'A Celestial Dragon? Killed by me?'
Bazel looked confused.
'When did I kill a Celestial Dragon… Wait!!'
Suddenly, Bazel remembered the battle after summoning the Thunder Serpent.
He did seem to have seen a weirdo in white astronaut suits back then…
But at the time, he just wanted to launch an area-of-effect attack against the dodging Shiki.
Facing Kaido's gaze, Bazel laughed awkwardly:
"I might have accidentally hit a Celestial Dragon, but it's all Shiki's fault!"
"If he hadn't kept moving around, how could I have possibly killed a Celestial Dragon?"
Hearing this from the sky, Shiki wasn't angry but laughed instead, "What kind of bullshit are you spouting, brat? Did you expect me to just stand still and let you hit me? You were the one who got carried away and attacked the Celestial Dragon along with me."
"You didn't just bury them with that earth dragon, you also pumped poison mist into it. And after pumping poison mist, you even sent a Thunder Serpent in to self-destruct."
"Cut the crap, what does some accidentally killed Celestial Dragon have to do with me?" Bazel said with a completely indifferent expression.
"It looks like we'll have to stop the fight here again."
Unable to continue pounding on Shiki, Kaido turned to leave with a pained expression.
"Let's go, Bazel. We need to evacuate before the Marine's Admirals and Buster Call arrive. I don't want to engage in an all-out war with the Marine at this critical time."
"Good luck to you, Bazel. I'll come for you again."
Shiki, flying higher and higher, suddenly shouted, "Congratulations to the Beasts Pirates for successfully killing a Celestial Dragon, Shihahahaha!!!"
'This guy…'
Bazel gritted his teeth in frustration.
While he didn't really care about killing Celestial Dragons, but killing one so openly did feel somewhat unworthy of his undercover identity.
But then again, thinking about it, he felt this might actually help stabilize his cover.
As for the cost…
It was just one less idiot in the world. Besides, he was already wanted… maybe this could even push his bounty past 1 billion Berries.
"Aren't you afraid of the Celestial Dragons?"
During the retreat, Kaido suddenly asked.
Bazel was taken aback and asked in return, "Why should I be afraid of them?"
Kaido had expected many possible replies from Bazel, but he never thought it would be a counter-question.
Glancing at the man out of the corner of his eye and confirming that Bazel's expression was as calm as usual, Kaidou suddenly grinned and said, "That's right! No need to care about those people!"
"So what if we killed a Celestial Dragon? Worororo~~"
"This is a huge harvest! The Beasts Pirates are making a strategic retreat… Rocks's treasure is within our grasp!"
…
An hour later, a yellow flash suddenly flew in from the sea and landed in the ravaged Grove 13.
Buru Buru Buru~~
Kacha.
"Moshi moshi, this is Borsalino~ It's really terrifying here, you know? The entire street has been destroyed."
Borsalino's gaze fell on the toppled Grove 13 tree.
"Even the main numbered Grove 13 has been overturned."
"What should we do next, Admiral Sengoku~?"
"What about the enemies? Are they still there?!"
"As for the enemies…"
Expanding his Observation Haki, Borsalino shook his head:
"They're already gone, you know. At least, I can't sense any presence that poses a threat to me."
"Stand by there. We'll arrive soon. The death of a Celestial Dragon this time is extremely serious. We, the Marine, must give the World Government an answer!"
"Yes, yes, understood~"
Kacha.
The Den Den Mushi hung up.
Borsalino's eyes flickered, and he quickly rushed toward a half-collapsed bar.
"Hello~ Sorry to bother you. I'm Borsalino from Marine Headquarters. Could you tell me what happened here?"
"Marine? You arrived quite fast."
Shakky was cleaning up the mess inside.
"It was a battle between the Beasts Pirates and the remnants of the Rocks Pirates. The destruction outside was done by Eight Headed Monarch and Golden Lion. It was really frightening, you know."
'Eight Headed Monarch?'
'Bazel?'
Borsalino raised his eyebrows slightly, "That really is terrifying. Our Marine heard that a Celestial Dragon was killed. It must have been Golden Lion Shiki who did it, right?"
"Actually, no."
Shakky spat out the burnt-out cigarette butt in her mouth.
"I heard it was the Eight Headed Monarch, Bazel, who did it. First, he controlled the earth to bury the Celestial Dragon alive. Then, he used poison mist to kill them. Finally, he manipulated lightning to self-destruct."
"In any case, that Celestial Dragon died very tragically. When I went to check, there wasn't even a complete body left."
Borsalino: "..."
'It's over…'
"Hahaha, y-you must have heard wrong. Such a heinous act could only have been committed by the Great Pirate Golden Lion, right?"
