The avenue leading from Grove 1 toward the auction district should have been empty.
Marine evacuation teams had cleared most shops, redirected coating crews, and driven civilians toward the eastern groves.
Barricades marked every intersection, while loudspeaker Den Den Mushi repeated the same order in increasingly urgent tones.
**"All civilians proceed east. Do not approach the western channels. This is an emergency evacuation."**
Yet the closer Garp's group came to the Human Auctioning House, the more crowded the road became.
The problem was not confusion.
It was a procession.
Saint Charlos's guards had blocked the central avenue so the World Noble would not be forced to share an evacuation route with ordinary people.
Merchants, pirates, auction employees, and terrified civilians had been ordered to kneel along both sides of the street while the procession moved at the pace Charlos found comfortable.
No one could leave until he passed.
Yamakaji ended a call with the local evacuation commander.
"They refused to open the side route. Charlos's escort threatened to have the officers executed for disrespect."
Gion's jaw tightened.
"We have an Emperor less than an hour away."
"They know."
"That makes it worse."
Garp walked at the front with his arms folded beneath his coat.
He had faced Roger, Rocks, and fleets capable of tearing islands apart, yet the sight ahead seemed to sour his mood more effectively than any pirate.
Zaraki noticed.
"You look angry."
"I was already angry."
"You usually get louder."
"I'm saving it."
"For Charlos?"
Garp looked at him from the corner of one eye.
"For whoever gives me the best reason."
A News Coo fluttered over the avenue despite the evacuation and dropped a fresh paper near the barricade. One Marine caught it before it landed in a puddle.
The front page displayed Zaraki's face beside Mihawk's.
**WAR DEMON ACCEPTS HAWKEYE'S REMATCH! WORLD AWAITS THE CLASH OF TWO MONSTROUS BLADES!**
The Marine looked from the headline to Zaraki walking several meters away.
"You answered him less than an hour ago. How did Morgans print this already?"
Yamakaji took the paper, scanned the article, and snorted.
"He did not. This edition was printed from the relay call five days ago. The headline claims Zaraki's public answer at Grove 1 merely confirmed it."
Gion read over his shoulder.
"At least they used the correct title."
Zaraki did not slow.
"Mihawk knows I answered. The bird can argue with everyone else."
Yamakaji folded the newspaper.
"You understand that half the world now expects you to duel him after this crisis."
"He waited this long."
Garp gave him a flat look.
"You fought Hawkeye while the entire Headquarters thought you were dead."
"I was alive at the time."
"That does not improve the sentence."
The first gunshot cracked through the street ahead.
Then came a high, nasal laugh.
The group passed the final barricade and entered the auction district.
The broad avenue was packed with kneeling people.
Expensive coats, pirate weapons, merchant jewelry, and cheap worker's clothes all pressed against the same dirty stones.
No one dared raise a head while World Noble guards stood between them with rifles.
The evacuation loudspeakers had been silenced in this section.
At the center of the procession, Saint Charlos sat on the back of an enormous enslaved man whose wrists and neck were bound in iron.
A transparent bubble covered the Celestial Dragon's head, and a decorated pistol smoked in his hand.
Blood marked the street in front of him.
A mermaid crawled through it.
Camie's short pale-green hair clung to her face.
Her camisole had been torn during the escape, scales were missing from her tail, and an explosive collar flashed around her neck.
She dragged herself forward with both hands while guards closed from either side.
A broken auction transport cage lay near the entrance to the Human Auctioning House.
During the evacuation, the staff had attempted to move their most valuable captives before abandoning the building.
Camie had forced herself through a damaged section when a frightened driver overturned the cage.
She had made it less than fifty meters.
Saint Charlos fired again.
The shot struck the stone beside her hand.
"Stop moving!" he shrieked. "I already bought you! If you damage my mermaid, I'll have everyone at the auction house executed!"
Camie flinched but continued pulling herself forward.
Gion's face went cold.
Yamakaji's hand clenched around his sword.
"Fish-Man Island is a member nation of the World Government," he said, each word scraped raw by disgust. "Yet people are dragged from its waters every day because mermaids sell for more than most pirate crews earn in a lifetime."
A bubble drifted down and burst against the edge of Zaraki's coat.
