"Sands and such, they don't really matter."
A green-haired youth emerged from the crater, rubbing his temples and shaking his head. "This dizzy, disoriented feeling is what's truly unbearable."
"Still too weak in constitution, Mosshead."
The blond youth beside him stood coolly, lowering his head and flicking his wrist to expertly light a cigarette. "Even though I see you training the hardest every day, it doesn't seem to help much. Maybe you should just follow me and learn cooking instead."
"Who are you trying to fool!"
Zoro turned his head angrily. "If you weren't dizzy, you wouldn't have put the filter in your mouth!"
"Huh?"
Sanji took a closer look and realized it was indeed backwards... no wonder it tasted so strange.
More figures rose from the sandy soil, some shaking their heads, others brushing dust off their clothes.
"Regardless, we've successfully landed after all."
Law stepped out of the crater, dusting sand off his spotted hat as he scanned the surroundings. "This is actually my first time seeing so many Celestial Dragons at once..."
"Rough count shows about 350 of them."
Smoker came forward with a cigar in his mouth. "When I joined the Marines back then, I never imagined there would be a day like this."
"With so many Celestial Dragons wiped out at once, I wonder what expression the World Government will make."
Beside him, Nojiko clenched her fists together and grinned. "Our bounties will skyrocket too. This time I might even surpass yours, Smoker."
"Bounties? Hahaha! So you're pirates!"
Charloss Saint finally realized what was happening. Instead of being afraid, he became excited and waved his golden pistol around:
"Excellent! I was just getting bored of only killing commoners! These pirates will make perfect appetizers! Hey, you lot! Get them! Beat them up and throw them into the hunting grounds! All these prey belong to me now!"
However...
The scene he anticipated - where the Cipher Pol agents would charge forward and subdue these pirates - never materialized.
Instead, those masked white figures remained frozen in place, staring intently in one particular direction, their bodies trembling.
"Hey! Are you deaf!"
Charloss Saint flew into a rage and was about to continue berating them when he suddenly realized the atmosphere on the beach had become unusually quiet at some point.
It wasn't just the CP agents.
His fellow Celestial Dragons, the other nobles, all wore similar expressions - pale as ghosts, each face whiter than the last.
What in the world was going on?
Charloss Saint turned his head suspiciously, following their gaze -
From within the dust, the final figure slowly rose.
A black cloak fluttered lightly in the wind as slender fingers rested on the sword hilt behind his back. The young man lifted his indifferent eyes, his gaze piercing through the dust like a sharp blade, striking directly at them.
That familiar handsome face.
That equally familiar gaze that looked at them like trash.
"You... you..."
Charloss Saint stood frozen in place, his lips beginning to tremble uncontrollably. The golden pistol in his hand clattered onto the sandy beach.
"Impossible..."
He staggered backward, his legs giving way as he collapsed to the ground, his trousers instantly soaking wet as he screamed in terror, "No... don't come closer! Stay away from me!"
The scene was utterly absurd.
Under normal circumstances, the other Celestial Dragons would have mocked him mercilessly, but not this time—because every single one of them was reacting in much the same way.
"It's... it's that man!!!"
"Xiano! It's God Slayer Xiano! Why is he here?!"
"Never mind that, run!!!"
A piercing, hysterical shriek tore through the air, and in an instant, the hundreds of Celestial Dragons descended into chaos.
Some stumbled frantically toward the cruise ship, others dropped to their knees and vomited uncontrollably, while a few, paralyzed by sheer terror, fainted on the spot.
The broadcast from Sabaody three months ago had long since become their deepest nightmare!
And on this day.
As that face loomed before them, the Celestial Dragons were finally reminded of the fear he instilled in them.
"Protect the nobles!"
The Cipher Pol agents finally snapped out of their daze, suppressing their own fear as they formed a human wall.
The masked leader noticed Smoker and immediately barked, "White Hunter Smoker! As a former Marine officer, how could you sink so low? This is your chance to redeem yourself—turn back now before it's too—"
Thwip!
A cold gleam flashed, and the masked man grunted, his chest pierced clean through.
Watching the masked man crumple to the ground, Smoker pulled out his Ten Hand, exhaled a plume of smoke impassively, and said, "The Marines? An organization that helps beasts hunt civilians? Who would ever go back? It should have been tossed into the dustbin of history long ago."
For this operation, a strategy meeting had been held in advance. The truth about the Celestial Dragons' three-year cycle of destroying nations and their hunting games was laid bare for all to see—bloody and unvarnished.
