Ten minutes later, Caelan, still unsatisfied, ordered the Azure Dragon to descend from the sky.
At this time, the battle between the Skeleton Army and the Beasts Pirates had completely ended.
King, Queen, the two All-Stars, and the Tobiroppo were all captured.
Their defeat was not without merit. The fact that they managed to hold out for forty minutes against the three admirals, Garp, and Dragon at only thirty percent of their combat power was already proof of their strength.
There had originally been about one hundred seventy to one hundred eighty true fighters, all Zoan-type ability users, but only fifty or sixty remained.
Of the original thirty thousand pirate soldiers, only one third were left.
What was strange was that in the beginning, there had only been just over one hundred thousand skeleton troops.
After such a brutal battle, with countless shattered bones, the army still maintained its numbers at around one hundred thousand.
It wasn't that Caelan used magic to resurrect them. Rather, the defeated Beasts Pirates had become new skeleton soldiers within the Reality Marble.
Among them was even a dark-white bone dragon, fierce and domineering in appearance, its body wreathed in thunder and flames.
It was born from Kaido's defeat, adding a new general to the Skeleton Army.
"We won?"
"We won!"
Everyone on the battlefield felt like they were dreaming as they looked at the defeated Beasts Pirates.
This was the Beasts Pirates, the dominant force of the New World and one of the most powerful groups in the world.
Their power was so great that even the World Government feared them, unwilling to take action against them lightly.
And yet, such a terrifying force had been defeated in just one hour.
Even if the entire Navy Headquarters were mobilized to launch the Buster Call, they could never have accomplished this.
But Caelan and his small group had done it, which was simply unbelievable.
"We are so strong with Caelan-sama!"
Gecko Moria laughed heartily.
The thought that he and Caelan had defeated the Beasts Pirates together filled him with overwhelming joy.
And part of the reason Caelan had fought them was to fulfill his promise to him.
From Moria's perspective, it was as if he himself had defeated the Beasts Pirates.
"..."
Yamakaji and Momonga were not as shameless as Moria.
They knew Caelan was the main force, and their presence or absence in this battle hardly mattered.
Since they were not part of the same faction as Moria, they did not correct him.
At this moment, the Azure Dragon descended from the sky and landed before Yamakaji, Momonga, Moria, and the others.
Everyone saluted respectfully, showing the highest honor to Caelan, who had led this war.
This was Caelan, who had stood alone against one hundred thousand and defeated Kaido in half an hour.
"No need to be polite, this was thanks to everyone."
Caelan, in high spirits, smiled as he spoke.
Yamakaji, Momonga, and the others looked embarrassed.
Everyone's credit?
It was Caelan alone who had created an army of one hundred thousand skeletons and defeated Kaido by himself.
As for them, they had done almost nothing.
If they didn't know that Caelan wasn't the type to mock people, they would have thought he was ridiculing them.
"Well, now that the Beasts Pirates have been completely defeated, it's time for us to leave."
Since the Beasts Pirates were dealt with, there was no need to remain inside the Reality Marble.
Just as Caelan was about to release it, a voice interrupted him.
"Wait, Supreme Commander Caelan!" Momonga asked hesitantly. "May I ask where these skeleton armies came from?"
The sight of the Skeleton Army was unsettling, and it was hard not to associate it with some evil experiment.
Ever since Caelan first summoned them, Momonga had wanted to ask.
Now that they were leaving, he couldn't hold it back any longer.
After all, he couldn't accept the idea that the Neo Marines he had joined were led by a devil.
Instead of returning and guessing, it was better to ask directly here.
Yamakaji and the other officers also looked serious, though not as doubtful as Momonga.
After all, since Caelan had openly displayed the Skeleton Army before them, there had to be a reason.
"Why, do you doubt me?"
Caelan chuckled as he looked at Momonga.
He seemed to recall that Momonga had once said his decision-making was flawed.
At the time, Caelan had dismissed it as ignorance and ignored it.
After all, he wasn't petty and didn't hold grudges.
He only remembered such things for a few hundred days at most, giving small punishments before letting them go.
"I didn't, I just..."
Momonga struggled to explain himself.
"No need to say more, I'll show you."
Caelan stopped him with a smile, then struck him in the chest with a punch.
Boom!
Momonga flew back more than ten meters, crashing into the ground and leaving a deep trench.
"Commander Caelan, you...!"
Momonga clutched his chest, feeling like his whole body was falling apart.
That single casual punch made him feel the breath of death. It was terrifying.
Yamakaji and the other officers tensed, watching Caelan nervously.
"Don't be nervous, he's only a little injured." Caelan chuckled. "Anyone I defeat will produce a skeleton warrior here to fight for me."
As he spoke, a skeleton appeared next to Momonga.
Its height and aura were exactly the same as his, and it skillfully performed a set of Rokushiki techniques.
The truth was before them, and Momonga immediately realized he had misunderstood Caelan.
"I'm sorry, Commander Caelan!"
Momonga apologized repeatedly.
He had thought it was some evil experiment, but it turned out the skeletons were projections born from the defeated.
Damn him for doubting Caelan.
"It's fine. Just be careful next time. If you do it again, I'll use twice the strength."
With a wave of his hand, Caelan completely dispelled the Reality Marble.
He could forgive his subordinates' offenses, but for each repeated offense, he would double the punishment. If they could withstand it, then he would forgive them.
"Yes!"
Cold sweat dripped from Momonga's forehead.
That punch had nearly killed him. If Caelan doubled the force, he would surely be smashed to pieces.
But this time, it was his own shamelessness, not Caelan's fault.
From this moment on, he swore he would be Commander Caelan's most loyal subordinate, never harboring another unnecessary thought.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)