"Ordinary gunfire. Not even Armament Haki is coating the bullets, and you lack Observation Haki entirely. Do you really think numbers alone can keep me here?"
The leading CP agent stiffly turned his head, only to discover that he could see his own body.
A short blade flicked through the air, droplets of blood falling from its edge.
Rowan looked at the trembling figures who raised their guns at him once more.
"Help me deliver a message to Mary Geoise. I don't visit Sabaody Archipelago very often. Tell them to come down more frequently when they have the time. With a bit of luck, I might not be around. What do you think?"
What a headache.
Golden light shot toward him, but Rowan had already vanished.
The radiance condensed into form as Borsalino reappeared, his brows tightly furrowed. This time, Rowan had truly left.
Just like before, his teleportation range exceeded the reach of Observation Haki, making pursuit impossible.
Borsalino ran a hand through his hair. If that man continued to act without restraint, the Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise would truly go mad.
That fool who knew nothing.
And now he would have to write another mountain of reports. What a nuisance.
On top of that, he would have to remain stationed at Sabaody for some time. No one else could provide support quickly enough.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford
"Buru buru... Buru buru..."
The Den Den Mushi from Mary Geoise rang incessantly, but Sengoku had no desire to answer.
Another Celestial Dragon had died.
Barely half a year had passed since the last one.
Although the World Government had immediately dispatched Kizaru, bypassing even Sengoku himself, it had still been too late.
The assassin had struck with astonishing speed. Only after the Celestial Dragon was killed and the culprit had escaped did the report reach him.
Sengoku could already imagine the fury of the Five Elders.
Sigh...
After letting out a long breath, Sengoku finally picked up the Den Den Mushi.
Strangely, the other end remained silent as well.
After a long pause, a voice finally spoke.
"Sengoku, you should know something about this, correct?"
"Yes."
"Then you should understand. If Celestial Dragons continue to be attacked and killed like this, then..."
"The mobility of Borsalino is already the fastest within the Marines. But the extent to which that man has developed his teleportation ability makes him impossible to stop!"
Another voice cut in from the Den Den Mushi.
"Sengoku, we are not here to hear your excuses! Marine Admirals have the duty to protect the Celestial Dragons!"
Sengoku remained unyielding.
"But neither the Marines nor the World Government even know the identity of this masked man! Unless his ability is restrained, he could escape at any time, even if surrounded at Marine Headquarters!"
If you have no solution, do you expect the Marines to have one?
Ridiculous.
That bastard's mastery of teleportation, combined with his Observation Haki, makes him impossible to capture.
"We need more time."
"Hm?"
"Devil Fruit abilities possess inherent weaknesses. Issue a bounty. Charge him with attempting to destroy the world. From now on, the Marines will cooperate fully with actions against the cloaked man."
"Understood."
Click.
The Den Den Mushi disconnected.
This time, however, there was no reprimand.
It was clear that the World Government also understood that with teleportation abilities, there was no way to stop their target from escaping.
"Buru buru..."
The Den Den Mushi rang again. As soon as Sengoku answered, a familiar face appeared on the snail's features.
"Hahaha! Fleet Admiral Sengoku, did you miss me? Have you hidden your rice crackers well? I'm coming back!"
Bang!
A fist slammed down, sending the documents on the desk flying.
"You old bastard! If you don't return soon, you can die in the East Blue! Shiki has escaped from Impel Down, and that cloaked man has killed another Celestial Dragon! Do you understand the severity of the situation?"
"Uh..."
The Den Den Mushi picked its nose. "Looks like that fellow has done another good deed. He's taken care of another piece of trash."
The moment those words left his mouth, Sengoku's gaze snapped toward the two communications officers.
Under the pressure of his aura, they nearly fainted. However, they clearly understood the Fleet Admiral's meaning.
"We... we didn't hear anything."
"N-Neither did I."
Both of them hurriedly bowed and backed out of the room.
Only then did Sengoku unleash his fury on Garp.
"Do you realize how serious those words were, you old fool? Get back here immediately and shut that mouth of yours!"
"And my rice crackers. If even one bag is missing, I'll send you straight to Mary Geoise. Or better yet, I'll promote you to Admiral and have you guard the Sabaody Archipelago!"
Click.
