The sea breeze swept past.
On the reef, only White Night remained, along with three background figures whose faces had completely darkened.
The last sentence the News Bird delivered as it flew away was like a sharp thorn, deeply piercing the hearts of the three big shots present.
"Shock! A Deity Descends Upon the East Blue! The Legendary Great Pirate Golden Lion Was Crushed, And Three Top Experts Knelt In Worship!"
Knelt in worship?
A deathly silence permeated the air; only the sound of waves crashing against the reef was particularly grating.
Dragon's face was like an iceberg that hadn't melted in ten thousand years, completely motionless, but a bulging vein on his temple betrayed his current mood.
"Knelt in worship?"
These four words were low, hoarse, and carried a chill capable of freezing the air.
He, Monkey D. Dragon, the world's most dangerous criminal, the Revolutionary Army Leader dedicated to overthrowing the world—if this got out, how could he remain the boss and lead the Revolutionary Army?
Garp's face was also twitching violently; he didn't care about himself, but it mainly affected the Marine's reputation.
Damn clickbait titles!
They truly are a bunch of animals. I hope Sengoku's little heart won't be too stimulated.
Kizaru, however, looked indifferent.
Just as the three men were lost in their own thoughts, their expressions shifting unpredictably, White Night moved.
Snap!
Another crisp snap of the fingers.
The gaudy black suit and gold-rimmed glasses he was wearing instantly vanished, replaced by his usual casual attire.
White Night stretched his body and curled his lip in distaste.
"Tsk, this outfit is much more comfortable. Suits are really restrictive to wear."
This casual posture and relaxed tone made it seem as if the man who had just been full of overwhelming aura, like a king behind the scenes, was merely an illusion shared by the three of them.
Garp's mouth twitched. Is this kid a chameleon?
"Alright, the farce is over."
White Night clapped his hands.
"Now, let's talk about business."
Business?
Garp, Dragon, and Kizaru simultaneously felt a prickle of alarm.
Here it comes.
He is finally getting to the point.
Whether it was the Marine represented by Kizaru or the Revolutionary Army represented by Dragon, their purpose for coming here was all about the man before them.
For the power in his hands, a power capable of changing the world.
"Oh, right."
Just as the atmosphere reached its peak intensity, White Night suddenly seemed to remember something, changing the subject.
"I almost forgot, there's still some trash to deal with."
"I hope he learns his lesson."
He raised his head and looked toward the sky.
The three men instinctively followed his gaze.
They saw the enormous "New Moon," compressed from islands, seawater, and the wreckage of the Golden Lion's fleet, still hanging quietly beneath the clear sky, radiating a heart-stopping sense of oppression.
It was proof of a great power capable of driving any strong person in the world to despair.
White Night lazily extended an arm, his palm facing the artificial moon in the sky, fingers spread, and then slowly uttered a single word.
"Disperse."
The voice was not loud, light and airy, as if he were mentioning a trivial matter.
However, the next second.
Boom—!!!
Above the sky, the terrifying celestial body, with a diameter of over ten thousand miles, began to disintegrate without warning!
The seawater making up the sphere poured down like a collapsing celestial river, turning into a torrential downpour that violently smashed into the ocean below!
Countless massive rocks and twisted ship wreckage plummeted from high altitude, stirring up monstrous waves!
It was as if the entire world had ushered in its doomsday in that instant!
Amidst the countless falling objects, a tiny figure also dropped straight down.
It was the unconscious Golden Lion Shiki.
White Night didn't even spare him a glance, simply raising a finger casually.
An invisible gravity held Shiki's body, allowing him to float down gently, like a feather.
Plop.
Golden Lion Shiki, the legendary Great Pirate who once clashed with Pirate King Roger and single-handedly tore through Marineford, was carelessly tossed at the feet of the three men, like a dead dog.
His eyes were tightly shut, he was soaked through, and the extreme terror and despair from before his sealing still lingered on his face.
His former arrogance, Haki, and dignity were now completely gone.
There was dead silence on the reef.
Only the strong wind and heavy rain lashed against everyone's faces, chilling them to the bone.
Garp looked at the unconscious Shiki at his feet, then looked up at the sky, which had returned to a bright and clear state, and swallowed.
He felt that his heart, tempered by countless storms and hardships, was a little overwhelmed today.
I originally thought I was strong enough dominating the masses in the instance, but facing this kid, I still fall short. No, this old man can't slack off anymore. This age is exactly the time to make waves!
"You brat..." Garp's voice was a bit dry, "You really... walk the talk."
He said he would let him cool down, and he truly just let him cool down.
"Why wouldn't I?"
White Night withdrew his hand, shoved it back into his pocket, and retorted as if it were the most natural thing.
"Just an old man who can't recognize the situation."
"Cough, cough..."
Kizaru cleared his throat twice, trying to break the oppressive atmosphere. He pointed at the Golden Lion on the ground and asked cautiously.
"Well... Mr. White Night, how should... this one be handled? Do you need the Marine to help escort him back to Impel Down?"
White Night shook his head, as if he had heard a boring suggestion.
"That won't do."
"After all, he is still my... implicit client."
"Even if he disrespected me and spoke rudely, did I really do anything to him? I merely punished him slightly."
"How can you casually send someone to prison?"
Kizaru looked at the Golden Lion, who resembled a dead dog, and his mouth twitched!
You call that slight punishment?
What then would be considered severe punishment? Crushing the sun?
White Night's gaze moved away from the Golden Lion and slowly swept over the other three people present.
The Admiral, Kizaru.
The Revolutionary Army Leader, Dragon.
The marine hero, Garp.
These three people could barely be counted as rule-abiding factions; dealing with them was relatively easy and pleasant.
However, there are many people like the Golden Lion on the sea. He couldn't possibly handle them all personally every time, could he?
White Night's original intention was just to find some "power levelers" to help him clear the instances, while he enjoyed the benefits, collecting service fees and system rewards.
But these rule-breakers were completely affecting the efficiency of his harvesting. If this continued, wouldn't it take him several more years to become the strongest in the universe?
Damn it!
This is simply outrageous!
Did he have to stand guard here every day, acting as a diligent NPC at the entrance of the instance, greeting every challenger who arrived?
That would make him nothing but a pure workhorse.
White Night would not do such a thankless job.
He should be the rule-setter, not a passively reactive gatekeeper.
A brand new, efficient system must be established, one that can completely free him up.
Then, it is time to set the rules!