The Gate Of Justice, a scene of utter devastation, caused their eyes to widen in disbelief.
This was the entrance to the Red Line's Gate Of Justice!
A crucial transportation hub connecting the first half of the Grand Line and the New World.
It could undoubtedly be called a vital fortress under the World Government's control.
They had never imagined that this place would one day be destroyed to such an extent.
Just moments ago, they were well aware that Chaton's words were just him being dissatisfied with the potential Admiral candidates.
In their eyes, if the Celestial Dragons got beaten up, so be it.
However, they never anticipated the crime scene would be damaged so severely.
If it weren't for the news in the papers yesterday, informing them of what happened,
they would have truly suspected that they had been attacked by a Yonko.
For a moment, the vast deck of the warship fell silent.
Everyone looked at each other.
Looking at Chaton's face, it was clear that he had talked the toughest, but had been hit the hardest, as they say.
"Gion-nee-san, long time no see. Why did you suddenly return to the Red Line? You wouldn't be planning to cause trouble for Admiral Luoyu, would you? Hina would be so worried!"
"Hina-chan?" Gion followed the voice, looking towards the pier, and couldn't help but smile.
"Hina, I heard you and Smoker teamed up to defeat the Shichibukai, Sir Crocodile. Looks like you've finally awakened Haki."
"You should be able to get promoted at least two ranks now."
As a candidate for Marine Admiral, Gion knew a little about the Shichibukai's strength.
Facing a Logia Devil Fruit user without Haki would be incredibly difficult.
Hina's smile froze, and Smoker, who was puffing on his cigar, was no exception.
Everyone knew the saying, *don't hit a smiling face*.
Being called out like this right off the bat, even though she didn't mean any harm, still made Smoker and Hina feel embarrassed.
"Hina, what's wrong? Did I say something wrong?" Gion's expression faltered as she landed on the dock.
Chaton, who was beside them, quickly caught up and gave a dry laugh. "Smoker, it's been a while. I remember when I was in charge of your new recruit assessment. I'm really pleased to see how far you've come."
"Actually, I understand how you feel. You put in so much effort, even defeating a Shichibukai, only to be overshadowed by a newcomer who just appeared out of nowhere."
"I get that feeling of being stifled."
"But, true gold fears no fire. You have the record of defeating a Shichibukai, and I believe you'll soon make a name for yourselves in the sea!"
Smoker and Hina's faces turned even more grim.
If it were any other time, they would have been delighted to receive praise from a Marine Admiral candidate.
However, every time Sir Crocodile was mentioned now, it felt like a stab to their hearts.
Especially facing the admiring Chaton, they didn't know how to explain the situation for a moment.
"Heh, you guys at Marine Headquarters are really something else. You don't even know what you've salvaged, yet you run your mouths like that. If I had a choice, I'd gladly let that little brat take the dishonor of defeat."
Sir Crocodile's sneering voice suddenly cut through the air.
Chaton quickly glanced towards the sound. When he saw Sir Crocodile, guarded by Ain and the others in the corner, his expression turned grim.
"So you, a defeated Warlord, haven't been sent to Impel Down yet to suffer the torments of the prisoners. No wonder you can speak such big words."
"If I had a choice, I'd take on ten of you rather than face him. That brat is a seriously tricky character."
"Ten can't compare to one?"
Chaton's expression immediately turned cold, and he was about to speak again, but Gion, who was beside him, reached out and stopped him.
"Chaton, don't forget the importance of our mission this time. Why bother arguing with a pirate? It would just be a laughingstock."
"Hina, we haven't seen each other for a year. What were you about to say? Is there something you can't say?"
Hina gave a bitter smile. "Sister Gion, actually, Sir Crocodile is right. He was defeated by the Straw Hat Pirates. The World Government covered up the truth and had us take the credit. Compared to Admiral Luoyu, we are the ones who are falsely famous."
"If I could, I would rather give up this credit."
"During this time, Hina has indeed awakened Armament Haki, but this is all thanks to Admiral Luoyu. He only spent a few minutes to help Hina awaken Armament Haki. This is something Hina never dared to imagine."
"Moreover, Admiral Luoyu isn't as bad as the outside world says. He is really strong. Hina and Smoker haven't seen Admiral Luoyu take action seriously. If possible, I hope Sister Gion will think it over carefully before deciding whether to cause trouble for Admiral Luoyu!"
"Didn't you guys defeat a Shichibukai?" Chaton blinked, wondering if he'd just wasted all those kind words.
Seeing Smoker standing beside him, silently puffing on his cigar and looking like he agreed,
Chaton immediately spoke up, "Hina, we shouldn't talk too much about who defeated the Shichibukai."
"But when it comes to awakening Haki, I'm considered an authority on the matter. Even Teacher Zephyr wouldn't say he could awaken Haki in a few minutes. And you're saying this guy can do it for you in just a few minutes?"
"I have to say, that really makes me doubt things."
Gion was also silent.
As someone who had been through it herself, she knew how difficult it was to awaken Haki.
Hina had been with her for many years, and it was because Hina couldn't awaken Haki, and thus couldn't keep up with the increasingly difficult missions, that she chose to leave Gion's command.
And now, she was saying that the Haki she'd spent years trying to awaken, had been achieved in a few minutes.
The sheer disparity was unbelievable, even for Gion.
"Sister Gion, Hina knows this is hard to believe, but if one isn't enough, how about five!"
"Besides me, Smoker and the others awakened Haki at the same time as me."
Hina stepped forward from the group with a wry smile.
Standing behind her, Smoker, Ain, and the others were, of course, unwilling to be left behind.
The moment their weak Armament Haki covered their arms…
Gion and Chaton's hearts clenched, and they wore expressions of utter disbelief.