Simultaneously, at an altitude of a thousand meters, GuySha and Morgana sat on clouds, observing the scene below. Morgana expressed regret, finding Blackbeard's ambition and unscrupulousness more appealing than Doflamingo's desire for revenge. However, she acknowledged that Blackbeard probably wouldn't survive the day.
GuySha, intrigued, noted, "This man has three souls in his heart; no wonder he doesn't need to sleep." Morgana asked with a smile, "Bichi, do you think Doflamingo can kill Akainu today?"
Guy Sha happily responded, "Bichi, who are you scolding, Bichi?" Morgana, catching the slip of the tongue, playfully retorted, "I f******* Guy sa*** me...." The two engaged in a lighthearted round of banter, momentarily forgetting about Doflamingo and Akainu.
In the amusement park, upon hearing Blackbeard's terms of surrender, Sengoku frowned. He acknowledged the potential benefits of having a living Ace but couldn't compromise with a pirate in the presence of so many Marines.
"Come in, I have a way to kill Blackbeard!" Akainu declared in a deep voice. Since merging with the Second Generation divine body, his defense, strength, and speed had significantly improved.
Akainu, confident in his strength, moves swiftly to grab Ace before Blackbeard can make a move. However, a disdainful look from a handsome boy wearing sunglasses catches his attention. Suddenly, a phone snail in Sengoku's arms rings, and a solemn voice instructs him to transfer some Marines to a tavern in the port of the thirteenth area, where bodies of Saint Charros' bodyguards were found.
As the officials present listen to the voice from the phone snail, shock spreads through the room. Ron killed the Celestial Dragons? The situation takes an unpredictable turn, and deploying troops to bulldoze the tavern becomes a risky proposition. The man in the flamingo coat and sunglasses, seemingly ecstatic, revels in the unfolding chaos.
Just as Sengoku is about to respond to the instructions from the phone snail, a lazy voice cuts through the tension. "There's no need to go to the tavern; I'm right here." With those words, there's a muffled sound of "bang," and an inhuman corpse is thrown in front of Sengoku. The gentle face of the corpse, with delicate and handsome features, appears non-threatening at first glance.
"Ron?" Gion, who had experienced Ron's forceful actions the previous night, recognizes him immediately. The revelation sends shockwaves through those present.
Only then did Sengoku and the others come back to their senses, looking down at the corpse at their feet in a daze. Though Saint Charles Rose's face had no good meat left, and his eyeballs were gone, it was undeniably him.
"I need a reason," Sengoku said quietly.
Ron smiled and replied, "It's easy. If he wants to kill me, I can kill him. Isn't that fair?" In a civilian context, a Celestial Dragon might not even give the target a chance to speak before executing them.
"You know he can't kill you!" Sengoku growled, anger etched on his face. "And there are many ways to deal with this, but you chose the most extreme way."
"Extreme?" Ron sneered, scanning all the Marine officials present. "If this Celestial Dragons wanted to kill you, or your wives and children, what would you do? Would you break his neck the moment he pulls the trigger? Forget it, I didn't come to argue with you. War or negotiation, Mr. Sengoku, or the Five Elders over at the phone snail, you name it."
Silence fell over the vast venue for a while. The question lingered: What would happen if Ron's situation today were replaced by one's own? Would it lead to compromise or confrontation with this privilege? The sea offered no clear answer.
After a long pause, the phone snail made another sound. "Since you dare to face Sengoku and the others alone, it seems that you are very confident in your strength. But you still have to die! Sengoku, do it." The voice of the Five Elders remained calm and elegant, devoid of any trace of anger.
Certainly, phone snails weren't hung up; they were smashed. Ron's actions were seen as madness—fighting and negotiating persistently, a level of recklessness rarely witnessed before.
Are you deemed worthy?
Observing the phone snail descend into silence, Sengoku spoke deliberately:
"Apprehend Ace, stall Blackbeard's mission, secure Ron's capture first."
"Immediately..."
As the last byte was expelled, Sengoku slumped onto the park bench, as though he had depleted his final reserves of strength, his eyes reflecting a sense of numbness.
Having forsaken the strategic plan for Celestial Dragons, is it truly justified?
If the Marines are currently sustaining significant losses, the Whitebeard Pirates will exploit the situation.
Marine could potentially lose everything!
In that moment, Sengoku felt more exhausted than ever.
Simultaneously, all the Marine Vice Admirals in attendance surged towards Ron.
Only Doflamingo, Akainu, Kizaru, and another Shichibukai—Empress Hancock—remained motionless.
"Do you still wish to opt for war?"
"Then we have no choice but to subdue you to prevent future complications."
Ron smiled, emanating a formidable aura.
At this juncture,
The heart of paradise,
Blackbeard, receiving no response, was bewildered.
How long has this situation persisted?
Have they not yet reached a consensus?
Even if disagreement persists, as a pirate, the least they can do is acknowledge with basic respect!
Moreover, Ace remains in their custody!
Just as Blackbeard was poised to unleash his frustration on Ace,
Rayleigh's resonant voice suddenly reverberated in his ears:
"Seeking death?"
Simultaneously, Conqueror's Haki swept through, enveloping the entire amusement park instantly.
Blackbeard's heart skipped a beat.
It could happen in the next second.
However, two formidable figures materialized before Blackbeard.
A being with a human body and a dragon head, tentacles adorning the chin, and wings sprouting from the back.
Shendu extended its paw and tapped Blackbeard's large, dark countenance:
"Remember me?"