The ground of Sabaody Archipelago was covered in lush green grass, stretching out like a vast sea. Sunlight filtered through the floating bubbles, refracting into a spectrum of colors that painted the scene with a dreamlike glow. Yet, this beautiful landscape sharply contrasted with the crimson pool of blood spreading across the grass—a stark and jarring sight.
In the instant that Alex effortlessly killed the Celestial Dragon's guard and grabbed Saint Sharlia's chin, the whole area fell into an eerie silence.
For who knows how many years, the authority of the Celestial Dragons had gone unchallenged. The thought of defying them, much less physically confronting them, was unheard of. And today, that age-old reverence seemed on the brink of collapse.
The heavy silence was followed by a rush of whispers. After one person dared to speak, the murmur turned into a cacophony, the scene becoming as noisy as a marketplace:
"How could he? That's a Celestial Dragon!"
"This is bad. The Celestial Dragons will be furious. We're all going to get caught up in this!"
"We need to escape, leave the island as fast as possible!"
Many people tried to flee, desperate to avoid the inevitable storm that would come from provoking the Celestial Dragons. They knew any involvement with such an event could lead to their own swift ruin.
"Young man, let go of the Celestial Dragon and don't act rashly!"
"Yes, put down Lady Sharlia. If you do, she may show mercy."
"Quickly, release her, apologize, and bow before her!"
Others tried to reason with Alex, hoping to de-escalate the situation. And a handful even rushed toward him, seeking to win the favor of the Celestial Dragons by protecting them from Alex.
These same people who wouldn't even look a Celestial Dragon in the eye dared to rush at Alex, hoping for the tiniest chance of favor. The absurdity of it all was breathtaking.
Farther away, the Straw Hat crew was equally stunned by Alex's sudden boldness. All of them, except for Luffy and the naive Chopper, understood the gravity of attacking a Celestial Dragon. Such an act would certainly draw an Admiral to the island and bring utter destruction to Sabaody Archipelago, leaving no one alive.
Hatchan, kneeling on the ground, murmured in despair, "It's over… An Admiral will arrive soon, and we're finished!"
The mermaid, Camie, was visibly shaken, fearing that in the ensuing chaos, her identity might be exposed, leading her to a lifetime of captivity as a Celestial Dragon's slave.
"It's my fault," Hatchan lamented. "I should've tried harder to get Alex to kneel. Now, it's too late. Alex is certain to be killed by the Navy to appease the Celestial Dragons, and we'll be dragged down with him. We should leave Sabaody before the Admiral arrives—it's our only chance to survive!"
Luffy, already thrilled by Alex's strength, yelled out, "So cool!"
But noticing the anxious looks of his friends, he asked, "What's wrong? Alex is really strong!"
Hatchan, with no choice, painstakingly explained the situation. When he finished, and the others suggested abandoning Alex to escape, Luffy flatly refused.
"No way. I'm not leaving a friend behind!"
To Luffy, the man who had treated him to a meal was already a friend. And, turning to Nami and Robin, he added, "Besides, Nami and Robin don't want Alex to die!"
Meanwhile, Saint Rosward finally recovered from his shock. Realizing that his guards had been killed by a commoner, his own authority disrespected, and even his daughter humiliated, he shouted, his face flushed with rage:
"Lowly human! Let go of Sharlia and kneel to beg forgiveness!"
He raised his cane, which was actually a modified gun powerful enough to pierce even a Fish-Man's body. He fired frantically at Alex, but the bullets stopped mid-air, hovering a meter from Alex, as if frozen in place.
Yet, Rosward felt no fear. Despite Alex's defiance, he didn't believe Alex would dare harm them.
Saint Sharlia, gripped by Alex, felt the same. She struggled, unable to break free, and yelled:
"Vile creature! Get your filthy hands off me! If you let go now, I might spare your pathetic life. Otherwise, you'll die a slow, painful death and be fed to stray dogs!"
Alex took in everything around him, noting the fearful faces of the onlookers. Previously, he might have unleashed his full power without a second thought, leaving none alive to endanger him. But things were different now. Here, he felt no pressure, as nothing could threaten him. So he could afford to be 'civilized'—an ease only the truly strong could afford.
However, he wouldn't let the nearby meddling civilians go unpunished. Using his Unlimited Void, he released an overwhelming flood of information directly into the minds of those who had tried to stop or attack him, leaving their brains irreparably damaged. They would spend the rest of their lives in a permanent coma, never to awaken. Even if healed, they'd fall back into a coma the moment they regained consciousness, as their fractured memories triggered mental collapse.
