Silence.
Deafening silence.
The vast open grassland fell so quiet one could hear a pin drop, with only the gurgling sound of newly formed resin bubbles slowly floating upward breaking the stillness.
Marines stood dumbfounded, black-suited agents broke into cold sweats, and the onlooking citizens in the distance clamped hands over their mouths to stifle their screams.
Looking back through the centuries of Ocean Era Calendar history...
This scene...
Had never occurred before!
Nor had anyone ever dared imagine such a scene could happen!
—The World Nobles, descendants of the creators who proclaimed themselves "gods," the Celestial Dragons, were now kneeling before mere mortals in full public view!
How absurd! How insane!
Yet it was unfolding right before their eyes!
"H-hey, hey..."
A young marine paled, legs trembling, "Am... am I dreaming?"
"N-no, this isn't a dream."
The veteran marine beside him snapped out of his shock with an entirely different reaction, his eyes fixed intensely on the two Celestial Dragons as his breathing grew rapid:
"This is no dream! Hey, all of you, look carefully! That World's Greatest Swordsman Xiano... that man actually made Celestial Dragons kneel!"
Would true gods kneel so easily? Would divine beings yield this readily?
What gods.
What descendants of creators...
All nonsense!
These bubble-helmeted creatures who considered sharing the same air beneath them—they were no different from ordinary humans, just flesh and blood!
"It's over, we're done..."
Meanwhile, the black-suited agents felt plunged into an icy abyss, their entire bodies shaking.
As CP agents, they understood better than anyone what this unprecedented humiliation of Celestial Dragons signified, and the fate awaiting them as failed bodyguards upon return...
"Ugh... ugh..."
The two kneeling Celestial Dragons stared blankly at their knees, lips quivering uncontrollably, their expressions a mixture of utter humiliation and rage. They struggled to roar, yet Conqueror's Haki's pressure left them unable to utter a single coherent syllable.
"Now this is getting rather excessive."
Kizaru rubbed his temples in distress before finally sighing and stepping forward, lowering his voice:
"Perhaps we should stop here, Lord Xiano. Even punishment has its limits. Leave some dignity for the World Nobles, otherwise today's events may spiral beyond control."
Truthfully, his initial plan had been simple.
Having dealt with Xiano multiple times, Kizaru knew the man's arrogant nature—once provoked, none could restrain him.
So when the Celestial Dragons began insulting Xiano, he'd already anticipated they'd receive a brutal beating.
Could he stop it?
Nearly impossible...
How could a single Admiral possibly restrain a Sea Emperor and his top commanders?
Even the Five Elders understood this logic—no argument in Mariejois could change that. As long as the Celestial Dragons survived, he wouldn't be derelict in duty.
Yet even he hadn't expected Xiano to go this far.
Making Celestial Dragons kneel...
This is sheer lawlessness, openly undermining the authority of the World Government in front of countless eyes. If he were to stand there doing nothing, he might as well hand in his resignation letter upon returning.
"Hmm? What?"
Xiano glanced at him in surprise, his voice suddenly rising a pitch. "Did I hear that right? Kizaru, you said you want to experience this feeling too?"
"That's simple enough!"
He grinned, raising his right hand and flipping it slightly.
Buzz!
The pressure of Conqueror's Haki instantly shifted direction, sending the two Celestial Dragons tumbling awkwardly across the ground before forcing them back into a kneeling position.
Only this time...
They were kneeling toward Kizaru.
Charlia Palace and Pulmin Saint, still dazed, lifted their heads and saw Kizaru's face. They froze for a moment before their eyes widened with venomous hatred.
"Hey!"
Kizaru's usual composed demeanor finally cracked. His expression changed as his body instantly turned into golden light, darting several meters to the side, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "This is no joking matter!"
This was practically throwing him into the fire!
Compared to Whitebeard and the others, this so-called youngest Sea Emperor was utterly unpredictable. Who would handle things like this?
"Xiano!"
Kizaru took a deep breath and spoke solemnly:
"You've vented enough! Let's talk. What exactly did you come here for? Money? Devil Fruits? Or do you need the Marine Headquarters to do something for you... Surely you didn't come just to humiliate Celestial Dragons for fun!"
He had misjudged earlier.
