"A Celestial Dragon is dead! A World Noble has been killed in Sabaody! Run! Get out of here! The Admirals and World Government's forces will arrive any moment now!"
At the coastline of the 40th Red Tree Zone, panicked crowds poured out from all directions of the island, rushing toward the shore.
Along the coast, some people were frantically unfurling sails.
"Hurry up! Damn it, move faster! I don't want to get caught in this mess!"
"A World Noble is dead—it's like the sky itself has been torn apart!"
"Who would dare kill a Celestial Dragon? Just who is this madman?"
The coastline was a chaotic scene.
People fought for a spot aboard the ships, some exploiting the chaos to demand exorbitant sums, and even slave traders, emboldened by the disorder, began openly capturing people to sell as slaves.
Suddenly, someone with sharp eyes spotted a massive ship in the distance, its sails bearing the unmistakable seagull emblem of the Navy, approaching quickly.
"It's… it's a Navy warship!"
"This is bad! The Navy has arrived already!"
"Run! It must be one of the Admirals!"
In an instant, the noisy coast fell into utter disarray. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people scattered in every direction, fleeing for their lives.
"Tina is very curious. What's going on here? Why is it so chaotic?"
Standing at the bow of the warship, Tina, clad in her white justice cape, looked at the fleeing crowds with a puzzled expression.
Slave traders she could understand.
But why were there ordinary civilians and even nobles running away at the sight of a Navy ship?
At that moment, a weak voice called out from the slope near the shore, filled with urgency.
"Is that Lieutenant Commander Tina? Please, find Hibari and Rosha immediately! They're in danger!"
"This voice… is that Captain Trafalgar?"
Tina was startled and quickly leapt into the air using Moonwalk, landing on the grassy slope near the shore.
Not far away, she spotted a man lying weakly on the ground—it was Law, the Marine Headquarters Captain she had met before.
"Are you okay? What happened?"
Tina rushed over, crouching down to check on Law's injuries.
But before she could touch him, Law grabbed her hand tightly.
"Don't waste time! Go find Rosha and Hibari! Rosha… he may have gotten caught up in an incident involving the attack on a Celestial Dragon. If you ask those fleeing people, you'll likely learn where he is. Hibari went after him."
"Whatever you do, don't let the World Government personnel capture Rosha first. Hurry!"
"Understood! I'll go immediately!"
Although Tina didn't fully understand the situation, Law's urgency made it clear that this was a critical matter.
Without hesitation, Tina darted away at high speed, heading toward the red trees.
On her way, she grabbed a fleeing passerby and quickly asked a few questions. It didn't take long for her to piece together the events.
She now knew the location of the attack on the Rozward family—a Celestial Dragon's family.
"Zone 66 and 67? That's quite far… I hope I'm not too late!"
Feeling the increasingly oppressive atmosphere around her, Tina's nerves tensed. Her pace quickened as she used Moonwalk and Shave to move even faster.
Zone 67 of the Red Trees.
"You useless fools! You couldn't even handle your escort duties properly, and now the Rozward family is dead! You're all guilty! Guilty!"
Spandine, dressed in a black suit, was furiously berating the disarmed and shackled guards who had been subdued by CP0 agents.
He, along with several dozen white-robed CP0 agents, wore magnetic boots similar to those used by Germa 66.
It was thanks to this advanced technology that they had been able to leap down from the towering Red Line and arrive at the scene so quickly.
When Spandine saw the horrifically mutilated bodies of the Rozward family, he immediately dropped to his knees, putting on a theatrical display of grief so convincing it could have moved the heavens.
The sincerity and intensity of his sorrow seemed unparalleled.
It was likely that even when his own parents had passed away, Spandine hadn't displayed such profound anguish.
The surrounding CP0 agents, each holding a surveillance Den Den Mushi with wide, unblinking eyes, meticulously recorded every detail of the scene for the World Government's investigation.
Meanwhile, several zones around the 66th and 67th Red Trees were heavily fortified, with soldiers enforcing strict lockdowns.
The guards shackled by CP0 wore blank expressions, making no attempt to defend themselves.
Instead, they pointed toward the unconscious Rosha and the CP leader lying on the ground, pleading with Spandine and the others.
"Sir, we admit our incompetence in failing to protect the Rozward family. But our captain and this Marine boy—they truly risked their lives to fend off the attacker. We know our sins are unforgivable, but we beg you, sir, to show mercy and save them."
Spandine wiped the tears from his face and glared at the pleading guards with disdain.
"Of course, I'll ensure they're brought back to consciousness."
"After all, they are the key witnesses to the Rozward family's assassination. Once they wake up, we'll extract every detail about this incident from them. Whether they cooperate willingly or not is up to them."
A sinister smirk spread across Spandine's face.
Mercy for them?
Not a chance.
These foolish guards couldn't comprehend the magnitude of the situation. The deaths of three Celestial Dragons in Sabaody were an unprecedented disaster.
