Gion's beautiful, wide eyes widened even further in shock. Her face was filled with total disbelief. She hadn't expected Raleigh to actually make a move.
But as the soft sensation pressed against her lips, her clumsiness faded.
Before long, her once-wide eyes unknowingly fluttered shut, leaving only her long, dark eyelashes trembling slightly like butterfly wings against her cheeks.
Her body, usually tense and ready for battle, softened in his arms.
Raleigh kept his eyes slightly open, gazing at the delicate and captivating face before him.
Up close, she was even more stunning.
Her fair skin was flushed with a rosy hue, glowing like a perfectly ripe peach in the afternoon sun.
A long time passed.
Finally, the need for air forced them apart.
"Hah..."
Gion stepped back, her chest heaving slightly.
She touched her lips with her fingertips, staring at Raleigh with a mix of embarrassment and affection.
Then, her training kicked in.
She quickly tried to regain her composure.
"Hmph!"
Gion crossed her arms, trying her best to look fierce. She bared her little canine teeth and shook her fist at Raleigh threateningly.
"I... I'll forgive you this time! But don't you dare tell anyone!" she stammered, her face burning red.
"If you dare say a word to Sister Tsuru or anyone else, I'll hit you! I really will!"
With that, without waiting for Raleigh's response or risking another look at his amused smile, she turned on her heel and hurriedly ran off toward the cabins.
Raleigh stood alone on the deck. He smacked his lips, savoring the lingering sweetness.
"Not bad," he whispered to the ocean.
He wished something like this could happen many more times.
But looking at the dark horizon, Raleigh knew that peaceful days were numbered.
The call from Borsalino earlier was the harbinger of a storm.
...
High above the world, on top of the Red Line, lay the center of power.
Inside the "Room of Authority" in Pangaea Castle, the atmosphere was suffocatingly heavy.
The spacious hall lacked the lavish gold and jewels one might expect from the rulers of the world.
Instead, it adhered to a theme of absolute simplicity and cold elegance.
The only furniture in the room was a large, semi-circular sofa set and a low coffee table.
There were no guards inside because the five men sitting there needed no protection.
Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, the Warrior God of Finance, sat cleaning his Kitetsu blade.
He was a tall, bald man wearing a white kimono and glasses.
He set down a stack of confidential documents, his expression grim.
"Just how many fools have infiltrated the government?" Nusjuro asked, his voice sharp as a blade.
"The reports from the North Blue are inconsistent. I suggest executing all the intelligence officials involved in the Eryoku Kingdom incident."
He looked at the others. "A bunch of useless trash. They can't even track down a group of lowly commoners or explain why the coal production has shifted. They wasted the lives of our North Blue operatives for nothing."
Although the incident in the Eryoku Kingdom had passed some time ago, the reports remained vague.
The officials had been evasive, fearing punishment.
This greatly displeased the Five Elders.
Finally, after dispatching CP0 agents to investigate, the truth—or at least parts of it—was surfacing.
But it lacked solid evidence.
"Nusjuro," a deep voice rumbled. "They covered their tracks well. But they overlooked one thing."
Topman Warcury, the Warrior God of Justice, spoke slowly.
He was a fat man with a magnificent mustache and a birthmark on his forehead.
"If we want to execute them," Warcury said, staring at the ceiling, "we don't need a reason. We don't need evidence."
His confidence stemmed from their identity.
They were the Gorosei—the Five Elders.
Aside from the Great Imu, they were gods among men!
"A Marine Admiral? Killable," Warcury listed. "A King of an affiliated nation? Killable. We even hold the authority to punish the Celestial Dragons if they step out of line."
"The Fleet Admiral certainly cannot evade responsibility in this matter," Warcury added. "And specifically... that acting commander in the North Blue. The brother of Borsalino."
"Borsalino..."
Marcus Mars, the Warrior God of Environment, stroked his exceptionally long beard.
"Bring me Borsalino's files," Mars commanded to the empty air.
Whoosh.
A CP0 agent appeared from the shadows instantly, wearing a white mask.
He placed a thick stack of documents on the table and vanished.
Mars opened the file.
It contained detailed investigations into Borsalino and his brother, Raleigh.
"Hmm," muttered a blonde man.
Shepherd Ju Peter, the Warrior God of Agriculture, glanced at the file.
