Meanwhile, at the Marine branch on Sabaody Archipelago, Rear Admiral Billman, who was in charge of the area, leisurely enjoyed a cigar gifted by someone, his expression utterly relaxed.
"Now this is what I call a fine cigar..."
Just then, the Den Den Mushi on his desk suddenly rang, startling him so badly he nearly grabbed the burning tip of his cigar.
"Purupuru purupuru~"
"Purupuru purupuru~"
"Purupuru purupuru~"
"Who's calling me at this hour?"
Billman frowned. This was his afternoon tea time—his subordinates knew that.
With that thought, he snatched up the receiver and growled, "This better be important."
"Rear Admiral Billman! It's terrible—a Celestial Dragon has been killed!"
"What did you say?!"
At those words, Billman shot to his feet, cold sweat instantly breaking out across his face. "A Celestial Dragon is dead?"
"Yes..."
"Who did it? Where?"
"According to reports, the Straw Hat Pirates killed three Celestial Dragons at Auction House #1 on Grove 1..."
The Marine delivering the news was drenched in sweat, his eyes filled with dread.
Striking a Celestial Dragon would provoke the World Government and bring down a Marine Admiral.
But now, a Celestial Dragon had been killed... He couldn't even imagine what would happen next.
"Are you certain the Celestial Dragons are dead?"
"Positive."
Billman: "..."
Billman slumped back into his chair, his face pale.
For something like this to happen under his watch meant his Marine career was over.
No—whether he'd even survive this was now in question.
"Rear Admiral Billman?"
"Quick! Mobilize all nearby Marines to seal off Auction House #1!" Billman snapped back to reality, his face twisting. "Move now! Don't let them escape!"
If they could intercept the Straw Hat Pirates, they might at least mitigate the consequences. At the very least... they might avoid being disposed of by the World Government!
"Understood!"
Click.
As the call ended, Billman fell into silence.
Only then did he recall Admiral Kizaru's recent warning—to monitor activity on Sabaody Archipelago and report immediately if the Straw Hat Pirates were spotted.
But who could've imagined the first news of them would be this explosive... How dare those bastards?!
Didn't they understand what killing a Celestial Dragon meant?
Taking a deep breath, Billman shouted outside, "Kehl! Is Admiral Kizaru at the branch?"
"Admiral Kizaru left this morning."
Billman: "???"
Seriously? Out gallivanting again?
Billman was speechless. Was this admiral here on a mission or a vacation?
Wasting no time, he dialed Kizaru's Den Den Mushi to contact him.
"Purupuru purupuru~"
"Purupuru purupuru~"
"Purupuru purupuru~"
Click.
"Admiral Kizaru, this is Billman!"
"Admiral Kizaru isn't here."
Billman froze for a moment upon hearing the voice—was that... Admiral Kizaru's adjutant?
"I have urgent matters to report to Admiral Kizaru!"
"Apologies, but we currently can't reach Admiral Kizaru," the adjutant replied regretfully. "He was summoned by the Five Elders not long ago."
Billman: ...
What the hell was this?
So he wasn't just out wandering around—he'd been called away by the Five Elders?
"Understood."
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Billman fell silent. He had no way to contact the Five Elders—he lacked the authority.
"Then I'll contact Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
As he dialed the Marine Headquarters' Den Den Mushi, Billman muttered, "Better than doing nothing."
Soon, Sengoku's Den Den Mushi connected, its face morphing into his iconic likeness.
"This is Sengoku."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, it's Billman!"
"Hm?" Sengoku paused, then asked in surprise, "What brings you to contact me all of a sudden?"
Wasn't that Kizaru brat stationed at their branch? Why was he being called instead?
"The Straw Hat Pirates have appeared on Sabaody Archipelago and killed a Celestial Dragon," Billman reported quickly. "I couldn't reach Admiral Kizaru—he was summoned by the Five Elders. I had no choice but to contact you."
"What did you say?!"
Sengoku's eyes widened in disbelief. "A Celestial Dragon was killed by the Straw Hat Pirates?"
"Correct!"
Sengoku: ...
Receiving such news suddenly made Sengoku feel like his heart might give out.
