"Kleist, the matter regarding the Celestial Dragons has been completely suppressed by the Five Elders."
Kong's voice was hoarse and weary.
"But the news of your defeat has spread throughout the world."
BANG—!
He slammed his palm heavily onto the conference table, instantly creating spiderweb-like cracks across the solid wood surface.
His rage had finally erupted.
"Kleist! You cannot escape responsibility for this matter! You failed to even capture or kill a mere youngster!"
"You didn't even manage to rescue the remaining two Celestial Dragons—what exactly were you doing?!"
Kong's eyes were bloodshot as he stared fixedly at Kleist.
He wasn't truly blaming Kleist.
He knew that if he were in Kleist's position, facing Raiver Sky who could severely injure an admiral, the outcome might not have been any better.
But he needed to vent.
He needed to release the anger he had accumulated from dealing with the Five Elders.
Kleist calmly endured the fleet admiral's fury without offering any excuses.
Only when Kong's roaring subsided slightly did he slowly speak:
"Fleet Admiral, I am willing to bear full responsibility for all faults in this operation."
"However, the Raiver Sky I confronted truly possesses strength far beyond expectations. That youngster's swordsmanship, Devil Fruit Ability, and Haki mastery have all reached admiral-level, particularly that bizarre and hard-to-defend Devil Fruit Ability."
Space Jump, Almighty Push, and that technique combining Ryuo with Conqueror's Haki.
Each ability alone would be enough to place a strong fighter at the world's peak, yet Raiver Sky had mastered them all simultaneously.
"From the moment Raiver Sky activated his abilities, Vice Admiral Tsuru was severely injured first, then Zephyr, Garp and others were successively restrained, and now even I..."
Kleist left his sentence unfinished, but everyone present understood his meaning.
Raiver Sky's threat level needed to be reassessed.
Kong took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
Since the Celestial Tribute incident, he had never dared to underestimate Raiver Sky's abilities.
What truly made his heart race with fear was the final sentence Kleist had added.
"Become... stronger?"
Kong murmured quietly, his expression grave.
Kleist was not someone who spoke carelessly. As an admiral, his judgment certainly had its basis.
And this Raiver Sky had indeed brought endless obstacles and threats to the Marines.
If they allowed him to continue growing...
Kong didn't dare to imagine.
"Sigh..."
He let out a long sigh, his heart filled with indescribable anxiety and unease.
Raiver Sky was growing too fast.
"Fleet Admiral, what is the higher-ups' intention... do they plan to issue the highest-level execution order for Raiver Sky?"
The previously silent admiral "Zhu Yan" Li Wusi finally spoke.
He understood perfectly well that the earlier phone call must have been direct pressure from the Five Elders.
The upper echelons had probably already decided to eliminate Raiver Sky at any cost.
Kong rubbed his temples wearily and said:
"Execute Raiver Sky? Easier said than done! That youngster has probably already returned to Hachinosu Island by now."
"To move against him means confronting the entire Rocks Pirates!"
How powerful were the Rocks Pirates?
Kong understood this better than anyone.
Aside from Rocks himself, there were three core Officers possessing Admiral-level combat strength. With Raiver Sky now among them, that made four.
Over a dozen Officers with strength comparable to Marine Vice Admirals.
One hundred thousand elite pirates.
Such a force, if deployed in full, could launch a war that would sweep across the entire New World.
The Marines weren't without chances of victory, but the cost would be too great.
So great that it might cripple the Marine forces, allowing other pirates to take advantage of their weakness.
Kong stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the distant horizon:
"The Five Elders and Celestial Dragons will certainly not let this matter rest.
But how the Marines proceed next will likely depend on clear instructions from higher authorities."
His voice carried a hint of helplessness.
As the Fleet Admiral, he bore responsibility for the entire Marine organization.
He couldn't drag the Marines into an abyss over a moment of impulse.
But would the Five Elders give him a choice?
Kong didn't know.
He only knew that a greater storm was brewing.
...
One day later.
Raiver Sky finally returned to Hachinosu Island's harbor aboard the Divine Right.
Captain Rocks had already led all Officers and a massive crowd of pirates, forming ranks at the port to await his arrival.
"Captain—mission accomplished."
Raiver Sky's figure flickered slightly, then he instantly teleported before Rocks.
"Hahaha—"
Rocks burst into loud laughter, clapping him on the shoulder:
"Good lad! I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"
Whitebeard nearby also showed a hearty smile:
"Raiver boy, you're becoming more remarkable by the day, able to defeat even Marine Admiral 'Qiongqi' head-on."
Rocks then got straight to the point, asking in a serious tone:
"What about the two Celestial Dragons?"
"Right here."
Raiver Sky raised his left hand, and space immediately rippled like water.
The next moment, two disheveled figures stumbled out from the void, crashing heavily to the ground.
"Ah!"
"Ouch!"
Screams of pain erupted.
They were Saint Donquixote and Saint Shaman.
Just days ago, they had been lofty World Nobles who viewed all living beings as ants.
But now, their clothes were tattered, their bodies covered in filth, faces bruised purple and blue, eyes unfocused.
Their mouths were gagged with rags, only able to emit muffled whimpers.
"Th-These are Celestial Dragons?!"
Incredulous exclamations erupted from the crowd.
Everyone was stunned to see these two World Nobles, who had once strutted arrogantly but now lay dejected like defeated dogs.
Though many pirates were cruel, the image of Celestial Dragons had been deified through eight hundred years of propaganda.
Transparent bubble helmets, lavish clothing, riding mounts pulled by slaves, forever looking down from a high position, too lofty to look upon directly.
And now, these two creatures sprawled on the ground like dead dogs—were these the legendary "Descendants of Gods"?
The stark contrast made it difficult for many to accept immediately.
A ferocious, satisfied smile spread across Rocks' face.
He stepped forward, looking down at the Celestial Dragons on the ground, his voice booming like a bell:
"That's right! These are the 'trophies' I ordered Raiver to capture from the Sinatu Kingdom."
He paused, sweeping his gaze across the crowd, then added word by word:
"There was originally a third one, but Raiver beheaded him on the spot."
Beheading a Celestial Dragon.
This fact was even more shocking than capturing them alive.
The entire port erupted like a lake struck by a massive boulder.
Whispers converged into a roaring tidal wave of shock, as everyone was stunned numb by this blatant truth.
"My god, he actually killed them?"
"Officer Raiver Sky... has he gone mad?"
"No, it's this world that has gone mad."
Celestial Dragons—those self-proclaimed descendants of gods, World Nobles who stood above all laws and morality!
For eight hundred years, no one had ever dared to so openly slaughter and humiliate them.
Even the most ruthless pirates would choose to retreat when facing Celestial Dragons.
Not because they didn't dare to kill, but because they couldn't bear the catastrophic consequences.
Yet now, Raiver Sky had not only killed them but also captured two alive and brought them back.
What did this mean?
It meant the Rocks Pirates had completely torn off all pretenses, standing in direct opposition to the World Government.
It would be a fight to the death.
Then, Rocks announced an even more shocking decision.
"From this day forward, these two Celestial Dragons shall be the communal slaves of our Rocks Pirates."
"Do with them as you please—with one rule: don't kill them."
He grinned, his smile cruel:
"Death would be a release for these swine."
"Only by making them live in endless humiliation and suffering... is the true punishment."