Turning back to Sharlia, Alex studied her for a moment. Without the arrogance on her face, Sharlia was, in fact, quite beautiful—more so than Nami or Robin at this point. A protagonist with a typical 'harem system' might have forgiven her arrogance and added her to their entourage.
But Alex was not one to spare those who dared to insult him.
He released his grip on her chin, and before he could say anything, she sneered, "Filthy human, thinking you can get away with your looks. While I may not kill you, you will not go unpunished. You will suffer…"
Smack!
A loud slap echoed, and everyone saw a red handprint on Sharlia's pale cheek. The one who had slapped her was, of course, Alex.
Sharlia was stunned into silence, about to explode with rage, but Alex spoke first:
"Are you so clueless about what's happening? I may not intend to kill you, but you'll still pay the price. You're going to spend the rest of your days on Paradise Island as my personal slave."
—-—
The Celestial Dragons see everyone outside their kind as slaves, not even the same species. However, they still care about family. Watching his daughter humiliated, Saint Rosward furiously fired at Alex, demanding the surrounding townspeople help him kill Alex.
But as the bullets neared Alex, they froze mid-air, unable to reach him. The townspeople, witnessing Alex effortlessly defeat dozens of people, dared not approach him, leaving the once-mighty Celestial Dragons in an embarrassing, isolated position.
Growing tired of Rosward's repeated attacks, Alex extended a finger, creating a black singularity at its tip. Sensing its immense power, Rosward froze. He could tell it rivaled that of an Admiral's strength. Trembling, he pleaded, "Young man, don't be reckless. If you kill me, the World Government will hunt you down relentlessly, and not even your strength will save you."
He continued, "How about this? Release me and Sharlia, and we will forgive your actions and persuade the Government to drop your bounty."
Nearby, Hatchan overheard and saw a chance to de-escalate. "Mr. Alex, this esteemed Celestial Dragon has offered leniency. This is your best option. Let them go."
Townspeople also begged Alex to stop, fearing the World Government would launch a Buster Call on Sabaody Archipelago if a Celestial Dragon were killed. Others may have yielded to spare their lives, but Alex was a traveler from beyond this world—a universal-level being with no reason to worry about the World Government. Smiling at Rosward, he let the man relax for just a moment before releasing the singularity, which instantly obliterated Rosward's body and continued to pierce straight through Tree 31, cutting it down.
The boom was deafening, and with the collapse of Tree 31, everyone turned to the place Rosward once stood.
"He… he actually killed a Celestial Dragon!"
"This is it! The whole island will be surrounded, and they'll likely wipe us all out!"
"Run! Get out of here!"
Luffy and his crew rushed toward Alex, even Nami, usually the most cautious, was running alongside them.
Luffy laughed loudly, "Alex, you're amazing! So, wanna reconsider being my crew member?"
Smack! Nami, covering her hand in Armament Haki, smacked Luffy on the head, forming a huge bump. "Do you ever think before you talk?!"
Turning to Alex, she urged, "Mr. Alex, we have to get out of here! An Admiral will arrive any moment, and they'll surround the whole island. We need to escape before they close in!"
Hatchan nodded emphatically, "Yes, please, Mr. Alex, let's go… You were reckless! Now the Government will hunt you for the rest of your life."
Though Alex had nothing to fear from the World Government, he joined Luffy and the crew as they raced toward the Thousand Sunny, knowing that being part of their journey made things more entertaining. As they ran, Alex opened a portal with a thought, transporting Sharlia into his pocket universe, assigning her to the care of Catwoman for "proper" training. When Alex said he'd make her a slave, he meant it.
Meanwhile, the Navy headquarters received word of the events at Sabaody Archipelago.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku, hearing the report from a Den Den Mushi, clenched his fist and smashed his desk, startling Garp, who was eating rice crackers nearby. The blow splintered the table, causing Garp to yell, "Damn it, Sengoku, what's your problem? You ruined my crackers!"
On a normal day, Sengoku would argue with his friend, but now he had no patience. The world was on the verge of chaos.
Seeing the gravity of the situation, Garp asked, "What happened?"
Sengoku, face grim, gritted his teeth. "Another heinous criminal has emerged, one as notorious as the Pirate King Roger!"
"What?" Garp replied, surprised.
"Just moments ago, a man named Alex killed Celestial Dragon Saint Rosward and abducted Saint Sharlia—all in plain view."
"The Five Elders demand I dispatch the Admirals immediately, capture the criminal, and publicly execute him to uphold the Celestial Dragons' authority!"
