The officers of the Revolutionary Army frowned, clearly displeased by Ul'dah's threats.
One of them stepped forward, ready to teach him a lesson, but Dragon raised a hand to stop him.
He looked down at Ul'dah coldly and said, "If I am not afraid of the World Government, what makes you think I would fear anyone else?"
"Is that so?"
Ul'dah's eyes widened in exaggerated surprise, and then he burst into wild, hysterical laughter.
"Hahahaha… hahahaha…"
"Then let me tell you something in return."
He strained against the heavy chains, ignoring the fresh blood that oozed from his wounds as the metal dug into his flesh.
"Do you even understand what the title 'Great Lord' means for Lord Grimm? You don't. There was once a Marine who said that Lord Grimm is far more terrifying than the Government itself — and that he will one day rule the entire world!!"
"Sounds just like the same old nonsense that came from Shiki," Dragon said, shaking his head. "Now I see why you chose to follow him."
But deep down, he was already aware through his long‑standing spies within the Marines that Grimm held another, far more unexpected identity — making him an even more dangerous figure than anyone realized.
"You don't understand… heh… but it doesn't matter. One day, you will."
Clank… clank… clank…
The chains rattled loudly as Ul'dah struggled, turning dark red with his blood. Many of the soldiers watching looked on with unease.
"You will regret this, Dragon! You should see for yourself the true gap in power between you and him. Don't get cocky just because you've overthrown a few small kingdoms. Lord Grimm will become the D that controls the world — the Devil, the natural enemy of the so‑called gods… and he will drag those Celestial Dragons right down from their pedestal!"
Dragon ignored his shouting and turned to walk away. Over his shoulder, he gave a simple order: "Release them. After all, they are valuable bargaining chips."
---
The first half of the Grand Line
"T‑that's the mark of Emperor Grimm!"
"Why would a ship belonging to one of the Four Emperors appear here?"
"Hahaha — what a chance! If I take his head, my name will be known across the whole world!"
"Are you out of your mind? Turn back! Change course! Run — run as fast as you can!"
As soon as ships spotted the familiar fox‑head emblem of Grimm, every pirate crew scrambled to flee.
True to the reputation of an Emperor, the sight alone was enough to send most men into a panic.
Yet there were still countless pirates roaming these waters — far more than in the New World, by a factor of ten.
While most knew when to yield, there were always reckless fools who thought themselves invincible, charging forward shouting, "Kill an Emperor and become famous forever!"
"Tch… it's been a while since I came back, and there are still just as many idiots as ever," Grimm sighed from his seat atop Mannolos's back.
"Master, I'm starting to feel rather hungry," Mannolos rumbled, twisting his massive skeletal neck.
"Then why wait?" Grimm grinned.
Understanding the command, the giant skeleton opened its jaws into a terrifying smile and surged forward.
When it was still a hundred meters away, its mouth stretched wide, swallowing two entire enemy ships in one single bite.
Crunch… crunch…
Mannolos chewed them as if they were nothing more than gum, muttering to himself, "Ah… such filthy souls — and yet they taste so sweet."
The crews of the ships that had managed to escape stared in horror, their skin crawling.
"Is that the Ghost Warship, Mannolos?"
"A bounty of 455 million berries… and he's only the mount of Emperor Grimm?"
"And the man sitting on the palace platform above him — is that really the Emperor himself? Does he not even need to lift a finger?"
"But why would he come all the way here? Is he just traveling for fun, like Whitebeard does?"
Among the Four Emperors, only Whitebeard was known to wander the seas freely.
The other three had stayed firmly within their territories in the New World for years.
The sudden appearance of the Holy Light Pirates in the first half of the Grand Line left everyone baffled.
"How far until we reach the East Blue?" Grimm asked suddenly.
A female navigator stepped forward quickly to answer.
"Lord Grimm, if we sail directly through the Calm Belt, we can arrive in less than a week. Following the regular magnetic routes, it would take over a month."
Crossing the Calm Belt cut travel time drastically — it was the very reason the Marines could move so swiftly between the four seas.
"Then why even ask?" Grimm looked toward the horizon, where the winds of the Calm Belt began.
"We take the shortcut, of course."
He had not brought Hancock or Violet on this voyage.
After the chaos in Sius, he had ordered Hancock to see if she could recruit Doflamingo's remaining followers, while Violet had gone to Dressrosa in her capacity as princess to extend formal invitations.
---
"Any news on Zephyr?"
After finishing the day's work, Kong stretched and turned to the officer beside him.
The latest reports showed that Shanks and his Red‑Hair Pirates were clashing with Kaido's Beasts Pirates — or more precisely, Shanks was trying to seize control of a large island under Kaido's rule.
Since Shanks was still expanding his power, the situation was being monitored closely but did not yet count as an immediate threat.
It was Zephyr's disappearance that truly worried Kong.
Though the former Admiral had taken long trips before, when Kong asked Sengoku and Tsuru, neither had any idea where he had gone. Zephyr had left without saying a word to anyone.
"Nothing yet, Fleet Admiral. Even for CP agents, tracking a lone warrior of his caliber is nearly impossible," the officer shook his head.
"Zephyr… ah…"
Kong sighed and stood up, ready to leave his office and return home.
SLAM!
The door flew open without a knock, and a young officer rushed in holding a sealed report.
"Fleet Admiral! A report just arrived from Vice Admiral Aranson, Commander of G‑4 Base. Pirates captured nearby have confessed to seeing the Holy Light Pirates enter the first half of the Grand Line."
The sleepiness vanished from Kong's face as if he had been slapped awake. He jumped up so quickly he nearly knocked his chair over.
"Is Grimm with them?"
He opened the file immediately.
It stated clearly: Grimm was forcing his way through the Calm Belt, accompanied by Planck, Yasuo, Mannolos, and several other top officers.
If they kept their speed, they would reach the East Blue in five days.
Kong had hoped it was just another leisurely cruise, like Whitebeard's travels — but Grimm was never one to wander aimlessly.
"Fleet Admiral," another officer spoke up.
"In just one week, a Celestial Dragon is scheduled to arrive in Goa Kingdom for inspection. For him to appear now…"
"A coincidence? Or does he have something else planned?"
Kong rubbed his temples, his head throbbing. Grimm never did anything small — every move he made had the potential to shift the balance of the entire world.
Now Kong faced a difficult choice: should he order the Celestial Dragon's visit canceled, or sail out to confront Grimm directly?
__________________
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