Saint Charlos was currently in a complicated state of mind.
On one hand, he was furious. How dare a mere mortal repeatedly provoke a descendant of the gods?
On the other hand, he felt a flicker of fear. After all, in a single instant, more than twenty of his guards had been silently slaughtered.
It was only when a group of Marines stepped in front of him and he heard that Akainu was already on his way that he felt somewhat reassured. After all, the man opposite him was just a Vice Admiral. Could he really hope to overturn the will of an Admiral?
Meanwhile, Sean beckoned to someone behind him, and a woman wearing a mask and a Marine uniform stepped forward.
"Take care of her. If any accidents occur, call Blueno immediately, and then you all leave first."
"What about you?"
"I'll be fine. Akainu shouldn't attack me, and even if he does, he won't be able to stop me if I decide to leave!"
"Alright, I understand!"
Robin nodded, then helped the woman who had collapsed on the ground to her feet, preparing to depart.
Right then, Saint Charlos's eyes suddenly lit up with a look of intense greed. Although the woman wore a mask and her face was hidden, her figure... and that mature body radiating a constant, seductive aura...
She was far more enticing than the previous woman—vastly so!
He gave a harsh tug to the ten-centimeter string of snot dangling from his nose.
"You lot! Capture that masked woman for me, now!"
"This..."
Hearing Charlos's sudden order, the Marines were stunned once again.
They had originally thought they could just maintain the stalemate until Rear Admiral Bastille and Admiral Akainu arrived to end the matter. At the very least, that would be better than the current situation where they had no idea what to do.
After all, when gods fight, what right did small fry like them have to interfere?
But now, Charlos was ordering them to seize Vice Admiral Sean's subordinate. Wasn't that just forcing them to commit suicide?
'Maybe I should just rush in and beg Vice Admiral Sean to knock us unconscious?'
This thought suddenly popped into the captain's head. The more he thought about it, the more reliable the method seemed.
"Move out! We'll charge, but remember—just pretend. Whatever you do, don't actually attack!" the captain whispered. "I'll try to communicate quietly with Vice Admiral Sean and see if I can beg him to knock us out!"
The eyes of the surrounding Marines lit up. 'Wait... you can do that? That's a brilliant idea!'
Just as they were about to act, they were interrupted.
A figure blurred past them at incredible speed, blocking the Marines' path. Seeing the massive frame—standing four or five meters tall—and the officer's "Justice" coat draped over his shoulders, the captain immediately recognized the newcomer.
"Rear Admiral Bastille!"
Indeed, it was Bastille, the current head of the Sabaody Archipelago branch.
Ignoring the Marines behind him, Bastille fixed his gaze on Sean.
"Vice Admiral Sean, Admiral Akainu is already on his way. While things haven't reached a point of no return, surrender now!"
"Otherwise, not even the Fleet Admiral will be able to protect you!"
As he spoke, Bastille's hand tightened around the hilt of his sword.
"Salute me."
"Hmm?"
"I said salute me. Do you not understand? If I remember correctly, you were also a student of old man Zephyr. Did he not teach you how to behave when meeting a superior?"
Bastille was genuinely stunned. Normally, if Sean said this to him, there would be no issue at all. But given the current situation, was this really the appropriate time to bring that up?
"Vice Admiral Sean, do you actually understand what you've done, or the situation you're in right now?"
"I understand perfectly. However, I'm quite curious if 'you' understand."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, since when did the Marines start arresting and convicting people without even understanding the facts? If this is how you handle things, you are not qualified to wear that coat of Justice!"
...
'Boss, you attacked a Celestial Dragon! Isn't that reason enough?'
'Does the cause even matter? As long as you attack a Celestial Dragon, regardless of the reason, it is a capital offense!'
This was the logic held by the vast majority of people, including the Marines who claimed to uphold justice. Whenever a Celestial Dragon was involved, right and wrong ceased to matter.
Because... even if a Celestial Dragon shot you square in the forehead, you were not allowed to resist; even defending yourself was forbidden.
"Stop rambling! Why haven't you brought that masked woman to me yet?"
Listening to their exchange, Saint Charlos had grown impatient. At this moment, the only thing on his mind was the mature, seductive aura emanating from the masked woman. He could hardly contain himself.
Hearing this, Bastille paused for a moment. When he looked at Robin behind Sean, he understood immediately. Being stationed at the Sabaody Archipelago, he frequently encountered Saint Charlos and other Celestial Dragons; he knew exactly how they thought.
He let out a soft sigh.
"Vice Admiral Sean, hand over the people behind you. Perhaps there will still be a way to resolve this. Otherwise..."
'BOOM!'
Before he could finish his sentence, Bastille felt Sean's figure flicker. Suddenly, he was struck by an irresistible, titanic force that blasted him backward.
He flew hundreds of meters down the street before slamming violently into the ground. Even after impacting, he skidded across the pavement for dozens of meters, leaving a terrifying trench in his wake.
Sean truly couldn't stand it anymore. A Rear Admiral... was this all he had?
Bastille hadn't shown a single shred of hesitation; he had simply followed Saint Charlos's orders and demanded that Sean hand over Robin.
