At the same time, in the Sabaody Archipelago Marine branch—
Rear Admiral Billman of Marine Headquarters, the officer in charge of this area, was leisurely enjoying a premium cigar that certain people had offered up to him, looking utterly content.
"As expected… this kind of cigar really is the best…"
Just then, the Den Den Mushi on his desk suddenly started ringing, startling him so badly he nearly grabbed the burning tip of the cigar by mistake.
"Bero bero bero~"
"Bero bero bero~"
"Bero bero bero~"
"At a time like this?"
Billman frowned.
This was his afternoon tea hour. Those underlings knew that perfectly well.
With that thought, he snatched up the receiver and said, "This better be important."
"Rear Admiral Billman, it's bad— a Celestial Dragon is dead!"
"What did you say?!"
Billman shot to his feet, cold sweat instantly breaking out across his face.
"A Celestial Dragon died?"
"Yes…"
"Who killed them, and where?"
"According to our intel, it was the Straw Hat Pirates. They killed three Celestial Dragons at the auction house in Grove One…"
The Marine giving the report was drenched in sweat, his eyes filled with fear.
Striking a Celestial Dragon was enough to enrage the World Government and bring an Admiral down on you.
But now, a Celestial Dragon had died…
He didn't even dare imagine what would happen next.
"Are you sure the Celestial Dragons are dead?"
"Yes, sir. Confirmed."
Billman: …
Billman sank weakly back into his chair, his face drained of color.
If something like this happened during the period he was in charge, then his Marine career was probably over.
No…
Whether he would even live through this was another question entirely.
"Rear Admiral Billman?"
"Quick! Immediately send every nearby Marine unit to seal off the auction house in Grove One!" Billman roared, his expression twisting. "Go now! Don't let them escape!"
If they could stop the Straw Hat Pirates, maybe he could still redeem himself. At the very least… maybe the World Government wouldn't dispose of him outright!
"Understood!"
"Click."
Staring at the disconnected receiver, Billman fell silent.
Only then did he remember what Admiral Kizaru had said not long ago—watch Sabaody carefully, and the instant the Straw Hat Pirates appeared, report it immediately.
But who could have guessed that the first news they'd get about the Straw Hats would be this explosive?
How dare those lunatics do such a thing?!
Didn't they understand what killing a Celestial Dragon meant?
Taking a deep breath, Billman shouted outside, "Kale! Is Admiral Kizaru at the branch?"
"Admiral Kizaru went out this morning."
Billman: ???
No, what the hell—why is he out wandering around again every single day?
Billman's mind went numb. Was that great man here to carry out a mission, or was he on vacation?
Not daring to waste any more time, Billman immediately dialed Kizaru's Den Den Mushi.
"Bero bero bero~"
"Bero bero bero~"
"Bero bero bero~"
"Click."
"Admiral Kizaru, this is Billman!"
"Admiral Kizaru is unavailable."
Billman froze for a moment.
That voice… was the Admiral's aide?
"I have something extremely important to report to Admiral Kizaru!"
"My apologies. We currently have no way to contact Admiral Kizaru." the aide said apologetically. "He was summoned away by the Five Elders not long ago."
Billman: …
So that was it.
He hadn't gone out for a stroll at all—he'd been called away by the Five Elders?
"I understand."
After hanging up, Billman fell silent again. He had no authority to contact the Five Elders himself.
"Then I'll have to contact Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
As he dialed Marine Headquarters, he muttered, "That's better than doing nothing."
Very soon, Sengoku's Den Den Mushi connected, taking on his signature face.
"This is Sengoku."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this is Billman!"
"Hm?" Sengoku paused, then said in surprise, "You? What are you suddenly contacting me for?"
Wasn't Kizaru supposed to be stationed over there at their branch? Why was Billman contacting him instead?
"The Straw Hat Pirates have appeared on the Sabaody Archipelago, and they have killed Celestial Dragons." Billman said rapidly. "I can't contact Admiral Kizaru—he was summoned away by the Five Elders."
"I had no choice but to contact you."
"What did you say?!"
Sengoku's eyes went wide, his face full of disbelief.
"The Straw Hat Pirates killed Celestial Dragons?"