Many were deeply shaken, but Smoker, once the most orthodox elite of Marine Headquarters, was undoubtedly the most affected.
The last shred of illusion he held about the Marines had been utterly shattered.
The Marines were unworthy of even speaking about justice!
"Boss!"
Seeing their captain fall, one CP agent gritted his teeth, rushed forward, and hoisted Charloss Saint onto his back. "Run, my lord! Retreat quickly! Cover our rear—buy us time!"
"Yes!"
"Tch, they really do keep some loyal dogs, don't they? Pity..."
Xiano observed the scene with a faint smile, his right thumb gently pushing the tsuba of his blade.
"Too late."
Shiiing—!
A clear, resonant sword cry echoed across the beach, as black and red light illuminated the sky!
A massive Sword Aura shot forth, homing in on the fleeing CP agent and Charloss Saint.
Divine Departure!
Where the Sword Aura passed, the beach was gouged into a deep trench.
The CP agent had just enough time to glance back in horror before he—along with Charloss Saint on his back—was cleaved in two at the waist.
And the residual force did not diminish.
Though the 360-plus Celestial Dragons had scattered widely, more than half were still caught within the terrifying reach of this single strike.
With just one sword swing...
Two hundred Celestial Dragons, dead!
Blood rained down like a storm, and the sand was soon stained crimson with the wide-eyed, unseeing corpses littering the ground.
"No, no, no no no...!"
"This can't be real, it's a dream... it has to be a dream, right? It must be a dream!"
"This one cannot die—especially not like some commoner in a place like this!"
"The Marines! Why haven't they come to rescue us yet!"
The remaining Celestial Dragons let out desperate wails. Some no longer dared to run, falling to their knees in terror, kowtowing frantically as they begged for mercy:
"Spare us! We... we have many valuable things with us! Lots and lots of money!"
"And all the prizes on the platform can be yours too! Just let us live!"
Such familiar words.
Xiano couldn't be bothered to respond. He casually shook his blade, flicking off the blood, and sheathed it.
"Fools!"
Zoro, standing nearby with arms crossed, sneered, "Money? Prizes? If we kill you, won't they still be ours?"
"The hunting game is only just beginning."
Nojiko turned her head away: "Brother, there are about one hundred fifty Celestial Dragons left. We're following the rules we discussed on the ship, right?"
"Mhm, drive these swine into the northern mountains. There are no civilians there, and the surrounding area has been completely sealed off."
Pay them back in their own coin.
Those who died beneath his blade without even having time to scream might seem pitiful, but they could actually be considered fortunate.
As for the remaining ones...
"Let them properly experience what it feels like to be treated as prey, constantly dying in terrified flight."
Xiano said calmly, "Remember, we'll tally the results in half an hour. Leave none alive."
"Understood!"
The young executives responded in unison.
Nami had long been impatient. Using Moon Walk, she leaped onto the platform, crouched at the edge, and grinned down at the Celestial Dragons below, revealing her adorable dimples:
"Hey, didn't you hear? Start running already! You only have five minutes. If you run fast enough, you might live a little longer~"
As Nami's voice faded, the Celestial Dragons on the beach snapped out of their daze and instantly descended into chaos.
"Run! Run quickly!"
They screamed, shoved each other, and scrambled desperately toward the northern mountains.
Most of them, to run faster, discarded their heavy jewelry, ornate clothing, and the Bubble Helmets they wore whenever they left the Holy Land to show they disdained breathing the same air as commoners, stumbling forward in a clumsy fashion.
"Truly ugly."
Smoker blew out a smoke ring, watching coldly:
"No matter how you look at them, they're just flesh and blood no different from ordinary people. I really don't understand how neither the Marines nor Pirates dared to touch them all these years."
Even Roger, the Four Emperors... all were the same!
"A divine aura built up over eight hundred years isn't so easily completely erased."
Law shrugged, "Last time at Sabaody Archipelago, the boss personally struck the first blow to shatter those chains. This time he's giving us the chance to do it ourselves, hoping we can personally cut through this fear and completely recognize the true nature of these swine."
"Well said, leopard-print guy!"
Sanji stomped out his cigarette butt, grinning widely, "Then what are we waiting for? The five minutes should be almost up, right? Let's start the hunt!"
"Only two minutes have passed."
Just as Zoro was about to express his contempt, he suddenly noticed something and turned to look toward the distant sea, chuckling lightly: "Finally noticed something's wrong, huh?"
"Thought having CP protection on the island meant they just needed to handle perimeter security and everything would be fine?"
Bartolomeo stood with his hands on his hips, laughing heartily: "So slow, Marines!!"