He thought the other party had come to recruit those ambitious Supernovas who wished to follow the Curtain Closer. But now it seemed their ambitions were far greater!
"Just tell me directly. As long as it's within my authority, any condition is yours to name!"
"Oh?"
Xiano chuckled lightly. "Unfortunately, I really did come for the Celestial Dragons. And when it comes to these guys, you can't decide anything, Kizaru."
"However, the ones I'm looking for aren't these bottom-tier trash among the Celestial Dragons. I'm after those who even the Five Elders have no direct authority to command—the ones who stand above ordinary Celestial Dragons."
"You mean..." Kizaru's gaze sharpened. "The God Knights?"
"Of course. Those guys have been stirring up quite a bit of trouble in my territory lately."
Xiano clicked his tongue. "But they're always hiding, coming and going without a trace. Can't even get in touch with them. Tch. No choice but to let their fellow Celestial Dragons take the fall first."
The so-called "trouble" he mentioned wasn't just the previous massacre of the Beast Pirates and the framed blame.
Over the past month, several similar incidents had occurred around his territory, all aimed at escalating tensions between him and the other Four Emperors, pushing him to war with Kaido or Whitebeard.
Pushing their luck, over and over...
He'd endured until now, until today.
It was time to settle this once and for all!
"Kuma."
Xiano beckoned and took the two Neck Ring Shackles that had been around the Bakaria Tribe's necks from Kuma.
With a casual squeeze, he shrank them slightly before walking over to the two Celestial Dragons and nonchalantly fastening them around their necks.
With the suppression of Conqueror's Haki lifted, the two Celestial Dragons could finally speak again. Charlia Palace touched the red marks left on her fair neck from being choked, tears streaming down her face as she turned her head in grief and indignation: "You lowly—"
Slap!
A backhanded strike sent her unfinished words back down her throat.
Now both sides of her face were swollen, giving her a more symmetrically aesthetic appearance than before.
"Want to ride them?"
He turned with a chuckle to the two liberated Bakaria Tribe slaves: "How long have these two been riding you like mounts? Months? Years? Well, now it's time to return the favor."
"Sir..."
The two Bakaria slaves exchanged glances, their breathing growing heavier, clearly tempted. But after a moment's hesitation, they timidly lowered their heads.
Too scared?
Xiano wasn't surprised. Though he'd just publicly slapped Celestial Dragons and forced them to kneel, completely shattering the image of the "Descendants of the Creators" that the World Nobles had cultivated for centuries... that was no simple feat. They were still far from that goal.
Planting seeds of doubt in some people's minds and cracking the foundation was already progress enough.
So he turned to Jack: "You do it."
"Huh?"
Jack's eyes lit up as he grinned, baring his white teeth: "Aye, boss!"
This was an opportunity not to be wasted!
Eagerly, he flipped onto Pulmin Saint's back. His towering 8.3-meter frame crashed down, instantly flattening the mushroom-haired Celestial Dragon, who let out a pig-like screech: "AHHH!!! MY BACK!!!"
"Seems one Celestial Dragon can't handle it."
Jack scratched his head, then simply dragged Charlia Palace over too, straddling both with legs thick as elephant trunks to barely maintain balance.
As for the two Celestial Dragons foaming at the mouth and nearly passing out from the pressure—that wasn't his problem. His only concern was fulfilling his boss's orders.
"Starting now, the clock is ticking."
Xiano glanced at Kizaru's wristwatch and spoke calmly, "Within five minutes, I want to see the God Knights. For these two Celestial Dragons—four arms and four legs total—every minute past the deadline, one gets removed. After eight minutes, the only thing left to remove will be their heads."
Remove their heads?
That would mean publicly executing Celestial Dragons before the entire world!
"..."
Kizaru's face darkened.
Having witnessed Xiano's follow-through earlier, he knew this wasn't an empty threat—it was an ultimatum.
This man truly dared to execute Celestial Dragons in broad daylight!
"Madman... absolute madman!"
Kizaru couldn't help but curse, "You've already risen to become a Sea Emperor—why push things to the extreme? Do you have any idea of the consequences? The entire Marine Headquarters will mobilize! The Holy Land will tear up the armistice and stop at nothing—"
"Then let them come!"
