Before his words had even faded, Zaraki vanished from where he stood.
Gion and Yamakaji's pupils contracted sharply.
In their vision, they only had time to catch a blurred afterimage tearing through the distance between the warship and the sky.
There was no thunderous sonic boom, only a faint hiss, like a blade slicing across silk.
"You—!"
Buffalo, who was in the sky, had only just caught Zaraki's movement.
A single word had barely left his mouth before his voice stopped abruptly.
His eyes widened, and the expression beneath his flight goggles froze completely.
Beside him, Baby 5's arm was still in the shape of a rotating gun barrel, the wariness on her face frozen along with it.
Two sharp lines flashed across the air.
Buffalo's spinning propellers were severed cleanly, while the weapon barrel formed from Baby 5's arm shattered into warped fragments with a metallic scream.
Blood sprayed, but neither wound struck a vital point.
The two Donquixote officers lost balance at the same time and plunged downward, crashing hard into the warship's deck amid splintering wood and torn canvas.
Everything happened in a single instant.
Gion and Yamakaji were still leaning forward, mouths slightly open, their words stuck in their throats.
The Marines on the deck were full of confusion.
All they saw was Zaraki's figure blur for a moment, and then the two enemies in the sky were already lying on the deck, groaning and unable to move.
With a soft sound, Zaraki's figure reappeared in front of them, as if he had never left at all.
His right hand still rested near his sword hilt.
The blade had been drawn a few inches, and a trace of blood was slowly sliding down the steel edge before dripping onto the deck with a soft tap, blooming into a tiny flower of red.
In his left hand, he was holding a woman's wrist as casually as if he were carrying a chick.
The woman wore sunglasses and a dancer's outfit. It was Viola, who had been standing behind Buffalo moments ago.
Her body was stiff, trembling uncontrollably. Her sunglasses hid her eyes, and also hid whatever emotions were moving through her at that moment.
**[Detected defeat of Donquixote Family officers Buffalo and Baby 5. Reward: 180 points.]**
Zaraki glanced at the number in his mind and immediately lost interest.
Not enough.
"Zaraki!"
Gion was the first to react.
Her face, which usually carried a trace of laziness, was now cold.
"Do you know who you just attacked?! Those are officers under Donquixote Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Heavenly Yaksha! If this is handled badly, it will be treated as you declaring war on a Warlord!"
Yamakaji's expression was also ugly.
He clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead as he said in a deep voice.
"Brat, I know you're bold, but you've gone too far this time! The matter with Kaido hasn't even been resolved, and now you've provoked Doflamingo too? Are you trying to drag all of Marine Headquarters down with you?! And... why did you disable those two but leave this woman unharmed?"
Zaraki seemed not to hear their questioning.
He released Viola's wrist, and her legs immediately gave way as she collapsed to the deck.
Then he turned around and looked calmly at the two Vice Admirals, even wearing a faint smile.
"Of course I know who they are," he said unhurriedly. "And I also know I needed an excuse."
He pointed at Viola, who was still trembling on the ground.
"And she is part of that excuse. Vice Admirals, aren't you curious why the former princess of Dressrosa, Princess Viola of the Riku Family, would appear with Doflamingo's officers and use her Giro Giro no Mi ability to search for my whereabouts on Kaido's behalf?"
Gion and Yamakaji's voices instantly caught in their throats.
Princess?
That name struck their minds like a clap of thunder.
Of course they had read the relevant files. Dressrosa's change of royal power, the overthrow of the Riku royal family, Doflamingo's rise as the new king... the World Government had defined all of it as the will of the people.
But now, looking at this living former princess before them, a completely different and far darker truth surfaced uncontrollably in their minds.
Zaraki's gaze sharpened. He stared at them and spoke word by word.
"I suspect Doflamingo colluded with pirates, usurped the throne of Dressrosa, forced members of the former royal family into his service, and sent his officers to help an Emperor track a Marine officer. Is that reason enough for me to cut him down?"
"T-That's only your speculation!" Yamakaji's voice was somewhat dry, and his confidence was clearly lacking. "Without evidence, based only on some woman of uncertain identity—"
"Uncertain identity?"
Viola, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke.
With trembling hands, she removed her sunglasses, revealing a pair of tear-filled eyes that stared fixedly at the two Marine Vice Admirals.
"Evidence?"
