—Broadcast—
A biting cold wind blew into Mary Geoise's holy land with such intensity that temperature dropped several degrees within seconds. The four individuals involved in this standoff could feel firsthand the terror of someone whose murderous intent had reached physically solid manifestation.
A fifth combatant was joining this family affair of the Celestial Dragons.
"I hope I'm not late," a female voice called out, carrying aristocratic refinement mixed with predatory menace.
A queen in immaculate white military dress appeared through the devastation—blue hair reaching her waist in elegant waves, her impressive figure straining against her uniform's tailored constraints. A very eye-catching black cross pendant rested against her chest, trembling with the woman's brisk, purposeful steps.
Ice formed on the ground wherever she walked—crystalline patterns spreading outward from each footfall. This was the origin of the supernatural cold that had announced her arrival.
A demon sword full of malevolent spirit hung at her waist, the blade practically radiating cursed energy even while sheathed.
Admiral Esdeath—sometimes called Shirousagi (White Rabbit) for reasons related to her sadistic hunting methods—had come here with maximum urgency. Many situations that seemed unchangeable might still possess opportunities for reversal if the right force intervened at the critical moment.
"The Acting Fleet Admiral sent you personally," Saint Jaygarcia Saturn observed, his ancient eyes narrowing with calculation. "It seems Artoria is absolutely determined to involve herself in this affair."
The Elder's previous arrogant expression—that aggressive demeanor he'd employed while bargaining with Wendy—underwent immediate transformation. When facing a top-tier warrior who'd been accidentally trained by his own initiative years ago, the man still possessed clear understanding of Esdeath's true combat capabilities.
She was genuinely terrifying. Not merely powerful, but creative in her cruelty.
Esdeath was notably not a Devil Fruit user despite her obvious supernatural abilities. As a well-deserved supreme female swordsman, consuming any Devil Fruit would saddle her with fatal weakness—vulnerability to seawater and Seastone that could neutralize her carefully cultivated skills.
Only a fool would accept such crippling limitations when alternatives existed.
The fact that Admiral Esdeath could currently control ice with such precision was closely connected to Saint Jaygarcia Saturn's past scientific experiments. Unfortunately for the Science Defense Martial God, this particular project had not only failed to achieve intended objectives but had actually cost him considerably.
He'd not only failed to retain such a powerful warrior under Celestial Dragon control, but she'd been poached by the Acting Fleet Admiral of the New Marine. Esdeath hadn't become a disposable thug for the Celestial Dragons as intended.
Instead, she'd become one of Artoria's Three Royal Guards—the King's most loyal personal defenders, answering only to the Fleet Admiral herself.
Esdeath harbored absolutely no positive feelings toward her former employer. Ninety-nine percent of her achievements today resulted from her own relentless effort and natural talent. Only one percent could be attributed to fortunate circumstances.
Therefore, the woman felt no gratitude whatsoever to Saint Saturn for marginally helping her acquire ice manipulation capabilities. She possessed no warm feelings for a creature that wasn't genuinely human—something wearing human skin while thinking with fundamentally alien psychology.
Esdeath shifted her predatory gaze toward the massive dragon. She naturally appreciated beautiful things, and the Sky Dragon's elegant form certainly qualified as aesthetic despite its destructive capability.
"Girl," her voice carried authority softened slightly with encouragement. "Transform back into your human form. Your beast state is so enormous that conversation becomes impractical. Don't worry—nobody here can harm you while I'm present. I guarantee your safety with this demon sword."
The powerful woman placed her hand deliberately on her sword's hilt—a gesture carrying multiple layers of meaning. Threat. Promise. Demonstration of readiness.
This blade was called Murasame, and it hadn't always been a demon sword. In an ancient duel occurring long ago—specific details lost to fragmented historical records—the weapon had been stained with its first owner's blood during betrayal or defeat.
Throughout subsequent history, Murasame had been wielded by numerous warriors. Each time its owner died violently, their blood further corrupted the blade's essence. Eventually it became an ominous sword overflowing with accumulated curses—a weapon that whispered to its wielder, promising power in exchange for sanity.
At less than thirty years of age, Esdeath could wield this profoundly cursed weapon through pure strength of will alone. Her mental fortitude was truly astounding, making modern swordsmen question their own capabilities and life choices.
How could someone so young dominate a blade that had destroyed dozens of previous owners?
Wendy didn't intend trusting this strange woman's words one hundred percent. The dragon's massive head turned toward Saint Mjosgard, seeking guidance from the only person she genuinely trusted.
She believed completely that her brother would never betray her interests.
After a brief moment of consideration, Saint Mjosgard nodded with obvious affection toward his sister. Although he'd not enjoyed extensive personal contact with Admiral Esdeath, his friend Hoshigaki Kisame—the fish-man Admiral—had provided general introduction to this powerful woman's character.
Admiral Esdeath was a combatant who valued strength and directness above all else. She disdained conspiracy and manipulation, preferring to handle most problems through straightforward overwhelming violence. She rarely made promises to others, maintaining emotional distance and professional detachment.
But when she genuinely committed to something, she would absolutely fulfill that obligation. Her word, once given, was ironclad.
Her brother had made a choice on Wendy's behalf, and she naturally elected to trust Saint Mjosgard wholeheartedly. Blue ethereal light enveloped the hundred-meter Sky Dragon as the Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit released its beast transformation for the first time before witnesses.
The massive draconic form condensed, compressed, restructured according to human genetic template.
