Garling's sneer shook down burning debris from the eaves:
"Did you hear that, Christopher?"
"Even beasts know you're not normal!"
He pointed his sword tip at Tiger:
"After I deal with this inferior race, then I'll settle our score."
"You won't settle anything!"
Christopher was already in front of Garling, his long blade twirling to parry the other's attack:
"For eight hundred years, what have you done besides shouting 'bloodline' and 'divinity'?"
Tiger now realized that the person in front of him was an extraordinary Celestial Dragon, one with great love in his heart.
He was silent for a moment, then asked:
"Why are you helping us?"
"Why?"
Christopher suddenly laughed, his laughter drowned out by the roar of collapsing buildings:
"Look around you!"
"Among those fleeing Slaves, there are children branded at three years old, women blinded for looking up at a Celestial Dragon."
"You ask me, does this need a 'why'?"
"Enough!"
Garling's patience snapped, and his Conqueror's Haki erupted with a roar:
"Letting them live is already the greatest gift!"
"Lowly ants should kneel at the feet of the descendants of gods; this was destined from the very beginning!"
"Without us, they wouldn't even have the right to live!"
Christopher also refused to back down, and an astonishing Conqueror's Haki likewise burst forth from him:
"Without us, they would only live better!"
He turned to Tiger and said:
"You should go, your ship is still waiting for you."
"And leave you alone here to face this guy who clearly isn't easy to deal with?"
Tiger took a few steps forward, standing beside Christopher:
"Don't get me wrong, I don't trust you Celestial Dragons."
"But right now, this guy in front of us is more troublesome."
A cold glint flickered in Garling's eyes, and Haki condensed at the sword's edge:
"How touching..."
"A union of traitors and rats?"
"Do you think you and a rat can stop me?!"
Christopher pointed his long blade at Garling:
"You talk too much, Garling."
"I've wanted to have a real fight with you for a long time."
...Meanwhile, at Red Port.
The Revolutionary Army had made a complete plan before attacking Red Port.
They used Crow's abilities to scout Red Port's defenses and prepared for a major battle.
Unexpectedly, none of that happened; they swept through unopposed, reaching near the control room.
"Something's wrong!"
Dragon raised his hand to stop everyone from advancing further, vigilantly scanning his surroundings:
"Red Port shouldn't have such a small defense force."
However, despite saying so, given the current predicament, they had to continue forward.
The steel gangway gleamed coldly under the light of Mary Geoise's fires, and the air was filled with the scent of gunpowder and seawater.
In front of the elevator control tower, a tall figure stood, his greatsword plunged into the ground, its blade as black as ink, emitting a chilling sheen.
It was the Marine Admiral of the same era as Sengoku and Zephyr—iron wall Horn.
Now, Horn's hair was gray, and he looked considerably older than Sengoku, but his aura was still astonishing.
"Scum of the sea."
Horn's voice was deep and oppressive:
"You thought you could capture this place in the chaos? How utterly foolish."
The Revolutionary Army's contingent advanced slowly, led by Dragon, accompanied by the unusually proportioned Ivankov.
Behind them, Betty stood at the forefront, holding the flag, Lindbergh adjusted his weapon, while Mori and Crow stood on either side.
More Revolutionary Army soldiers gathered, forming a vast standoff against the Marine Admiral in front of them.
Rayleigh was mixed in the crowd, appearing inconspicuous.
He didn't intend to be the center of attention yet; he needed to rescue Hancock and the others first.
"Admiral iron wall, move aside."
Dragon's voice was calm and steady:
"What you are guarding is nothing more than a decaying cage."
"I was once a Marine, and I witnessed their atrocities firsthand."
"The Marine should be a force for justice; don't remain deluded!"
Horn sneered, his gaze sweeping over every member of the Revolutionary Army:
"A bunch of ignorant ants, do you even qualify to talk about justice?"
"You traitors who betray order deserve only to be crushed under the wheels of justice!"
"Especially you, Marine traitor—Monkey D. Dragon!"
Betty clenched her fist, the flag fluttering in the wind:
"Old man, no matter how hard your sword is, it can't block the fire in people's hearts!"
"Fire?"
Horn scoffed:
"With just you rabble?"
"A ragtag army of commoners, dreaming of shaking the foundations of the World Government?"
Lindbergh cursed under his breath, his finger already on the trigger.
Ivankov placed a hand on his shoulder:
"Don't be impulsive, stick to the plan."
Dragon raised his hand, signaling for silence, his gaze never leaving Horn:
"Your loyalty is admirable, but your blindness is equally tragic."
"Blindness?"
A flicker of anger crossed Horn's eyes:
"I am protecting order!"
"And you are nothing but thugs creating chaos!"
It must be said that there were quite a few people in the Marine with similar ideas.
They knew that the existence of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons was not just.
But they believed that even the worst order was better than no order at all.
Before the current system completely collapsed, these people would desperately try to maintain its operation.
Hearing Horn's words, Betty could no longer hold back and stepped forward:
"Order? The order where Celestial Dragons treat Slaves like livestock?"
"Your justice is nothing but a lie stained with blood!"
Horn's greatsword slowly rose, its tip pointing at Betty:
"Little girl, your mouth is more annoying than your strength."
Dragon slightly tilted his head and whispered to Betty:
"Follow the plan, stall him for a while."
"Once we control the elevator, the Slaves freed from Mary Geoise will soon rush down."
"Many of them are strong."
"At that time, with your Devil Fruit ability, there's a good chance you can defeat him."
"But before that..."
"Be careful!"
Belo Betty grinned:
"Don't worry, Leader, I'm fine."
Dragon nodded, his gaze sweeping over the others:
"Lindbergh, the control room is yours."
"Mori, ensure the passage is clear."
"Crow, disrupt their communications."
"Ivan, prepare to receive the liberated Slaves."
Seeing this, Horn swung his blade, and a sword energy swept towards the Revolutionary Army like a thousand-man charge:
"Trying to split up?"
"You scum, don't underestimate a Marine Admiral!"
Dragon said no more, smashing the incoming sword energy with a punch, and shouted:
"Move out!"
Instantly, the Revolutionary Army dispersed like a tide.
Betty's flag was raised high, and she faced Horn alone, her eyes burning with fighting spirit:
"Come on, old man, let me see how hard your iron wall really is!"