The news left even Garp speechless, but soon he erupted in laughter. "Haha, about time someone gave those Celestial Dragons a lesson! I oughta thank this Alex kid!"
"Garp!" Sengoku snapped. While he'd long known Garp was unpredictable, voicing such a thing was too reckless, even for him. "You can think that in private, but don't ever say it aloud—not even I could protect you!"
Waving him off, Garp replied, "I know, I know. So, who's going after Alex? How about me?"
Sengoku wasn't buying it. "I'm sending Kizaru and Aokiji. I'm not letting you go—you'd probably help Alex escape."
Offended, Garp retorted, "I wouldn't go easy on him! Sure, I think this Alex kid is impressive, but I'm still a Marine. I'd give it my all to catch him. I just want to see the face of the man bold enough to kill a Celestial Dragon!"
Sengoku didn't doubt Garp's commitment, despite his friend's eccentricity. Garp had always been the true spirit of the Marines—the hero of the Navy.
Before long, Kizaru and Aokiji arrived at Sengoku's office and were briefed. Kizaru, with a dramatic grimace, commented, "Oh my, how terrifying! Are all young people this reckless now?"
Studying the image sent through the Den Den Mushi, Aokiji noted that Alex was young, likely in his twenties, yet his power clearly rivaled an Admiral's. Ruffling his already messy hair, he remarked, "Looks like another troublesome one…"
Meanwhile, word of a Celestial Dragon's death and another's abduction spread quickly. Key figures across the world—Yonkos, Doflamingo, the Five Elders, and even the leader of the Celestial Dragons, Im—awaited the outcome of the man who had dared to defy them.
On Sabaody Archipelago, the Navy quickly mobilized, capturing any pirate they could find. The "Worst Generation" heard about the incident, and many were stunned.
Kid laughed maniacally, his grin filled with malice. "Didn't expect another powerhouse besides us 'Worst Generation'—and he even killed a Celestial Dragon! Insane!"
Meanwhile, Bonney, who stopped Zoro from attacking Sharlia, clutched Zoro's collar and snarled, "Who the hell is this Alex guy? Are all of you Straw Hats this insane? Do you even understand what attacking a Celestial Dragon means?"
Zoro shrugged her off, smirking, "If it's Alex, of course he'd pull something like this."
Frustrated, Bonney huffed, "You're all lunatics!"
Other members of the Worst Generation also moved toward the commotion, but none were planning to flee. Hawkins, seated by a fountain, repeatedly drew uncertain results from his divination, his brow furrowed as he read the cards: sometimes they showed a 100% chance of escape, other times a 100% chance of death. "What's going on? Why is this result shifting constantly? Is something interfering with my powers?"
Meanwhile, Alex glanced at Hawkins from afar, releasing and restraining his aura, a faint smirk on his face.
As the ground trembled, waves of Marines surrounded Alex and the Straw Hat crew, guns aimed warily at the man who had slain a Celestial Dragon. Surprisingly, Saint Charloss himself was among them, standing in the rear and glaring at Alex, despite the Marine officers' attempts to pull him back. Charloss shrieked, "Worthless scum, hand over Sharlia!"
Returning his gaze from Hawkins to the approaching Marines, Alex's eyes settled on the obese, pig-like Charloss. It was puzzling to him—unlike Sharlia or the late Saint Rosward, Charloss seemed to lack any redeeming features. Was Rosward's wife unfaithful?
Suppressing a laugh, Alex considered killing the obnoxious Celestial Dragon, but Luffy leapt forward, calling out his signature move: "Gomu Gomu no… Whip!"
With a powerful kick, Luffy sent several Marines flying. The rest of the Straw Hats quickly joined the fray, leaving Alex to stroll leisurely through the chaos. Stepping up to Charloss, he bent close, his voice low and mocking, "What was that, fat pig? Why don't you say it again?"
Terrified, Charloss swallowed his fury. He could tell that Alex wasn't like anyone he'd ever encountered—a man who had no qualms about killing Celestial Dragons. Suddenly unsure of himself, he stammered, "I... I don't care about Sharlia anymore. Just let me go!"
The surrounding Marines and pirates halted, astonished to see a Celestial Dragon trembling and begging. For the first time, they saw the Celestial Dragons as no different from ordinary humans.
Bored by Charloss's cowardice, Alex simply snapped his fingers. With a flick of his wrist, he altered the vectors within Charloss's body, reducing him to dust blown away by the wind.
As the particles of Charloss dissipated, Alex thought, 'Family reunion complete.'
°°°
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