The Moby Dick
Everyone was enjoying the height of the celebration when a streak of light suddenly crossed the sky and interrupted the cheerful mood.
It was Admiral Kizaru.
Only a short time had passed since Sengoku gave the order, yet Kizaru had already reached the Moby Dick.
That was the greatest advantage of his Devil Fruit. When it came to speed, very few people could compete with the Glint-Glint Fruit.
He appeared directly on the rear deck in front of Yuto and the others, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
Kizaru shrugged with his usual careless and slightly ridiculous expression. He took a few relaxed steps forward, looking almost harmless.
"Two Emperors gathered in one place... How terrifying~"
He spread his hands helplessly as he spoke.
Whitebeard slowly lowered his bowl.
The smile on his face disappeared, and his gaze became icy. A tremendous pressure gathered around him, hidden just beneath the surface.
As an Emperor, Whitebeard had his own pride.
The Marines had interrupted his banquet again and again, and his patience was beginning to run out.
"How frightening~ Being stared at like that puts me under an awful lot of pressure."
Kizaru's expression did not change, though his movements became noticeably more careful.
He looked like a leopard testing the ground ahead for hidden traps.
"Hmph! Interrupting someone else's banquet is extremely rude, Kizaru. You'd better have a good reason."
Whitebeard's voice rolled across the deck like distant thunder, filling the air with danger.
"Don't misunderstand. I didn't want to come here either, but I had no choice," Kizaru replied with a troubled look. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku is nearby, and he asked me to discuss something with you on his behalf."
His features already looked naturally ridiculous, so the expression should have been funny. Yet no one laughed.
His position as a Marine Admiral alone was enough for everyone to take him seriously.
"Discuss something? Has Sengoku finally decided to join my banquet? Gurararara!"
Whitebeard laughed mockingly, though his eyes remained cold.
"No. A Celestial Dragon's ship will soon pass through this area. Fleet Admiral Sengoku hopes you'll simply ignore them."
Whitebeard and Shanks both reacted with visible disgust, as though the Celestial Dragons were nothing more than filthy insects.
Yuto became curious.
He had never heard of the Celestial Dragons before, and Whitebeard had never mentioned them.
"As long as they don't provoke me, there won't be a problem." Whitebeard spoke coldly.
A faint, sleazy smile appeared on Kizaru's lips.
"Of course."
Whitebeard crossed his arms and looked at him from the side, his face filled with mockery.
"You Marines are really an excellent babysitters for the Celestial Dragons."
Kizaru did not answer, clearly choosing to avoid the subject.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the others will arrive shortly. You don't mind if I stay here until then, do you?"
"You'd better not try anything. You already know what will happen."
"I'm not arrogant enough to fight two Emperors by myself." Kizaru admitted it without hesitation.
As a Marine, it was his duty to fight pirates, but staying alive came first.
Whitebeard stood before him, and Red-Haired Shanks was there as well. Kizaru certainly did not believe he could defeat both of them alone.
He was not someone like Sakazuki~
Kizaru leaned against the side of the ship and stopped speaking.
Whitebeard gave him a cold snort before turning back toward everyone else.
"Sorry about that. Flies keep interrupting the banquet. Everyone, carry on."
He laughed boldly, and the celebration slowly became lively again.
Yuto was sitting not far away. When he found an opening in the conversation, he asked,
"What are Celestial Dragons?"
His question immediately caught the interest of everyone nearby. Even Saitama lowered the piece of meat in his hand and looked toward Whitebeard.
Whitebeard casually put down his drink, wiped his mouth with one arm, and gave a simple answer.
"A bunch of trash."
His face showed open disgust.
Shanks nodded faintly beside him.
"Boss, I'd recommend not asking anything else about them. Talking about garbage like that will only ruin the mood."
His voice carried just as much coldness and disgust as Whitebeard's.
Yuto nodded.
He was still curious, but since neither Whitebeard nor Shanks wanted to discuss the subject, he did not press them.
Once Yuto stopped asking, everyone else naturally did the same. Continuing would have been rude.
The banquet carried on until the Marines arrived.
This time, Sengoku and Garp were not alone.
An entire Marine fleet had come.
Aside from the badly injured Akainu, nearly every top fighter currently available to the Marines was present: Sengoku the Buddha, Admirals Aokiji and Kizaru, Garp the Hero, Chief Strategist Tsuru, and twelve vice admirals from Marine Headquarters.
With that much strength gathered together, the Marines would not be at too great a disadvantage even against both Whitebeard and Shanks.
By the time the fleet approached, the pirates aboard the Moby Dick had already prepared themselves.
Whitebeard had warned them in advance, so there was no panic.
Kizaru returned to the Marine warship, and the two sides stopped close enough that either could easily launch an attack.
Sengoku stood at the front of the Marines, with Garp on his left and Tsuru on his right.
The Admirals stood farther apart on both sides, while the twelve vice admirals waited solemnly behind them.
The atmosphere became extremely heavy.
Many people on both sides looked tense, and the scene felt far too much like the beginning of another war.
Even the ocean seemed to become quiet beneath the pale moonlight.
"Whitebeard, once we finish escorting the Celestial Dragon, we'll leave immediately. You'd better not make any reckless moves before then."
Sengoku shouted across the water, his expression tight.
His heart was filled with anger and concern, all caused by the unpredictable Celestial Dragon.
"Gurararara! Sengoku, stop talking so big! You're still several decades too early if you think your people can frighten Whitebeard!"