Absolutely pathetic.
Had Bastille hesitated for even a second before speaking, Sean wouldn't have attacked him so directly.
The squad of Marines from the Sabaody branch were left completely speechless.
The Rear Admiral Bastille, who seemed invincible in their eyes, had been swatted away just like that? He couldn't even put up a shred of resistance?
'Hiss...'
Is the power gap between a Rear Admiral and a Vice Admiral really that massive?
They didn't know that although Sean held the rank of Vice Admiral, his strength already exceeded that of an Admiral candidate. Even if he encountered an Admiral, he could hold his own for a long time.
Combined with his mastery of Reiatsu, taking down a Rear Admiral was child's play. He hadn't even needed to use his full strength.
This was a gap in dimensions entirely.
Meanwhile, atop a building two blocks away, a white-haired old man holding a bottle of liquor looked on with surprise in his eyes.
"That kid really knows how to stir up trouble. At the rate this is going, he'll either be dragged back by Akainu or he'll end up defecting from the Marines."
'Still, I get the feeling this kid isn't afraid of the consequences of provoking the Celestial Dragons. Does he have some kind of trump card, or is it something else...?'
After muttering to himself, Rayleigh took another swig from his bottle. Then, he looked up toward a specific direction.
'Akainu is here. Let's see how you plan to break this deadlock, kid.'
'''
At that moment, Akainu was absolutely stunned.
As he closed in rapidly, he performed a quick sweep with his Observation Haki. The Celestial Dragon was perfectly fine—not a single scratch on him.
This allowed Akainu to breathe a sigh of relief. It meant that Sean hadn't directly attacked the Celestial Dragon; as long as that was the case, the situation wouldn't escalate to the worst possible outcome.
However, as he got closer—close enough to see Sean and Bastille with his own eyes—he saw something unexpected.
He watched as Bastille said something, only to be sent flying over a hundred meters by one of Sean's punches, knocking him unconscious instantly.
What on earth was going on?
"Sean, what happened here?" Akainu asked immediately upon arriving at the scene with a final Soru.
But before Sean could speak, Saint Charlos, who was behind Akainu, became ecstatic.
'Great!! Akainu is here! Now let's see how you squirm! Whether it's that woman from before or this masked one, I want them both! And you... you'll be my mount from now on!'
"Akainu! Kill him right now, then bring those two women to me!"
Akainu frowned slightly. He quickly spotted Robin and the other civilian woman she was supporting. A wave of intense disgust washed over him.
Of course, this disgust wasn't directed at Sean or Robin, but at Saint Charlos standing behind him.
"Sean, explain yourself. Bastille reported that you attacked a Celestial Dragon."
"I didn't!"
"Don't do anything stupid. I will do everything in my power to prot—wait, you said you didn't?" Akainu paused, momentarily stunned.
"Exactly. I was just passing by when I saw an agent kidnapping a civilian woman in broad daylight and preparing to shoot her fiancé. I simply stepped in to stop him."
"After that, over twenty other agents attacked me, and I was forced to act in self-defense!"
Akainu looked at the agents in black suits scattered across the ground, then at the shivering woman being supported by Robin. The sequence of events became clear instantly.
"Then what about Bastille?"
"Him? The moment he arrived, he demanded that I hand over one of my subordinates to be someone else's toy. The fact that I didn't kill him on the spot was out of respect for old man Sengoku!"
Right. Akainu understood completely. No wonder Sean had punched Bastille into oblivion. If it had been him, he likely would have just executed Bastille.
Bastille was an absolute disgrace to the Marine!!
"Fine, I understand. I'll handle the aftermath. You should leave first."
"Wait! Who gave him permission to leave?! And did you not hear me? I told you to bring those two women to me!" Charlos screamed, unable to sit still.
"Saint Charlos, since Sean did not attack you, he has committed no crime."
"You bastard! He took out all my guards! Does that not count as attacking me?"
"Based on my investigation just now, Vice Admiral Sean was merely acting in self-defense!"
'Self-defense?'
'This is what the Marine calls self-defense?'
'It's called a rebellion!'
Just as Charlos was about to erupt again, Akainu's Den Den Mushi suddenly rang.
'Purupurupuru...'
"Akainu speaking!"
"Sakazuki, it's Sengoku. Have you reached the scene? What's the situation? Did Bastille stop Sean? And how is the Celestial Dragon...?"
The moment the call connected, Sengoku bombarded him with questions.
"Fleet Admiral, I have arrived. Based on the scene, Sean did not attack the Celestial Dragon. Saint Charlos is safe and unharmed."
"The incident began when Sean witnessed an agent kidnapping a woman and attempting to execute her fiancé, so he intervened."
"Subsequently, approximately twenty agents launched a coordinated attack on Sean. In necessity, Sean engaged in a limited act of self-defense."
"As for Bastille, he demanded that Sean hand over a female Marine to be used as a slave toy, so Sean gave him a lesson. He is currently unconscious."
'''
Sengoku was intelligent; he immediately reconstructed the entire event from Akainu's report. He also picked up on the underlying tone.
