The port of Mary Geoise was in chaos.
Let's rewind about five minutes.
About twenty Celestial Dragons wearing bubble helmets were tied up like rice dumplings with rose vines, neatly stacked on the deck of the Bruma Jackson. A few member nation kings had also been captured. Witte was using an ice rose to put a "face mask" on one of the kings who had fainted from fear. Tesoro was going through a gold-plated account book, registering "ransom" amounts one by one. The Golden Emperor had even thoughtfully provided an installment payment option.
"I mean..." Enel floated cross-legged in the air, lightning dancing on his fingertips. "Just kill them. These ants are way too noisy."
"No, no~" Moria's shadow general was stuffing a struggling Celestial Dragon into a sack. "Kishishishi... The living are worth more than shadows!"
In the distance, Cipher Pol 9 agents had surrounded the area but didn't dare approach. The team leader's mask was already half cracked. He was screaming into a Den Den Mushi. "Lord Five Elders! They've kidnapped the entire Celestial Dragon family!"
"You commoners! Do you know what you're doing?!" A Celestial Dragon struggled and shouted, but his voice trembled with fear.
Enel picked his ear. Lightning danced on his fingertips. "Too noisy. Say one more word and this god will turn you to charcoal."
The Celestial Dragon immediately shut his mouth. His face was pale. He muttered to himself, "I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid of Rhett. I'm doing this out of respect for Rhett."
Tesoro's cold gaze swept over the Five Elders. "How long has our captain been inside?"
Peter Saint's face was dark. "Someone wants to meet with Rhett. They are probably talking. Your actions are provoking the authority of the World Government!"
Witte laughed softly. "Don't say that. We don't have any other intention. As soon as our captain comes out, we'll let them go immediately and leave without looking back."
Moria's shadows spread across the ground, tightly wrapped around several Cipher Pol 9 agents who had tried to resist. "Kishishishi, why not turn them all into zombies? I need some guards."
Where were the God's Knights? The commander of the God's Knights, Garling, was so angry he was shaking.
The Five Elders looked at each other. Nasujuro Saint stepped forward. His voice was cold. "Tesoro, I believe this is a misunderstanding. Do you think kidnapping Celestial Dragons can threaten the World Government?"
Moore recorded: The Five Elders backed down to Tesoro.
Tesoro smiled. "Threaten? No. As our other vice captain said, we will let them go as soon as we see our captain."
Moto, sitting on Moore's head, recorded: Tesoro, fearless in the face of power, bravely resisted and put forward harsh conditions.
"We have no ill intentions. We won't do anything to you." Peter Saint said.
The truth was, did they really care if these Celestial Dragons lived or died? No.
Did they really care if the member nation kings lived or died? No.
But they could not allow so many member nation kings to die in Mary Geoise. If Tesoro and the others had done this somewhere else, would the Five Elders have given in to this threat?
Moto recorded: The Five Elders backed down and made promises.
"SMACK."
"What was that for, cousin?"
Moore looked at his younger cousin with disgust. He picked up his pen and wrote: The Five Elders farted.
"From today on, the auction house in Sabaody belongs to us," Tesoro said calmly. "This is a gift 'voluntarily' given by Saint Celestial Titanium Plate."
The Five Elders' faces instantly turned pale.
Just then, the doors of the conference hall slowly opened. Rhett's figure appeared. His hands were in his pockets. His blood mist cloak fluttered lightly in the wind. A playful smile was on his face.
"Captain!" Tesoro looked at him and sighed in relief. "Are you alright?"
Rhett scratched his head. "What could have happened to me?" He looked at the tied-up Celestial Dragons and pretended to be surprised. "Oh, are these souvenirs for me?"
Tesoro shrugged. "They were too noisy, so I asked them to be quiet for a while."
Rhett nodded. The blood mist formed a little hand and patted one of the Celestial Dragons' faces. "Next time you see my people, take a detour."
The Celestial Dragon nodded frantically. His eyes were full of fear.
V. Nusjuro of the Five Elders finally lost his temper. "Rhett! Tell your people to let them go immediately!"
Rhett smiled and bent down. The little blood mist hand untied the rose vines from the Celestial Dragon and even patted the dust off his shoulder.
"It's so hot out. Why are you lying on the ground?" Rhett pretended to be surprised. "Get up, get up."
The Celestial Dragon was completely stiff. He didn't dare move. What he saw was Rhett growing demon horns and laughing an evil laugh.
"Since you don't want to get up, then stay down forever."
The Five Elders stood to the side. Their faces were so dark they could drip water. Peter Saint's scepter crackled in his grip. But in the end, he just snorted and said nothing.
"Alright, since the captain is out, it's time for us to leave." Tesoro kicked away the Celestial Dragon he had been stepping on.
"Your Majesties, remember to pay on time."
"Installment payments. Interest will be at market rate." Witte added with a smile.
The Five Elders watched the Blood Dawn crew board their ship. They couldn't say a word. What could they say? Threaten them? Rhett had just walked out of the Flower Chamber without a scratch. Even Lord Imu hadn't stopped him. What else could they do?
"Bruma Jackson, set sail!"
The Five Elders said to the nearby Cipher Pol 9 agents, "The member nation kings who were just kidnapped... treat them well."
The Cipher Pol 9 agents appeared next to the kings, who had just been untied and were rubbing their wrists.
"Lord Five Elders! You must do something for us! We are member nation kings!"
The member nation kings disappeared from Mary Geoise.
In the distance, Sengoku and the three Admirals finally arrived. They only saw the back of Rhett's ship sailing away and a group of Celestial Dragons looking miserable.
Akainu's fists burned with magma. "Those bastards—"
Kizaru picked his teeth. "Yeah how scary"
Aokiji rubbed his dark circles. "...Can I go back to sleep now?"
Sengoku took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and turned to the Five Elders. "This Rhett is too much. What do we do now?"
Peter Saint glanced coldly at him. "...No one speaks of what happened today."
Nasujuro Saint added, "Especially those news birds."
But the moment the words left his mouth, Moore had already flown away, a stack of photos in his beak. The headline read:
"Shocking! Blood Dawn Kidnaps Celestial Dragons, Five Elders Back Down on the Spot!"