At this moment, Kizaru and the others felt utterly humiliated!
Lin Xuan and Uchiha Madara—this was an outright insult to the Navy!
"Don't look down on us!"
A severely wounded Navy Lieutenant Commander shouted furiously, "The Navy still has many powerful warriors, many powerful weapons and forces!"
"That's right! Looking down on the Navy like this—you'll face the harshest punishment!" Other Marines also spoke out, trying to defend the Navy's honor.
It wasn't just empty bravado. They genuinely believed this.
If not for Lin Xuan and Uchiha Madara's sudden and unexpected assault—and their total lack of intelligence on them—how could they have suffered such a devastating defeat?
Kizaru, however, didn't say a word.
He felt that saying anything now would only bring more humiliation. So in the end, he chose to remain silent.
Watching all the Marines shouting themselves red in the face in defense of their so-called justice, Lin Xuan simply laughed aloud and said, "Very well. Since you're all so unconvinced, I'll give you another chance to prove yourselves!"
At those words, the Marines immediately fell silent, their eyes fixed on Lin Xuan.
Even Kizaru finally spoke up, his voice heavy. "What do you mean by that?"
Lin Xuan dispelled his Susanoo and looked straight at Kizaru. "I'll give you one month. Within that time, the Navy can rally all the strongest forces you can muster. Then we'll battle again—right here on the Sabaody Archipelago! I'll bring my own forces as well, and we'll have a decisive showdown!"
The expressions on Kizaru and the other Marines instantly changed.
Kizaru pressed again, his tone almost disbelieving, "Are you saying… you're declaring war on the entire World Government?!"
He couldn't believe anyone would dare such a thing—challenging the Navy head-on, even giving them time to prepare. Not even the Four Emperors would do that!
Lin Xuan laughed heartily. "You can take it that way. If we lose, you can do whatever you want with us. But if I win, then I'm sorry—the Navy will have to admit their weakness, and the Sabaody Archipelago… will be under my control."
Take control of the Sabaody Archipelago?
Upon hearing that, Kizaru and the others were stunned, then furious.
What a joke! Sabaody was a critical island. If someone seized it by force, where would that leave the Navy's dignity—or the World Government's?
Lin Xuan ignored their outrage and continued, "That's all I have to say. Just pass the message up the chain. Now go rescue your people. Maybe one or two lucky cats survived the explosion. Save them, and maybe you'll have a slightly better chance next month."
As he spoke, he gave a tug on the dog leashes tied around the necks of the Rozwald Family—three Celestial Dragons—and said coldly, "As for these three… I'm taking them. Don't worry, I'll keep them alive—for now. Hopefully, a month from now, you'll have what it takes to rescue them. Otherwise, I'll put them on trial before the whole world!"
Publicly trying the Celestial Dragons!
That was yet another bombshell!
Upon hearing it, Kizaru and the others were nearly sent into a blackout.
Without giving them time to react, Lin Xuan waved to Uchiha Madara and said, "Alright, Madara, time to go."
Madara had no objections. The battle was over, and there was no point in staying. He followed Lin Xuan toward the sea.
Once at the shore, Lin Xuan turned to him and said, "Use Wood Style—make us a ship!"
Madara's mouth twitched, and he snorted. "You really do know everything… even the fact that I can use Wood Style."
Lin Xuan grinned. "Told you—I know far more than you think. Since you fought so hard today, I'll tell you a few secrets about your world later. You'll be very interested."
"Secrets?" Madara's curiosity was definitely piqued.
Saying no more, he did exactly what Lin Xuan hoped—he used Wood Style to craft a massive wooden ship, and together they set sail into the open sea.
"Hey—wait!"
At long last, Kizaru snapped out of his daze and shouted instinctively.
But Lin Xuan and Madara didn't even glance back. The winds and waves quickly carried their ship far from the Sabaody Archipelago.
Watching them disappear over the horizon, Kizaru's expression was more serious than ever. All traces of his usual laid-back attitude were gone.
The rest of the Marines began coming to their senses as well.
A Navy Colonel asked cautiously, "Admiral Borsalino… should we pursue them?"
"No."
Kizaru waved a hand and sighed. "What's the point? Just to be humiliated again? Let's get word back to HQ and start searching for survivors."
"Yes, sir!"
The other officers had no choice but to obey and swiftly went into action.
Kizaru glanced around at the devastation, then looked back at the vanishing ship on the horizon, silently muttering to himself:
"The world… will never be the same."
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T/N:
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