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If Byakuya knew what Reikyu and Saint Estercock were thinking, he would probably laugh.
Why didn't he chase after the attacker? Because the attacker was his agent—how could he chase him?
Byakuya didn't realize there was a status difference between Saint Estercock and Palace Mapelseciel.
When he ordered Sonic to abduct Palace Mapelseciel, it wasn't because she was a woman or attractive. He wasn't that kind of person.
It was purely because Palace Mapelseciel seemed smarter, and Saint Estercock was easier to deceive.
For the plan's sake, it made sense to knock out the smart one and leave the unsuspecting one behind. Unexpectedly, this plan now had additional benefits.
Reikyu was frustrated by Byakuya's retort but couldn't reveal the truth. He could only find other ways to deal with this young Marine Rear Admiral.
Reikyu then sternly said, "This time, Palace Mapelseciel was abducted in an area under Marine jurisdiction."
"The Marines must bear most of the responsibility."
Aokiji, seeing that Reikyu was trying to blame Byakuya, stepped forward and said, "Protecting the safety of the Celestial Dragons isn't primarily the Marines' responsibility, is it?"
"The Celestial Dragons arrived without notifying the Marines for protection."
"Moreover, the ones responsible for protecting Saint Estercock and Palace Mapelseciel were your CP agents, all of whom died at the hands of the attacker."
"If Byakuya hadn't arrived in time to save Saint Estercock, the situation would have been much worse. Instead of blaming us for the lack of protection, you should be taking responsibility for your failures."
Byakuya was surprised to see Aokiji standing up for him.
Even though he had other ways to avoid blame, it was unexpected to see the usually aloof Aokiji defending him against the CP0 agents.
What happened next was even more surprising.
Saint Estercock suddenly spoke up, "If Rear Admiral Byakuya hadn't arrived in time, I would have been killed by the attacker."
"I owe my life to Rear Admiral Byakuya!" Byakuya was stunned. What was going on?
He noticed that Saint Estercock's gaze toward him had inexplicably softened with gratitude and reduced animosity. What did this mean?
Had this Celestial Dragon gone mad? Or was he some kind of masochist who enjoyed being cut by a sword?
Reikyu felt confident challenging a Marine Rear Admiral, but his confidence wavered before an Admiral like Aokiji.
The highest combat power of the Marines wasn't something to take lightly. Someone like Aokiji commanded respect wherever he went.
With Saint Estercock speaking up, Reikyu found himself at a loss for words. How could he attack someone whom his master was thanking?
Seeing that everyone who needed to be present was there, Byakuya suggested, "Admiral Aokiji, shall we head back to the base?"
They had just locked down the island's ports, and a thorough search was still needed.
Byakuya also had to deal with those who had been causing trouble recently.
Aokiji nodded, eager to distance himself from the Celestial Dragons and the CP0 agents.
Byakuya and Aokiji had barely taken a few steps toward the branch base when Byakuya seemed to remember something.
He turned around and kicked the unconscious giant a couple of times. "How long do you plan to play dead?"
"I'm holding your controller, and if you stray too far from me, your head might just explode into tiny pieces. Don't blame me if that happens."
As soon as Byakuya finished speaking, the giant, who had been playing dead for over an hour, suddenly moved.
The giant shifted, and several corpses of the bodyguards slid off him.
A small scrap of cloth, about half the size of a palm, fluttered down and mixed with the bodies, drawing attention.
Reikyu quickly stepped forward and caught the cloth. Upon seeing the emblem on it, he froze.
Although they had limited interactions with other forces on the sea, the Donquixote Family's dealings with the Celestial Dragons were well known.
There was no way he could mistake that symbol. Aokiji also noticed Reikyu's reaction and glanced at the cloth in his hand, his pupils narrowing.
The Donquixote Family, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea? Could this attack have been orchestrated by that lunatic, Doflamingo?
Initially, without knowing the attacker's identity, they could only conduct a wide search to retrieve Palace Mapelseciel.
To be honest, the chances of success with such a method were incredibly slim.
However, the appearance of this cloth with the Donquixote Family emblem pointed them in a new direction.
Though this path might not lead to the culprit, it was better than running around like headless chickens.
Because of the transactions between the Donquixote Family and the Celestial Dragons, Reikyu and Aokiji didn't immediately publicize this discovery.
If the world learned that a Warlord of the Sea, recognized by the government, had attacked a Celestial Dragon, it would be a massive blow to the government and the Warlords.
The two exchanged a knowing glance, silently agreeing to investigate this matter secretly without orders from above.
Byakuya, watching Aokiji and Reikyu's serious demeanor from the side, struggled to keep a straight face.
This couldn't have gone better. Not only did no one suspect him, but they also linked the incident to the Donquixote Family.
If Doflamingo found out that his attempt to use the Celestial Dragons against Byakuya had backfired and landed him in trouble instead, he'd probably cry out of frustration.
It was a perfect case of trouble coming out of nowhere. When Byakuya and Aokiji returned to the branch base, only two guards were left at the entrance.
The rest had been taken by Smoker to seal off the exits. Fourteen slaves stood obediently at the gate, waiting for Byakuya's arrival.
Including the giant, there were fifteen slaves in total.
Byakuya had managed to capture all the slaves Saint Estercock had purchased and brought with him.
If Byakuya were a bit more unscrupulous, he could have auctioned off these fifteen slaves again and made at least ten billion Berries—a pure profit!
If he were still the impoverished man he once was, he might have considered doing just that.
But now, Byakuya had no intention of earning dirty money.
With twenty-nine islands' worth of pirates and corrupt merchants to plunder, he was confident he could scrape together ten billion Berries without resorting to such measures.
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