Borsalino tried to salvage the situation.
"How could I have misheard? It's already spread everywhere." Shakky retorted without looking up, "Ask anyone, and you'll get the same answer."
Borsalino: "..."
The salvage attempt failed.
After thanking her, Borsalino left the bar to search for other clues.
Another half hour passed.
Entering a deserted alley, Borsalino took out his Den Den Mushi and activated the anti-eavesdropping snail on his wrist.
Buru Buru Buru~~
Buru Buru Buru~~
Kacha.
"Twilight."
The Den Den Mushi was momentarily stunned, then its expression turned serious.
Zzsstt...
"The anti-eavesdropping snail is activated. What happened?"
Borsalino quietly reported the details of Bazel's battle with Shiki.
"...From what I can tell, it was likely accidental. I spoke to many witnesses, and they all said the Celestial Dragon was killed because they accidentally wandered into the fight between the two."
"A Celestial Dragon, that kid Bazel... Hey, Garp, stop grabbing the Den Den Mushi!"
"Move aside, Sengoku! I want to listen too!"
Borsalino adjusted the loudly shouting Den Den Mushi.
"Hey, Kizaru, I heard Bazel killed a Celestial Dragon, right?"
'Vice Admiral Garp?'
Borsalino scratched his head, "That's right..."
"Well don… Cough, no, I mean, why are they making such a big deal out of this that they need me and Sengoku to both show up!?"
The Den Den Mushi said with a straight face, "It's just one dead Celestial Dragon. It's not like they've all been wiped out. Those guys at the World Government are so boring."
"I was in the middle of a senbei eating contest with Sengoku, and now because of something this trivial..."
"Get lost, Garp! Shock Impact!"
The sound of something crashing into the sea came through the Den Den Mushi.
"Don't fish him out! Let that bastard cool off in the sea!"
"Borsalino!"
The Den Den Mushi looked grim, "Can this information be contained?"
"It's too late. Many people witnessed that battle. I heard there was even a World Economic News Paper's reporter present."
"He was originally there to photograph the Celestial Dragon but accidentally captured Bazel and Shiki's fight."
"By now... the newspaper office should already be drafting the article, right?"
"This is troublesome now. Sigh!"
The Den Den Mushi heaved a heavy sigh, "We'll discuss the rest after returning to report to Fleet Admiral Kong. For now, clear out the nearby pirates and wait there for me and Garp."
"Yes, Admiral."
Kacha.
The Den Den Mushi hung up.
Standing on the branch of a Yarukiman Mangrove tree, Borsalino looked up at the sky with an indescribable expression.
"'Well done,' huh? As expected of you, Vice Admiral Garp~~"
"Bazel-kun, you really managed to pull off something huge without making a sound. Trading blows with the Great Pirate Shiki?"
"Such a terrifying talent. But I'm looking forward to meeting you in the future more and more. Your story will definitely be the best accompaniment for drinks."
…
Seven days later, Marine Headquarters.
Knock, knock…
"Come in."
Sengoku walked into the room with Borsalino, followed by a solemn Tsuru and a yawning Garp.
"Fleet Admiral Kong, here is the mission report."
Kong put down the newspaper and picked up the report file inside the folder.
Meanwhile, Sengoku took the newspaper and gestured for the others to sit down.
[#The Death of a Celestial Dragon?! Why Did the Eight Headed Monarch Rampage?!]
[#A Shocking Battle! The Eight Headed Monarch vs. Golden Lion: A Super Clash Between Top-Tier Powerhouses of the Seas!]
[#Controlling Earth and Lightning, Spewing Poison Mist and Flames: The Terrifying Power of the Eight Headed Monarch, Bazel!]
"…"
The room was silent except for the sound of pages turning and...
"Oh! Kong-san, these senbei you bought this time are great! They're even roasted seaweed flavor!"
Tsuru glared at Garp, who was happily munching away.
"Shut up, Garp!"
"What's the big deal? It's just one dead Celestial Dragon. Why all the fuss?"
Garp swallowed his senbei and got up to make some tea.
Hot water poured over the tea leaves, releasing a rich, intense green tea aroma that slowly filled the air.
"Based on the intelligence we've gathered, if the Celestial Dragon hadn't suddenly appeared that day, the Beasts Pirates likely could have completely eliminated Shiki, who was traveling alone."
"That kid Bazel did pretty well. It hasn't been long since he joined the pirate faction, and he's already stirring up conflict among the remnants of the Rocks Pirates."
"If you ask me, that Celestial Dragon had it coming. If it weren't for him, our Marine might have one less powerful enemy to worry about."
"Shut up, Garp!"
---
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