An uncharted sea in the New World.
A red airship marked with the word "NEWS" glided slowly across the sky.
"Has he arrived? Has that guy finally arrived?!"
Morgans could barely contain his excitement, pacing rapidly back and forth inside the cabin, his wings flapping wildly as if he were about to take flight.
Unfortunately… he couldn't fly.
"Yes, Chief! He just descended from the sky! Aside from the Sea Emperor himself, all three of his top executives have mobilized and are now confronting the Marine Admiral!"
"Perfect! Perfect! Absolutely perfect!"
Morgans burst into laughter, shouting into the receiver, "Keep the live broadcast going! Activate all backup Den Den Mushi! Make sure there are no blind spots—this broadcast must not have a single mishap!"
"Chief!"
His assistant wiped sweat from his brow. "…This involves the Celestial Dragons! Are we really going to broadcast this? What if the World Government comes after us later…"
"What's the problem?"
Morgans sneered. "We're merely reporting that Admiral Kizaru has led the Marines to quell a disturbance. We're just broadcasting this inspiring scene to the people!"
"As for Xiano, the Curtain Closer, or whoever else shows up to cause trouble—that's just an unexpected incident that happened to enter the frame. What does that have to do with us?"
...
At the entrance of Sabaody Paradise.
"What a headache."
Kizaru rubbed his temples, looking wearily at Xiano across from him.
"A Sea Emperor from the New World, arriving unannounced like this? I really don't want to fight a monster like you, let alone when you've brought these guys along…"
He glanced up, scanning the figures surrounding Xiano.
Kuma, standing at 6.9 meters, and Jack, towering at 8.3 meters, loomed silently on either side like bodyguards. Behind them was that terrifyingly skilled swordswoman…
Such a terrifying lineup.
Without another Admiral backing him up, how could he possibly handle this alone?
"Mind if I ask… just how did you all get here?"
Kizaru couldn't help but ask solemnly.
Whitebeard, Kaido, Red Hair, Charlotte.
And now, the newly ascended Xiano…
The Marine Headquarters had assigned surveillance ships to monitor the territories of all the Sea Emperors, keeping watch from the farthest possible distance at all times.
The seven islands of the Wisteria Sea were naturally no exception.
"Do you really think I'd answer that?"
Xiano chuckled. His gaze swept past the unconscious Supernovas nearby, and his eyebrows rose slightly in surprise.
"Hmm?"
Ace, Zoro, Sanji, Law, Bartolomeo…
Interesting.
Supernovas from different eras, all gathered here together?
And that Mosshead—Bellemere had mentioned he'd parted ways with Sanji right after setting sail. Yet he'd managed to reach the end of Paradise all on his own?
"Oh? Just as I thought."
Kizaru had been subtly observing Xiano's reactions. Seeing this, he inwardly let out a small sigh of relief.
The sudden appearance of a Sea Emperor in the first half of the Grand Line was baffling, and his greatest fear had been that Xiano would attack without even allowing a chance for negotiation.
But now, it seemed…
"Lord Xiano seems quite interested in these little ones."
Kizaru smiled faintly as he spoke softly:
"In that case, why don't we make a deal? As for these Supernovas, anyone connected to you, I can turn a blind eye and leave them entirely to your discretion. In exchange, Sabaody must not descend into chaos. Once you've settled your affairs, please leave promptly. How does that sound?"
"Oh?"
Xiano glanced at him with amusement:
"A Navy Admiral of your stature, actively proposing a deal with pirates? This doesn't seem like your usual style, Borsalino."
"Well, what can I do~"
Kizaru shrugged, his tone still languid, giving no hint of his thoughts:
"It's true that I'm famously averse to trouble, but what I dislike even more is fighting battles with no chance of victory. Facing an opponent like you, avoiding conflict and maintaining peace is naturally the best choice."
His words were remarkably blunt, leaving even Sentomaru standing nearby utterly dumbfounded.
"Huh? Old man! What are you saying?!"
Sentomaru lowered his giant axe, turning to stare at him in disbelief. "They're pirates! Pirates! As upholders of justice, how can we possibly compromise with—"
"Shh."
Kizaru raised a finger to his lips, blinking slowly before murmuring:
"Sentomaru, my boy, you're nearly middle-aged now. It's time to step out of that naive, childish worldview. The sea is a complicated place. Some things can't be resolved through brute force alone."
