After collecting all the heavenly gold with swift precision, Eli Winters flickered back onto the deck in a blur of motion. The vast warship was now eerily silent. Across the other navy vessels, the once-proud marines lay scattered in defeat, groaning or unconscious under the crushing force of Filina and the crew's overwhelming strength.
Eli's boots struck the wooden planks with calm, heavy rhythm as he strode toward the trembling figure of Saint Dedius. Without a word, Eli lifted his foot and drove it hard into the man's side. A dull crack echoed through the deck as Dedius jolted awake from unconsciousness, his eyes wide with terror.
Arms crossed, Eli looked down coldly at the disheveled Celestial Dragon, his voice low and sharp as ice.
"So? Now you understand what fear feels like?"
Agonizing pain shot through every limb of Dedius's body, each pulse of it battering against his fragile nerves. The so-called "noble of the world," pampered since birth and untouched by hardship, was reduced to a weeping, quivering mess.
"Please… don't kill me!" he whimpered through his tears. "If you spare my life, I'll give you anything gold, women, power! Whatever you want, it's yours!"
Eli let out a harsh laugh filled with disgust. "Do you think begging will buy your forgiveness? Did those innocents you slaughtered ever get that chance?" His eyes darkened. "You Celestial Dragons are nothing but parasites, feeding off the world's misery."
With a flick of his arm, a razor-thin rift of space split the air. The sound that followed was a soft slice and then a spray of red mist. Dedius's head fell cleanly from his shoulders, rolling across the deck as blood pooled beneath him.
Bardak's legs nearly gave out. His voice trembled as he muttered, "It's over… we're all done for."
No one had dared to kill a Celestial Dragon openly since the God Valley incident.
But Big Pan and the others showed no hint of fear. To them, Celestial Dragons were just another kind of pirate same blood, same weakness, just louder screams. And with a captain as fierce as Eli Winters, who would dare stand against them?
Eli wiped his blade clean and looked toward the horizon. "Let's wait," he murmured. "I want to see which Admiral they send this time."
Minutes stretched into twenty. The sea shimmered in silence until a beam of golden light streaked across the sky like a falling star.
Inside Marineford, Sengoku's voice crackled through a transponder snail. "Kizaru, are you there?"
Kizaru's lazy drawl replied, though his tone held a rare tension. "I'm here… but things look troublesome."
"What happened?"
"I found their ship," said Kizaru flatly. "Eli Winters is here."
Sengoku cursed under his breath. "Of all the people to provoke, why him? Didn't I tell those idiots a thousand times not to touch him?" His voice rose with fury. "Where's Bardak? He was supposed to keep the Celestial Dragon safe!"
Bardak, pale and shaking, muttered to himself, You think I didn't try? If I could've stopped him, I'd have run the other way.
Sengoku's tone hardened. "Kizaru, your mission is to rescue Saint Dedius. Do not engage with Eli. Just take him and retreat Eli won't harm the marines."
Kizaru's voice came back quiet. "Too late."
"What?"
"The Celestial Dragon's dead," said Kizaru, sighing softly.
The line fell silent. Sengoku rubbed his temples. "These damn kids… they're going to give me a heart attack."
Resigned, he ordered Kizaru to handle things as he saw fit and turned to face the Five Elders with a heavy heart.
Kizaru descended in a flash of gold onto the bloodstained deck. He scanned the scene bodies everywhere, the Celestial Dragon's headless corpse at Eli's feet and clicked his tongue. "What a terrifying young man," he said, forcing a crooked smile.
His usual playful demeanor faded for a moment. The Celestial Dragon's death didn't bother him much, but the number of fallen marines did. It meant Eli's patience with the Navy was wearing thin.
He straightened his tie and looked across at Eli, whose calm eyes seemed to pierce right through him. "Oh my, Eli Winters," Kizaru said, his tone light again. "You've caused quite the mess."
Eli shrugged. "Mess? I just cleaned up one of your world's biggest stains."
Kizaru sighed. "You realize what you've done will shake the world, don't you? The World Government won't stay quiet."
Eli smirked. "Then let them come."
As Big Pan and the others gathered protectively around their captain, Kizaru raised a brow. "Such troublesome company. You killed a Celestial Dragon, you know. I can't just let you walk away."
Then his expression sharpened. "Tell me, have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
In an instant, he vanished in a blinding flash. His foot, coated in Armament Haki, came swinging toward Eli faster than thought. But Eli didn't move.
Clang!
A long iron staff intercepted the kick midair. Big Pan grinned, muscles tensing. "Hey, old man. You're fighting me."
Kizaru blinked behind his sunglasses. "So scary. Even your crew's monsters."