Once the investigation was complete, not only would these guards be executed, but so would the Marine boy, the incompetent CP leader, and likely all 69th Base staff in Sabaody.
Even the thousands of government employees stationed on the island, and anyone who had any contact with the Rozward family, would face the same fate.
Such was the price to pay for daring to challenge the authority of the gods.
If it weren't for Sabaody's critical commercial, technological, and military value, Spandine had no doubt that the World Government would have ordered a Buster Call to obliterate the entire island, sinking it into the sea.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
In the distance, muffled sounds echoed through the forest—it seemed a battle was taking place.
The CP0 agents turned toward the direction of the noise, their expressions stern, weapons at the ready.
Soon, a petite girl in a red dress appeared, throwing punches to fend off several soldiers as she darted toward their location.
"Who is that? Capture her!" Spandine shouted, pointing at the approaching figure.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Several white shadows flickered as CP0 agents moved swiftly, reaching out to grab the oncoming Hibari.
Hibari lowered herself to the ground, ignoring the mud and bloodstains, curling her small body as she rolled across the ground, heading straight for the unconscious Rosha lying nearby.
"Huh?"
Surprised that their attacks had been dodged by such a young girl, the CP0 agents exchanged astonished glances.
But their surprise lasted only a moment.
"Shave! Flying Finger Gun!"
One agent bent his finger and unleashed a compressed air bullet, targeting Hibari's back as she darted forward.
"Pfft!"
The invisible force struck Hibari's shoulder, sending her flying through the air. Blood trickled from her mouth, but she gritted her teeth, using the momentum to step into the air with Moonwalk, propelling herself faster toward the injured boy.
The moment she saw Rosha's body, mangled and grotesque beyond imagination, tears streamed uncontrollably down her face like a broken kite.
"Get back here!"
"Tempest Kick!"
Just as Hibari was about to reach Rosha, a CP0 agent appeared in front of her, unleashing a curved slash that struck her in the abdomen and sent her flying.
"Don't kill her. Capture her and interrogate her—find out who she is," Spandine ordered from behind.
As the Tempest Kick landed, Hibari activated Iron Body, reducing the damage slightly.
Even so, her small frame was hurled over ten meters, slamming into a red tree with a dull thud. Blood spurted from her mouth as she groaned in pain.
Hearing Spandine's order, more than a dozen CP0 agents moved in to capture Hibari.
"Stop! All of you, stop right now!"
A sharp voice echoed from the distance.
In the next moment, dozens of black, whistling spears shot out from the forest, raining down around Hibari and the surrounding CP0 agents.
"Hmm? A Devil Fruit ability?"
The CP0 agents dodged the incoming spears with ease, their movements unimpeded as one of them reached out and grabbed Hibari's shoulder.
"Iron Body Fist: Crimson Lotus Fang!"
Suddenly, Hibari clenched her right fist and traced a peculiar trajectory in mid-air. Before the CP0 agent could react, her punch landed squarely on his chest.
"Boom!"
Though the punch wasn't powerful, it carried an overwhelming, unstoppable aura.
In that fleeting moment, the CP0 agent felt as though a ferocious dog had bared its fangs, ready to devour his soul and body.
Momentarily stunned, he felt a sharp pain in his chest, his vision darkened, and his grip on Hibari loosened as he collapsed to the ground.
"What? What are you all doing? Finish her off already! Are you CP0 elites or just a bunch of incompetents?" Spandine roared in frustration.
"This girl may look weak, but her techniques are incredibly refined… Crimson Lotus Fang… Why does that sound familiar?"
Seeing their comrade fall, the remaining CP0 agents lost their patience, preparing to escalate their attacks.
But before they could act, a striking figure cloaked in a white cape shot out from the forest. With a wave of her hand, two endless black iron bars extended toward the group.
"Locking Feather Cage!"
The black bars pierced through the red trees on both sides, surrounding the CP0 agents attacking Hibari.
"You're… Black Cage Tina of the Navy?"
Spandine raised an eyebrow.
As a CP official, he made it his business to know the key figures in the World Government, and he recognized Tina immediately.
"If you know I'm with the Navy, then stand down! Do you even realize who you're attacking?"
The black cage tightened but didn't catch any CP0 agents. Instead, it pulled Hibari back, away from danger.
"Anyone who trespasses here must stay behind, no matter who they are."
Suddenly, a black-robed figure descended from the sky. From dozens of meters away, they thrust a palm downward.
"Boom!"
The air compressed layer upon layer under the figure's hand, creating a devastating shockwave that crashed into Tina and Hibari.
"Thud! Thud!"
Both of them coughed up blood as they were sent hurtling into the ground like cannonballs.
"Salute the Ancient Saint of Vergarangering!"
At the sight of the newcomer, everyone present, including Spandine, immediately fell to their knees in respect.
With a crescent-moon-shaped head, Vergarangering gently landed in front of Rosha. He reached into his robe, pulling out two small glass vials, and tossed them to the ground.
"Wake them up. I have questions to ask."
(End of Chapter)
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