How long had it been since a Celestial Dragon was last killed? Not since the God Valley War.
And now, another Celestial Dragon had died... This was truly a major incident.
"The Straw Hat Pirates..."
That same crew had just wreaked havoc at Enies Lobby days ago, and now they'd killed a Celestial Dragon... What were they trying to do?!
Was that damn Garp's grandson trying to bring the heavens crashing down?!
Sengoku was absolutely livid.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Sengoku ordered, "Take your men and block the Straw Hat Pirates immediately!"
"Don't let them escape, understood?!"
"Understood!"
After ending the call, Sengoku frowned. "Why would the Five Elders summon Kizaru to the Holy Land at a time like this?"
The timing was far too coincidental.
As he pondered, Sengoku picked up another Den Den Mushi and dialed the Five Elders' direct line.
Soon, the call connected, revealing the Five Elders' distinctive faces.
"What is it, Sengoku?"
"Honored Elders, is Kizaru with you?"
Saint Saturn immediately furrowed his brow. What was Sengoku implying?
Did they need his permission just to have a conversation with Kizaru?
Was this guy getting too arrogant?
"Yes," Saint Warcury replied openly. "He was indeed here earlier."
"What do you need him for?"
"Send him to Sabaody Archipelago at once," Sengoku said urgently. "The Straw Hat Pirates have killed a Celestial Dragon on Sabaody Archipelago."
"What did you say?!"
The five old men's expressions darkened instantly. How long had it been since something like this last happened?
That Straw Hat crew... They actually dared to kill a Celestial Dragon?
"Sengoku, what the hell is the Marine officer in charge of Sabaody Archipelago doing?" Saint Shepherd roared angrily. "Did they not notice the Straw Hat Pirates?"
The Straw Hat Pirates had appeared on Sabaody Archipelago, yet the Marine intelligence system failed to detect them?
Are they all just a bunch of useless fools!
If they had discovered their traces earlier, how could the incident of Celestial Dragons being killed have happened?
"Now is not the time to dwell on such matters. The urgent priority is to dispatch an Admiral to eliminate them."
"Absolutely right."
"Someone!"
Soon, a guard entered and knelt respectfully on the ground. "Elders..."
"You immediately catch up with Kizaru who just left and order him to go to Sabaody Archipelago. Have him eliminate those audacious Straw Hat Pirates who dared kill a Celestial Dragon. Also, tell him to bring back that Blood-Eyed Ninja for me!" commanded Saint Warcury.
"Yes!"
"Hurry!"
The guard, drenched in cold sweat, turned to leave after receiving the orders. He could never have imagined that someone would actually dare lay hands on a Celestial Dragon.
This was practically like poking a hole in the heavens!
"Sengoku, where is that bastard Akainu right now?" Saint Saturn asked with a dark expression.
After a moment's thought, Sengoku replied, "He's currently pursuing Gekko Moria. I believe he shouldn't be too far from Sabaody Archipelago."
"Tell him to abandon the pursuit of Gekko Moria for now," Saint Warcury said coldly. "Have him come to Sabaody Archipelago immediately. We cannot let these reckless criminals escape!"
Hunting down Moria can wait, but... eliminating the Straw Hat Pirates cannot be delayed!
He must hear news of the Straw Hat Pirates' annihilation today!
"Understood!"
Click
After ending the communication, Saint Nusjuro said, "What a bunch of bold and reckless fools, daring to kill descendants of the gods..."
"They must be dealt with."
"Indeed. If we don't kill them, we Celestial Dragons will become a laughingstock!"
The faces of the Five Elders burned with rage—a rage that could only be quenched by the blood of the Straw Hat Pirates!
This time, deploying two Marine Admirals would surely be enough to eliminate those damned criminals.
"And the Marine officer stationed at Sabaody Archipelago," Saint Saturn added. "That useless trash couldn't even detect the Straw Hat Pirates landing on the island. What good is he?"
"After this matter is settled, dispose of him and replace him with someone more competent."
There's no point keeping such worthless trash. Better to replace him quickly with someone more useful.
"Let's wait until after the war," suggested Saint Mars.
"The war with Whitebeard..."
