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Bang...
Garp and Aokiji leaped onto the ice floes and looked at Kaido, who was gasping and had fainted.
Soon after, ten lieutenants rushed over, each holding a thick sea stone chain and shackles.
In an instant, the sleeping Kaido was tightly bound by the chains, then secured by the lieutenant generals onto a massive raft being pulled by the warship.
What will happen to Kaido next? Even the Marines are unsure.
Should they let him go? It would be a waste. But capturing him has proven futile in the past; Kaido has been caught by the Marines four or five times already. It's almost hopeless.
Anyway, he can't be placed in the underwater prison, as all the criminals would likely be released.
Standing on the ice floe, Aokiji observed Arthur, who was catching his breath and trying to regain strength, ready to speak.
But Arthur spoke first, "Jessica, Kong Legion, Kamui Legion, Ice Legion, Flame Legion, Super God Legion, come down immediately."
Luckily, the top ten legions were still in the distant clouds watching the battle. If they had been on the sky island in their current condition, it would have been challenging.
As Aokiji was about to say something, he raised his eyebrows, "Five legions? What is Arthur planning?"
Garp, munching on a bag of senbei, was watching Arthur with amusement.
"This twenty-year-old is about the same age as Ace, right? How old is Ace?" Garp suddenly pondered.
Aokiji glanced at Garp and then gestured for the seagull carrying the image snail in the sky to fly away, ensuring that their next conversation wouldn't be broadcasted.
Once the seagull was flying off, Aokiji said, "Arthur, three Celestial Dragons are dead on your island."
Hearing this, Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Celestial Dragons? Dead? Haha! Those three foolish pigs wanted to own my country and turn me and my people into slaves. Humph!"
Everyone there, including the powerful lieutenant generals and Garp, looked at Arthur in surprise at his words.
Aokiji curled his lips. Though he thought the same, he couldn't say it.
Moreover, the Five Elders were extremely angry about this incident, which could be considered a major event that shocked the world.
"The consequences of this incident are severe. Many Celestial Dragons are furious. Someone has already proposed to revoke your qualifications from the franchise."
Arthur sat expressionless, listening, then snorted, "What about the Five Elders? They wouldn't be that foolish, would they?"
Aokiji's mouth twitched again. He sensed the reluctance of this senior Marine general; if he hadn't heard it himself, he wouldn't have believed it.
"Puff ha ha ha ha ha~" Garp laughed heartily.
To him, it didn't matter what the World Government, Celestial Dragons, or the Five Elders did. He was just a sailor maintaining the stability of the sea.
"You bear a great responsibility for this matter; I'm afraid you can't escape it." Aokiji wasn't sure what to say.
Should he suggest that the Five Elders might prepare to expel Arthur and the Angel Empire from the franchise? Or even try King Arthur himself?
"Call them!" Arthur's face darkened. Regardless of the discussion, this matter didn't concern him.
Aokiji thought for a moment. He wasn't sure how to handle the situation and figured it was best for Arthur to communicate with the Five Elders directly.
Even the Five Elders were hesitating right now.
Initially, their order was to capture Arthur and send him to Judicial Island for trial! The deaths of the three Celestial Dragons were significant, and even the Five Elders felt it was a tricky situation.
However, after receiving a series of reports and seeing the battle scenes from the image snails, they realized Arthur was a powerful force, not weaker than the Four Emperors, and they had to be cautious this time.
The balance of the sea must be maintained, and Arthur, a sudden top powerhouse, could easily disrupt that balance if not handled carefully.
Especially since he was a Logia-type user of the Thunder Fruit (Goro Goro no Mi). As long as he wasn't knocked into the ocean or restrained by sea stone shackles, capturing him would be nearly impossible.
"BlubruBlubru"
The phone snail rang, and Arthur sat on the ice floe, staring at the phone snail on the ice table that Aokiji had created.
He answered the phone snail, but there was no sound.
The Five Elders saw the image snail go dark. They were uncertain of the current situation and hadn't anticipated capturing Arthur.
"Five Elders?" Arthur said.
After a moment of silence, an old man's voice came from the phone snail: "Angel Empire King, God Arthur?"
"It's me!" Arthur replied.
The line went quiet again, and then another voice came through: "Three Celestial Dragons died on your island. Are you aware of this?"
Arthur nodded calmly. "Aokiji Admiral just informed me."
"Since you know it happened on your land, you are responsible for the Celestial Dragons' deaths, and their anger must be subdued."