...
"Too slow!"
From the Den Den Mushi came Sengoku's furious roar, so loud it could shatter eardrums:
"Sakazuki! Borsalino! What are you two doing?! Half the Celestial Dragons are already dead, and the other half are fleeing through the mountains! Why haven't you discovered anything until now!"
Akainu's face turned ashen.
He and Kizaru had stayed up all night and had just settled into the cabin, dozing off on the sofa when they were abruptly awakened by an urgent call from Headquarters. Only then did they learn the shocking news.
The Curtain Closers, led by that Xiano, had somehow appeared in the hunting grounds without anyone noticing and launched a massacre against the World Nobles!
Yet the Marine fleet, which had encircled the entire island several nautical miles away, hadn't detected anything unusual!
Communications inside and outside the island were completely cut off. It was only when the Holy Land noticed that a large number of Celestial Dragon chips had gone offline that they questioned Marine Headquarters, and the truth came to light!
"How could this be…"
Kizaru also muttered in a daze.
Impossible!
Hadn't Headquarters confirmed that their main fleet was still in the New World, targeting those branch bases? How could they suddenly appear in the North Blue!
"Don't you get it yet?!"
Sengoku roared, cutting him off. "That was just a diversion! A diversion! Though we don't know how they found out, the Curtain Closers' target from the start was the Celestial Dragons' hunting grounds! Now, immediately! At once! Get the remaining people out of there!"
"Uh…"
Kizaru scratched his head. "Is there still time? If we go now, we'll probably only be collecting corpses, right?"
"Shut up!"
Akainu bellowed furiously, hanging up the call and issuing a sharp command. "All forces, listen up! Abandon all defensive lines and land immediately! Rescue the Celestial Dragons at all costs! Annihilate the Curtain Closers!"
Boom!
Almost the moment his words fell.
A violent explosion erupted from the distant sea. In the next instant, a warship on the outer perimeter burst into flames and slowly sank amid the fire.
A soldier in the watchtower screamed in terror: "Enemy attack! It's an ambush! It's the Sunsetter Fleet! They've surfaced from underwater!"
Underwater?!!!
Akainu and Kizaru's expressions changed instantly. Both turned their heads simultaneously, following the sound.
Where the sea had been calm, countless whirlpools suddenly churned. Then, one after another, over twenty Coated warships burst through the surface like giant whales!
Whoosh!
The massive fleet, flying the Curtain Closer flag, lined up in formation!
Their dark cannon muzzles swiveled in unison, aiming at the surrounded Marine ships in the center!
"The two of you, I have been waiting here for quite some time."
At the bow of the Sunset, Kuina spoke expressionlessly, her tone indifferent.
Behind her, Fujitora, Jack, and Kuma also revealed themselves, their cold gazes fixed ahead.
"Open fire!"
At Kuina's command, the Sunsetter Fleet unleashed a barrage of cannon fire!
Cannonballs rained down upon the Marine fleet like a storm. The Marine ships, caught off guard, struggled to respond and suffered heavy losses in the chaos. The sea instantly blazed with flames and thick smoke.
"Hey, hey, hey, how can that Xiano be so wicked?"
Kizaru wore a bitter expression as he helped intercept the cannonballs, dragging out his words in complaint, "I think I get it now. These guys were waiting for this exact moment."
"Tell me something I don't know, Borsalino!" Akainu roared angrily.
By this point, even a fool would have figured it out!
The Curtain Closer had not only arrived but had planned this in advance—arriving even earlier than the Marines!
Perhaps last night, or even a day or two earlier, they had already reached these waters. Instead of showing themselves immediately, they had used coating to hide beneath the sea nearby.
They were waiting for the Marines to walk right into their trap, so they could wipe them out in one fell swoop!
"What a perfect plan."
Aboard the Sunset, Kuina watched the scene unfold before her, a rare smile gracing her lips.
This was Lord Xiano's plan: using coating to hide beneath the sea, right under the enemy's nose, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. It was a genius idea.
Otherwise, if they had shown up too late, the people of this island would have faced utter destruction. Even if only a tenth of them were slaughtered, that would still mean tens of thousands of lives lost—something the Curtain
Closer could never accept.
And if they had arrived too early, the already jumpy Celestial Dragons would never have dared to come ashore.
This was just right!
It had to be at this moment, when all the distinguished guests had already landed, when the sinful hunting game had just begun with the ringing of the bell—
Let these Marines watch in despair as the "divine" masters they were sworn to protect with their lives were slaughtered one by one!
(End of Chapter)