Whitebeard's presence surged like a raging sea.
His bold confidence stood in sharp contrast to Sengoku's tightly controlled anger, just as the pirates themselves differed from the Marines.
Most of the pirates wore wild, bloodthirsty smiles. Most of the Marines remained completely silent.
One side lived every day with death hanging over them, while the other had gone through strict and disciplined training.
It was impossible to tell which side was stronger simply by looking at their expressions.
As the pressure continued to rise, the Celestial Dragon's ship finally appeared.
It slowly approached the space where the Marines and pirates faced each other.
Bright lights covered the vessel from top to bottom, while gold, jewels, and expensive decorations covered nearly every surface.
"Finally..."
Sengoku lowered the brim of his cap and spoke so quietly that his voice was almost lost in the wind.
"Hmph."
Whitebeard looked coldly at the ship, snorted, and spat over the side. He made no effort to hide his contempt.
As the luxurious vessel drew closer, everyone could finally see it clearly.
A row of men wearing sunglasses stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the Moby Dick as though they were protecting someone behind them.
Through the gaps between their bodies, the outline of a richly dressed figure could be seen.
"Prepare yourselves!"
At Sengoku's roar, nearly every Marine straightened at once.
Their reaction only made Yuto even more curious about these so-called Celestial Dragons.
The luxurious ship slowly entered the space between the Moby Dick and the Marine fleet.
The figure hidden behind the men in sunglasses finally stepped into view.
He was hideously ugly, almost deformed, with a transparent bubble covering his head and an unbearably arrogant expression.
His flushed face and unfocused eyes made it obvious that he had been drinking heavily.
Several young women lay motionless at his feet, their conditions unknown.
Another girl remained chained in his hand, barely alive.
Everyone in Yuto's group reacted the moment they saw the scene.
Hatsune and the other girls looked horrified and furious.
Nearby, Saitama's eyes darkened. He started to rise, but Rimuru grabbed hold of him.
Saitama remained silent for a moment before sitting back down.
The Marines looked just as angry.
Yet none of them said a word.
"Salute!"
At Sengoku's order, nearly every Marine bent forward toward the Celestial Dragon.
Only a few remained standing.
Garp was one of them, his head pointedly turned away.
"Sengoku, you did well this time. You arrived quickly enough, and I am pleased."
Saint Charlos spoke with careless arrogance.
There was not the slightest respect in his voice for Sengoku as Fleet Admiral. He treated him like a servant.
"Please continue on your way as quickly as possible."
Sengoku kept his head lowered and spoke calmly, though his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.
"There's no hurry. This is my first time seeing Whitebeard. I want to take a look."
Displeasure appeared on Saint Charlos's face.
He did not like how calm Sengoku sounded.
He was a Celestial Dragon.
Even Sengoku should fear him, respect him, and worship him.
Such composure felt like an insult.
Had Sengoku been an ordinary person, Saint Charlos would already have shot him.
The moment Sengoku heard his answer, his expression changed. He abruptly raised his head, barely contained fury and worry filling his face.
"Honorable Saint Charlos, Whitebeard is an extremely dangerous pirate. This is not a suitable place for you to remain. Please pass through as quickly as possible."
"Shut up! What I say is final! You Marines are nothing more than dogs belonging to us. Do not try to disobey your master!"
Saint Charlos's rebuke caused every Marine present, including Sengoku, to burn with anger.
Not one of them spoke against him.
Seeing their silence, Saint Charlos narrowed his eyes with satisfaction.
Good.
This was exactly what he wanted.
So what if Sengoku was Fleet Admiral?
He still had to lower his head before a Celestial Dragon!
"Relax. I'll only look around for a moment, then I'll leave."
Saint Charlos waved dismissively.
His gaze passed over Sengoku, Garp, and the others, making him feel even safer.
He knew Whitebeard was dangerous, but with so many powerful Marines nearby, the pirate would never dare do anything reckless.
As long as Sengoku was there, Saint Charlos believed nothing could happen to him.
That was why he acted so fearlessly.
He was not an idiot.
Saint Charlos turned toward the Moby Dick.
The moment he saw Whitebeard, his body flinched in fear.
Anger flashed across his face, but he did not say anything.
Then he noticed the girls.
His eyes immediately lit up.
Saint Charlos loved beautiful young women.
He tried to step closer for a better look, but something pulled against his hand.
Frowning, he looked down beside his feet.
A blood-covered girl knelt there, barely able to support herself. A metal collar circled her neck, with a chain leading into Saint Charlos's hand.
"Oh, I forgot you were still there."
He released the chain.
Clang!
It struck the deck.
Without the chain supporting her, the girl immediately began to collapse. She struggled weakly, and one of her fingers accidentally brushed the edge of Saint Charlos's shoe.
His face twisted with rage.
"You filthy slave! How dare you touch me with your dirty hand?! Die!"
Saint Charlos drew his handgun and pointed it at her.
The girl no longer had the strength to resist.
She closed her eyes.
All she could do was pray that death would come quickly.
Death was the only thing that could save her now.
Once she died, the suffering would finally end.
Saint Charlos pulled the trigger.
Before the gun could fire, a man wearing a strange and ridiculous-looking suit suddenly appeared in front of him.
He caught Saint Charlos by the wrist and looked at him calmly.
"Drop the gun."
Every gaze in the area immediately locked onto the costumed man.
Complete silence fell over both fleets.
It felt as though time itself had stopped and all color had drained from the world.
Only the bright moonlight reflecting from the bald man's head remained.