"Responsible? Calm the Celestial Dragons' anger? They came to die themselves. What does it have to do with me? Are you joking?" Arthur raised an eyebrow and sneered.
"Mind your tone, Angel King!" A voice on the other end sounded angry.
"Why? Am I wrong? Those three idiots came, and Kaido was here too. Their deaths on my island are not my fault!" Arthur said, standing his ground.
"Regardless, they died on your land! You cannot escape the consequences. You need to accept a trial from the World Government to quell the anger of the Celestial Dragons."
"Trial!?"
Arthur's voice rose sharply. "Don't tell me you don't know why those idiots came here! They dared to say they wanted to claim my country and make me and my people their slaves! I didn't kill them directly, and I've already shown a lot of respect for the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, and now you want to judge me!?"
Bang...
Garp and Aokiji jumped onto the ice floes, glancing at Kaido, who lay gasping and unconscious.
Moments later, the ten lieutenants rushed forward, each wielding thick seastone chains and shackles. In an instant, Kaido, still in slumber, was tightly bound and dragged onto a massive raft pulled by the warship.
What would happen to Kaido next was a mystery, even to the Marines. They had attempted to capture him four or five times before; it felt futile. With no possibility of imprisoning him in the undersea prison, there was a chance that all its inmates would be released.
On the ice floe, Aokiji observed Arthur, who was catching his breath, striving to regain his strength for what was to come. Just as he was about to speak, Arthur interrupted, "Jessica, King Kong Legion, Kamui Legion, Ice Legion, Flame Legion, Super God Legion, assemble immediately!"
Fortunately, the top ten legions were still in the distant clouds, having watched the battle unfold. If they were on the sky island and Arthur was in a weaker state, it could have posed a challenge.
Curious, Aokiji raised an eyebrow. "Five Legions? What does Arthur intend to do?"
Garp, meanwhile, had somehow obtained a bag of senbei and munched away, watching Arthur with a chuckle. "This twenty-year-old is about the same age as Ace. How old is Ace, anyway?" Garp pondered aloud.
Aokiji glanced at Garp, then gestured for a seagull carrying a Den Den Mushi to fly away, ensuring that their conversation wouldn't be broadcasted.
After confirming the seagull's departure, Aokiji said, "Arthur, three Celestial Dragons have died on your island."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Celestial Dragons? Dead? Ha! Those foolish pigs thought they could claim my country and turn me and my people into slaves. Ha!"
Everyone present—lieutenant generals, Garp, and Aokiji—looked at Arthur in surprise.
Aokiji smirked, but remained cautious about revealing his thoughts. After all, even the Five Elders were furious about this incident, which could be considered a world-shocking event.
"The fallout from this incident will be severe. Many Celestial Dragons are outraged, and there are already calls to revoke your franchise rights."
Arthur remained stoic, listening intently. Then he scoffed, "What do the Five Elders care? They wouldn't be so foolish, would they?"
Aokiji's expression twitched, feeling the weight of the situation. It was a bold move to speak of the Five Elders in such a manner, especially since he had just learned about the ramifications of the incident.
Garp laughed heartily at the absurdity of it all. To him, the politics of the World Government, Celestial Dragons, and Five Elders held little weight—he was simply a Marine upholding order on the seas.
"You'll bear a significant responsibility for this matter. I fear you won't escape unscathed," Aokiji warned, unsure of how to navigate the sensitive subject.
Could the Five Elders really be preparing to expel Arthur and the Angel Empire? Or worse, put Arthur on trial?
"Call them!" Arthur's face turned grim. He was determined to separate himself from the situation, knowing it wasn't his fault.
After contemplating, Aokiji realized it might be best for Arthur to communicate directly with the Five Elders, who were also in a difficult position.
Originally, their order had been to capture Arthur and send him to Judicial Island for trial. But now, after witnessing his incredible strength and the chaos that ensued, they had to tread carefully.
"Blubru~Blubru~"
The Den Den Mushi rang, and Arthur, sitting on the ice floe, focused on it.
With a click, he answered, though silence followed.
On the other end, the Five Elders were taken aback, not expecting to have captured Arthur.
"Five Elders?" Arthur prompted.
After a moment of stillness, an old man's voice responded, "Is this God Arthur, King of the Angel Empire?"
"That's me!" Arthur replied.
Silence enveloped the conversation until another voice cut in. "You are aware that three Celestial Dragons died on your island?"
Arthur nodded. "Aokiji Admiral informed me just now."
