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It was fortunate that this operation was personally orchestrated by the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars); otherwise, if so many pirates had infiltrated the Holy Land during a public execution, Sengoku would have had to immediately resign in shame to Kong, and Kong, in turn, would have had to resign to the Gorōsei.
The entire Marine force would have faced scrutiny and cleansing.
So, at this moment, Sengoku's fury was not an act but genuine.
After the day of slaughter yesterday, he had thought there wouldn't be many pirates left, allowing him to breathe a slight sigh of relief.
But what did he end up seeing?
A third-rate Ishi Ishi no Mi (Stone-Stone Fruit) user, an old-generation pirate with a 300-million bounty, and a group of snipers armed with guns!
Right under his nose!
It was simply...
Audacious to the extreme!!
Utter lawlessness!!
"Attack! Wipe out this group of criminals for me!"
These words were squeezed out through clenched teeth, and Sengoku's eyes were bloodshot with murderous intent.
"I'll sit this one out. Have fun, everyone."
Rowen took a step back while nodding toward Tsuru and Momousagi as he spoke.
As for Garp... well, he had fallen asleep again.
This public execution, in terms of both scale and impact, was no less significant than the Summit War in the original story, but it ultimately wasn't the Summit War.
The Summit War represented a pinnacle showdown!
Now, only the Marines stood at one end of that pinnacle, while the other side consisted of mere monsters and demons.
Rowen couldn't muster any interest in playing games with them.
Besides, he had more important matters to attend to.
With that said, and under Tsuru's thoughtful gaze, Rowen's body began to crackle with electricity. Then, with a "bang," he vanished from the spot.
Meanwhile, in the center of Mary Geoise, the City of Pangaea...
"Vic, what do you mean by this?"
Orrick's face was grim as he glared at the old man blocking his way. His fists clenched tightly beneath his wide robe, his expression twisted with anger.
"My meaning is simply the will of that esteemed person..."
Vic slightly nodded in acknowledgment, then straightened his back and drew a slender and light cane sword from its sheath.
"Take your family and leave, Orrick... this is my final warning."
"Revealing Jason's true identity does the government no good."
"Bastard!"
When Vic said this, Orrick's face darkened with fury.
As shrewd as he was, how could he not realize that every move he made had been watched by the Gorōsei? They had observed everything.
If it weren't for the unexpected arrival of Jason, which caught even the Gorōsei off guard, Vic wouldn't have needed to step in— on their own, the Gorōsei could have easily plunged the Orrick household into utter ruin.
"This isn't what we agreed upon earlier, Mr. Vic."
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.
Everyone turned to see a young man slowly approaching, wearing a Marine Justice cloak, a gray suit, and carrying a three-meter-long spear.
At the entrance, a massive iron gate silently melted into a gap wide enough for someone to pass through. Beyond the gap, the guards who had tried to stop him lay in pools of blood, their eyes rolled back, emitting wisps of white smoke.
Clearly, they had been electrocuted from the inside!
"During their attempt to reveal evidence, we were supposed to stop them and then declare that they voluntarily renounced their Celestial Dragon status, just like Donquixote Homing did in the past... and then expel them from the Holy Land."
"I believe that was the plan we discussed, wasn't it?"
As the young man's figure came into view, Lirisk, who stood behind Orrick, suddenly widened his eyes in shock: "Soryu (Azure Dragon)!"
Indeed!
The one who had arrived was none other than Rowen, who had sensed a change in the situation! His reason for coming was already clear from his words.
In his hand, he held a Den Den Mushi, its shell bearing a black cross flag, indicating that it was directly connected to the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars).
A person's reputation precedes them!
When Rowen appeared, the opposing camp became restless. After all, this was the man who dared to challenge the Celestial Dragons even before earning the First Grade Glory Medal— a true madman!
"Who allowed you in here?"
"Get out!"
However, Rowen paid no attention to them. His cold gaze swept over the shouting Celestial Dragons, causing them to shudder and fall silent.
"Mr. Vic, if Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon)'s issue is also our issue, is this also the will of that esteemed person?"
Faced with the Gorōsei's question, Vic remained silent for a long time before shaking his head with a bitter smile.
"It certainly is not."
"But this old man truly can't bear to see the bloodline of the Celestial Dragons continue to wither."
Imu's orders ultimately lacked clarity. Whether it was to strip Orrick of his power or to simply kill him, the directive had been vague.
Because of this, Rowen couldn't be sure if Vic's actions reflected Imu's true intentions. As Imu's personal attendant, Vic undoubtedly had a better grasp of Imu's mindset than anyone else.
