Saint Orpheus Charlos, a typical Celestial Dragon Noble.
He believed that "Celestial Dragons" were the world's supreme beings and looked down on commoners. He had severe violent tendencies, often torturing slaves who displeased him until they broke, then selling them off to continue their suffering.
He was lecherous, liked to forcibly take women, and discarded them once he grew tired of them.
Any atrocity you could think of could be found in him.
In the original story, it was he who angered Monkey D. Luffy on the Sabaody Archipelago and got punched, sparking the Celestial Dragon incident.
Two years after the major events, during the Levely, he even tried to kidnap Mermaid Princess Shirahoshi. Fortunately, Donquixote Mjosgard, who had a change of heart, intervened, saving Shirahoshi from disaster.
He was the epitome of a Celestial Dragon.
For such a person, his existence had no value other than to uphold the authority of the Celestial Dragons as a group.
Whether he lived or died made no difference.
But the world doesn't have the luxury of Rowen's indifference. The assassination of a Celestial Dragon Noble would bring unprecedented consequences!
"800 years! Who dares to murder a Celestial Dragon?!"
In the Holy Land, within the government headquarters' tall building.
The Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) angrily smashed a vase, their fury unabated as they ordered, "Investigate! Thoroughly investigate this matter! Ruthlessly investigate everyone involved in it! Get to the bottom of this!"
There are only a few Celestial Dragons who venture out, and now one of them has been killed.
"Orrick's influence has finally emerged, and the government's authority is gradually eroding. We must curb this crisis immediately!"
Orders from above trickle down quickly.
Since the body was discovered in the G-10 branch's jurisdiction, Rowen was ordered to return to the base immediately and join the government's special investigation team to set off for the crime scene.
*Knock, Knock, Knock!*
"Come in."
"Vice Admiral Soryu, I have something I'd like to ask for your guidance on."
Rowen watched the man who entered and raised his eyebrows slightly. "Speak."
"Thank you very much!"
Rob Lucci breathed a sigh of relief and approached. Before discussing the matter, he tactfully said, "Actually, Lord Zero is usually quite amiable. Perhaps this incident has angered him, so his words were a bit harsh. I hope Vice Admiral Soryu doesn't take it to heart."
The more Rob Lucci interacted with Soryu, the more he understood Soryu's status within the government.
With a First-Class Glory Medal, unfathomable strength, and an unprecedented dual command position...
What does it mean to be powerful and influential?
This is what it means!
Any attempt to oppose such a person would be tantamount to suicide!
Since the Assassination Force was reorganized, life for CP0 has become increasingly difficult. Rob Lucci was genuinely worried that Rowen might retaliate against them, and if it came to playing mind games, Lucci had no confidence in outwitting Rowen.
"Don't worry, I'm not that petty."
So that's what it was about...
Rowen chuckled.
He had also noticed that Zero seemed a bit off.
Last time, when the government summoned him and Kizaru to deal with Rayleigh, who would still care about the minor dispute they had during their meeting?
Rowen could also tell that Zero was a personable monk.
So he really couldn't understand what he might have done to offend him.
He could only attribute it to the pressure Saint Charlos' murder had placed on the newly appointed Bald Zero.
A new official often faces challenges, and instead of lighting a fire, this incident had backfired, causing him significant stress. It would be impossible for him not to feel the pressure.
However, neither of them knew that the real reason for Zero's hostility towards Rowen wasn't as simple as that.
Zero was certain that he had forgotten something, something related to Rowen.
With a body that had perfected martial arts to such an extent that it transcended the mind, even if his memory failed him, his body's sense of past hostility wouldn't just disappear. This contradictory perception frustrated him, which was why he hadn't shown Rowen a pleasant attitude.
"Thank you, Vice Admiral Soryu, for your understanding."
Lucci was overjoyed and then moved on to the main issue: "Based on the investigation of the witnesses who discovered the body, we've determined that this was a premeditated revenge killing, and the enemy is extremely powerful— no ordinary opponent."
It's not hard to imagine how tightly guarded a Celestial Dragon's escort would be, right?
Yet despite such tight protection, Saint Charlos was still killed with a single blow.
The enemy didn't sneak in; they openly boarded the ship, slaughtered all the protectors, and then used a golden spike to kill Charlos.
To accomplish something like this, the perpetrator must possess extraordinary strength!
"So, what are you trying to say…?" Rowen raised an eyebrow.
"Naturally, I'm not suspecting you, Vice Admiral Soryu. In fact, I studied the sea maps and discovered that the crime scene is located on a current."
"Therefore, the crime scene definitely wasn't within the G-10 jurisdiction. If it had been, that battleship would have quickly drifted inland, yet it appeared on the edge, proving it drifted there after the fact."
Rob Lucci explained further and continued, "What I'm suggesting is that, based on preliminary observations, the enemy didn't find it as easy to carry out the attack outside the G-10 seas as it may seem. The protection around the Celestial Dragons is formidable, and there was a significant struggle."
"So, I suspect that the perpetrator realized the battleship was about to enter G-10's territory, and that's why they took a risk and attacked."
After saying this, Lucci cautiously glanced at Rowen's expression. Seeing that Rowen wasn't angry, he finally relaxed. "So, I wanted to ask, do you have any specific suspects in mind, Vice Admiral Soryu?"
"Someone who perhaps has suffered at your hands and is deeply wary of you."
This was the conclusion Lucci reached after his research.
The killer knows Rowen and fears him!
That's why they were willing to endure a tough battle to finish things outside the G-10 seas… "Marine Soryu," "Undying Vice Admiral," and "Marine's Wicked Demon" are names well-known in the pirate world.
After hearing the question, Rowen fell into deep thought.
So that's it— did Tesoro realize that if he waited any longer, the battleship would enter G-10's waters, so he decided to act prematurely?
Right now, both sides are like insects tied to the same string. With Rowen holding the trump card of the Assassination Force, along with Fujitora Issho and other unknown forces, Tesoro definitely wouldn't want to provoke him.
However, Tesoro probably didn't anticipate that even after acting early, the current still carried the unmanned battleship into G-10's territory, causing trouble for Rowen.
Otherwise, by now, either Fujitora or Tesoro would have called him and told him the truth.
Because both of them thought everything was fine and didn't want to raise suspicion, they acted like nothing happened, leading to this situation.
In response, Rowen wanted to say:
YMF! (Censored expletive)
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
None of them handled things properly!
Even Rob Lucci is more reliable!
At least Rob Lucci studied the sea maps. Couldn't the other two do that as well?
As Rowen pondered, Lucci carefully observed his expression.
He believed Rowen wasn't reckless enough to want the Celestial Dragon dead, even if that Celestial Dragon had wronged him.
So, the killer must be someone else.
Judging by Rowen's expression, it seemed like he had a theory.
Noticing Lucci's inquisitive gaze, Rowen came back to his senses and, after a moment of silence, said, "There's something you probably don't know. I just got this information from Impel Down."
"Impel Down?" Lucci frowned and then widened his eyes in shock.
Rowen had visited Impel Down, something CP0 naturally knew, and they also knew that it was under Sengoku's orders, meant to investigate why Nico Robin appeared in Alabasta.
And Nico Robin is now with the Revolutionary Army!
"Based on the Fleet Admiral and my deductions, we came to a conclusion."
"What I'm about to tell you must remain confidential, or else…"
"I understand! I swear on my life to keep this secret, except from the Chief and the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars)!" Lucci solemnly vowed.
Seeing Lucci's eager expression, Rowen's lips curled into a fleeting smile.
Another perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone!
Undermining the Revolutionary Army will start with you.
Kuma!
...
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