Gasol snorted, determined to seize an opportunity to escape later. As for rescuing the captain of the Treasure Hoard Pirates... he'd just have to find another way to handle that.
But right at that moment, a dragon's roar echoed through the air.
ROAR!!
A terrifying, majestic aura descended instantly, enveloping the area above Gasol and draining the color from his face.
"Supreme-rank power!!" He gritted his teeth in fear.
Before he could even react, a black shadow swooped past, and in the next second, he was already clamped tightly within the claws of a massive divine dragon.
Damn it! How can anyone move this fast?! His mind reeled as he struggled desperately to break free.
"I have already given fair warning: no faction, no individual, no organization is permitted to take action within District 1. Since you knew the rules and broke them anyway, do not blame me for showing no mercy."
The Sea Dragon raised its claw, bringing Gasol up close to inspect him. "Die."
With that, the claw tightened slightly, crushing him to death instantly.
"Wait!!"
Panic surged through Gasol as he felt the terrifying grip of death closing in. "I know a secret about the Treasure Hoard Pirates... AAAAAHH!! Phantom, do not push people too far!!"
Amidst his screams, Gasol was crushed to death right then and there.
"Count Red... will avenge me!!"
With a final gurgled cry, his body went completely limp like mud. Every bone in his body had been shattered, and he reverted from his beast form back to his original human shape.
"Count Red?" The Sea Dragon sneered disdainfully. "Just another old relic. If he dares to show his face here, I'll swat him dead just as easily."
He tossed the body aside. "Hang him up for public display. Let everyone else see, so they know that Phantom's words are not empty threats."
...
Meanwhile, in the waters surrounding the Sabaody Archipelago.
Beneath the surface, a resin-coated ship hovered silently.
Inside the ship, in the captain's quarters, a large luminous stone cast a dim, eerie glow.
By its light, a man with a pale complexion could be seen.
He wore a long crimson cloak. Resting in his open right palm was a white card, which was slowly burning away until it vanished completely.
"Gasol's Vivre Card has burned out."
Leaning heavily on an umbrella-shaped cane, the man let out a low chuckle. "This faction called Phantom truly follows no laws or rules... Very well then. I suppose I shall have to go there myself. And while I'm at it, I'll pay Whitebeard a visit."
He gave his orders calmly. "Release the pressure. Ascend to the surface."
"As you command, Count Red."
A voice answered from the darkness.
Bubble... bubble... bubble...
Streams of air bubbles escaped from the coated hull, and the ship slowly began to rise.
...
Back on the Sabaody Archipelago.
Chaos and skirmishes were breaking out everywhere. More than a hundred thousand people from countless different factions were gathered here.
Since no one had yet confirmed the location of the blueprint, small-scale clashes had already erupted all over the island.
Between the major powers, however, a delicate balance was still maintained.
None dared to strike first. The Marines kept a close watch on Whitebeard and Kaido. The Ten Great Families limited themselves to covert moves.
The various pirate alliances had split into their own camps, and everyone was doing their best to hold back.
Every single person was searching, scouring every corner, trying to find the blueprint.
High in the sky, a large bird wreathed in cerulean flames soared in wide circles, patrolling the land below.
Marco flew a full loop around District 1, assessing the general situation.
"A Marine unit led by a Vice Admiral has encountered some kind of monster. No need to worry about that for now."
He thought to himself: Whoever has the blueprint will surely be desperate to leave Sabaody as soon as possible. That means anyone trying to flee is automatically a suspect.
But... after circling the whole area, I haven't spotted anyone trying to run yet. Hmm?
Suddenly, Marco let out a soft sound of surprise. From his vantage point high above, he spotted a disturbance taking place below.
A group of pirates was being blocked from leaving by a blind man.
One among them had turned his entire body into a pitch-black fluid-like substance, constantly changing shape, trying to trap the blind man.
But the blind swordsman possessed terrifying combat power and the ability to manipulate gravity, holding the upper hand and forcing the pirates back.
"Those pirates are trying to escape?" Marco's eyes narrowed. "That's Moonlight Sluth, captain of the Moonlight Pirates... user of the Magnet-Liquid Fruit!"
Making up his mind, Marco dove straight down.
Whoosh!
Like a meteor, the massive bird plummeted, landing directly between the two groups and forcibly separating them.
"Marco the Phoenix!" Sluth's face paled instantly, realizing the situation had just taken a turn for the worse.
Cerulean flames washed over them, burning fiercely, before eventually receding and condensing back into human form.
Marco glanced briefly at the blind swordsman, then fixed his gaze entirely on the Moonlight Pirates crew.
He pulled a Den Den Mushi from his pocket. "Old Man, I found a suspicious pirate crew. They already had a coated ship prepared for escape. Should I apprehend them immediately? Yes... it's the Moonlight Pirates."
Moonlight Pirates: Captain Moonlight Sluth, user of the Magnet-Liquid Fruit, bounty: 678,000,000 Berries.
Whitebeard's voice boomed from the other end of the line.
"Use your own judgment, Marco. Things are about to get messy over here too! Gurararara... You brats with snot running down your noses... instead of looking for the blueprint, you dare come after us, the Whitebeard Pirates? Do you even know who I am? I am Whitebeard!!"
That last part wasn't directed at Marco at all.
"Damn it, it's total chaos! Are people actually trying to attack the Old Man?!"
Marco frowned as the line went dead. The situation on Sabaody had devolved completely; it was now a muddy mess that threatened to drag everyone down into it.
Meanwhile, the ones who had caused all of this — Phantom — sat comfortably in the auction venue, watching everything unfold calmly from above.
____________________
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