Yamakaji stared at the wounded girl.
"The traffickers do not fear Marine patrols. The flag that made them hesitate was Whitebeard's. A pirate Emperor protected Fish-Man Island more effectively than the institution claiming its taxes and allegiance."
Gion's fingers tightened around Konpira.
"We are standing beneath the word Justice while a World Noble shoots one of its citizens."
Garp's expression had become unreadable.
Zaraki's golden eyes remained fixed on Charlos.
He was not waiting to see how entertaining the suffering might become.
He was measuring the street: the explosive collar, the rifle positions, the kneeling civilians, the distance between Charlos and the closest guard, and the path of every possible shot if panic began.
His thumb rested against Nozarashi's guard.
Garp noticed.
"Do not cut through the collar."
"I know."
"And do not swing wide enough to take the avenue with it."
"I know."
"You saying that twice does not reassure me."
Zaraki looked at him.
"You could handle it."
"I'm a Vice Admiral standing in front of a Celestial Dragon. The moment I hit him, Sengoku receives an order he may not be able to ignore."
"That sounds like your problem."
"It becomes your problem when the Admirals are ordered to come."
Gion stepped closer.
"Kaido is already coming."
"Exactly," Garp said. "One catastrophe at a time."
Before Zaraki could answer, the kneeling crowd shifted.
Heavy wooden sandals struck the road from the opposite side of the avenue.
A broad blue figure pushed through the line of guards without touching any of them.
His cape moved behind him, and the red sun symbol across his chest stood bright against his skin.
Jinbe stopped between Camie and Saint Charlos.
The mermaid looked up through tears.
"Jinbe-san..."
Jinbe's eyes settled on the collar around her neck and the blood along her tail.
For one instant, murderous anger crossed his face.
Then he bowed.
"Saint Charlos," he said, forcing every word through controlled breath. "That girl is a citizen of Fish-Man Island and is under my protection."
The World Noble blinked inside his bubble.
Jinbe continued.
"I traced the trafficking vessel that brought her here and carried funds to recover any people from my homeland sold through this auction. I will repay the price you claim and compensate the auction house. Release her."
He placed a heavy case on the stones and opened it.
Bundles of Berries filled the interior.
"Three hundred million."
Charlos stared at the money.
Then he raised his pistol.
The gunshot echoed along the avenue.
Jinbe could have avoided it. He could have hardened his shoulder with Armament Haki or caught the bullet between two fingers.
He did neither.
The shot struck his upper shoulder, and blood ran down his arm.
Camie screamed.
Jinbe remained between her and the pistol.
Saint Charlos shook with outrage.
"You filthy fish! You think you can buy something from me? I already own it!"
The guards around him raised their weapons.
Garp's fist creaked.
Zaraki's smile vanished completely.
From beside the World Noble's procession, a purple-haired man wearing a leather half-mask rushed forward and bowed low enough that his forehead nearly touched the street.
"Saint Charlos, please do not upset yourself! We are already preparing your departure. My agents will recover the merchandise immediately."
Yamakaji's eyes narrowed.
"Spandam."
The name carried through the open command Den Den Mushi at his waist.
Back at Grove 1, Dorry and Brogy heard it.
The giant receiver amplified Brogy's answer from the outer berth.
"THAT IS THE MAN?"
The roar rolled across several groves and made the kneeling crowd flinch.
Spandam spun toward the distant sound.
"What was that?"
Zaraki removed one hand from his pocket.
"The captains you lied about."
Spandam's face lost color.
Before he could ask what Zaraki meant, another figure stepped from the World Noble's guard detail.
Jabra rolled his shoulders beneath a black suit, his pointed features sharpening with anticipation as he looked toward Camie.
Spandam seized the excuse.
"Jabra! Grab the mermaid and move Saint Charlos toward the eastern port!"
Jabra smiled.
"Yes, sir."
He took one step toward Camie.
Zaraki moved away from Garp.
The Marine Hero caught the back of his coat.
"Wait."
Zaraki looked over one shoulder.
Garp's eyes remained on Jinbe.
"Give him one breath to decide."
Jinbe's fists trembled at his sides.
Blood continued running down his shoulder, and every muscle in his body strained against the consequences of striking a Celestial Dragon.
Garp released Zaraki's coat.