"From the glory of eight hundred years ago to now, where many households are down to a single heir, the Celestial Dragons can no longer withstand such turmoil!"
"Why can't we all take a step back and coexist peacefully?"
After saying this, Vic turned to Orrick.
"Orrick, the Gorōsei have already gathered evidence of many things you've done behind that esteemed person's back."
"Why not stop now, come back with me, admit your mistakes, and live peacefully?"
At first glance, Rowen had to admit that Orrick was a man of remarkable presence!
He was tall but not bulky, his noble Celestial Dragon attire— white with gold trim— fit him perfectly. Unlike the usual Celestial Dragons, who were often fat and dull-eyed, Orrick had sharp features, bright eyes, and a refined, scholarly air.
Yet, there was a hint of arrogance and dominance in his expression that clashed with his otherwise graceful and ethereal demeanor.
Hearing Vic's words, Orrick furrowed his brows, but his face remained calm, showing only dissatisfaction and resentment.
"You've been investigating me?"
"Since when?"
It had been a long time since Orrick had done anything against Imu's wishes, yet the Gorōsei still managed to gather evidence against him.
"...Since before Lirisk went missing."
After a long silence, one of the Gorōsei finally answered through the Den Den Mushi, "You should know, Orrick, that even Homing didn't stand out as much as you do."
When Donquixote Homing chose to abandon the Celestial Dragons' status and live as a commoner, at least there was a precedent with the Nefertari family.
Even if it wasn't fully understood, as long as he wasn't the first, he wasn't seen as an outlier.
But Nibelung Orrick— ambitious and bold— was an outlier among outliers!
"In just a few decades, you couldn't wait?"
Now that the conversation had reached this point, the Gorōsei began to lay their cards on the table: "When one of us dies, a new leader will also be selected from among you, won't they?"
So the Gorōsei really are Celestial Dragons?!
Rowen was stunned.
He had only known that the Gorōsei were the highest authority among the Celestial Dragons, with no connection to being mere servants of the Celestial Dragons.
Now, the reasoning became clear.
Protecting the Celestial Dragons was, in a way, also about protecting themselves and the households they represented. After all, they were selected from among the Celestial Dragons by Imu, which is why they were referred to as the "highest position of the Celestial Dragons."
Suddenly, Rowen's thoughts were interrupted by wild laughter.
Orrick seemed to have heard something hilarious, laughing so hard his face turned red, doubling over in amusement.
Then, abruptly, the laughter stopped.
"Decades?"
"Wait for you to spend decades quelling the era of pirates, erasing everything Roger left behind, and stabilizing the situation, only to then inherit... no, to wait for charity?"
Rowen tightened his grip on his thunder halberd; Orrick's aura at this moment made him inexplicably uneasy.
"No!"
"That's not what I want!"
"Humbling myself, accepting inferiority!"
Orrick grinned, his gaze resolute, his aura surging.
"If I want something, I'll take it!"
"If you won't give it to me, I'll seize it!"
"Because I am Nibelung, a descendant of pirates!"
Under everyone's shocked gazes, Orrick lowered his head, his voice becoming low and strange.
"Unlike you lapdogs, wolves... eat meat!"
"This is bad!"
In an instant, alarm bells rang in Rowen's mind.
The thunder halberd in his hand shot forward like a dragon emerging from the sea, bypassing Vic and heading straight for Orrick. The ear-piercing sound of electricity and the blinding lightning illuminated Pangu City, the Holy Land of the Celestial Dragons, with the thunderous force transforming into a powerful storm.
The thunder halberd was about to pierce through Orrick's heart.
Clang!!!
At the last moment, a dark gleam flashed, sparks flew in the air, and the immense force numbed Rowen's arm, almost causing him to lose his grip on the thunder halberd.
"Lirisk!"
Rowen's gaze hardened as he looked at the lizard-like figure before him.
"Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon), long time no see!"
Lirisk smiled weakly, as blood began to seep from between his teeth. It was evident that blocking Rowen's current attack hadn't been easy for him.
"Are you insane?!"
Rowen asked in disbelief.
"No, this is our last trump card... After all, we never expected that Lord Imu would personally intervene in our struggle."
"Rowen, what happened?"
Vic, sensing something was terribly wrong, urgently questioned.
"This Orrick is a fake!"
"They've hijacked the broadcast signal, spreading everything that's happening here across the seas!"
"What?!"
Boom!!
In an instant, it was as if the heavens shattered and the earth cracked!
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