"Oh my, is it the Five Elders themselves making inquiries?"
Morgans put on an exaggerated show of being flattered. "In that case, I'll just..." He tossed aside his pistol and took several steps forward, appearing to approach willingly.
But in the next instant, his lips curled into a grin as a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "Which means I absolutely can't go with you after all!"
Snap!
With a sudden flap of his wing against the wall, the windows slammed shut instantly. The exterior wall rumbled violently, revealing dozens of gun barrels hidden within its layers.
Rat-tat-tat!
The muzzles spat fire as bullets poured forth like a storm. The CP-0 agents' expressions changed as they hastily activated their Haki to block the barrage.
When the first wave of gunfire ended, the lead agent immediately stepped forward and kicked down the wall. Through the billowing smoke, they discovered the room was already empty.
The floor beneath the desk had been lifted away, exposing the dark entrance of a tunnel. Faintly, the distant sound of wheels on tracks and Morgans' arrogant laughter could still be heard:
"You greenhorns think you can catch me with skills like that? Send some proper veterans next time! Farewell, ahahahaha!"
"It's the Underground Sliding Passage!"
The deputy crouched to examine the traces. "They're moving extremely fast—it's probably too late to pursue them now!"
"Dammit!"
The lead agent gritted his teeth and smashed a fist onto the desk. It was then that his peripheral vision caught something on its surface.
Rustle! He violently swept aside the stack of draft papers Morgans had left behind, his face darkening further.
At the very top lay a freshly prepared headline draft:
"Even Gods Bleed! Four Celestial Dragons Slain—The Curtain Closer Shakes the World! Where Will the Coming Era Lead?"
——————
"Kehahahaha~!"
Deep in the underground tunnel, Morgans was still roaring with laughter.
The reach of Den Den Mushi broadcasts was ultimately limited.
Across the four seas, those who could receive live broadcasts simultaneously were mostly major factions with established intelligence networks.
For ordinary news, this would have been sufficient.
But the execution of Celestial Dragons, planting a defiant flag in the soil of Sabaody, declaring the dawn of a new era to the world—such earth-shattering events couldn't be confined only to those with intelligence networks!
To truly amplify the impact, newspapers remained indispensable.
Morgans understood this perfectly.
Thus, the moment the broadcast signal was cut, he had already ordered all branches of the World Economic Journal to operate at full capacity, printing special editions.
Every detail of Sabaody's events would spread to every corner of the seas under the most eye-catching headlines and most shocking images!
By now...
The fermentation should be nearly complete.
Amid the fluttering wings of News Birds and the crashing waves between dawn and dusk...
It was time for the entire ocean—the entire world—to savor this masterpiece he and that man had created together, to hear the tolling bells of the new age!!!
————
East Blue, Goa Kingdom, Shopping District.
Inside a barbecue restaurant.
"Hey, have you heard? Xiano, the World's Greatest Swordsman from our East Blue, killed..."
In the corner of the restaurant, a man with a stubbled face lowered his voice, only to be abruptly yanked by the sleeve by his companion. "Shut up! Are you insane? Talking about this here?"
The other diners around them fell silent, some sneaking glances toward the door, afraid the patrolling royal guards outside might overhear.
But the silence lasted only a few seconds.
"What's there to fear?!"
A limping old man suddenly slammed the table and stood up. "Have you forgotten? Back then, when those nobles set fire to the trash mountain to welcome that Celestial Dragon—what's his name, Charlos or whatever—did they ever care whether we lived or died?"
"Sure, it was the royal family who lit the fire, but in the end, the Celestial Dragons are just as much to blame!"
"Now that someone's finally dared to chop off a Celestial Dragon's head, even if this old man gets hanged on the city walls tomorrow, I'll still say it today—Lord Xiano, you've done us proud!"
"Damn right!"
"Well said! Those Celestial Dragons should've been dead long ago!"
"All that nonsense about being descendants of gods and creators—pah! They're no different from the rest of us! One slash of a blade, and their heads roll just the same!"
The other diners, who had clearly been holding back these words for a long time, erupted in agreement. The once quiet, tense restaurant instantly buzzed with fervor.
Sometimes, all it takes is one person to shout what everyone's been thinking.
The limping old man, heartened by the support, laughed heartily.
"Anyway, if any Celestial Dragon dares to set foot in our Goa Kingdom again, this old man will be the first to give them hell! Hey, Boss! Another plate of roast meat—today calls for a proper celebration!"
"Coming right up!" A loud, youthful voice immediately rang out from behind the kitchen door.
In the back kitchen.
"Shishishi…"
Luffy pulled back his eavesdropping ear and grinned. After months of silence, he'd finally heard news about his big brother Xiano again.