A dark blue-haired girl with distinctive twin tails appeared before everyone in human configuration. She looked perhaps eleven or twelve years old—young enough that her childish features still dominated her appearance.
Wendy immediately walked to her brother's side, looking at surrounding strangers with obvious wariness. This defensive posture represented wild beast wisdom—always remaining alert in unfamiliar environments, never exposing vulnerabilities carelessly.
Observing the girl's youthful appearance, the first impression she created for outsiders was profound harmlessness. She stood less than 1.5 meters tall—the shortest individual present among the assembled combatants and negotiators.
Yet everyone recognized the cognitive dissonance: this diminutive child had nearly launched a horrific technique capable of destroying Mary Geoise's holy land entirely. The contrast between appearance and capability was almost absurd.
Now that the person who'd devastated Mary Geoise had voluntarily taken a conciliatory step backward and disarmed herself, the next phase could proceed. What ultimately happened to this girl would depend entirely on the forthcoming major negotiation session.
Esdeath shifted her calculating gaze toward the horned Elder. The sadistic warrior's expression settled into a formulaic smile that didn't reach her cold eyes.
"Saint Jaygarcia Saturn," she began with careful diplomatic phrasing, "I sincerely hope you can give the Marine some consideration and choose not to pursue Wendy's actions too harshly. Please don't reject this proposal immediately—what I'm about to present represents a genuine win-win situation for both the Celestial Dragons and the Marine."
After receiving emergency reports from Admiral Kisame's subordinates via Den Den Mushi, Acting Fleet Admiral Artoria Pendragon had immediately formulated a seemingly balanced plan. She'd entrusted its delivery to Esdeath—one of her Three Royal Guards and most trusted advisors.
At this strategic moment, the New Marine possessed numerous Admirals across multiple combat specialties. This organizational depth allowed them to extend an invitation: Saint Mjosgard's sister Wendy—a girl who technically qualified as Celestial Dragon through bloodline—could join the Marine instead of the God's Knights.
The Acting Fleet Admiral understood Saint Saturn's psychology with perfect clarity. He would definitely attempt recruiting Wendy into the God's Knights—adding a Mythical Zoan user to the Celestial Dragons' personal military force.
However, Saint Mjosgard—that traitor among Celestial Dragons who'd chosen fish-men over his own people—would absolutely never permit his sister jumping into that particular fire pit. He'd witnessed God's Knights' brutality firsthand. He knew what they truly represented.
Since the two parties fundamentally couldn't agree on Wendy's destination, a compromise solution emerged naturally: Wendy could join the Marine organization and receive Admiral rank immediately.
This arrangement possessed multiple strategic advantages:
It would avoid triggering Saint Mjosgard's visceral disgust and protective instincts. The World Government still nominally led the New Marine through bureaucratic channels. The Five Elders would theoretically possess full ability to dispatch Wendy for missions in the future.
If Wendy actually agreed to these conditions, she'd atone for her destructive actions under the Marine's justice system. Both the Marine and World Government would share access to a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit user of unprecedented capability.
Wasn't this a perfect win-win strategy benefiting all parties equally?
A win-win situation? Was it genuinely win-win? Saint Jaygarcia Saturn felt the Acting Fleet Admiral's calculated proposal had already metaphorically slapped him across the face.
He didn't know whether the Celestial Dragons and Five Elders could genuinely "win" anything against Artoria Pendragon's strategic maneuvering. But he felt absolutely certain of one critical fact:
The New Marine represented by Artoria would definitely win twice.
The girl would join their organization. She'd be trained according to their philosophy. Her loyalty would be cultivated toward the Fleet Admiral personally rather than abstract Celestial Dragon authority.
And when the Five Elders eventually tried exercising their theoretical dispatch authority? They'd discover that Wendy's actual allegiance lay elsewhere entirely.
The Five Elders were admittedly rather reclusive, preferring not to leave Mary Geoise's holy land unless absolutely necessary for critical matters. Their advanced age and accumulated responsibilities made travel increasingly burdensome.
But that lifestyle preference didn't mean these five ancient rulers were fools. Far from it.
The problems increasingly exposed by the New Marine's independent behavior had reached a point where deliberate ignorance was no longer strategically viable. The organization's deviation from intended purpose couldn't be dismissed as coincidence or temporary aberration.
When the Marine had been established eight hundred years ago—conceived as the Celestial Dragons' primary military enforcement arm—those divine rulers never dreamed they'd eventually shoot themselves in the foot so catastrophically.
The Marine had been an obedient dog since childhood, trained to serve without question. But one day that dog had grown large enough, strong enough, confident enough to show its teeth to its supposed master.
And now? Now the dog was demanding seats at the negotiating table. Claiming authority over critical decisions. Building independent power bases that rivaled Mary Geoise itself.
The New Marine wasn't just asking for autonomy. They were taking it piece by piece,WrappingEach appropriation in diplomatic language that made refusal appear unreasonable.
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn looked at Esdeath's formulaic smile and recognized the trap concealed within her "generous" offer.
But could he refuse? Rejecting this proposal would mean either executing Mjosgard publicly—triggering Wendy's city-destroying technique—or releasing her without concessions, destroying Celestial Dragon credibility entirely.
The Marine had maneuvered him into a position where every available choice benefited them more than the World Government.
Artoria Pendragon was proving herself a dangerously competent political operator in addition to her military brilliance.
The Five Elders would need to discuss this development extensively.
The dog was no longer content being a dog. And they'd inadvertently given it nuclear teeth.
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