"But—" Sentomaru started to protest.
"Hey! Borsalino!"
A shrill reprimand suddenly shattered the atmosphere. Pulmin Saint, mounted atop a slave, pushed forward with an impatient scowl:
"You bastard, what the hell are you dawdling for?! Didn't I already say I want that woman? Hurry up and seize the collectible I asked for!"
He cracked his whip, pointing directly at Kuina—having missed the earlier exchange, he'd mistaken her for someone else.
"Exactly! How dare a mere Navy Admiral keep us waiting this long!"
Charlia Palace chimed in coldly, though her gaze soon shifted to Kuma and Jack. Covering her mouth in surprise, she exclaimed:
"Oh? Such towering figures—do they have Giant blood? Hey, Borsalino, seize these two giants for me as well!"
Then she glanced down at Xiano, wrinkling her nose in disdain:
"As for this black-haired brat... Hmph, that look in his eyes is utterly revolting. No need to keep him alive—dispose of him immediately!"
"?"
Kizaru turned back in stunned silence, momentarily at a loss for words. His expression darkened, veins throbbing at his temples.
Why... Just why are these Celestial Dragons so utterly brainless?! If they can't recognize who's standing before them, can't they at least sense the shift in the air?!
If he could single-handedly take down all four of them, would he be treading so carefully right now?
"Pulmin Saint, Charlia Palace."
He massaged his furrowed brow, suppressing his rising fury as he bowed slightly. "Your Excellencies, there seems to be some misunderstanding. This gentleman here is—"
"I don't care who he is!"
Pulmin Saint rudely interrupted, glaring at Kizaru before pointing directly at Xiano:
"Speaking of which, this Saint has been extremely displeased since earlier! Before the gods, everyone should be kneeling, shouldn't they? Yet you, and all of you—"
Seeing that the group still hadn't moved, he suddenly lashed out with his whip, roaring in anger, "What are you standing around for? Now! Immediately! Kneel and kowtow! This Saint might still show mercy and spare your lives!"
Crack!
The whip cut through the air with remarkable speed, but before it could reach Xiano, Kuma stepped forward expressionlessly and caught it mid-air with one hand.
"Lowly commoner!"
Pulmin Saint froze momentarily before flying into a rage. "You... how dare you?"
Fellow countrymen from the Baccarat tribe...
Kuma narrowed his eyes slightly. From the beginning, his gaze had been fixed on the two tall slaves being used as mounts by the Celestial Dragons.
Their bruised and swollen faces, their bloodied and miserable appearances—scenes from his past experiences in the Holy Land with his father flashed rapidly through his mind...
"Don't hold back, Kuma."
Xiano's calm voice reached him. "Do what you want. Even if the sky falls, I'll be standing in front of you."
Kuma glanced back at Xiano, meeting his deep black eyes for a moment before nodding.
He exhaled softly, then turned around and yanked Pulmin Saint off his slave's back with a sudden pull of his right hand, whip and all.
"Ah!"
Pulmin Saint let out a startled cry as he crashed heavily to the ground. Scrambling backward in panic on his hands and knees, he looked up into Kuma's icy gaze and immediately began trembling. "Hey! Lowly commoner! What... what are you doing? This Saint, this Saint is—"
But Kuma paid him no mind, striding past him to stand before the two Baccarat slaves.
He lowered his head and reached out with his broad palm, gently touching their scar-covered necks.
"Don't be afraid."
Kuma spoke with a soft, gentle smile. "I'm here to take you home."
Snap!
The explosive collars around their necks broke cleanly and fell to the ground.
The two slaves looked up dazedly, and upon recognizing Kuma's face, realization dawned in their clouded eyes.
A countryman! A fellow tribesman!
There were still Baccarat people alive outside Mariejois...
"Be careful, take it slow."
Kuma extended his hands and helped them up from the ground. Meanwhile, Charlia Palace, who had been riding on one of the slaves, suddenly tumbled off as the slave stood, her bubble helmet knocked askew.
"Treason!"
She scrambled up in disarray, clutching her helmet while shrieking hysterically, "Treason! This is treason! Borsalino! What are you standing there for? What are you waiting for? Kill these lowly commoners now—"
Before she could finish, a dark shadow flashed past.
Slap!