The Den Den Mushi hung up. Sengoku's head throbbed so badly that he did not want to hear another word.
He knew that old man's temperament all too well. If not for earning the title of Hero of the Marines after the battle at God Valley against Rocks, he would have been dealt with by the higher-ups more than a decade ago.
After a long silence, Sengoku walked to the window and looked down at the Marines below.
This sea was about to fall into chaos.
That man Roger, even in death, had left the Marines with an enormous problem.
And that cloaked figure. Was his objective truly limited to the Celestial Dragons?
There was also the matter of his ability to change faces and wield frost. Was it really ninjutsu from that closed-off nation in the New World, or had he consumed three Devil Fruits?
His first bounty would undoubtedly be an astronomical figure.
And the charge of attempting to destroy the world...
How fitting.
Prison Space
The Celestial Dragon who had just arrived was still in a daze. But the next moment, agonized screams pierced his ears, startling him.
When he looked over, he saw Saint Samite, whom he had not seen for more than half a year, rolling on the ground inside the opposite cell. Black flames engulfed his body.
His miserable cries were so horrifying that merely hearing them conveyed the unimaginable pain he was enduring.
Where was this place? Hell?
"I'm the vermin! I'm filth! I'm nothing but garbage!"
"Please... just kill me! Kill me!"
"It hurts so much!"
"Father! Mother! It really hurts!"
"Someone kill me... sob... it hurts!"
"I'm trash! The Celestial Dragons are trash! Mary Geoise is a pile of garbage! Let me die! Let me die!"
The piercing wails made Saint Volko's soul tremble.
What kind of torment could make Saint Samite completely abandon the pride of a Celestial Dragon, begging only for death?
Wait...
The rules governing prisoners within the prison space surfaced in Volko's mind.
His soul collapsed to the ground.
He understood. He finally understood why Saint Samite still appeared before him after more than half a year.
The corpse seen in Mary Geoise was real. The one wailing here was merely Saint Samite's soul, enduring torment that had already lasted for over six months.
More than six months...
At the thought of such a duration, Volko could not stop trembling.
So... would he suffer the same fate as Saint Samite? Endless black flames burning him without end, unable even to die, forced to scream in agony without the relief of unconsciousness.
"Mother..."
Saint Samite wailed once more, calling out to his mother, a Celestial Dragon of Mary Geoise.
"Ah! Kill me! Kill me!"
Perhaps having noticed him, Samite lunged forward, only to be blocked by the bars of the cell.
The sight terrified Volko. Grabbing the bars, he looked toward the corridor.
"I was wrong! I truly was wrong! Please don't punish me like this! I have countless treasures and endless Beli!"
"I'll give them all to you! Everything! Please, I beg you!"
At that moment, a faint light appeared in the dark passage.
"I can hear your noise the moment I open the door. So the soundproofing only blocks the corridor. How interesting."
Rowan waved his hand, and the black flames engulfing Saint Samite slowly dissipated.
There was still nearly a year left before the burning would be complete. A brief reprieve made little difference.
"Gasp... gasp..."
Panting heavily, Samite paid no attention to rest. He dropped to his knees beside the cell in a deep bow.
"Please... please... please..."
"I'm garbage. The Celestial Dragons are garbage. Please let me die completely."
"It hurts. It hurts so much..."
"Have mercy. Please..."
His soul's head repeatedly struck the floor of the cell. At this moment, not a trace of the former arrogance of a Celestial Dragon remained.
More than half a year of suffering, unable to faint and unable to perish. Without the special properties of this prison, he would have long since gone mad.
Yet it was precisely those properties that allowed him to experience true agony.
In the opposite cell, Saint Volko also dropped to his knees. He was terrified that he would suffer the same fate as Saint Samite.
"I was wrong. I am trash..."
Rowan smiled and looked at Volko.
"You learn quickly. Did witnessing his suffering teach you that much?"
Kneeling on the ground, Volko raised his head slightly. When he saw Rowan's soul form without a mask, he froze.
"You are... a Marine?!"
"Oh? You know me?"
The title of the Executioner of the West Blue would never reach the ears of the Celestial Dragons. To them, both Marines and CP agents were merely dogs.
During his time in the training camp and the Ohara incident, Rowan had gained only limited recognition within the Marines.