Hearing this, Saint Saturn frowned.
"Correct," Saint Mars continued. "Right now, the Marines likely don't have any spare officers to replace that fool, so... we'll have to wait."
The others considered this and nodded in agreement.
"By the way, deploy the Pacifistas!"
"Agreed. With two Marine Admirals and the Pacifistas, the Straw Hat Pirates won't escape!"
"Hmph, this time, I'll personally use that Blood-Eyed Ninja for experiments!" Saint Saturn said coldly.
He... will make sure that bastard suffers a fate worse than death!
Tree No. 1, Auction House. By now, most of the crowd had fled the venue, leaving only some pirates and guards behind.
"What a madman..."
Law frowned as he stared at Meiser. He never expected this lunatic to actually attack the Celestial Dragons—and kill three of them at once. "Is this guy not afraid of the Marine Admirals at all? No wonder I had a bad feeling earlier... So it was because of him?"
Starting a fight and killing Celestial Dragons just like that—utterly ridiculous.
"Captain, what do we do?"
"Let's get out of here first," Law said, standing up. "The Marine Admirals will be here soon. We should leave before then."
He had no interest in tangling with a Marine Admiral, so retreating was the best option.
"Th-thank you... Thank you, Meiser!"
Camie, slung over Meiser's shoulder, burst into tears. "Thank you for saving me!!"
She had nearly given up hope, thinking she would spend the rest of her life as someone's slave. Yet, in the end, she was rescued.
This... was truly wonderful!
"Don't worry, you're safe now," Meiser reassured her.
"Camie!!"
Pappag rushed over, tears streaming down his face.
"Pappag!"
"Wait, what about Hachi?" Camie asked anxiously.
She remembered he had been shot earlier—was he in critical condition?
"I'm fine, Camie... It didn't hit anything vital. Don't worry," Chopper said.
Hearing Chopper's words, Camie finally relaxed. As long as he wasn't in mortal danger, it was fine.
"What's wrong with Merry?" Chopper asked.
"The sedatives haven't worn off yet," Meiser explained.
At that, Chopper's expression darkened.
"Those damn slave traders..." he growled through gritted teeth.
"Where are Robin and the other two?" Meiser asked.
"They haven't arrived yet—"
Before Nami could finish, Brook's signature laughter echoed from above.
"Yohohohoho~"
"I've arrived!"
Click~
Light as a feather, Brook gracefully landed on one of the venue's seats, striking a deliberately elegant pose.
The next second, his foot slipped, and he got painfully stuck.
Crack~
"Oww..."
The impact forced tears from Brook's eyes.
Meiser: "..."
Watching Brook curled up on the ground, Meiser couldn't help but wince in sympathy.
But... this guy was just a skeleton. Why did he still feel pain?
Truly baffling.
"I'm here too!!"
"Sanji, catch me!"
Thud!
Usopp, who had face-planted onto a seat, twitched his lips. "Damn you, Sanji! Why didn't you catch me?!"
"You're fine, aren't you?"
"You bastard! I'm a sniper!"
An enraged Usopp leaped up, pressing his nose against Sanji's face as he bared his shark-like teeth. "Do you even understand what being a sniper means?!"
Listening to Usopp's rant, Meiser wore an expression of sheer disbelief. What kind of sniper was this tanky?
Probably built full defense.
"What's the situation?" Nico Robin asked as she landed on the ground.
As she spoke, she glanced around the venue and noticed two people in peculiar outfits lying on the seats—one of them was a headless knight.
"Huh?"
"Is this... a Celestial Dragon?"
"Ah, I chopped him." Meiser nodded.
What surprised him, however, was that Nico Robin merely nodded without saying anything further.
"Let's go. We'll talk after we get out of here."
"True, but..." Franky scanned the crowd closing in around them and said, "These guys don't look like they'll let us leave easily."
"Don't let them escape!" Ed shouted furiously. "Kill them all!"
With Saint Charlos dead here, he—as the one responsible for protecting him—wouldn't be allowed to live either.
Even if he slaughtered the entire Straw Hat Pirates, he couldn't escape his own fate.
So... before he died, he'd drag the Straw Hat Pirates down to hell with him!
