"Spandine, didn’t I tell you to get me out of this godforsaken place as quickly as possible? Why did you bring me here?"
Saint Charlos looked back in sheer terror.
The island that had once been perfectly intact had now been flattened once again.
Saint Charlos’s face turned deathly pale.
"I knew it. I knew that bastard was a lunatic. If I hadn’t run fast enough, that lowly scum probably would have blasted me away again. I don’t want to become a laughingstock in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise a second time."
Thinking back to everything that had happened inside the Gates of Justice that day, Saint Charlos was practically trembling with rage.
He had assumed that after suffering such an attack, the first thing he would hear upon returning to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise would be news that the newly appointed Marine Admiral, Glutton Lucas, had been stripped of his title.
He had never expected to wait day after day only to get absolutely nothing.
And now he had nearly waited long enough to be blasted away a second time.
Thinking about it now, his escape had indeed been rather pathetic.
Still, Saint Charlos was filled with relief.
He was relieved by how clever he had been.
If he had foolishly remained behind, the fate awaiting him could be understood simply by looking at the auction house that had been reduced to rubble.
"What an outrageous bastard! What an utterly outrageous bastard!"
Aramaki roared savagely.
Without bothering with anything else, he hurried over to Saint Charlos and respectfully dropped to one knee.
"Great Celestial Dragon, I am Aramaki, your loyal guardian and protector of the World Nobles. That arrogant fool dared to hurt you. I swear I will kill him for you!"
As he spoke, a vine rapidly emerged from Aramaki’s body and stabbed directly toward Saint Charlos.
The sudden movement caused Spandine’s expression to change drastically.
He had already gotten himself into more than enough trouble recently.
If something happened to Saint Charlos right under his watch, he would truly be finished.
"Heh, CP0, relax. Unlike those despicable lowlifes, I would never hurt a Celestial Dragon. Just watch."
Aramaki gave a savage grin.
As his words fell, a pale green light rapidly blossomed around Saint Charlos.
His battered body began healing at a visible rate.
Seeing such an almost miraculous healing ability, Spandine was left utterly astonished.
He finally understood why the Five Elders had arranged for this man to deal with that unbelievably arrogant newly appointed Marine Admiral.
With healing abilities of this level alone, he would already have a tremendous advantage in a battle.
However, when Spandine recalled how, time and time again, every mission during this period had ultimately spiraled beyond their control, his face immediately turned ashen.
"Heh, CP0, are you stunned?"
Aramaki withdrew the vines and gave a savage grin.
"There has always been a rumor on the sea that CP0 is the strongest intelligence organization within the World Government. I thought you were impressive."
"But you couldn’t even protect a great Celestial Dragon properly."
"After this is over, I think I’ll have to discuss with the Five Elders whether CP0 needs new leadership."
"Next, take the Celestial Dragon and stay beside Brother Fujitora. Sit back and watch how I deal with that arrogant Marine Admiral."
"By the way, what do you think my odds of winning are?"
"My odds?"
Spandine froze for a moment.
He looked at the savage grin on Aramaki’s face, then at Issho, Fujitora, sitting nearby in front of the shop and casually sipping his drink.
Spandine was filled with shock.
He had never imagined that the Five Elders would personally call in two combatants comparable to Admirals to deal with a single newly appointed Marine Admiral.
With two Admiral-level combatants gathered here, surely anyone who wasn’t an idiot could figure out the outcome.
"On... one hundred percent, I suppose."
Spandine hesitated before answering.
However, when he glanced back at Fujitora Issho, casually sipping his drink, he felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
Ever since encountering Lucas, he had never managed to shake off his reputation as a walking money-delivery boy.
Now, even with the unexpected presence of Fujitora, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.
"One hundred percent?"
Aramaki paused.
The savage grin on his face became even more radiant.
"Heh. As expected, the masses always see things clearly."
"For a mere newcomer, I’ll show you what it means to take someone down with ease!"
Spandine took Saint Charlos and retreated to Fujitora’s side.
When he looked up again, he saw a figure that had become like an inescapable nightmare approaching slowly with a wine gourd in hand.
Yet even though Lucas had practically delivered himself to them, Spandine’s heartbeat grew increasingly rapid.
A vague sense of unease continued to gnaw at him.
He looked around.
Then he froze.
"Heh. So you’re the newly appointed Marine Admiral—the Glutton Lucas who doesn’t even put the Celestial Dragons in his eyes?"
Aramaki’s expression gradually turned cold as he spoke with a savage grin.
"You lowly creature. To dare attack a Celestial Dragon is an insult to the entire world."
"Now I’ll give you a choice."
"Do I bind you and bring you over here, or do you bind yourself and come over willingly?"
"You’re giving me a choice?"
Lucas took a casual sip of his drink.
It was the first time he had ever encountered someone who actually offered him a choice.
Still, Aramaki’s appearance here was equally unexpected.
Lucas smiled and raised the wine gourd in his hand.
"Sorry, but I’m not accustomed to letting other people make choices for me."
"As for the Celestial Dragon, of course I take him seriously. He’s worth a ten-million-Beli reward right now."
"If you don’t mind, let me give you the choices instead."
"First, hand the Celestial Dragon over to me, and I’ll return to give Fleet Admiral Sengoku my report."
"Second, I’ll take both you and the Celestial Dragon back with me and give Fleet Admiral Sengoku my report."
"I have three minutes left before I’m off duty."
"I hope you’ll give me your answer now."
BOOM!
The earth suddenly shook violently.
Massive tree roots, each resembling enormous tentacles, burst from the ground behind Aramaki and writhed wildly through the air.
Aramaki’s expression twisted with rage.
The teacup clenched in his hand shattered beneath his grip.
"Good! Very good! What an arrogant lowlife!"
"I was originally going to show you some mercy, but it seems you still don’t understand the greatness of the Celestial Dragons."
"Since you insist on acting like a lowly creature, don’t blame me for showing you no mercy."
"Let me make one thing clear."
"With me here, nobody is taking the great Celestial Dragon away!"
His thunderous roar was filled with indescribable fanaticism.
At this moment, Aramaki’s status as a die-hard Celestial Dragon fanatic was on full display.
But before he could say another word, Saint Charlos’s trembling voice came from behind him.
"Um... I’m a Celestial Dragon. Can I run away one more time?"
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