknown beyond.
A faint crease of thought rested between his brows.
The expression was subtle, but beneath his outward calm, his mind was clearly already turning toward what came next.
...
The God's Knights were an exceptionally unusual group.
Very few people had ever seen them in person.
They had always been shrouded in mystery, like figures hidden behind layers of fog, difficult for outsiders to understand and even harder to track.
They stood far above ordinary people, almost removed from the concerns of the mundane world.
Under normal circumstances, their primary duty was to protect the Holy Land of Mary Geoise and the Celestial Dragons who resided there.
They were the Spear of the Gods—
a force entrusted with preserving the authority and order of those who claimed to stand above the rest of humanity.
That was exactly why their latest actions were so unusual.
Why had such a secretive and traditionally conservative organization suddenly become so aggressive?
More importantly, their operation against Dragon and the Revolutionary Army had been frighteningly precise.
Every move had clearly been planned in advance.
There had been no hesitation, no wasted effort, and almost no uncertainty.
It was as though they had already obtained all the information they needed and knew exactly where to strike in order to inflict the greatest possible damage.
Had the Revolutionary Army's recent activities finally threatened something the World Government considered truly vital?
Perhaps their alliance with the Eternal Divine Kingdom had crossed a line that could no longer be ignored.
Or perhaps something significant had happened inside the World Government itself.
Behind the seemingly stable political order, hidden factions and competing interests might already be shifting against one another.
If that were the case, the God's Knights' sudden deployment could have been an attempt to eliminate a growing threat before it became impossible to contain.
Whatever the truth was, Ron was certain of one thing.
There was a deeper reason behind their abnormal behavior.
What had appeared on the surface was only the tip of the iceberg.
The real answer was still hidden beneath layers of secrecy.
Ron remained seated on the throne, brows faintly drawn together as he turned the possibilities over in his mind.
Then—
Heavy footsteps sounded outside the temple.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Each step struck the ground with enough force to carry through the hall, followed by the metallic clang of heavy boots against stone.
The peaceful atmosphere vanished immediately.
A massive silhouette appeared at the entrance.
He strode inside with the presence of a walking mountain, every movement radiating arrogance and overwhelming strength.
The moment he entered the hall, the oppressive stillness that had hung over the temple was swept away by a wave of savage energy.
There was no mistaking him.
Kaido of the Beasts.
He was still in his intimidating hybrid form.
Two vicious dragon horns rose from his head, gleaming coldly beneath the dim light.
His thick dragon tail swayed lazily behind him, yet even that casual movement stirred the surrounding air.
More striking than anything else were his eyes.
They burned with undisguised battle lust.
Kaido strode straight toward the foot of Ron's throne.
His enormous body leaned slightly forward as he looked up at Ron, then his booming voice rolled through the entire hall.
"Ron! I've been sitting around so long my damn bones are starting to rust!"
He raised a huge fist covered in blue scales.
The simple movement compressed the surrounding air hard enough to produce several sharp bursts.
"Last time, I thought we were finally gonna have ourselves a proper war!"
Kaido's expression twisted into an irritated grin.
"But those cowardly Marine bastards ran before I could really enjoy myself!"
His grin widened, becoming far more vicious.
"And now they're stupid enough to announce a public execution?"
"Wororororo!"
Kaido's laughter thundered through the temple.
"They're practically begging us to come beat the hell out of them!"
His eyes gleamed like burning furnaces.
A row of sharp white teeth appeared as he grinned, every inch of him radiating destructive excitement.
"Let me go!"
Kaido's voice shook the hall.
"I'll smash Marine Headquarters apart with my own hands!"
He thrust a thumb toward himself, practically vibrating with anticipation.
"I'll start at Marineford's front gate and keep going until there isn't a single damn corner left standing!"
"Those so-called Gates of Justice?"
Kaido snorted.
"To me, they're just oversized piles of scrap! I'll tear them down and use the wreckage for firewood!"
His excitement only grew as he continued.
"And while I'm at it, I'm ripping the roof off the Fleet Admiral's office!"
Kaido slapped one enormous fist into his palm.
"Then I'll plant my flag right on top of what's left!"
He stared directly at Ron.
His eagerness to fight was so intense that it was practically pouring out of him.
His massive fists clenched until the joints cracked loudly, veins standing out beneath the scales covering his arms.
At the same time, his Conqueror's Haki began leaking from his body.
It spread through the hall like an invisible tide.
For a brief instant, even the light inside the temple seemed to distort under the pressure.
Kaido threw back his head.
"This time, I'm gonna make damn sure the whole world sees what happens to anyone stupid enough to pick a fight with us!"
His roar echoed through the temple, overflowing with arrogance and savage confidence.