Big Pan twirled his staff with a smirk. "Ever been hit with one of these?"
Kizaru's smile twitched. "That line sounds familiar."
Before he could react, Big Pan lunged, thrusting his staff forward like a spear. Kizaru burst into light, reappearing yards away. "My, my, young people these days," he muttered.
"Old man, you're not getting away that easy!" Big Pan roared, chasing him down as their battle tore across the sky in flashes of gold and thunder.
Meanwhile, a giant eagle swooped down from above, carrying two prisoners. It transformed midair into a sharp-chinned man Avari, Dedius's butler and CP9 agent. His eyes fell on his master's corpse, and he froze.
"It's over," he whispered, his face pale as death. "Everything's over."
Rage flared in his eyes. "Who did this?" he howled. "Who dared kill Saint Dedius? I'll hunt you down and rip you apart!"
The marines lying nearby gave him blank stares. You really need to ask?
He glared at Filina's group. "Was it you?"
They all shook their heads in unison. "No."
Avari blinked, then snarled. "Lies! You filthy commoners think you can defy the gods? I'll crush you all!"
Dark energy flared around him as his killing intent exploded outward, blasting nearby debris across the deck. Two of the captured civilians screamed as the shockwave sent them flying until Simon and Dorte flashed forward, catching them before they hit the ground.
Simon's expression hardened. "The captain's right. You people are worse than pirates."
Dorte cracked his knuckles, summoning his gauntlets. "Save the talk. This kind only learns through pain."
Avari swung his arm, cloaking it in Haki, meeting Dorte's strike head-on but the moment their fists met, bone snapped. "How… how are you this strong!?"
Dorte smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
Enraged, Avari transformed into his Zoan form a massive black hawk. His screech pierced the air, stunning Dorte for a split second before claws raked across his chest, leaving bloody trails.
"Lucky hit," Dorte growled.
Before Avari could attack again, a bolt of lightning struck him square in the chest. "Noisy bird," Filina muttered, lowering her hand.
"Damn brats," Avari hissed.
But Dorte wasn't done. He leapt, slammed both fists down, and sent the hawk crashing into the deck. A blast of water followed Simon's move then Chiyo exhaled a stream of icy-blue fire that froze Avari midair. Fiona's sword gleamed as she dashed in, her strike slicing through the ice and nearly through Avari himself.
From behind them, Reiju giggled softly, scattering a handful of glittering powder. Within seconds, Avari began clawing at his own skin, writhing in unbearable itchiness.
"Ah! What did you do to me!?" he screamed.
Reiju smiled sweetly. "Just a little something harmless. You'll live."
Everyone shivered. "Harmless, she says…"
Eli shook his head. "Enough, Reiju. Cure him. I still have questions."
She nodded and dispelled the toxin.
Meanwhile, the duel between Big Pan and Kizaru raged on. The Admiral's speed was unmatched, but Big Pan's raw strength kept him in the fight. When Eli finally raised his hand, Big Pan stopped immediately, retreating to his captain's side.
Kizaru hovered above the deck, frowning. Eli looked up at him and asked, "Tell me, Admiral has the Navy's 'justice' already lost its way?"
Kizaru adjusted his sunglasses. "Justice… has never been simple. Orders, politics, balance all of it clouds what's right or wrong."
Eli sneered. "Then you're just puppets wearing justice as a mask."
Kizaru sighed. "Maybe. But what you did today this will shake the world."
"I'll bear that," Eli said calmly. "But I wonder what you'll do… about him." He pointed to the barely conscious Avari.
Eli turned away, boarding the Silver Dragon with his crew. Kizaru didn't stop them.
As they sailed off, Avari roared, "You call yourself a Marine Admiral? You let criminals escape after killing a Celestial Dragon? I'll report this to the World Government!"
Kizaru rubbed his temple. "So troublesome."
A single flash of light shot from his fingertip. Avari froze, a clean hole through his forehead, then fell silently to the deck.
"Rescue the survivors," Kizaru ordered flatly.
Bardak stared in disbelief. "Admiral, killing him won't that cause trouble?"
Kizaru waved him off. "It's fine."
As he watched the Silver Dragon vanish into the distance, Kizaru muttered under his breath, "What a terrifying young man."
Back on his ship, Eli smiled faintly. He had marked Avari long before. Whether Kizaru killed him or not, the man was doomed.
But now, Eli had his answer Kizaru, despite everything, still had a conscience.
"Alright everyone," Eli said, turning to his laughing crew. "Another victory. You know what that means."
"Banquet time!" they cheered in unison.
Their joyous voices echoed across the sea, while far away in Marineford, Sengoku groaned as another handful of hair fell from his head.
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