Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
"Thank you for your help, Rowen San." Old Vic, still dressed in his tailcoat and white gloves as a butler, gave a slight bow to Rowen.
He glanced at Caesar, who seemed to have lost something important, stumbling along with a vacant look in his eyes, and hesitated before asking, "Rowen… you didn't do anything to him, did you?"
Caesar's mental state didn't look good. Besides the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars), that person still had questions to ask him later!
"What could I have done to him?" Hearing this, Rowen smiled, puffing on his cigar. "I just told him an unacceptable truth. Someone whose beliefs have collapsed ends up like this."
Caesar had fought tooth and nail to become the top scientist, but in everyone's eyes, he was never taken seriously.
This harsh reality was harder for Caesar to accept than death.
"Is… that so?" Vic hesitated for a moment, then stopped dwelling on it and smiled, "But it doesn't matter. Now that we have the Pure Gold, this guy really isn't worth much attention."
"Then I'll leave him to you, Vic San." Rowen said, "I'm not part of the highest decision-making layer yet, so I'm not interested in getting involved… Tell me where Vegapunk is. I need to talk to him about something."
"Understood, sir." After a pause, Vic pointed in the direction of Pangaea City, "The previous experimental base has been temporarily sealed off. Right now, Vegapunk should be over there."
"Pangaea City… huh? It's really being put to good use! If we leave it alone, the news won't stay hidden for long. So, to maintain the illusion that the Celestial Dragons still exist, Pangaea City must be lively every night." Vic fell silent when he brought up this topic, then waved his hand.
"Well then, Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon), I'll take my leave first!"
"Alright, thank you."
Since the Celestial Dragons "disappeared," the Holy Land… in a somewhat ironic trend, has gradually become bustling with activity.
Ordinary people don't care where the Celestial Dragons went. They only know that without those "descendants of the gods" who demanded they kneel upon meeting, their lives have improved significantly.
The only ones who are quite unhappy about this are the slave traders living in the Holy Land.
The Celestial Dragons were the main buyers of slaves, and they were the only ones who could purchase slaves without hesitation, even after the World Government declared the slave trade illegal.
Now that they're gone, what should be done with the slaves they've stockpiled? Taking them to other countries in the Grand Line would be prohibitively expensive.
As a result, selling them at low prices, abandoning them, or disposing of them… starving to death, dying of illness, being buried alive, or left to die in the wilderness have become the common fates of these slaves.
This business is no longer viable, and the slave traders are using every dirty trick to extricate themselves.
These legal criminals born from the slave system have reached the end of their line. However, there are countless slaves who don't want to die. Even a cornered dog will jump over a wall, let alone humans.
In their desperate resistance, one riot after another has erupted.
But this isn't something Rowen, a Marine, needs to worry about. The Holy Land has its own Chief Commander of the Three Armies, "Steel Bone" Kong, to handle it.
Walking all the way through the bustling streets of Mary Geoise, Rowen arrived at Pangaea City, which was heavily guarded and appeared to be full of music and dance.
"Halt! This is Pangaea City. Leave immediately!"
Two guards stopped Rowen, expressionlessly shouting at him, completely ignoring the shoulder insignia that marked him as an Admiral.
If the Celestial Dragons truly still existed, this wouldn't be strange, but now…
"Stand down!"
Suddenly, a soft command rang out.
Rowen looked in the direction of the voice, slightly surprised, "Rob Lucci, what are you doing here?"
"Chief Zero assigned me the task of guarding the gates of Pangaea City. It's part of our daily duties as CP0."
Lucci, wearing a half-mask, walked over, dismissed the guards, and then bowed to Rowen, "But since Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon) wants to enter, it's fine."
"It seems… a lot has happened in CP0 as well!" Rowen sighed, smiling as he walked past Lucci without saying more.
As the member guarding the only entrance to Pangaea City, whether Rob Lucci knew who truly resided inside was all too obvious.
In response, Lucci remained silent.
Only when Rowen was about to disappear into the depths of the gate did Lucci turn and stop, asking in an uncharacteristically confused tone, "Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon), what… will our future be like?"
The existence of CP0 is tied to the Celestial Dragons. Now that the Celestial Dragons are gone, whom can they still pledge their loyalty to?
The Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars)?
But with the more powerful Marine Assassination Force, why would the Gorōsei treat them any differently?
This question troubled not only Rob Lucci but also Bald Zero… as a veteran, that individual had abandoned his Marine identity to join CP0, and there was no turning back now.
Now, even their last refuge was in turmoil. How should they continue into the future?
"That kind of thing… has nothing to do with me!" Rowen stopped in his tracks, not looking back as he spoke. "Everyone has a hard life. Some people can't even find their next meal, suffering from hunger and cold. If you have the time to ponder this question, it means you're at least better off than they are."
"I'm the same, so I can't be bothered to engage."
After a pause, Rowen chuckled lightly, turning his head to glance at him.
"But if it's you, I can keep a spot for you in the Assassination Force. If you don't know how to live, just become a blade in my hand. At least I can assign you tasks to keep you busy."
"Naturally, that is if that asshole Baldy is willing to let you go."
With that, Rowen said no more and continued walking forward.
Lucci stood there, momentarily stunned, before clenching his fists, trembling all over.
"Thank you!"
Inside Pangaea City, the sounds of people were bustling, but strangely, there was not a single person outside, making it eerily empty, like a ghost town. The voices that seemed to come from the crowd were all played through loudspeakers.
Following the corridor, Rowen reached a large door at the end, and in an instant, the noise from outside vanished completely.
Only the sound of footsteps and the low-frequency tremors of various experimental devices could be heard.
Vegapunk was not far away, holding a folder and continuously logging something.
Sensing Rowen's gaze, he turned around, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon), what brings you here?"
Then he suddenly realized, his expression turning somber, "So, Caesar has returned as well?"
The Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) had entrusted Rowen with the quest to reclaim the Pure Gold, and he was fully aware of that. Rowen's appearance here was self-explanatory.
"Don't be so pessimistic, Vegapunk. Caesar is not the same kind of person as you. Realizing this before causing a big mess… that's a good thing!"
"No, the mess he caused is already significant enough!"
Vegapunk's mouth twitched at this, shaking his head, "Why are you here, Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon)?"
No one visits without a reason.
Vegapunk knew this well.
In response, Rowen didn't hide anything and recounted the encounter he had with the zombie giant on Thunder God Island, expressing his dissatisfaction.
"I can't believe you deceived me, Vegapunk! You said that Paramecia and Logia couldn't transfer their powers, and I really misjudged you!"
To his surprise, Vegapunk looked puzzled and retorted, "Why do you think that was my research?"
Σ(Д;)
"Isn't it you?"
Who else could accomplish such a feat besides Vegapunk?
"Indeed, it wasn't me." Vegapunk said seriously, "I've been busy upgrading the Pacifista and utilizing the Heart of the Ocean to create weapons. I simply haven't had the time."
Then he relaxed.
"But since there's a finished product, I'll be able to grasp it soon!"
This experimental result is impressive, but the next moment, it will be mine!
(End of Chapter)
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