After all, when he killed Samite at Sabaody, even the accompanying CP agents did not recognize him.
The only time he had used his true identity publicly was during Roger's execution, which was why Roger had addressed him as "Little Sir."
Volko lowered his head again. Having witnessed Samite's fate, he had learned quickly. The agony he saw was more terrifying than death itself. Samite now longed only for a swift end.
"I... I saw you at CP9, from one of their agents."
As he spoke, Volko's eyes lit up.
"Y-Yes! When you were promoted to Rear Admiral, I played a part! I asked my father to—"
Before he could finish speaking, Rowan crouched down and faced him directly, smiling.
"One of the powerful figures behind Spandine, perhaps? So tell me, do you have any treasures hidden outside Mary Geoise?"
⚆﹏⚆
Saint Volko was on the verge of tears.
As a Celestial Dragon, he had everything he could ever want. They possessed limitless Beli, Devil Fruits, and more women and female slaves than they could count.
But what Celestial Dragon would hide such things, let alone outside Mary Geoise?
They were not pirates.
No matter how hard he racked his brain, Volko could not think of any treasure he possessed beyond Mary Geoise.
"Heh. It seems you have nothing."
Hearing this, Volko hurriedly said, "I can have Spandine give you a great deal of money. As long as—"
Rowan interrupted him. "As long as you can get out, right? Do I look like a fool? If I let you leave, I would expose myself. Besides, you're already dead. What remains here is merely your soul. You cannot leave."
Shaking his head in disappointment, Rowan ignored Samite's frantic begging and waved his hand.
Boom!
Black flames erupted within both cells. Agonized screams echoed through the corridor as the two Celestial Dragons competed in shrill wails, each louder than the other.
After leaving the corridor, Rowan headed toward the CP holding area.
He had not killed just one Celestial Dragon at Sabaody. Compared to them, the CP agents had left behind some useful inheritances.
Ten minutes later, after experiencing only a few seconds of torment, the stubborn agents kowtowed repeatedly and revealed everything.
With a sigh, Rowan suddenly felt like dragging that old rascal Roger back.
Roger used to handle such matters. Now that he had been released, he kept running off to Foosha Village, neglecting his duties as a warden.
It seemed he would need to appoint another jailer.
Grand Line, Unknown Island
This island had now become an early training and distribution base for the Revolutionary Army. The slaves rescued by Rowan at the Sabaody Archipelago were brought here for screening, and this time was no exception.
After being brought here, Tesoro underwent surgery immediately. Despite his severe injuries, he endured through sheer willpower.
Stella, who was brought later, also received treatment for her gunshot wounds. The lash marks looked terrifying but were not life-threatening.
She waited outside the surgical tent, her hands clasped in prayer as she murmured continuously.
It was not until nightfall that the Revolutionary Army's doctor and assistants finally emerged.
"The blood transfusion matched in time. He is out of danger. He kept murmuring a name. Are you called Stella?"
The young woman nodded repeatedly. Upon hearing the news, relief washed over her, and she collapsed to the ground.
Even when she was taken away by the Celestial Dragons, she had not cried. But now, tears streamed down her face as she repeatedly expressed her gratitude.
After some time, once she had calmed down, Stella thanked every person who had donated blood before quietly entering the tent to watch over Tesoro.
They had been saved. They had escaped that hellish place.
The night passed, and Tesoro finally awakened.
The first thing he saw was Stella, asleep on his chest. His slight movement woke her, and as their eyes met, they moved closer in silence.
At that moment, the tent flap was lifted, and a figure froze at the entrance.
"Ah... sorry, wrong place."
Wearing a mask, Rowan quietly stepped back outside.
Being force-fed such affection early in the morning made him feel absurdly full. They had just woken up, and they were already like this. Did they not even brush their teeth first?
Ridiculous.
In less than a minute, Stella stepped out of the tent.
"Oh? That was quick."
Her cheeks flushed red, but she bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle.
"If not for you, sir, Tesoro and I..."
Rowan waved his hand. "There is no 'sir' here. Like the others, you may call me Mr. Spark or simply 'Sir.' Either is fine."
"Besides, my primary target is the Celestial Dragons. Saving you was merely incidental. Still, I accept your gratitude.
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