From the sound of it, he'd stirred up another huge commotion.
So cool! Luffy's gaze unconsciously drifted to the Sea Stone Handcuffs on his wrists.
When he first wore these things, he couldn't even beat the Boss's eight-year-old daughter. But after months of training and getting used to them, he could now lift an entire roasted bull with ease—handcuffs and all!
At this rate, he'd soon be strong enough to earn back the key! Luffy swung his wrists proudly. By his seventeenth birthday, he couldn't even imagine how strong he'd be.
The Pirate King—that title would be his!
"Hey! Brat, what're you spacing out for?!"
The Boss, his greasy apron tied tight, smacked Luffy's head with a spatula. "Table 22 ordered more roast meat—did you forget? Hurry up and take it over!"
"Ah! Right away!" Luffy scrambled to grab the sizzling platter, but his mind was still stuck on what the customers had been talking about.
Wait, besides Big Brother Xiano, they mentioned something about Celestial Dragons?
What the heck were those?
Luffy tilted his head, imagining them as creatures with dragon-like heads and bodies resembling the giant apes from the mountains…
Only four killed, and the whole world's already in an uproar?
That made no sense.
Hmm… maybe their meat was super rare and delicious?
Man, I wish Big Brother Xiano would share a bite with me… Ehehe…
"Your drool's dripping into the roast meat and turning it into boiled soup, you damn brat!"
BONK! The furious Boss swung his spatula down without mercy.
"OW! That hurt!"
————
Somewhere in the Grand Line, at a G-branch Marine base.
Inside the office, Aokiji lounged lazily in his chair, holding the latest newspaper with a slight frown.
"Hey, Kuzan-san, even though you're out on field duty..."
Tashigi's voice came through the Den Den Mushi on the other end, "You must have heard about what happened in Sabaody by now, right? Things have gotten pretty big."
"Yeah."
Aokiji responded indifferently, "Of course."
"Tashigi is so annoyed."
On the other end, Tashigi grumbled like a little girl:
"What the heck, with this, doesn't that mean the entire Curtain Closer crew is irredeemably guilty now?"
"That idiot Smoker—you should've dragged him back by force last time. At least then there was still hope, just a few years in prison, a chance to atone. Not like now, where he's gone all the way down the dark path with no turning back..."
"Hey, Tashigi."
Aokiji cut her off with a quiet interjection, "Speaking of Smoker, it reminds me... That man, Xiano, has already tried recruiting me twice now..."
"Huh?"
Tashigi froze for a second before jolting in shock:
"Kuzan! Y-you—you! Don't tell me you're thinking of following Smoker's—Tashigi warns you, this kind of joke isn't funny at all!"
"Ara ara, relax."
Aokiji chuckled lightly, tossing the newspaper onto the desk.
"Betraying the Marines? That's not something I could ever do. Just reminiscing a bit, that's all."
That man—when they first met, he was still at a level where Aokiji could easily arrest him if he got serious. Back then, he had bluntly questioned him to his face: What kind of ambition did he harbor? How far did he think he could go?
And now? Had he gone far enough?
Aokiji's gaze returned to the newspaper on the desk. In the photo, Xiano's domineering eyes seemed to pierce through the page, slamming the answer right into his face.
After a moment of silence, Aokiji suddenly let out a soft laugh:
"Far or not, I don't know... But his ambition? That's crystal clear now."
Back then, he had dismissed it as the reckless bravado of a young man who didn't know his limits. But looking at it now, the other was steadily realizing his goals.
Severing the shackles of fear—that alone was a crucial step forward.
Meanwhile, the path of justice he himself had sworn to uphold seemed to have grown a little more distant...
"I'm hanging up. We'll talk more when I get back to HQ. Let's grab a meal at Teacher Zephyr's place, have a little gathering."
Aokiji ended the call.
He stared at the photo, the confusion in his eyes lingering for a while before finally fading. The thought buried deep in his heart gradually solidified into resolve.
"Maybe you've stirred something in me, kid. Has my own ambition been ignited too?"
Aokiji raised his head, his gaze passing through the window toward the distant horizon as he murmured to himself, "Sengoku-san is getting old. He'll probably step down soon..."
"The Marines still have so many comrades who hold justice in their hearts. I can't let them be swallowed by the tides of the new era for nothing. I have to fight for it, try my best—see if I can lead them back to the right path of conviction..."
————
"Not bad."
Kuraigana Island.
Mihawk lounged on the sofa, legs crossed, before finally setting down the newspaper after a long while. His tone was calm as he offered his commentary.
Such boldness, such a grand feat—truly befitting the man he had taken notice of.
Picking up his teacup, he glanced inside and frowned. "Tashigi, the tea's gone. Fetch another pot."
