Flames raged, turning the entire island into a wasteland.
This scene, resembling a natural disaster, was broadcast live around the world, and Den Den Mushi (snail phones) were still recording it, waiting for further dissemination.
When ordinary people saw Ohara transformed into a hellish inferno, their expressions turned blank.
"That's terrifying..."
"Is this a Marine Admiral?"
"It's said that if you offend a Celestial Dragon, the Marine will send in an Admiral..."
"Hiss, this is a monster."
"What a joke, how can there be such a terrifying person in this world?"
"Mom, I don't want to be a pirate anymore."
"..."
Not only were ordinary people discussing it, but pirates all over the world and even in the first half of the Grand Line, who happened to watch the live broadcast, were all shocked by Sakazuki's power.
In their understanding, no living being could be that strong.
As a result, even a random admiral candidate in the Marine became this strong.
It should be noted that above the candidates for admiral are serving admirals and Marine Fleet Admirals.
In other words, there is more than one such monster within the Marine.
"Gurara la la la!"
On an island in the New World, the Whitebeard Pirates, who were resting, happened to witness Sakazuki displaying his strength.
On the screen, a tall, burly man with a white beard let out a hearty laugh.
"Dad, why are you laughing?"
Marco, a punk-haired blond youth standing next to the white-bearded man, asked curiously.
Sakazuki's strength was so great that even he was frightened.
The Whitebeard Pirates have always been aligned with the Marine internally, and Whitebeard is definitely on par with the Fleet Admiral.
So these captains are meant to be on par with Marine admirals.
He is currently the 4th Division Commander and ship's doctor of the Whitebeard Pirates. The 2nd Division Commander left the crew not long ago, and the position is currently vacant.
They didn't know that Zephyr had retired and gone to CP0. Based on their understanding of the Marine, he should normally be compared to Sakazuki.
Seeing Sakazuki's performance today, Marco's heart sank.
"The young Marine officers have all grown up, and the seas will be even more interesting in the future."
A hearty smile graced the white-bearded man's face.
He is still that peak powerhouse with long golden hair, and has not yet reached old age.
After Roger and Shiki were captured, the Whitebeard Pirates are now the most powerful pirate crew on the seas.
Even though Kozuki Oden has left, the crew still has two old partners with the strength of Yonko's first mate, and Marco and others are growing rapidly, so the future is promising.
With such a strong foundation, and given that Whitebeard only wanted to protect his comrades, how could he fear the power of the Marine?
"Dad is still the most domineering!"
Marco, seeing Whitebeard's imposing appearance, subconsciously raised his head as well.
He's the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates!
Even if he is not as good as Sakazuki now, he may still beat him in the future.
Similar conversations took place in every corner of the New World.
The New World is now in complete chaos because Shiki was captured and the Roger Pirates disbanded.
Now that they've seen the admirals display their strength, they're all even more eager.
Without becoming the king of pirates, one doesn't even have the right to clash with the Marine.
If they don't want to be bound by the Marine, they have to fight their way out and become legendary pirates before they're even qualified to think about these things.
...
Boom!!!
The Tree of Knowledge was completely burned to the ground, and the entire island was billowing with thick smoke.
Sakazuki slowly lowered his arms, standing in the air and breathing heavily.
His all-out attack just now had exhausted most of his strength, to the point that his Justice Cloak was completely burned.
Maintaining the lava from damaging his clothes was already his limit.
The image of the Marine cannot be compromised.
Buzz!
Sakazuki descended from the sky and landed in front of Ross.
Since Ross has given him both face and substance, he will reciprocate with the same respect.
Under the watchful eyes of the entire world's live broadcast audience, Sakazuki landed and decisively knelt on one knee before Ross:
"Saint Ross, your orders have been completed."
"Good."
Ross smiled slightly. After this incident, as long as his stance remained unchanged, Sakazuki would be his staunch ally in the future.
He took off his World Government cloak, walked up to Sakazuki, and draped the cloak over the other's shoulders.
"Rise, Admiral Sakazuki!"
"Yes!"
With Ross's help, Sakazuki slowly stood up.
Compared to the Justice Cloak, Ross's World Government Cloak was far more exquisite. Sakazuki's tall and imposing figure appeared even more majestic against the backdrop of the cloak. The cloak swayed gently in the wind, yet it did not diminish his aura of menace; instead, it added to his unassailable authority.
And the way audiences around the world looked at Ross at this moment had completely changed.
They only knew that injuring a Celestial Dragon would trigger the deployment of an Admiral, and apart from a few individuals, they had no idea of the deeper meaning behind that statement.
Now they understand completely.
Provoking the Celestial Dragons is tantamount to deploying Sakazuki, tantamount to the destruction of Ohara, and tantamount to their certain death.
And in everyone's eyes, Saint Ross became an extremely noble figure even among the Celestial Dragons.
Ohara is destroyed, but the awe it left behind continues to resonate throughout the world.
…
One day later.
After the Buster Call ended, the five warships dispersed again.
Kuzan, Borsalino, and Yamakaji will stay in the West Blue, using the power of Ohara's destruction to wipe out the pirates in the West Blue.
Now that Sakazuki's reputation has been established, it's time to unleash a heavy blow on the pirates.
Sakazuki was recalled by the Marine Headquarters.
After this incident, Kong understood the World Government's intentions and took the opportunity to suggest to the Five Elders that Sakazuki be promoted to Admiral.
In light of Sakazuki's performance, the Five Elders agreed to Kong's decision and prepared to grant him the position of Admiral in the Marine within a month, specifically to be responsible for guarding the New World.
The sharpest knife should naturally be used for public display.
"Gion, go to Dracul Island."
Inside the ship, Ross held Gion in his arms, his voice slightly languid.
Since he had promised Gion, he was determined to keep his word.
Dracul Island is where Red the Aloof found the Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire. Although it's in the New World, Gion's current strength shouldn't pose too much of a problem.
The New World is teeming with powerful individuals, but it is also riddled with CP0's covert operations. With the support of the World Government, it is possible to operate freely in the New World.
After all, although there seem to be many strong people everywhere, there are actually very few who can reach the level of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
In remote places like Dracul Island, it's already quite good if there are a few strong individuals on par with Gion.
"Clear!"
Gion's eyes flashed with excitement; she clearly understood the meaning behind Ross's mention of a certain place.
Having this Mythical Zoan fruit is equivalent to obtaining a ticket to the Admiral level.
She would absolutely not miss this opportunity.