"Then you understand that, since it happened on your territory, you bear responsibility for their deaths, and the anger of the Celestial Dragons must be appeased."
"Responsible? Calm their anger? They came here seeking their own deaths! Are you mocking me?" Arthur retorted, his voice rising.
"Mind your tone, Angel King!" came the irate response.
"Why? Am I mistaken? Those three fools approached with the intent to enslave my country and my people. I didn't kill them directly, and I've shown considerable restraint towards the World Government and the Celestial Dragons. Now you want to judge me!?"
Arthur's voice was laced with fury. Even though it was just a Den Den Mushi in front of him, he felt compelled to project his anger.
At that moment, the legions watching from the sidelines were ready. Without waiting for the Five Elders' reaction, Arthur turned to his five angels.
"Urouge, Anel, Jessica, Yana, Wald, Rafi—head to Kaido's realm in the New World! Destroy his lair!"
"Some people in this world dare to look down on me and the angels. It's time for you to show your might and declare that no one can deceive the angels!"
With that, Arthur unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, crushing the Den Den Mushi and causing the ice floe beneath him to shatter. Fortunately, Aokiji quickly activated his abilities to stabilize the ice.
The soldiers aboard the warship fell to the ground, overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of Arthur's Haki, their faces pale with shock.
Even Garp, a veteran of the seas for over forty years, felt a tremor of fear. Arthur's Haki seemed to surpass even that of the most notorious figures he had faced—Rocks, Roger, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Kaido, and Big Mom—making him realize the depth of Arthur's strength.
"Yes!" This was the first time these legions would embark on a mission to prove their skills and achievements over the years. Everyone was filled with a fierce determination.
"Remember, sink all three plagues to the bottom of the sea!"
"Yes!" The angels lined up in the air, responding with unified enthusiasm.
Aokiji and Garp watched in shock as the five legions took to the sky.
"An entire corps of major generals? Eight elite lieutenants and more than seventy elite major generals? This army is incredibly strong!" Aokiji's face grew serious, mirroring the sentiments of his fellow lieutenants.
Garp, while impressed by the overall quality of this 500-strong army, was particularly intrigued by Jessica. "Without wings, yet floating in the air? How is that even possible?!"
"Jessica, lead them swiftly! Strike hard! We cannot allow Kaido's crew any chance to retaliate. I want them to be severely punished this time!"
Arthur turned his gaze to Jessica, excitement flickering in his eyes.
"Yes!" Jessica replied solemnly, understanding Arthur's genuine anger this time.
With the Marines and Aokiji watching in astonishment, the remnants of the island, sunk during the clash between Arthur and Kaido, rose from the sea and coalesced into a flat stone slab.
All the angels stood poised on the stone slab as Jessica looked back at Arthur and activated her abilities, soaring towards the New World with her five legions.
After ten days of battling, Arthur remained energized, yet the earlier clash with Kaido had drained him considerably. Despite managing to catch his breath, he felt fatigue settling in, and his body desperately craved rest.
Determined to return, Arthur glanced at Aokiji and Garp, who were still in shock, their gazes fixated on him.
"In this world, no one has the right to judge me! Not a single one of those foolish pigs!" Arthur declared coldly. "Aokiji Admiral, relay this message to the Five Elders!"
"If they plan to expel my Angel Empire from the World Government, let them come! I won't be afraid!"
With those final words, Arthur flapped his wings and ascended into the sky.
As he flew, a colossal dragon emerged from the clouds, willingly carrying Arthur atop its head.
Garp returned to his usual carefree demeanor, while Aokiji glanced anxiously in the direction Arthur had flown.
He didn't want to see the world's top powerhouses like Arthur and his empire forced into a position of hostility. Aokiji was painfully aware that he might not stand a chance against Arthur.
Furthermore, the army accompanying Arthur exhibited formidable strength, suggesting there were likely other hidden powers in play.
If the Angel Empire possessed a majority of that army, they could rival Marine Headquarters. The elite major generals alone could potentially overpower two-thirds of the Marine forces.
If Arthur became an enemy, he could easily gather a crew on par with the Four Emperors, or even align himself with the Revolutionary Army, presenting an even graver threat.
Aokiji hoped against hope that the Angel Empire wouldn't be pushed into enmity, especially since this situation had nothing to do with Arthur.
The ramifications of this incident, if made public, could tarnish the World Government's already shaky reputation. Any further deterioration could jeopardize the image of other allied nations and those wishing to join.
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