As time passed, Hera ran across the entire Sabaody Archipelago, only feeling at ease after confirming she could use the Taurus Sword to travel to every corner. She accompanied her crew on a tour around the island, killing a few foolish pirates and slave traders along the way. Finally, the Celestial Dragons were about to arrive.
Gion sent a message to the vacationing Hera: "Where are you? The Celestial Dragons are almost here. The one coming this time is Saint Charloss, who loves slaves the most. Moreover, they seem to have captured members of the Revolutionary Army. You all should head back to the Marine Base first."
Hera laughed upon hearing this. Kuina, who was by her side, asked, "What are you laughing at? Is there some good news?"
Hera sighed, "It is indeed good news."
The corpse intended to take the blame was already lying within Hera's City of Devouring Time. For the success of this operation, Issho had specifically used only his Gravity devil fruit to knock him unconscious. To be precise, he wasn't dead yet; just before the moment of death, Hera used the Seventh Bullet to freeze his time, plunging him into a deep slumber.
"To have a Celestial Dragon buried with you can be considered your honor," Hera murmured to herself. However, in order to recruit the Gold Emperor, Hera couldn't act just yet. She needed an opportunity—a moment to save Stella right in front of him.
Hera and the others returned to the Marine Base. Gion breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Hera's return. She had been afraid this brat would disappear at such a critical moment. Now that so many Marines had seen Hera at the base, she could finally relax.
On the other side, Issho walked slowly down the road toward the tavern. He wasn't just walking; he was building up momentum. Rayleigh sensed Issho's rising aura and began to look forward to this duel.
Saint Charloss disembarked from the ship, riding on a slave as he headed toward the slave market. CP0 surrounded Saint Charloss, keenly observing the roadside and not letting a single suspicious sign slip by.
At the slave market, singing was echoing. The young Gold Emperor was still an ordinary person, holding the money he had saved for a long time, hoping to buy Stella from the slave traders.
Saint Charloss heard the singing: "Interesting. To think a slave could sing so beautifully. Buy her."
The CP0 members beside him immediately stepped forward. The slave shop owner hurriedly chased Tesoro away: "Go, go, go! A Celestial Dragon has also taken a fancy to this slave. Leave quickly."
Just as Tesoro was in despair, Issho arrived at the tavern entrance. Sensing Rayleigh, who had been waiting for him, he unsheathed his sword.
In an instant, Issho's long-accumulated momentum collided with Rayleigh's Haoshoku. The sky, which had been clear just moments ago, suddenly turned dim, with the faint sound of rumbling thunder.
Hera quickly said to Kuina, "I'm going to the bathroom." She left the Marine Base's basement. The next second, a sword mark flashed in a bathroom stall, and Hera, already disguised, arrived at Saint Charloss's location.
Gion's Observation Haki sensed this oppressive aura. She released her Observation Haki and looked toward the source of the outburst—the entrance of Shakky's Bar. She instinctively felt something was wrong: "What's going on? Why would someone challenge Rayleigh at this exact moment?"
'Gravity Blade: Raging Tiger' and 'Higan Blade' collided, erupting with a world-shaking aura. Even the Celestial Dragon in the distance felt the shockwaves of the clash.
Saint Charloss was so frightened by this aura that he almost fell off his slave. Feeling humiliated, he waved his hands angrily, wanting to summon an Admiral to kill these two people who had made him lose face.
But he no longer had the chance. While the attention of all the guards was drawn to this clash, Hera moved. A pitch-black bullet shot out. Zafkiel granted this bullet unparalleled speed, while the enhancement of the ability and Armament Haki gave it lethal power.
The instant the gun was fired, the bullet reached Saint Charloss. It pierced through his sinful skull, blowing his head apart inside the glass dome. The projectile that killed Saint Charloss then vanished as its energy was exhausted.
Before heading back, Hera used her Observation Haki to say to Tesoro, "Come find me at Shakky's Bar." She also pulled Stella into the City of Devouring Time to prevent her from being used as a venting bag by the enraged CP0.
Subsequently, Hera released the Seventh Bullet on the scapegoat in the City of Devouring Time and swapped his corpse with her disguise. In the next instant, she returned to the bathroom at the Marine Base and went back to Kuina's side.
At the start of the plan, Hera had immediately applied the First Bullet to herself. In almost an instant, she was back at the Marine Base. Kuina looked in surprise at the returning Hera: "That was fast."
Hera nodded and said somewhat sheepishly, "I was in a bit of a hurry, so I used the First Bullet to speed up." Seeing this, Kuina rolled her eyes at Hera, as if to say, "Do you even need to speed up to go to the bathroom?"
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