Her voice was hoarse and tearful, yet every word was clear.
"Doflamingo is colluding with Kaido, one of the Four Emperors. He built a SMILE factory in Dressrosa to produce artificial Zoan Devil Fruits. The entrance is hidden beneath the toy house, and the factory itself is guarded by his officers. Send a unit there and you will know whether I am lying. Does the Navy really not know about that?"
"He sells weapons through the underworld to every corner of the world, stirring up wars and throwing countless countries into flames. Does the World Government turn a blind eye to that too?"
"He uses Sugar's ability to turn every dissenter in Dressrosa into a toy, leaving them conscious yet unable to speak, forgotten by their own families and forced to suffer endless torment! I can show you what I have seen with my own eyes. In your eyes, does that also count as the will of the people?"
Those consecutive questions made Gion and Yamakaji's faces shift from ashen to deathly pale, their eyes filled with shock.
They could not verify every word on the spot, but Viola's identity, Doflamingo's connection to Kaido, and the fact that Doflamingo's officers had just delivered her to search for Zaraki were already enough to make their hearts sink.
Every word from Viola struck at the justice they had upheld all this time.
They opened their mouths, wanting to refute her, only to find their throats blocked, unable to say a single word.
The deck fell into deathly silence.
Only Viola's tearful accusation echoed beside everyone's ears.
She looked at the two speechless Marine officers before her, then let her gaze pass over them and settle on the Marine flag.
A faint, mocking curve slowly appeared at the corner of her mouth.
Viola's words made Gion and Yamakaji instinctively look away, unable to meet those eyes filled with blood and tears.
The sea wind tugged at the Marine cloaks on their backs, and the snapping sound now felt especially harsh.
"So this is your alliance with pirates?" Viola's voice turned cold and hollow. "You honor the butcher of a nation as a Warlord of the Sea and give him the legal right to plunder. Is this the justice your Marines are so proud of?"
Collusion.
That word stabbed deeply into both Vice Admirals.
Gion's hand tightened around her famous blade, Konpira, until her knuckles turned pale.
Yamakaji bit down hard on his cigar, unaware even when the ash burned his lips.
He only turned his head toward the churning sea, as if that deep blue could swallow the frustration in his heart.
They had no answer.
Because Viola was telling the truth.
Did the higher-ups in the Marines really not know what Doflamingo was doing?
Impossible.
It was just that his status was special. He was not merely a Warlord; he was also tied to the Celestial Dragons.
When the Five Elders personally gave the order, who dared defy it?
On this sea, true justice had never been something defined by soldiers like them who risked their lives on the front lines.
Zaraki took in both of their expressions.
He saw Gion's struggle, and he also saw Yamakaji's resentment.
Even Vice Admirals in high positions were powerless when facing certain kinds of darkness.
The fire in their hearts had perhaps long since been bound by rules and orders.
Suddenly, as if by agreement, Gion and Yamakaji both looked toward him at the same time.
Their gazes were complicated, carrying shock, inquiry, and even a trace of hope neither of them had noticed.
Yes, hope.
What they could not do, perhaps this madman before them, the one who even dared clash with an Emperor...
However, that thought only flashed for an instant before it quickly died out.
Kaido.
That name weighed on everyone's heart.
Zaraki himself was barely safe, currently being hunted by the strongest creature in the world.
What could he possibly use to deal with another deeply rooted Warlord of the Sea?
Thinking of that, the light in their eyes faded completely, leaving only worry and bitterness behind.
The deathly silence on the deck was broken by Zaraki's soft laugh.
He looked around at everyone, the smile on his face carrying a trace of amusement, as if the accusation that could overturn an entire kingdom was nothing more than an interesting topic to him.
"Good."
He nodded, his tone as relaxed as if he were deciding what to eat for dinner.
"Since he was kind enough to send people to 'welcome' me, it would be rude of me not to pay him a visit."
In an instant, everyone froze.
Gion, Yamakaji, and Viola, who was sitting collapsed on the deck, all widened their eyes at the same time, their faces filled with disbelief.
"I'm going to Dressrosa."
Zaraki ignored their shock and finished stating his decision in a calm, matter-of-fact tone.
"And I'm going to twist Doflamingo's head off."
"You're insane!"
Yamakaji finally reacted.
His rough voice rose sharply from urgency as he rushed up to Zaraki in a few strides, nearly spraying spit onto his face.