No response.
Mihawk turned his head, surveying the empty castle before remembering something.
Had that girl made it to Sabaody yet?
His gaze swept back over the newspaper, flipping past the front page dominated by Xiano's close-up. The following pages contained photos from other angles of the battlefield. After a moment of searching, he actually spotted Tashigi in a corner.
Seems she had safely reunited with her idol.
Hawkeye watched for a few seconds before withdrawing his gaze, his expression returning to its usual calm. He tilted his head back and drained the last sip of black tea from his cup.
"Not bad."
———
Great Prison Impel Down.
Underground Level 4: Scorching Heat Hell.
The blistering heat scorched the air, making even breathing a torment. The newly delivered prisoners, bound in chains, formed a long line as they were escorted by Jailer Beasts toward the disinfection area.
"Move faster! Quit dawdling!"
The jailers cracked their whips, urging the prisoners forward.
Warden Magellan stood atop a high platform, arms crossed, coldly observing the prisoners below. Behind him, Chief Jailer Shiliew puffed on a cigar, a faint smirk playing on his lips as his fingers lightly tapped the hilt of his sword.
"Among this batch of prisoners, there seem to be a few worth noting," Magellan remarked coolly.
"Oh?" Shiliew exhaled a smoke ring. "For the Warden to take personal interest, they must be no small fry."
Magellan didn't respond, his gaze fixed on the figures at the front of the line.
"'Clown' Buggy, former crewmate of the Roger Pirates. Months ago, he caused an uproar on Whole Cake Island, escaping from the Charlotte Family's prison and making a name for himself. His bounty rose to 300 million Berry."
"Fleeing all the way back to Paradise, he was preparing to re-enter the New World after getting his ship coated at Sabaody when—along with his entire crew—he was struck by a meteor. Knocked unconscious, he was eventually discovered and successfully arrested by Sabaody's marines."
A remnant of Roger's crew?
Shiliew's eyes gleamed as he took a closer look at the red-nosed man, his breathing growing slightly heavier.
"The two behind him—'White Knight' Cavendish, a Supernova with a bounty over 100 million, also arrested at Sabaody."
"'Hyena' Bellamy, another Supernova from this generation, likewise arrested at Sabaody."
"None of them are small fry, but they're hardly major figures either. Not even worthy of being sent to Level 6."
Magellan glanced sideways. "The reason I brought them up is simply because their arrests are all connected to a truly formidable figure."
"Ah, I know."
Shiliew narrowed his eyes, chuckling lowly. "Not just the outside world—even within Impel Down, the newspapers have been spreading like wildfire. By now, who hasn't heard of that big shot's name?"
"Killing four Celestial Dragons in front of the whole world—utterly insane, huh? Tch. If I ever get tired of this jailer gig and turn pirate, I wouldn't mind having a boss like that. Maybe one day, I'll get the chance to slaughter a couple of those fat pigs myself for fun."
"Fat pig, huh... Shiryu, I know you're joking, but as the Chief Jailer, you should at least watch your language."
Magellan snorted disapprovingly and reprimanded him.
"In this godforsaken place where even light doesn't reach, who's going to care?" Shiryu sneered, completely unfazed.
Aside from Magellan, he was the top dog here—there was no need to be polite about anything.
"You—"
Magellan was about to warn him again when his expression suddenly changed. He turned and strode quickly toward the elevator: "Shiryu, you're in charge here. Keep an eye on the new prisoners. I have some official business to attend to."
"Go ahead."
Shiryu shrugged.
He flicked the ash from his cigarette, his gaze sweeping over the prisoners below before finally settling on the listless red-nosed clown. A cruel smile curled at the corners of his lips:
"Don't worry, heh... It's rare to get someone of such status in here. I'll make sure to give them a proper welcome..."
———
Calm Belt, Kuja.
The night was deep, and the flickering lamplight cast shadows across the halls of Amazon Lily's palace.
"Hancock! Hancock!!"
Elder Nyon climbed in through the third-floor window, panting heavily as she braced her hands on her knees. "Where are the newspapers I collected? I heard you sent someone to take them—is that true, you brat? You never cared about... Huh?"
She suddenly froze, her voice cutting off.
There, on the sofa opposite her...
A slender, graceful figure lay curled up like a boiled shrimp, clutching a newspaper tightly to her chest with her eyes closed. Her legs rubbed together unconsciously as she murmured dreamily:
"Lord Xiano... Yes, that look, that look like I'm trash... Please, I beg you, look at me like that just a little longer~"
"???"
Elder Nyon rubbed her eyes hard, making sure she wasn't seeing things. Then her jaw dropped, and her cane clattered to the floor.
(End of Chapter)