"He ran away?"
Saint Chilingom's voice carried clear shock as he stared at the ruined battlefield. Disbelief filled his expression as he turned toward Saint Shamlok.
"You were right here. How could you let him escape?"
Saint Chilingom understood Saint Shamlok's strength better than most. As the vice-captain of the God's Knights, Chilingom himself stood at the pinnacle of the order, relying purely on swordsmanship and Haki without the aid of any Devil Fruit. That was precisely why Marco's escape left him unsettled.
Saint Shamlok, whose shattered body had already fully recovered, answered coldly, his tone heavy with disdain.
"Even if he is nothing more than a bug from the lower world, he is still one of the Four Emperors. He can fly. If he chooses to retreat, no one here can stop him."
Saint Chilingom fell silent. His gaze drifted downward to the scattered black flames still burning across the ground, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"What exactly are these black flames?" he asked quietly.
Saint Shamlok immediately warned him, his voice sharp.
"Do not touch them. Those flames are extremely adhesive. Once they cling to you, they are almost impossible to extinguish. Only overwhelming Haki can force them away."
Saint Chilingom restrained his curiosity at once. Saint Shamlok then issued orders in a calm but commanding tone.
"Quickly escort the Celestial Dragons and ensure their retreat. If that man returns unexpectedly, the consequences will be catastrophic."
"Yes," Saint Chilingom replied without hesitation.
Far from Mary Geoise, Marco finally slowed his flight. When he confirmed through Observation Haki that no one was pursuing him, he let out a quiet breath.
If anyone had truly caught up, he had already planned his response. He would have invested all of his remaining 8,400 attribute points into Speed. Among his six attributes, five had already surpassed ten thousand, with some reaching far beyond that. Speed alone lagged behind at 6,500, creating a noticeable imbalance.
Fortunately, there was no need.
Although his Speed was not his strongest trait, Marco's mobility was still formidable. Flight alone gave him a massive advantage, and when combined with his advanced Observation Haki that allowed limited future sight, escaping opponents was trivial.
Unless his pursuer was someone with extreme speed, such as Kizaru, there were very few individuals at the Strong General Emperor level who could threaten him in a chase.
After all, Marco had already stepped into the realm of Weak King Level strength.
Aside from the mysterious Imu, he could hardly think of anyone in the world who truly posed a lethal threat to him at this stage.
Suddenly, Marco paused midair, a look of mild regret crossing his face.
"What a waste," he muttered. "I planned to capture a Celestial Dragon as a hostage, but I completely forgot."
With a shake of his head, he continued flying.
Inside Pangaea Castle, the atmosphere was suffocating.
"This is beyond provocation. It is an outright affront."
The Gorosei's voices were filled with fury.
"In eight hundred years, no pirate has ever dared to directly attack Celestial Dragons."
Throughout history, only two vaguely comparable incidents existed. One was the mysterious robot attack on the Holy Land centuries ago, which damaged buildings but did not take Celestial Dragon lives. The other was Fisher Tiger's raid a decade earlier, where slaves were freed but no Celestial Dragons were killed.
Marco's actions were entirely different.
He neither rescued slaves nor caused meaningless destruction. He targeted Celestial Dragons with clear intent and slaughtered them without hesitation.
The investigation results made it worse. Marco had disguised himself as a guard, waited patiently until the Celestial Dragons gathered, and then launched a sudden massacre. This was a direct blow to the authority of the World Government.
The Gorosei's fury turned toward Fleet Admiral Sakazuki.
"Sakazuki," one of them said coldly, "as Fleet Admiral, you allowed a pirate to invade the Holy Land. What use are you in that position?"
Sakazuki remained silent.
He had personally led the Marines to respond, only to arrive after Marco had already escaped. The Marines were then forced to handle the fires and aftermath, while Sakazuki himself was summoned to endure the reprimand.
Still, as Fleet Admiral, he had his own pride.
He opened his eyes and replied bluntly, "Hmph. What does this have to do with me? Marco can fly. Even the Marine intelligence network would struggle to track him."
His response only enraged the Gorosei further.
"Impudent," they snapped. "Do you know who you are speaking to? Know your place. Sengoku never caused this many problems when he was Fleet Admiral. You have barely held the position for a few months, yet first came the Three Emperors Alliance, and now the Holy Land itself has been attacked. This is the result of your incompetence."
Sakazuki let out a cold snort and closed his eyes, refusing to argue further.
Seeing his indifference, the Gorosei pressed on.
"Then tell us, Fleet Admiral, how do you intend to resolve this matter?"
Sakazuki opened his eyes, his gaze icy.
"Do not worry. I will melt every last one of those pirates."
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn stared at him coldly.
"You had better keep your word. Otherwise, your time as Fleet Admiral will end."
Sakazuki's voice carried unwavering confidence.
"They are nothing but pirates. I will turn them all into ashes."
Hearing this, the Gorosei finally eased slightly.
"If there is nothing else," Sakazuki said flatly, "I will take my leave."
"Wait."
Saint Topman Warcury stopped him, his tone deep and heavy.
"We have carefully reviewed the combat report you submitted."
Sakazuki frowned faintly. "Do you want to revise the strategy and prioritize the Phoenix Pirates?"
"No," Saint Topman Warcury replied firmly. "As Fleet Admiral, the battle strategy is your responsibility. Our only requirement is the destruction of the Three Emperors Alliance, by any means necessary."
He paused, then continued with chilling intent.
"There is, however, one special mission."
Sakazuki's expression turned serious.
"You must capture Phoenix Marco alive. I want him to personally experience the consequences of opposing the World Government."
Sakazuki's eyes narrowed, then relaxed.
"Understood."
After Sakazuki left, Saint Topman Warcury turned to the others.
"How should we handle the aftermath?"
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro spoke with a grave expression.
"This incident must not be allowed to spread. If it leaks, the prestige of the World Nobles will suffer a devastating blow."
For eight hundred years, the World Government had portrayed the Celestial Dragons as sacred descendants of the creators, inviolable and supreme. Marco's massacre shattered that illusion.
If the truth became public, the world would learn that Celestial Dragons could die just like ordinary people. The consequences would be unimaginable.
"This breach cannot be allowed," Saint Topman Warcury agreed. "The news must be sealed. Let the Marines handle the pirates of the lower world. Our task is to block information."
The remaining Gorosei nodded in unison.
The God's Knights would not be dispatched lightly. The Phoenix Pirates were dangerous, and there was no reason to risk their greatest trump card against insects. The Marines existed for this exact purpose, and their losses were irrelevant.
In the eyes of the World Government, Marines were expendable.
"Then it is decided. Suppress all news and reduce the impact of this incident to nothing."
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