Xiano threw his head back in wild laughter, cutting him off, his pitch-black pupils flashing crimson:
"Perfect timing—I've been itching for a fight. If you don't dare to act, Kizaru, then let those old fools hiding in Mariejois come! Let me see for myself just how many trump cards the so-called Holy Land still has up its sleeve!"
Holding back?
Back when he lacked the strength, he had indeed clashed with the Marines multiple times, always ending with restraint—even agreeing to a ceasefire agreement last time.
And what was the result?
The result was that those high-and-mighty God Knights truly thought he wouldn't dare flip the table. Now even random nobodies dared run wild in his territory!
Well, today, he wouldn't mind using these two heads to send Mariejois a grand gift.
...
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Inside the conference room, aside from Fleet Admiral Sengoku, there was also Chief of Staff Tsuru and several vice admirals stationed at headquarters.
Including the Marine hero, Garp.
The atmosphere was so tense it was almost suffocating. Amidst the thick haze of smoke, everyone stared intently at the images projected by the Den Den Mushi.
"Executing Celestial Dragons..."
Vice Admiral Momonga sighed around his cigar. "Unthinkable. What a headache of a man..."
Then he simply focused on smoking, offering no further comment.
"You actually want to see it, don't you? Admit it!" Garp roared with laughter, slapping Momonga's shoulder so hard he nearly choked. "That'd be one hell of a show! I'd love to see it too!"
Momonga shot the senior officer a helpless glance and forced a wry smile.
"Mr. Garp, please don't joke about this... The entire World Government's authority is being challenged. This isn't something to celebrate, no matter how you look at it."
"Hahaha! Who said I'm joking?"
Garp grinned, tossing a donut into his mouth. "Those bubble-wearing fat pigs have been throwing their weight around in Sabaody for years. Now they've finally bitten off more than they can chew—serves them right, doesn't it?"
"Garp!"
Sengoku slammed the table, glaring. "Watch your words! No matter what, the Celestial Dragons are World Nobles. The Marines must protect their safety!"
"Just saying it out loud. It's not like anyone else heard."
Garp shrugged, chewing lazily. "If you're so worked up, why not go to Sabaody and stop that kid yourself? I can't move a muscle—once you hit a certain age, injuries heal slower. My chest still hurts from trading punches with him last time."
Last time? That was a year ago. Isn't your recovery a bit too slow... The surrounding vice admirals twitched at the corners of their eyes.
Sengoku gripped the table, barely restraining the urge to punch Garp, and turned his gaze back to the screen.
In the projected footage, Jack was straddling the backs of two Celestial Dragons, occasionally shifting his massive rear, while Xiano sat leisurely on a nearby rock, legs crossed, utterly at ease.
This was a live feed visible only to the Marine's top brass and the Holy Land—crystal clear.
As for the reporters, after the Celestial Dragons were forced to kneel, the Marines had cleared them out as much as possible, leaving only distant, blurry shots.
"It's been a minute and a half," Vice Admiral Doberman said grimly. "Borsalino is still awaiting your orders, Fleet Admiral. What should we do?"
"What can we do?"
Sengoku sighed, "As Kizaru heard, the decision on this matter isn't in our hands at all. It's already been reported to Mariejois. Let's see what they decide..."
Before he could finish speaking, the conference room door was abruptly pushed open.
The Lieutenant stationed outside rushed in frantically, holding a Den Den Mushi: "Fleet Admiral! Urgent call from Mariejois!"
Sengoku grabbed the Den Den Mushi, hearing the icy voice of Saint Saturn, one of the Five Elders:
"Sengoku, immediately mobilize all available forces to Sabaody Archipelago. The God Knights have already set out first, but we need the Marines as backup."
"Understood."
Sengoku responded gravely, but then frowned, "However, only Admiral Kizaru is currently present at Headquarters and has already been dispatched. Aokiji and Akainu are still out on missions and won't be able to return quickly..."
With all Three Admirals absent from Headquarters, he himself couldn't move, even though Sabaody was nearby.
Marine Headquarters must always have at least one top-tier combatant stationed there as a precaution.
"What about Garp?" Saturn asked coldly.
Garp immediately stopped chewing his donut, holding his breath while desperately blinking at Sengoku.
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