"Yes!"
Sengoku: …
Receiving a report like this out of nowhere, Sengoku felt like his heart couldn't take it.
How long had it been since Celestial Dragons had last died—since the incident at God Valley?
And now, one had died again.
No, not one.
Three.
That was no longer just an incident. That was a catastrophe.
'The Straw Hat Pirates…'
They had made a mess of Enies Lobby only a few days ago, and now they'd killed Celestial Dragons too. What exactly were they trying to do?!
Was Garp's damn grandson trying to tear the heavens down?!
Sengoku was furious.
After forcing himself to calm down, he said, "Immediately take your men and block off the Straw Hat Pirates!"
"Do not let them escape, understood?!"
"Understood!"
After ending the call, Sengoku frowned.
"Why did the Five Elders summon Kizaru at a time like this?"
The timing was far too coincidental.
As he thought that, Sengoku took out another Den Den Mushi and dialed the Five Elders directly.
Soon, the call connected, and the Den Den Mushi took on the recognizable face of one of the Five Elders.
"What is it, Sengoku?"
"My lords, is Admiral Kizaru with you?"
Saturn's brow immediately furrowed.
What was Sengoku trying to imply here?
Did he think they needed Sengoku's permission just to summon Kizaru for a talk?
Was that brat getting a little too arrogant?
"Yes," Saint Warcury answered openly. "He was just with us."
"What do you need him for?"
"Please send him immediately to the Sabaody Archipelago." Sengoku said rapidly. "The Straw Hat Pirates have killed Celestial Dragons there."
"What did you say?!"
All five old men's expressions changed at once.
How many years had it been since something like this last happened?
And that Straw Hat crew… actually dared to kill Celestial Dragons?
"Sengoku, what are the Marines stationed on Sabaody doing?" Saint Peter roared furiously. "Did they not detect the Straw Hat Pirates at all?"
The Straw Hat Pirates had already set foot on Sabaody, and the Marines' intelligence system hadn't picked them up?
Were they all incompetent fools?!
If the Marines had discovered them earlier, how could something like the deaths of Celestial Dragons have ever happened?!
"This is not the time to pursue blame." Sengoku said coldly. "What matters right now is dispatching an Admiral to eliminate them."
"That's right."
"Guards!"
A guard immediately entered and knelt respectfully.
"My lords…"
"Catch up to Kizaru at once and order him to go to the Sabaody Archipelago. Tell him to exterminate the Straw Hat Pirates—those madmen who dared kill Celestial Dragons. And have him bring the Blood-Eyed Ninja back alive!" Saint Warcury ordered coldly.
"Yes, sir!"
"Go!"
The guard turned and ran, his face slick with sweat.
He would never have dreamed that anyone could truly dare kill Celestial Dragons.
This was no less than tearing the heavens apart.
"Sengoku, where is that Sakazuki fellow right now?" Saturn asked darkly.
Sengoku thought for a moment.
"He is currently pursuing Gecko Moria. I imagine he isn't far from the Sabaody Archipelago."
"Then tell him to abandon Gecko Moria for now." Saint Warcury said icily. "Order him to come to Sabaody immediately. We absolutely must not let that gang of lunatics escape!"
Moria could be hunted down anytime.
But exterminating the Straw Hat Pirates could not wait.
He wanted to hear, today, that the Straw Hat Pirates had been wiped out.
"Understood!"
"Click."
After the call ended, Saint Nusjuro said, "A group of reckless madmen indeed. To think they even dare kill the descendants of the gods…"
"They must be eliminated."
"Exactly. If we don't kill them, then won't the Celestial Dragons become a joke?"
All five old men wore expressions of rage.
And that rage… could only be extinguished with the Straw Hat Pirates' blood.
This time, with two Marine Admirals dispatched, they would certainly be able to deal with that accursed group.
"And the Marine commander in charge of guarding Sabaody." Saturn added. "That trash couldn't even detect the Straw Hat Pirates after they landed. What use is he?"
"Once this matter is over, dispose of him and replace him with someone capable."
Keeping trash like that alive served no purpose.
It would be better to remove him quickly and promote someone more useful.
"Better wait until after the war ends." Saint Mars said.