"Do you know what you're saying?! Kaido is still chasing us from behind! If you go to a fixed island like Dressrosa now, that's basically serving yourself up to Kaido on a plate!"
"Zaraki! Calm down!"
Gion was anxious too. Her usual composure vanished, and her voice turned stern with worry.
"This is not the time to play hero! We have to report the intelligence about Dressrosa to Fleet Admiral Sengoku first and secure proper authorization! That is the safest way!"
'Return to Headquarters? Wait for those old men to argue in circles?'
Zaraki sneered inwardly.
By the time they finished studying the issue and reached a result, his limited-time blind box would have long expired.
But even without the box, the moment Viola spoke, his interest had already changed shape.
Dressrosa was no longer just a target worth points. It was a cage full of people waiting for someone strong enough to kick the door open.
His gaze passed over the two anxious Vice Admirals and landed on Viola.
He saw a dazzling light burst in the woman's eyes because of his words about twisting off Doflamingo's head.
But after hearing Yamakaji and Gion's rational objections, that light quickly dimmed again.
She bit her lower lip hard, her nails digging deeply into her palm, her whole body trembling.
She longed for Zaraki to cut through Dressrosa's nightmare, but she also knew how selfish it would be to ask him to risk being killed by Kaido for the sake of her country.
So she said nothing, swallowing all her pain and struggle back down.
Zaraki withdrew his gaze.
He did not respond to Yamakaji's shouting, nor did he answer Gion's advice.
He merely turned around, facing the wind as he looked out across the boundless sea, as if he could already see that sinful nation wrapped in strings and lies.
Only after a long while did he slowly speak. His voice was not loud, yet it clearly overwhelmed the sea wind and reached everyone's ears.
"Who told you I was hiding from Kaido?"
The moment those words fell, he turned back and met Gion's stunned, confused gaze, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Vice Admiral Gion, lend me your secure Den Den Mushi for a moment."
Gion instinctively tightened her grip on the encrypted Marine Den Den Mushi at her waist, unable to move for a moment.
Her mind was still processing what Zaraki had just said.
He was not hiding?
Then what was he doing?
Taking Kaido on a sightseeing tour across the sea?
As she hesitated, a rough hand holding two cigars reached over and stopped in front of her.
It was Smoker.
He exhaled a thick ring of smoke, the haze blurring his rebellious face, leaving only his eyes sharp and clear.
"Give it to him."
Gion frowned. "Smoker, you..."
"That man," Smoker interrupted, glancing toward Zaraki's back with certainty in his tone, "doesn't do things he isn't confident about."
Gion was instantly speechless.
She opened her mouth, only to realize she could not find any reason to refute him.
That's right.
Ever since this man appeared, which of the things he had done had not seemed insane and impossible to others?
And what had the result been?
He was still alive, and more arrogant than anyone else.
A complicated emotion rose in her heart.
She glared at Smoker as if annoyed that he had exposed the wavering in her own heart.
In the end, she still gritted her teeth, removed the Den Den Mushi, and handed it over.
Carina, who had been silent beside them, suddenly smiled faintly.
"Vice Admiral Gion, you seem more worried than angry."
"What nonsense are you talking about?!"
Gion's cheeks instantly flushed faintly, and she snapped back like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"Carina! Stop saying ridiculous things here! I'm just assessing the risks. That is my duty as a Marine Vice Admiral."
Yamakaji gave a dry laugh, but this time he did not tease further. The situation was too heavy for that.
Zaraki ignored the brief exchange behind him and took the secure Den Den Mushi.
He turned the dial with practiced ease, and the Den Den Mushi's expression immediately began imitating his, becoming serious and focused.
Purupurupuru... Purupurupuru...
Kacha.
The crisp sound of the call connecting instantly silenced the noise on the deck.
Everyone's gaze gathered on that small communication device.
Zaraki brought the receiver to his mouth, his voice calm and steady, more like he was issuing an order.
"Connect me to Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
After a brief silence, he added,
"I need Kaido's latest confirmed coordinates and projected route."
The moment those words fell, Gion's heart sank hard.
She could almost imagine what kind of commotion this mad command would cause once it reached the meeting hall in Marineford, where the highest-ranking Marine officers had gathered.
On those solemn, dignified faces, there would probably be only one shared expression.
A helpless, bitter smile.