At this thought, Ed's expression twisted with rage.
The guards responsible for the safety of Saint Shalria and Saint Rosward shared similar thoughts. Their only option now was to take the Straw Hat Pirates down with them.
"Guards hiding in the venue, huh..." Meiser narrowed his eyes.
Lucky bastards. If they hadn't been stationed here, they'd have been cut down by him earlier.
But it didn't matter. There were only about twenty of them—no threat at all.
With that in mind, Meiser declared, "Fight our way out!"
"Move!"
Without another word, the Straw Hat Pirates sprang into action, each unleashing their own techniques to take down the charging guards one after another.
"Thwack!"
After cleaving a guard in half with his Grass Sword, Meiser muttered in confusion, "Why do they feel... so weak?"
"Huh?"
Usopp shot Meiser a dumbfounded look. "Are you seriously wishing our enemies were stronger?"
What kind of logic was this guy using?
Wasn't weaker enemies a good thing?
That way, they could finish them off quickly and escape.
"I think I understand what Meiser means..." Nico Robin said. "It is a bit strange."
Under normal circumstances, Celestial Dragons visiting a lawless zone like this should at least have powerful guards.
Even if their status was revered and most people wouldn't dare attack them, precautions should still be taken.
After all... no one could predict when a madman might appear!
Just like today—they'd mercilessly killed a Celestial Dragon, hadn't they?
Yet, strangely, the Celestial Dragons hadn't taken such precautions. This puzzled Nico Robin greatly.
Were they... really that confident no one would dare kill them?
"Doesn't matter either way," Luffy said. "First, let's get out of here."
"Gomu-Gomu Gatling!"
"Rat-tat-tat~"
A barrage of fists rained down on Ed without mercy!
Seeing this, Ed immediately barked, "Iron Body!"
Ed moved swiftly, but unfortunately, such defensive measures couldn't withstand Luffy's assault.
"Bam! Bam! Bam!"
Countless fists pounded into his body, hammering him to the ground until he collapsed, unconscious.
At that moment, the wall behind them suddenly shattered, and a massive figure emerged—it was the Giant from earlier!
"Big guy!"
Merry immediately smiled upon seeing this.
The Giant also grinned gratefully and said, "Thank you."
"No problem," Meiser replied. "We're planning to leave this place. What about you?"
"I'm taking these folks with me," the Giant said, pointing to the slaves who had escaped alongside him. "Without my help, they probably wouldn't make it out."
"Alright, then I wish you a safe journey," Meiser nodded. "But you'd better hurry. I just killed three Celestial Dragons, so the Marine Admirals will likely be here soon."
The Giant: "???"
The Giant stared at Meiser in shock, disbelief written all over his face. "You killed Celestial Dragons?"
"Yeah."
The Giant: "..."
He opened his mouth but couldn't find the words. He had never encountered such a madman before... These were Celestial Dragons!
"So get moving," Meiser pointed to the back exit. "Don't get cornered."
"Understood..." The Giant nodded, then added, "If you ever get the chance, come visit us in Elbaf. I'll make sure to repay your kindness properly."
"Haha, sounds good!"
The Giant nodded again, said no more, and called out to the people at his feet before turning to leave. After this ordeal, he realized how dangerous it was to wander alone outside, so he decided to return to Elbaf. As for the humans... he'd just take them to a safe place.
Watching the Giant depart, Little Merry also raised her tiny hand as if waving goodbye.
"Huh?"
"Merry, you can move now?" Meiser glanced at her curiously.
"I can wave my arms just fine," Merry said. "But I probably can't run yet."
Meiser nodded. It seemed the anesthetic was wearing off—good news.
Then, Meiser added, "Even if you could run, I wouldn't let you do it on your own."
If this little one tried to sprint on those short legs... how fast could she possibly go?
"Meiser, let's go!" Nami urged.
"Oh, coming."
After responding, Meiser glanced at Hachi's wounds and said, "First, let's find a place to treat this guy."
His Medical Ninja Technique could heal Hachi's injuries in no time. As long as the guy regained mobility, the three of them could return to the sea—that way, they wouldn't have to worry about being caught by the Marines.