Sakazuki's performance was not ideal.
Strike that!
Sakazuki's record on this sea voyage was not ideal.
The Revolutionary Army had already prepared for evacuation before the Marines arrived.
However, Sakazuki's strength completely exceeded the Revolutionary Army's expectations, and he still managed to eliminate many low-ranking cadres.
In the end, Monkey D. Dragon personally covered their retreat, hindering Sakazuki's continued pursuit and preventing him from completing his mission to destroy the Revolutionary Army.
Nevertheless, the Marine's primary objective for this trip was achieved: bringing Rosward back.
Although Monkey D. Dragon has not yet reached his peak, he is no longer the mere fodder who was instantly defeated by Muffy at God Valley.
The World Government's response was to increase the bounties on Monkey D. Dragon, Ivankov, Bartholomew Kuma, Ginny, and others.
And then… then the matter was considered closed.
I've already put a bounty on you, what more do you want me to do?
It's puzzling how the Gorosei, managing the World Government with such an attitude, have managed to maintain it for eight hundred years without collapse.
Imu's patience must be extraordinary for not having annihilated them all.
When Akainu returned Rosward, Black immediately went to offer condolences.
Strictly speaking, this incident was caused by him, and he wanted to continue to manipulate Rosward to do things… strike that.
To maintain the relationship between them, Black had to make some gesture.
This operation was not a complete success, which meant a bad start for Sakazuki; his face looked even darker than usual, and thick smoke billowed around him.
Seeing Black arrive, he bowed slightly:
"Saint Black, sir."
Black nodded politely:
"You've worked hard, Admiral Akainu."
After greeting Akainu, Black turned to look at Rosward.
Upon seeing her, he almost burst out laughing right then and there.
The original handlebar mustache had been replaced by golden, curled false eyelashes, and her lips were painted with vivid purple lipstick.
She wore a white astronaut suit, cinched at the waist, with the skirt transformed into a mermaid-style design.
It even had a gem embedded in it.
Inside the fishbowls (helmets) on her head, pink heart-shaped bubbles floated, adorned with lace at the edges.
Her steps were a bit unsteady, but she still tried to straighten her back.
Upon closer inspection, it was because she was unaccustomed to the high heels she was wearing.
Black suppressed his laughter and stepped forward, feigning concern:
"Rosward, are you alright?"
"It's my fault too; if I hadn't encouraged you to go to the lower world, it wouldn't have turned out like this."
As he spoke, he initially intended to pat her shoulder but hesitated, ultimately deciding against it.
Rosward, however, looked completely unfazed, even somewhat excited, saying:
"No, no, no, thanks to you, Saint Black."
She extended her hand, revealing ten fingers adorned with diamond rings:
"This body is much better than when I was a man."
"Look! I have more slender fingers, perfect for wearing these gems."
"By next week's ball, I'll definitely be the most dazzling presence there!"
"Saint Black, I also want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to become a woman."
"Being a woman is truly wonderful!"
Black was momentarily unsure if Rosward was being sarcastic.
But thinking about it, a normal Celestial Dragons wouldn't have such a mindset, which meant this fellow was genuinely satisfied with her current identity.
Black glanced at Akainu, who stood expressionless behind Rosward.
It seemed the Admiral had grown accustomed to Rosward's eccentricities.
"That's good, I'm relieved you're alright."
Black pretended to sigh with relief:
"The Gorosei probably have some questions for you, so I won't take up any more of your time."
After a few more pleasantries, Black turned and left.
Upon returning to the manor, Black called Aramaki:
"The Revolutionary Army's large-scale relocation this time caused quite a stir, but they will absolutely not abandon their strongholds in the West Blue."
"Have the West Blue Mafia keep a close eye on them; at the very least, we need to find their approximate location based on their supply patterns."
After hanging up with Aramaki, Black began to have Stella pack their belongings, preparing to set sail again.
The air in Mary Geoise always carried the scent of champagne and roses, and even the ticking of clocks seemed to slow down lazily.
But after a while, Black would grow bored.
For someone with ambition and long-term goals, there were too many things that couldn't be done here.
Moreover, it was now the year 1502 of the Sea Calendar, and Black was preparing to visit the New World.
If he didn't go soon, Momonosuke would travel twenty years into the future.
In reality, Black's attitude towards Momonosuke hadn't reached the point where he wanted to make a special trip just to eliminate him.
However, there's a saying—since I'm already here.
If he were to travel once and not eliminate Momonosuke, it would feel like something was missing… The next morning, the sanctuary set sail again, this time headed for the New World.
Compared to the previous departure, Black did not request the World Government to send agents to accompany him this time.
In fact, the World Government's requirements for Celestial Dragons' travel are very lenient.
After all, World Nobles legally possess all privileges; as long as it doesn't involve other Celestial Dragons, they can basically do whatever they want.
And even after the God Valley incident more than a decade ago, the World Government still did not believe anyone would dare to threaten the safety of Celestial Dragons.
It's quite perplexing.
In short, many Celestial Dragons, who are either powerful themselves or have strong Slaves under them, do not necessarily take CP agents with them when traveling.
So Black's actions weren't particularly conspicuous… Black's luck this time was not good.
On the third day after leaving Mary Geoise, they encountered rare stormy weather.
The Slaves were in a flurry, and even Koala ran to help, barely managing to stabilize the ship.
However, the severe weather still caused some damage to the sanctuary.
They could continue sailing, but the lifespan of the sanctuary would be shortened.
Black hesitated for a moment; he was quite fond of the current ship and had no intention of switching to sanctuary II.
So he gave the order:
"Go to Dressrosa."
Nature is also equal to Celestial Dragons, and Black was already fortunate enough.
At least he didn't wake up directly on a beach like Mjosgard.
The sanctuary began to turn, heading for Dressrosa.
At this time, the Dressrosa Kingdom was still under the reign of King Riku.
To be honest, this old man's governing skills were quite mediocre.
When Doflamingo demanded one hundred billion Berries, the entire nation of Dressrosa couldn't come up with that much money.
One wonders how they managed to gather their tenryuubito tribute every year… Dressrosa was much closer than Wano Country, and within a few days, the sanctuary docked at the harbor.
Another round of welcoming Celestial Dragons ensued, and under the guidance of King Riku, Black led the women into the royal palace.
Next was an absurdly formal banquet, which Black found uninteresting.
Until his gaze landed on a girl of sixteen or seventeen.
The girl had long pink hair, smooth and lustrous, falling naturally over her shoulders.
The ends of her hair were slightly curled, adding a lively and soft touch.
She wore a yellow puffy ball gown with a V-neck design; though young, her figure was certainly not small.
The skirt was wide and draped beautifully.
When standing, her posture was elegant, her hands naturally at her sides, and her eyes were bright and full of confidence, her overall demeanor gentle yet dignified.
When she walked, the dress swayed lightly with her movements, exuding splendor and grace.
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