"This fellow, Borsalino, still has some potential for nurturing," Ju Peter remarked calmly. "He shows great respect toward the Celestial Dragon. He is obedient. Look at his performance in missions. He never questions orders, unlike Garp or Sengoku."
"However," Ju Peter pointed to a page, "his brother, Christian Raleigh, is too independent. He has unified the North Blue too effectively. It smells of ambition."
Finally, the man with dreadlocks and a walking cane spoke.
Jaygarcia Saturn, the Warrior God of Science and Defense.
"Let's leave Borsalino alone for now," Saturn said, his voice raspy. "I need him for a task later. He is a useful tool."
Saturn tapped his cane on the floor. "As for the brother... Raleigh. He is too comfortable in the North Blue. He is building a kingdom there."
"Have Kong issue a military order," Saturn commanded cold-heartedly. "Transfer him immediately. Send him to the G-5 Branch in the New World."
"G-5?" Nusjuro raised an eyebrow. "That lawless place?"
"Yes," Saturn smirked. "Let him keep that 'Magma Brat' company. If Raleigh is truly loyal and strong, he will survive. If he is rebellious or weak, the pirates of the New World will dispose of him for us."
"Now," Saturn continued, his expression turning serious, "our most urgent matter is not these Marines. It is Dr. Vegapunk."
Saturn tossed several photos onto the table.
The images were grainy, clearly taken in secret.
They showed a steel-built base hidden in a jungle. Researchers in yellow lab coats were escorting prisoners.
"These were obtained by CP0's," Saturn explained. "He single-handedly swam across the Calm Belt to locate Vegapunk's hidden base."
"Vegapunk's technology has reached unprecedented heights," Saturn said, pointing at a photo of a mechanical beast. "He has already trespassed into forbidden territory. The Lineage Factor."
Nusjuro gripped his sword. "That is the domain of the gods. Since he has trespassed, dispatch the Marines to eliminate him. Burn the island."
"No," Saturn interrupted.
He smiled faintly with a cruel glint in his eyes.
"No, Nusjuro. It would be a tremendous waste to kill a genius like Vegapunk. A brain of that caliber appears once in a thousand years."
Saturn picked up the photo. "If we control him, we control the future. His science would serve the stability of the World Government's rule far better than his corpse."
The other four Elders nodded.
"It is decided," Warcury announced.
"Order 1: Transfer Christian Raleigh to G-5 immediately."
"Order 2: The Marines must cross the Calm Belt and capture Vegapunk alive. Bring him to us."
...
Bang!
The heavy doors of the Fleet Admiral's office were pushed open.
In the corner, a CP0 agent in a white suit stood arrogantly and he barely looked at the Fleet Admiral.
Kong sat behind his desk, staring speechlessly at the two written orders placed before him.
"Transfer a Vice Admiral to G-5 immediately? And invade the Calm Belt to capture a scientist?" Kong rubbed his temples.
"Fleet Admiral Kong," the CP0 agent said, his voice dripping with condescension from behind his mask.
"These are the latest orders issued directly by the Five Elders. I hope you will carry them out immediately."
Kong gritted his teeth.
"Please convey to the Five Elders," Kong said, trying to keep his voice steady, "that both of these orders require time to execute. The G-5 transfer requires logistics. And crossing the Calm Belt to find a hidden base? That is a suicide mission without proper preparation. We need a plan."
The CP0 agent scoffed.
He looked down at Kong as if the Fleet Admiral were a mere servant.
"Do you realize what you're saying?" the agent snapped.
"The Five Elders' orders are absolute. They should be carried out immediately, not met with excuses about 'needing time' or 'logistics.'"
The agent stepped forward, leaning over the desk.
"You Marines seem to forget your place. You are the face of the Government, but the Five Elders are the divine representatives. Delaying their will is treason."
The agent's voice grew louder. "Are you disobeying? Do I need to report your incompetence?"
The air in the room grew heavy.
"Are you looking to die... you lapdog of the Celestial Dragons?"
A low, terrifying voice came from the side of the room.
Before the CP0 agent could react, a large hand, rough and scarred, clamped onto his shoulder.
CRACK.
"AAAAH!"
The CP0 agent screamed as an immense pressure crushed his shoulder!