One hour later.
The entire Sabaody Archipelago was in chaos.
Nearly a thousand personnel from the local Navy branch were mobilized, searching every house to hunt down the person who dared to snatch a woman from a Celestial Dragon.
Even Navy Headquarters had dispatched a Vice Admiral and several hundred elite marines, scheduled to arrive in at most two hours.
Of course, since the Celestial Dragons hadn't been attacked directly, the Admirals had not been mobilized yet.
The Rosward family, thoroughly displeased, had already left the commoner district and returned to their estate on the Sabaody Archipelago.
They were simply waiting for the Navy to capture the reckless fool—and the woman he took—and deliver them.
And just like that, night fell.
---
"Apologies, Marshal! It's all my fault!"
Back in District 31, inside a basement safehouse operated by Jun Lin's Intelligence Division.
A Jun Lin soldier stood before Luo Lan, bowing his head in apology.
"Raise your head."
"Yes, Marshal!"
"Tell me—what exactly did you do wrong?"
"I acted on my own, bringing uncertainty to the mission."
"And if you had the chance to choose again?"
The soldier paused, then glanced at the blonde girl standing nearby.
His expression instantly hardened.
"'Let Justice Reign Supreme.' That was the oath we swore when we enlisted. If I stood by and did nothing while someone was being humiliated right in front of me—I couldn't live with myself."
"Exactly. Then let me ask you again—what did you do wrong?"
"...I didn't."
"Good."
Luo Lan stood up and patted the soldier on the shoulder.
Just because it involved a Celestial Dragon, did that mean they were supposed to stand by and do nothing?
If that were the case, what justice would they even be upholding?
So from the very beginning, Luo Lan had no intention of punishing him.
"Soldier—what's your name?"
"Darmu."
"Good. Lieutenant Darmu, from this moment forward—you're now Lieutenant Commander Darmu."
Luo Lan had briefly gauged his strength. This "Darmu" had a physical capability around 1,200—a solid fighter.
"Yes, Marshal!"
Darmu looked thrilled. Not only was he not punished—he'd been promoted.
Joining Jun Lin really was the best decision of his life.
"Oh, and the girl you saved—bring her back to Rhodes Island after this mission. She can't stay here on Sabaody anymore."
"Understood."
Darmu nodded firmly.
Beside him, the blonde girl who had been clinging to his arm the whole time blushed deeply.
Luo Lan noticed the shift in atmosphere and gave a helpless chuckle.
This guy's luck with women... not bad.
Looks like he won't be single for much longer—and she's quite the beauty too.
Speaking of which... wasn't he still single?
Luo Lan shook his head again, pushing the stray thought aside. He had no time for that right now.
---
Thirty minutes later.
Luo Lan appeared outside the Rosward estate, along with Hina, Ace, and Zoro.
For this operation, he hadn't brought many people. The few soldiers present were already stationed on Sabaody—intelligence officers under Robin's command.
The only ones truly participating in the operation were the four of them, all members of Jun Lin's rapid response team.
They could all fly, and fast at that. Even if something went wrong, escaping wouldn't be an issue.
"Who goes there?!"
Their sudden appearance triggered an immediate reaction from the guards.
Dozens of men in black suits swarmed in, surrounding them.
"Jun Lin coats!!"
"Be careful! These people are with Jun Lin—and they're all officers! Contact the Navy for reinforcements!"
The lead guard's face turned pale upon seeing the coats on their backs.
Everyone knew by now—Jun Lin uniforms resembled the Navy's.
In the Navy, only officers ranked Captain or higher were allowed to wear the "Justice" coat. Even Lieutenant Commander had to stick to standard uniforms.
Jun Lin followed the same rules. Anyone wearing the Jun Lin coat had to be an officer.
The guards, unaware of this detail, still reached for their communication snails.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
The next instant, a terrifying pressure erupted from Luo Lan.
In a split second, every guard—including the one holding the snail—collapsed unconscious, eyes rolled back and foaming at the mouth.
With that settled, Luo Lan and the others calmly walked into the estate.
Along the way, they encountered no one still conscious.
Everyone was out cold, just like the guards outside.
They climbed to the second floor and pushed open a grand set of doors.
Inside was a massive hall-like room.
And on the couch—
The three Celestial Dragons of the Rosward family were sprawled out, unconscious, foaming at the mouth just like the others.
Target secured.
It was time to leave.
Luo Lan had no intention of sticking around for some Admiral to show up and pick a fight.
He raised his right hand and made a beckoning gesture.
The three Celestial Dragons floated into the air and drifted behind him.
"Do you even understand what you're doing and the consequences that will follow?"
The voice echoed through the hall—though only Luo Lan's team and the Celestial Dragons were present.
Luo Lan wasn't surprised.
"Rayleigh. Are you here to stop me?"
"I'm not here to stop you. I'm here to stop this world from completely falling apart."
"Oh, please. Just admit you don't want me to ruin Roger's plan. A pirate talking about saving the world—isn't that ridiculous?"
From behind a pillar, a figure stepped out.
Who else could it be but Silvers Rayleigh?
"Roger foresaw everything—but he didn't foresee Jun Lin emerging after his death."
"So now you've taken it upon yourself to eliminate the variables in his grand plan?"
Rayleigh didn't respond.
But Luo Lan could see it in his eyes.
The man had indeed thought about it—but was clearly torn.
"Forget it. We're relics of a bygone era. If Roger's plan fails, then it fails. What does that have to do with a retired old man like me?"
A moment later, Rayleigh withdrew his aura entirely.
Back to his usual self—the well-known ship-coating expert of Sabaody Archipelago.
He turned and walked away.
Luo Lan let out a deep breath.
They probably could've taken Rayleigh with the four of them, but it wouldn't be easy or quick.
And the longer it dragged on, the bigger the scene would become.
With enough time, the Navy reinforcements would flood in—especially that high-mobility Admiral Kizaru.
If he showed up, escaping alone wouldn't be hard for Luo Lan—but taking the three Celestial Dragons with him? That'd be another matter.
Luckily, Rayleigh chose to step back.
Good.
A retired man should act like one. No need to cause a scene.
Coat some ships, skim a little money off the Auction House, flirt with Shakky—wasn't that a good life?
Why stir up trouble...?