"You insolent brat!"
"You actually dared attack Saint Charlos!"
"I’m going to kill you!"
The deathly silence that had settled over the harbor was instantly shattered.
The clash of Conqueror’s Haki had swept across the platform and everything within several kilometers.
More than ninety percent of those present had already been knocked unconscious.
Only those with considerable strength—or those who had been awakened in time—remained standing.
Everyone immediately turned toward the source of the furious roar.
Even Boa Hancock and her sisters did the same.
The events that had just unfolded had happened so quickly that none of them had fully processed them.
Only now did they remember...
Lucas’s attack hadn’t merely blown Hancock away.
It had also struck the CP0 agent...
And Saint Charlos himself.
A Celestial Dragon.
One of the World Nobles whom countless people feared above all else.
Who could ever have imagined...
That one would be blasted away in broad daylight?
Yet it had happened right before their eyes.
This alone was enough to become a world-shaking incident.
All eyes focused on CP0.
The masked agent was supporting Saint Charlos—
Whose face was swollen and bruised, covered in blood, with his shattered bubble helmet hanging in pieces.
He remained completely unconscious.
Everyone involuntarily drew in a sharp breath.
Some even rubbed their eyes repeatedly, wondering if they were dreaming.
Unfortunately...
No matter how many times they blinked...
The nightmare before them remained real.
One absurd thought surfaced in everyone’s minds.
What happens...
When an Admiral beats up a Celestial Dragon?
"You damned Marine!"
CP0 roared furiously.
"You dared attack the World Noble, Saint Charlos!"
"Even if you’re an Admiral..."
"You won’t escape responsibility!"
"Besides..."
"Marine Headquarters has more than one Admiral!"
He immediately pulled out a Den Den Mushi and activated it.
This was an emergency line carried whenever a Celestial Dragon left the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
Once activated...
Every nearby Marine force—
Including Admirals—
Was obligated to respond immediately.
"This is bad..."
Hina’s face turned pale.
"Ain!"
"Have you reached Instructor Zephyr yet?"
"I’m still trying!"
Ain anxiously clenched her fists.
"It should connect any second!"
Just then—
The Den Den Mushi in CP0’s hand spoke.
"Hello, hello..."
"This is Borsalino."
"What seems to be the problem?"
The CP0 agent’s eyes immediately lit up.
Among the three Admirals...
Borsalino might have been infamous for slacking off...
But he was also the fastest.
Marine Headquarters wasn’t far from the Gate of Justice.
If Kizaru came...
He would arrive almost instantly.
Seeing this, Lucas adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and sighed.
"It’s already after working hours."
"Admiral Borsalino..."
"Since you’re already here..."
"You might as well come out."
"Hiding while slacking off isn’t a good look."
He’s already here?
Everyone froze before hurriedly looking around.
The next moment...
Countless golden particles gathered beside Lucas.
Within seconds...
They formed the familiar figure of Admiral Kizaru.
Surveying the battlefield, Kizaru crooked his mouth into his usual mischievous grin.
"My, my..."
"Admiral Lucas."
"You really do keep surprising people."
"If I’d known this involved you..."
"I wouldn’t have come."
"I would’ve sent Sakazuki to clean up your mess instead."
"Have Sakazuki clean up after me?"
Lucas rolled his eyes.
"I’d rather not."
"I’m worried he’d set my backside on fire."
"Still..."
"Since you’re already here..."
"How about we have a quick fight?"
"I’ve wanted to spar with you for quite a while."
"Seems like a good opportunity."
Everyone stood there dumbfounded.
Wasn’t the issue supposed to be the assault on a Celestial Dragon?
How had the conversation somehow turned into two Admirals casually chatting?
"N-No..."
Kizaru immediately raised both hands in surrender.
"I give up."
"Please don’t beat me."
"It’s an internal Marine matter anyway."
"Old man Sengoku can deal with it."
"I don’t want anything ruining my dinner later."
He looked at Lucas with genuine envy.
"Still..."
"I really admire you."
"Being allowed to work a strict nine-to-five schedule..."
"That’s my dream life."
"Anyway."
"I still have to hurry back for a meeting."
"Do you have anything you’d like me to tell old man Sengoku?"
"Perhaps..."
"Something about that rather unfortunate World Noble?"
Everyone’s facial muscles twitched.
They had expected two Admirals to clash over the assault on a Celestial Dragon.
Instead...
The two of them chatted as casually as old coworkers meeting after work.
It was completely different from what anyone had imagined.
Did this mean...
The Celestial Dragon had simply been beaten for nothing?
"It’s nothing complicated."
Lucas took back his liquor gourd from Koby and drank another mouthful of strong liquor.
"That ghost over there told me to invite one of the Seven Warlords over for drinks."
"I was in a hurry to get off work."
"So he told me to attack while he handled protecting the fishbowl guy."
"Who would’ve thought..."
"CP0 really was only average."
"He couldn’t even block that much."
"I honestly suspect he has a grudge against the fishbowl guy."
"Maybe he deliberately set him up."
"Oh."
"I also prepared a law-enforcement Den Den Mushi ."
"It recorded everything that happened."
"You can take it back as evidence."
"Oh?"
Kizaru accepted the Den Den Mushi with obvious surprise.
"My, my..."
"You’re surprisingly considerate."
"That saves me a lot of paperwork."
He then turned toward the CP0 agent.
"You should take Saint Charlos back."
"I’ll submit my report."
"And next time..."
"If your strength is only average..."
"Don’t boast so confidently about protecting someone."
"See you."
As soon as he finished speaking...
Golden light began to gather around Kizaru once more.
Watching him prepare to leave after barely two minutes—
Without even saying a single harsh word—
The CP0 agent was completely dumbfounded.
If I’d known this would happen...
Why did I even activate the emergency Den Den Mushi ?!
Did this really mean...
Saint Charlos had been beaten for absolutely nothing?
Yes...
He had described CP0’s strength as "ordinary."
But that had merely been modesty.
He had never expected Lucas to attack in such an utterly unreasonable manner.
More importantly...
Who could possibly have imagined that Conqueror’s Haki could become that monstrous?
Caught completely off guard...
His joking remark had actually become reality.
Still...
Looking at the unconscious, bloodied Saint Charlos—
Whose humiliation was destined to become a worldwide joke—
The CP0 agent knew one thing.
If he allowed Kizaru to leave like this...
He himself would be finished.
After all...
He had personally guaranteed that protecting a Celestial Dragon would be no problem.
"Admiral Borsalino!"
"You can’t just leave!"
"When I said my strength was only average..."
"I was only being humble!"
"Protecting Saint Charlos was well within my abilities!"
"The only reason I failed..."
"Was because this arrogant man deliberately targeted me from the very beginning!"
"I’ll prove it to all of you!"
"CP0’s strength is anything but ordinary!"
"This arrogant Marine intentionally attacked a Celestial Dragon!"
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