On the deck of the luxury liner, Saint Rosward lay bruised and swollen, snot and tears running down his face, surrounded by a circle of pirates staring at him as if he were some rare specimen.
"So this is a so-called World Noble? Why's he so weak?"
"The world is ruled by trash like this? Unbelievable."
"Aren't Celestial Dragons supposed to live in the Holy Land, Mary Geoise? What's he doing out here? Could he be fake?"
…
The Celestial Dragons—descendants of the twenty kings who founded the World Government 800 years ago—called themselves the "Descendants of the Creator."
Considering themselves too noble to breathe the same air as commoners, they wore glass bubble helmets at all times, making them easy to identify.
"You filthy, wretched scum! How dare you strike the great Saint Rosward! I'll turn every last one of you into my slaves and make your lives worse than death!"
Even with his face swollen like a pig's head, Rosward continued to scream and curse, completely unable to grasp the situation.
Chu Qiye folded his arms and chuckled.
"Yep. That's the authentic Celestial Dragon flavor. Must be the real deal."
"Captain, I've never killed a Celestial Dragon before. Mind giving me the honor?"
"Don't kill him yet. Let's play a little longer. World Nobles don't show up every day."
"Boss Rocks, what do we do with this fat pig?"
…
The Rocks Pirates had already openly declared war on the World Government. Would they feel any pressure dealing with a mere Celestial Dragon?
Chu Qiye thought for a moment. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"Don't kill him yet. I've got a fun idea—way more interesting than just killing him."
"Oh?" Rocks raised an eyebrow. "And how do you plan to play?"
"Heh heh heh…"
With a mischievous grin, Chu Qiye stepped forward and grabbed Rosward by the throat, lifting him off the ground.
"Urk—!"
Rosward struggled in agony.
"Dual Complete Hands!"
A red aura flowed from Chu Qiye's hand, enveloping Rosward's entire body.
Amid Rosward's shrill screams, his limbs began to shrink little by little. His facial features twisted grotesquely. His voice grew lower and lower…
…
Holy Land Mary Geoise.
Inside the headquarters of the World Government, the Five Elders sat together, their faces darker than storm clouds.
Behind them, a disheveled middle-aged man trembled violently, clutching a fat pig dressed in clothing.
And it was not a metaphor. It was literally a pig.
"I'll give you one more chance to answer. Is this pig truly Saint Rosward?"
"Y-Yes, my lords! I saw it with my own eyes! That young man in black grabbed Saint Rosward by the throat, and he slowly turned into a pig…"
Bang!
Before he could finish, the man's head exploded from a gunshot.
"It was the Black Devil Chu Qiye's ability. No mistake."
"Two years ago, he used the same power to turn the king of a member nation into a woman. The impact of that incident was extremely severe—that's why we raised his bounty to 500 million Berries."
"No matter what, the matter of a Celestial Dragon being turned into a pig must not be leaked."
If Rosward had simply been killed, it could have been classified as a vicious incident. The World Government's reputation wouldn't have suffered too greatly—after all, the Rocks Pirates were already open enemies.
But turning a Celestial Dragon into a pig? That was something else entirely.
If news spread, the idea that "Celestial Dragons are pigs" would slowly take root in people's minds.
It wouldn't just smear the World Government—it would humiliate every Celestial Dragon, stripping them of all dignity.
Far more serious than death.
Just as the Five Elders were discussing how to completely seal the information, a high-ranking government official burst into the room in a panic.
"Elders! This is bad—terrible news!"
He handed them a newspaper. The bold headline leapt into view:
[Shocking! The True Species of the World Noble Celestial Dragons Is Actually…]
Below it were two photographs: one of Rosward before his transformation—and one after, as a pig.
At the bottom of the article was the author's signature:
[Black Devil Qiye-chan]
No one needed to ask who that was.
"AAAAAHHHH!!!"
The Five Elders erupted in fury, their rage shaking the entire chamber.
"Notify Marine Headquarters—raise Black Devil Chu Qiye's bounty to 2 billion Berries! He must be captured alive! I will personally tear him limb from limb!"
"Also, instruct all intelligence agencies to coordinate with the Marines to exterminate the Rocks Pirates!"
"And finally, dispatch someone to placate the Celestial Dragons… No—forget it. We'll go ourselves."
…
While the World Government raged and scrambled in chaos, the Rocks Pirates were throwing a banquet, laughter ringing across the sea.
"Wororororo! Aside from Captain Rocks, I've never admired anyone else. Qiye, you're the second!" John roared.
"This time the World Government and the Celestial Dragons have lost all their face."
"Why don't we just charge straight into Mary Geoise and have Qiye turn all the Celestial Dragons into pigs?"
…
The successful humiliation of the World Government put everyone in high spirits.
Chu Qiye was in high spirits too—his bounty had been raised to 2 billion Berries.
He was now the second-highest bounty in the Rocks Pirates—and the second pirate in the Grand Line to surpass the 2-billion mark.
"Edward, see who's advancing faster now?" Chu Qiye teased the man beside him.
Last month, Edward had officially gained the epithet "Whitebeard," and his bounty had risen to 1.65 billion Berries.
Still, Chu Qiye was used to calling him Edward—and had no intention of changing.
"Gurararara… You're just lucky. I'll surpass you again sooner or later."
"Edward, it's not even dark yet. Why are you talking in your sleep?"
"You've got a sharp tongue—I can't out-argue you. How about we settle this properly, blade to blade?"
"Hahaha! Bring it on! If I back down, I'm your grandson!"
Seeing the two eager to fight, the pirates immediately began cheering.
"Place your bets! No refunds! Whitebeard pays 1-to-1, Black Devil pays 1-to-10!"
"Five million on Whitebeard!"
"I support Qiye! …But I'll put eight million on Whitebeard just in case!"
…
The Rocks Pirates might have been a vicious and ruthless crew—but thanks to Chu Qiye, the ship was never short on entertainment.
Aside from the few unfortunate souls he had beaten half to death, most of the crew genuinely liked him.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
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