Marine Headquarters.
Inside Fleet Admiral Kong's office, four people sat with him.
Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral Kuzan, Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral Borsalino, Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral Gion, Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral Momonga, and with Admiral Zephyr soon to return from the New World… with a lineup like that, even launching a Buster Call would be more than covered.
"When can Zephyr make it back!?"
"I've already notified Zephyr-sensei. He's on his way. He should be back at Headquarters from the New World in about two days."
"Good. You've all received the intelligence on the Sky Pirates. This time, we have to keep the Sky Pirates here. They absolutely cannot be allowed into the New World. The dignity of the Navy and the World Government is on the line."
"Understood."
Two days was plenty for Marine Headquarters. To enter the New World, a ship had to be coated, and given the size of the Sky Pirates' vessel, coating alone would take at least five days.
"Let's hope everything goes smoothly over the next two days. Keep the surveillance running nonstop!"
Just then, urgent knocking sounded outside.
Kong felt a stab of unease at once, and everyone's attention snapped toward the door.
Sure enough, a marine burst into the office in a panic, bringing the one piece of news Kong least wanted to hear.
"B-bad news, Fleet Admiral Kong! The Sky Pirates ran into Saint Chatham and his son on the shopping street of Island 73!"
"What!? Damn it! Didn't I have CP tell the Celestial Dragons not to go out these next few days? Even the Five Elders agreed. Why… why are they still showing up there?"
"I'm sorry… Fleet Admiral Kong. Saint Chatham and his son said today is the day their reserved slaves are scheduled to be delivered, so…"
This was what it meant to have deadweight on your side.
Kong pinched the bridge of his nose, then looked toward Borsalino.
"Borsalino, you're going. Whatever happens, the Celestial Dragons cannot be harmed…"
Borsalino immediately looked wary, lifting a hand as if to back away from the whole idea.
"Hey now, Fleet Admiral Kong, don't joke around. How am I supposed to stop them by myself? Those guys are monsters. Especially that Goro Goro no Mi user, he's awakened Conqueror's Haki. I'm not confident I can beat him anymore, and that's not even mentioning their captain. He's a monster too."
Normally, Kong would have taken it as Borsalino making excuses again. But this time, he had to admit Borsalino wasn't wrong.
He swept his gaze around the room. These were the only ones Headquarters could spare right now. The others were either in the New World or out on the Grand Line.
"In that case… all of you are deploying."
…
"What kind of lowly commoner is this, daring to stand like I do?"
Saint Chatham's eyes widened, his face twisting with irritation as he instinctively raised the golden gun in his hand.
But at that moment, the black-clad guard responsible for protecting him hurriedly stepped forward.
"Wait… Chatham-sama, you absolutely must not attack!"
"Hm!? What are you saying!?"
Saint Chatham instantly leveled the gun at the guard who dared to stop him and fired without a second's hesitation.
Bang!
The bullet slammed into the guard's chest. Blood sprayed out, but even then, the guard didn't dare show the slightest resentment as he forced the words out.
"Chatham… Chatham-sama… they're the pirates who killed Mjosgard-sama…"
"What!?"
In that instant, whether it was Saint Chatham and his son, or the civilians kneeling all around them, they all looked as though they'd just heard some absurd fairy tale, their pupils shrinking sharply.
"Hey, did I hear that right just now?"
"Saint Mjosgard… that sounds like a Celestial Dragon's name, doesn't it?"
"A Celestial Dragon was killed? When did that happen!?"
"I remember them now. That look… they're the Sky Pirates! The criminals the World Government and the Marines put a 2.5 billion Berry bounty on!"
"T-two point five billion Berry…"
"This is bad…"
Not far away, atop a towering building that housed the most luxurious hotel in the entire shopping street, with the best possible view.
Because Yemu and the others had lingered in Water 7 for two whole months, many pirates had already arrived here ahead of them.
And it wasn't only Crocodile who wanted to challenge Yemu and prove his own strength.
At this very moment, the hotel was filled with big names.
Donquixote Doflamingo, Gecko Moria, Bartholomew Kuma, Catarina Devon, Avalo Pizarro.
Under normal circumstances, people like them would never just happen to gather in one place. But in the same generation of pirates, a monster like the Sky Pirates had appeared.
Even Gecko Moria, who held the highest bounty among them at 180 million Berry, looked utterly insignificant compared to the Sky Pirates' captain Yemu and his staggering 940 million Berry bounty. The gap was like that between an adult and a child.
There was no way these people would accept that easily. So they all gathered at the Sabaody Archipelago, waiting for the Sky Pirates to show themselves.
And with remarkable tacit understanding, they all chose this spot.
They just hadn't expected this…
"Fufufufufu, to think we'd run into something this exciting right from the start!"
"Ehehehehe, so we finally get to see it with our own eyes? A Celestial Dragon getting cut down!"
"…"
"What a bunch of reckless fools. Still, that kid really catches my interest, Murunfufu!"
"Tch, the Marines are right next door. No matter how bold they are, there's no way they'd dare, nyah!"
As if responding to Avalo Pizarro's last remark, the Sky Pirates began walking straight toward the Celestial Dragons, right before everyone's stunned eyes.
The civilians around them were terrified. Without thinking, they hurriedly retreated, instinctively clearing a path.
Avalo Pizarro's pupils shrank sharply as he muttered under his breath.
"Hey, hey, they're not seriously planning to make a move on the Celestial Dragons, are they? If an Admiral shows up, we'll get dragged into this too."
"No need to worry. Fufufufufu. The Admirals are all in the New World right now. Even the closest one would take two days to get here."
Doflamingo chuckled softly, a glint flashing across his sunglasses.
Hearing that, Avalo Pizarro's eyes lit up at once. His gaze toward the two Celestial Dragons turned bold and greedy.
"Is that so? Then maybe this is an opportunity. I've been dissatisfied with my bounty for a long time now."
But everyone present could tell he was just talking. When it came to scheming and cruelty, he was no less dangerous than Doflamingo himself. And for Doflamingo, that was already enough.
Toppling the Celestial Dragons from their pedestal in one stroke was impossible. But slowly eroding their supposedly unshakable status in the eyes of the world? That was entirely doable.
Just then, in the vast plaza before the theater, right in the middle of the road between the Celestial Dragons and the Sky Pirates, a golden light descended from the sky.
"Hey now—what's with the crowd? Well, I'll be… if it isn't the Sky Pirates. Been a while. How about you do me a favor and walk away from this, yeah?"