"The war against Whitebeard…"
At those words, Saturn frowned.
"Yes." Mars said. "The Marines likely do not have spare officers to replace that useless man right now, so… let him remain for the moment."
The others thought it over and nodded in agreement.
"Also—deploy the Pacifistas!"
"Agreed. With two Admirals and the Pacifistas working together, the Straw Hat Pirates will have no chance of escape!"
"Hmph. This time, I'll personally use that Blood-Eyed Ninja for my experiments!" Saturn said coldly.
He would make sure that brat experienced a pain worse than death!
…
Back at Grove One, inside the auction hall—
By now, most of the crowd had already fled in terror. Only a few pirates and some guards remained.
"What a lunatic…" Law frowned as he looked at Jin.
He had never expected this madman to strike at Celestial Dragons directly—much less kill three of them in one go.
Did this bastard really not fear a Marine Admiral?
'So that's why I felt so uneasy earlier… it was because of him?'
Killing Celestial Dragons at the slightest provocation… that was absurd.
"Captain, what do we do?"
"Leave first, of course." Law stood up. "An Admiral will be here very soon. We leave before that."
He had no interest in crossing blades with a Marine Admiral.
Better to get out while there was still time.
"Th-thank you… thank you, Jin!"
Still slung over Jin's shoulder, Camie burst into tears.
"Thank you for coming to save me!!"
She had already been sinking into despair. She truly thought she would spend the rest of her life as someone's slave.
She never imagined she would actually be rescued.
This was… wonderful.
"It's fine. You're safe now." Jin said.
"Camie!!"
Pappag ran over excitedly, tears spraying from his eyes.
"Pappag!"
"Right, how is Hachi?!" Camie asked anxiously. "He got shot just now, didn't he? He's not in danger, is he?"
"I'm fine, Camie…"
"It didn't hit anything vital." Chopper said. "Don't worry."
Only then did Camie finally relax.
As long as his life wasn't in danger, that was enough.
"What happened to Merry?" Chopper asked.
"She's still under the effects of the anesthetic." Jin explained.
The moment Chopper heard that, his face changed immediately.
"Those damned traffickers…" Chopper gritted his teeth.
"Why aren't Robin and the other three here yet?" Jin asked.
"They still haven't arriv—"
Before Nami could finish, Brook's signature laugh echoed from above.
"Yohohohoho~"
"I'm here!"
Clack~
Light as a feather, Brook landed delicately on one of the hall's seats, deliberately striking an elegant pose.
The next moment, his footing slipped and he got caught awkwardly.
"Crack~"
"Urgh…"
That one hit made tears practically burst from Brook's eye sockets.
Jin: …
Seeing Brook curled up on the floor, Jin suddenly felt a chill between his own legs.
But… Brook was just a skeleton.
Why would he even feel that kind of pain?
It was baffling.
"I'm here too!!"
"Sanji, catch me!"
Bang!
Usopp crashed headfirst into a seat, then twitched and shouted, "Damn it, Sanji! Why didn't you catch me?!"
"You look perfectly fine to me."
"Idiot, I'm a sniper!"
Furious, Usopp sprang up and jammed his nose right into Sanji's face, baring shark teeth as he roared, "Do you even know what a sniper is?!"
Hearing Usopp's rant, Jin gave him a hard-to-describe look.
What kind of sniper was this durable?
Was he building full tank?
"What's the situation?" Robin asked as she landed gracefully.
As she spoke, she swept her eyes across the hall and saw two figures in strange clothing lying slumped in their seats—one of them headless like some sort of dead knight.
"Hm?"
"That's… a Celestial Dragon?"
"Yeah. I killed them." Jin nodded.
What surprised him, however, was that Robin merely nodded in return and said nothing more.
"Let's leave first."
"Easier said than done." Franky glanced at the guards beginning to surround them. "Those guys clearly aren't planning to let us leave so easily."
"Don't let them escape!" Ed roared, his face twisted with fury. "Kill them!"
With Saint Charlos dead here, as the man assigned to protect him, Ed knew there was no way he himself would survive this.
Even if he slaughtered the entire Straw Hat crew, he still wouldn't escape execution.
So… before he died, he might as well drag the Straw Hat Pirates into hell with him!