A crisp slap echoed across the area as Charlia Palace was sent spinning through the air, spitting out a mouthful of blood before crashing heavily against a distant tree trunk.
Her bubble helmet shattered completely, several broken teeth falling alongside the glass fragments. The once-delicate and pretty left side of her face swelled visibly.
"How noisy."
Xiano's figure reappeared, his brows furrowed in disgust as he glanced at the female Celestial Dragon. He took a tissue handed to him by Kuina from behind and wiped his hands.
The entire scene fell into stunned silence.
Whether it was the civilians daring to watch from afar or the surrounding Marine soldiers, everyone's eyes widened in shock, their hearts skipping a beat as if time had frozen.
Wait, wait, wait...
Was this real? What had they just witnessed?
What had they seen?!
A Celestial Dragon—those lofty, untouchable world nobles—had actually been slapped hard across the face?!
And... did gods feel pain when struck?
Countless shocked, speechless gazes converged on Xiano.
The scene had unfolded too quickly and abruptly for anyone to clearly see how he had struck.
Even Admiral Kizaru remained frozen in place, his right hand still scratching his head in bewilderment, seemingly completely caught off guard...
"You lowly scum! Filthy, inferior scum!"
Charlia Palace finally snapped back to reality, clutching her swollen cheek in disbelief before letting out a shrill, hysterical scream.
Struggling to rise from the ground, her golden ponytail disheveled, her delicate features now twisted into something monstrous, she snarled like a demon:
"How dare you! How dare you strike this noble with your inferior, lowborn hands! Borsalino! Marines! You're all useless, incapable of stopping a single filthy commoner—!"
Her screams were nearly ear-piercing, and on the other side, Pulmin Saint finally regained his composure from the shock.
"Damnable scum!"
With a vicious expression, he pulled out a gem-encrusted golden pistol from his coat, trembling as he aimed it at Xiano. "Die! Go to hell!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three gunshots rang out in succession, bullets whistling through the air.
Yet—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three crisp metallic clinks echoed as the bullets were deflected by an invisible barrier half a meter away from Xiano, sparks scattering faintly.
"Exerted Haki, huh? To wield it with such precision at this level..."
Kizaru observed keenly, pressing his lips together. This man was already at the pinnacle of the world, yet his mastery over Haki seemed to keep growing with age.
"Wha... what?!"
Pulmin Saint's eyes bulged in disbelief at the sight.
"It seems you still don't understand."
Xiano sighed, stepping forward slowly. The invisible pressure radiating from him made the surrounding Marines gulp and instinctively retreat.
If that were all, it might have been bearable.
But Sentomaru gaped in astonishment as even the newly developed PX-model Pacifistas beside him took half a step back.
Why is this happening, Dr. Vegapunk?!
"These so-called gods, these so-called superior bloodlines..."
Xiano loomed over Pulmin Saint, who had collapsed to the ground, his gaze icy as he looked down at the Celestial Dragon.
"...are nothing but shameless self-proclamations. If no one believes in them, they mean nothing!"
Before the words had fully left his mouth, Xiano suddenly raised his foot and stomped down hard on Pulmin Saint's gun-wielding wrist.
"AAAAAHHH!!"
Tears welled in Pulmin Saint's eyes from the pain, his wrist twisting unnaturally as the golden pistol clattered to the ground.
"Unfortunately, there are still too many who believe in this nonsense. Someone has to set things right, so the two of you, just..."
Xiano's gaze suddenly sharpened, a chilling crimson glint flashing through his pitch-black pupils.
BOOM!!!
A terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted like a tsunami, radiating outward from him in all directions. The surrounding trees shook violently, and the soap bubbles floating in the sky instantly burst into nothingness.
"Kneel!"
With a cold shout, the Conqueror's Haki abruptly condensed, solidifying into tangible pressure that mercilessly crashed down upon the two Celestial Dragons.
"Lowly commoners..."
Charlia Palace and Pulmin Saint's faces turned deathly pale, their legs trembling uncontrollably as even their souls quivered under the gaze of what felt like a supreme being.
Though their ingrained arrogance made them resist kneeling for a second or two, their bodies ultimately betrayed them.
"AHHH!!!"
With agonized screams, the cracking sound of their kneecaps echoed sickeningly as they slammed heavily into the ground.
Facing Xiano's direction, they assumed a posture of reverent prostration.
(End of Chapter)