"Murder! Murder! An Admiral is murdering people!"
The scene completely terrified the surrounding gamblers.
An Admiral had, without hesitation, killed the casino owner who even had Celestial Dragon backing.
What about them?
Would they be killed as well?
Ever since the Marineford War was broadcast across the world, people had truly realized how ruthless and brutal the Marines could be.
Some admired and worshipped them.
But most of the populace became even more fearful and intimidated.
This was also why Marine recruitment had become increasingly difficult over the past year.
During the Marineford War, countless ordinary Marines had been casually slaughtered by the monsters created by the Gorosei, a scene that deeply shocked and discouraged those who once dreamed of joining the Marines.
"Gone…"
Admiral Fujitora quietly sensed that the poker numbers attached to the gamblers' auras had completely shattered and disappeared.
Had they vanished because of fear?
Even he was not entirely certain.
"What is there to be afraid of? If you have not done anything wrong, why fear the Marines knocking on your door?"
Admiral Cero descended from the air, the lightning around his body slowly fading. His expression was once again lazy and casual, as if he had not just executed someone moments ago.
"Admiral… may we leave?"
A trembling gambler asked.
"Go on, go on."
Cero waved his hand dismissively.
Then he turned to look at Tiger Bro, who was still lying on the ground in shock, having narrowly escaped death.
"Go to the underground cells and release everyone your boss imprisoned. Do not play any tricks."
"Yes, yes!"
Tiger Bro nodded frantically, glanced at Cero in terror, then rushed toward the hidden passage below.
"Cero…"
Admiral Fujitora stood quietly with his eyes closed, sensing the violent lightning aura around Cero.
"Why did you deliberately kill a casino owner with Celestial Dragon backing in such a public way? Was it only because of that strange creator statue?"
"Hmph."
Cero glanced at the pile of charcoal on the ground and spoke lazily.
"He was foolish enough to threaten me with the name of the Celestial Dragons in front of so many people. So what if they are Celestial Dragons? What are they in front of Marine justice?"
He continued calmly:
"If we do not make an example of him, how will the public know that Marine justice does not fear Celestial Dragons and can still enforce order in the world?"
"…"
Vice Admiral Onigumo pretended to pick his ear, acting as if he had not heard the dangerous words at all.
"These words… do make some sense."
Fujitora pondered briefly and nodded.
"Run!"
"Thank the heavens, we are alive!"
Suddenly, dozens of disheveled and frightened people rushed out from the underground.
Brother Hu shouted loudly:
"It was Admiral Cero who killed the evil casino owner and saved you all!"
"Thank you, Admiral!"
"Thank you, Admiral Cero!"
The rescued people repeatedly bowed in gratitude before hurriedly fleeing the casino.
"Punishing evil and promoting good. Justice should be this simple."
Cero casually sat on a gambling table, crossed his legs, and tossed three dice that crackled faintly with lightning.
Three fours.
"The poker masks on their auras disappeared. What exactly caused it? You have more experience, Cero, do you understand it?"
Fujitora picked up the dice, shook them gently, and tossed them again.
They rolled for a long time.
Three sixes.
"I have a rough guess."
Cero walked toward the strange statue that held the golden sphere.
"This strange aura seems to be linked to desire itself."
He stared into the statue's cold eyes.
"The king of the Stilan Industrial Empire worshipped this statue because of his greed. That brought disaster to his country."
Cero's voice was low and steady.
"And here, the casino owner coveted wealth and also worshipped it. That brought disaster to everyone who came here."
"So…"
Fujitora said slowly:
"The aura disappeared because fear replaced their greed?"
"More or less."
Cero casually grabbed the statue and tossed it upward.
Zzzzt!
Violent lightning surged through it, completely melting the statue and reshaping it into a long golden spear.
Cero caught it mid-air, twirled it once, and nodded in satisfaction.
"This gold is mine. I needed a new weapon anyway."
"Cero-san…"
Onigumo stared at him, speechless.
"Is it really appropriate to destroy such important evidence?"
"What evidence?"
Cero casually melted the spear again, forming two golden bracers around his wrists.
"There was no statue here. You are imagining things."
He smiled.
"If Sakazuki asks, you answer him."
Onigumo looked at the golden bracers, opened his mouth, then wisely closed it again.
Two Admirals were present.
It was better not to say anything.
…
Mary Geoise.
Deep within a secret chamber illuminated by blood-red candles.
Whoosh.
One candle suddenly went out by itself.
White smoke slowly drifted upward.
"Another creator statue has been destroyed."
A figure sitting cross-legged in the center of the room opened pupil-less, orange-yellow eyes.
"Who keeps destroying Imu-sama's statues…"
He closed his eyes again.
"Is it the Revolutionary Army, or those insects from the Sky Island Alliance…"
His voice echoed coldly.
On the walls stood a colossal statue identical to the one in the casino, but hundreds of times larger.
"God has already decided to restart this world. Doomsday will arrive in one year."
Black Haki spread around his body, forming a strange magic circle.
"Yes, Imu-sama."
Outside the chamber, hundreds of exquisite golden coffins rested in silence.
"Disaster…"
One coffin lid shifted.
A pale hand slowly emerged.
A corpse-like figure sat up.
"Disaster…"
The figure in the chamber spoke again.
"Go hunt down those who destroy Imu-sama's statues."
"Yes."
The pale figure stood, strange black Haki swirling around him.
Outside, he raised one hand.
"Woo…"
A gigantic diseased bird crashed down from the sky.
He stepped onto its back and whispered:
"Servant of Plague, take your king to his destination."
The grotesque bird let out a mournful cry and soared into the clouds.
…
Marineford.
New Mariejois.
"Nonsense!"
Fleet Admiral Sakazuki Akainu slammed his desk, magma flickering in his eyes.
"You two killed Rosward's servant in public!"
Cero sat lazily with his legs crossed.
"So what? It was just a servant, not even a Celestial Dragon."
Sakazuki roared:
"Idiot! You are getting more reckless by the day! Do you want to start slaughtering Celestial Dragons in public?"
"It is not impossible."
Cero smirked.
"Maybe one day."
Bang!
A magma fist flew toward him but was intercepted by a bolt of lightning.
Zzzzt!
The room filled with heat and electricity.
"Gentlemen, please do not fight here."
Fujitora spoke calmly, as if none of this concerned him.
"Damn blind man, this started because of you!"
Cero cursed and flicked a small electric orb at Fujitora.
Sakazuki also swung a magma fist toward Fujitora.
____
Patreon = _Zeph