Rengoku didn't respond to Rosward's unilateral declaration and waited for Admiral Sengoku's orders.
Rosward had made a rough read of Rengoku's temperament and had already told Sengoku about their schedule.
"Hm, I hear there are quite a few troublesome rookies down at Sabaody, so having Commander Rengoku along should be enough," Rosward said.
Although Rengoku was currently suspended from duty in the Navy, a summons from a Celestial Dragon was a different matter entirely. With Admiral Sengoku's permission, Rengoku accompanied the Rosward family to the Sabaody Archipelago.
Before they departed, Sengoku briefed Rengoku on a few things. "That girl Perona was supposed to be sent to Impel Down, but since the embargo is about to lift, I've instead placed her under house arrest at your lodgings."
"Understood."
With Ace's execution set and the embargo soon to be lifted, reopening Impel Down to take in prisoners again would be risky, so Sengoku had Perona held at Rengoku's place. He then asked Rengoku about the twelve slaves Rengoku had taken in.
"What are you planning to do with these twelve victims?"
"For now, including that 'special item' girl I received, I'll keep all thirteen at my residence. Once the war's over and I'm reinstated, I'll try to locate their hometowns."
"Understood. Is this your first visit to Sabaody?"
"I've been to Sabaody before, but this is my first time going to the slave shops!"
Seeing Rengoku a bit riled, Sengoku patted his shoulder. "Word is that Garp's grandson and his crew — and a bunch of rookies with bounties over a hundred million, the ones the Navy's been calling 'Supernovas' — eleven of them are gathering at Sabaody. You know what I mean?"
Rengoku understood from the admiral's expression what he was getting at. A strategist is a strategist. "They'll probably cause quite a commotion."
"…Hah. So don't use your own hands lightly. Contain them properly."
"Contain them, and don't use my hands." Rengoku recognized the contradiction hidden in that sentence; evidently Sengoku also found the Celestial Dragons distasteful.
"Understood. If Monkey D. Luffy goes first, though, wouldn't Vice-Admiral Garp be affected?"
"Hmph! Don't underestimate the Navy's heroes. That old man was once the Navy's ultimate weapon against evil — the Navy's great hero — even if he looks like that now."
"Understood."
Leaving Marineford and boarding the Celestial Dragon ship bound for Sabaody, Rengoku steeled himself as Marineford faded into the distance. With Ace's execution and the coming war with Whitebeard looming, the thought of that great battle filled him with a complicated heaviness.
"Um… Lord Charlos wishes to see you."
A man carrying a chair on his back — a human beast of burden — came crawling on all fours and knocked at the door of the lounge where Rengoku sat. Rengoku opened the door and let him inside.
"Lord Charlos…?"
"Hmm! More importantly, you look a bit unsteady. Are you all right?"
Rengoku hurriedly steadied the slave man wearing a bomb collar and spoke to him. "Thank you for your concern. I am… fine."
"But your trembling body certainly doesn't look like it," the man said. "What did you do before you were enslaved?"
"That? I used to work at a butcher's shop in North Blue."
"North Blue… did you commit a crime?"
"Of course not…!!"
"Quiet now," Rengoku said, placing his hand on the man's bomb collar. The man obeyed; having seen many people die after meddling with those collars, he didn't resist. If someone else mishandled it, the timed explosive would trigger.
"...I was tricked into the human auction by a relative who had become a bounty hunter in the New World," the man admitted.
"Hm. You can't trust relatives blindly, but at least you didn't commit a crime. Do you want to return to your original world?"
"Would I say no to that!?" Tears pooled in the man's eyes at the thought of home. Seeing him, Rengoku reached for the bomb collar and touched it.
"I understand what you want."
Click.
"W-What are you doing…!!" the man cried.
"Stay still."
Rengoku pressed his hand to the collar and infused it with haki. The unseen haki penetrated the collar's mechanism and was able to halt the timed explosive from inside.
"The bomb's stopped. If we smash the device or pry it off, the instrument that binds you will be gone. Sabaody is going to be noisy when we arrive — handle yourself accordingly."
Rengoku wanted to free the man immediately, but this was a Celestial Dragon ship; if the collar suddenly came off without the Dragon's permission, more trouble would follow. So he waited for the right moment.
"Aaah… thank you!"
"It's not over yet — hold out a little longer."
On his way to see Saint Charlos, Rengoku quietly disabled the bomb collars of several slaves aboard the Celestial Dragon's ship.
Every one of them was an innocent civilian, desperate to live — how could he possibly leave them bound like that?
By the time he reached Charlos's quarters, he had already neutralized over a dozen collars.
"Mmgh!! You don't even know how to knock, do you!?"
When Rengoku entered without knocking, Charlos immediately flared up at the "insolence."
After all, seven of his twelve wives — untouched — had been "given" to Rengoku, along with five of his prized shrine maidens.
He understood his father Rosward's intent: to win Rengoku's favor. But the idea that the price was his slaves infuriated him.
Rosward preferred collecting pirate captains over women, and his sister Shalria was… well, a woman.
In fact, Rosward seemed far more fond of Shalria, who was bold enough to act on her own initiative, than of Charlos, who sulked and complained.
And Charlos had noticed.
Inside his cabin, a table was covered in photographs — all indecent photos of Shalria.
Rengoku glimpsed them and nearly grimaced.
Each one was disturbingly high-quality.
Disgusting.
This piggish creature — ignorant, cruel, and beneath contempt — was now obsessed with his own sister?
"Saint Charlos."
"Hmph, what was your name again?"
"Rengoku."
"Right. Rengoku — you must never become Shalria's plaything, you hear me!?"
"I understand."
If the Celestial Dragon family truly intended to take him to Mary Geoise as a consort, Rengoku would have already reported it to the Five Elders.
"Good. That slut's body isn't worth half as much as my slaves anyway!"
Charlos shoved the photos into Rengoku's hands.
"To a filthy commoner like you, seeing her body's a luxury — but I won't let that whore win Father's favor! Take these and enjoy yourself!"
Vile as they were, Rengoku accepted the photographs — only to avoid making the situation worse.
"When you become an admiral, don't forget today! You've received seven of my wives and five shrine maidens — so remember to put us first!"
Apparently, he'd already forgotten about the five billion berries and treasure Rosward had also offered.
"I've noted it," Rengoku replied.
It wasn't 'Yes, sir' or 'I'll remember' — just a flat 'Noted' — but Charlos lacked the intellect to sense the difference.
"Saint Charlos! We've arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago!"
A secretary's voice came from outside.
"Perfect timing! We're here! Now come along—!"
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