The thought made Ed's expression even more twisted.
The guards responsible for protecting Saint Shalulia and Saint Roswald shared the same idea.
At this point, the only thing left for them was to take the Straw Hats down with them.
"Those guards who hid inside the hall…" Jin narrowed his eyes.
What a lucky bunch.
If they hadn't been hiding in here earlier, he'd already have cut them down.
Still, it didn't matter.
There were barely twenty of them in total.
They posed no threat at all.
At that thought, Jin said, "Kill our way out!!"
"Move!"
Without another word, the Straw Hat crew sprang into action, each unleashing their own techniques and cutting down the onrushing guards one after another.
Pfft!!
After cleaving down one guard with the Kusanagi Sword, Jin frowned and muttered, "Why do these guys feel… so weak?"
"Huh?" Usopp shot him a speechless look. "Are you actually hoping our enemies are strong or something?"
How exactly did Jin's brain work?
Wouldn't weaker enemies be a good thing?!
That way, they could kill them faster and get out faster.
"I actually understand what Jin means…" Robin said. "It is strange."
Under normal circumstances, if Celestial Dragons came to a lawless place like this, they should at least have formidable guards with them.
Even if their status meant ordinary people didn't dare touch them, that much should still be obvious.
After all… no one could predict whether a true madman might appear.
Like today.
They had really killed Celestial Dragons without hesitation, hadn't they?
So what didn't make sense was that these people had not prepared accordingly.
That made Robin very curious.
Were they… really that certain no one would ever dare kill them?
"That doesn't matter right now." Luffy said. "Let's just get out of here first."
"Gum-Gum Gatling!"
Rat-tat-tat-tat!!
A storm of fists smashed toward Ed without mercy.
Seeing that, Ed shouted, "Iron Body!"
Ed reacted quickly, but unfortunately, that defensive technique was nowhere near enough to withstand Luffy's attack.
Bang bang bang!
The torrent of fists hammered into him, battering him flat onto the floor. His eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness on the spot.
Just then, the wall behind them suddenly exploded apart, and a massive figure stepped through.
It was the giant from earlier.
"Big guy!"
Seeing him, Merry instantly broke into a smile.
The giant smiled too and said gratefully, "Thank you."
"It's nothing." Jin said. "We were just about to leave. What are you planning to do?"
"I'm taking these people with me."
The giant pointed to the handful of slaves who had escaped alongside him.
"Without me, they probably won't make it out."
"Alright then—good luck to you." Jin nodded. "But you'd better move fast. I just killed three Celestial Dragons, so a Marine Admiral is probably on the way."
The giant: ???
The giant stared at Jin in utter disbelief.
"You killed Celestial Dragons?"
"Yeah."
The giant: …
He opened his mouth, but for a moment had no idea what to say.
He had never met such a lunatic in his life.
Those were Celestial Dragons!
"So hurry and leave." Jin pointed toward the back entrance. "Don't get trapped."
"Understood…" the giant nodded, then said, "If you ever get the chance, come visit us in Elbaf."
"When that day comes, I'll make sure to thank you properly."
"Haha, sure!"
The giant nodded. Without saying anything more, he called to the people standing by his feet and turned to leave.
After what had happened today, he knew wandering alone out in the world was dangerous.
So he intended to return to Elbaf.
As for those humans…
all he could do was get them to safety.
Watching the giant leave, little Merry raised a hand as though saying goodbye.
"Hm?"
"Merry, you can move now?" Jin asked in surprise.
"I can wave my arm now, at least." Merry said. "But I probably still can't run."
Jin nodded.
Looks like the anesthetic was gradually wearing off.
That was a good sign.
Then he said, "Even if you could run, I wouldn't let you run on your own."
If this little thing had to run with those tiny short legs…
just how fast could she possibly go?
"Jin, let's go!" Nami called.
"Yeah, coming."
Jin replied, then glanced at Hachi and added, "Let's find somewhere to treat this guy first."
With his medical ninjutsu, he could heal Hachi's wound very quickly.
Once Hachi recovered enough mobility, he'd send those three back into the sea.
That way, they wouldn't have to worry about getting caught by the Marines.
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