Sean hadn't laid a finger on Charlos. His actions against the agents were driven by justice and were a reactive response.
Yes, just as Akainu put it: self-defense!
With that narrative, he could navigate the situation with the Five Elders and had a decent chance of protecting Sean. The worst-case scenario had been avoided.
As for Bastille... Sengoku was truly speechless. Even if a Celestial Dragon demanded it, there were some things you simply could not agree to.
Handing over a female Marine to be a toy for the Celestial Dragons? If word of that got out, the morale of the entire Marine would collapse. It was one thing for a Celestial Dragon to forcibly seize someone, but it was absolutely unacceptable for the Marine to actively deliver them!
Utterly foolish!
If Sean knew what Sengoku was thinking right now, he would definitely sneer, 'This old man Sengoku... is such a hypocrite!'
He didn't object to Marine women being toys for the Dragons, but he cared deeply about 'how' they were taken, just to save a shred of face.
"I understand. I will negotiate with the Five Elders. But make sure you keep a close eye on Sean; don't let him take any further action!"
"Understood!"
'''
Holy Land Mary Geoise.
The Room of Authority.
Through the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku was reporting the events that had transpired on the Sabaody Archipelago. He followed Akainu's version of the story exactly, repeatedly emphasizing that Sean had not attacked Saint Charlos.
Listening to this, the Five Elders were all stunned.
'That idiot Charlos?'
'Sean Campbell?'
"I see. Since it has been confirmed that Sean did not attack Charlos, the matter ends here. But let this be the only time," the curly-haired Elder declared, after the group exchanged glances and nodded.
Sengoku was completely blindsided.
Before making this call, he had prepared countless arguments and excuses, ready to haggle with the Five Elders to find a way to save Sean.
And the result? He had barely explained the situation, and before he could even deploy his prepared scripts, the Five Elders simply decided not to pursue it?
This was surreal.
However, while he didn't understand why, it certainly wasn't a bad thing. Recovering from his shock, Sengoku became visibly excited.
"Understood! I will contact Akainu immediately!"
"Yes, go ahead."
'''
Sabaody Archipelago.
Saint Charlos remained perched on his slave's back, still screaming demands.
Akainu, however, completely ignored him. At Akainu's level, as long as he wasn't openly rebelling, ignoring a Celestial Dragon wasn't a major issue. At worst, the Five Elders would give him a scolding later.
And most likely, the one getting yelled at wouldn't be him—it would be Sengoku.
Sengoku was practically used to being chewed out by the Five Elders every few days; it had long since become a routine.
Consequently, even though Akainu had been assigned as a guard, he generally ignored the Celestial Dragons, doing little more than accompanying them on their strolls.
At that moment, Akainu's Den Den Mushi rang again.
'Purupurupurupuru...'
"This is Akainu!"
"Sakazuki, it's Sengoku. The Five Elders have reached a decision!"
"What decision?" Akainu frowned deeply.
Only a few minutes had passed, and a decision was already made? Had Sengoku failed to negotiate for him? Or were the Five Elders being stubborn, refusing to listen to any of Sengoku's arguments? Otherwise, this process should have taken at least an hour or two.
"The Five Elders have stated that since Sean did not directly attack Charlos, the matter ends here! Your task now is to escort Charlos away and ensure Sean does not make contact with him again. Understood?"
...
Akainu was momentarily stunned.
This sounded completely surreal.
He had assumed that even with Sengoku's intervention, the best-case scenario would be Sean being thrown into Impel Down for a few years. But now, what was Sengoku saying? He was just... off the hook?
Had the Five Elders suddenly had a change of heart? This was too absurd.
"Understood!"
Nodding to himself, Akainu hung up the Den Den Mushi. He then turned toward Charlos.
"Saint Charlos, the Five Elders have made their final decision. Since Vice Admiral Sean did not directly attack you, the matter is closed. If you are dissatisfied, you may raise the issue with the Five Elders yourself. For now, I will escort you back to your residence."
Charlos was completely speechless, not even noticing that snot was dripping onto his clothes.
The Five Elders' decision? How was that possible?
Not far away, Sean naturally overheard Akainu's words.
'As expected...'
His previous hypothesis had been correct.
If he had actually wanted to rescue the woman, Sean could have done so instantly, ensuring the guards never even realized he was the one who acted. He could have shaken Charlos, the guards, and the attendants unconscious from a distance.
In short, there were plenty of methods. There was absolutely no need to personally show his face and waste so much time here.
The only reason he had done this was to verify a certain suspicion.
Ever since the incident with the Campbell family, Sean had found things very strange. He could understand being pressured into making the people from back then cough up the swallowed assets, but the World Government giving him ten billion Belly as compensation was inexplicable.
Following that, the World Government had carried out an internal purge. Regardless of how high their rank was, anyone implicated was dealt with. Furthermore, the combat forces of CP9 had somehow been handed over to him.
No matter how he looked at it, none of this was normal. It was far too abnormal!
That was why Sean had come up with this plan to test the waters. If he acted this way and the Five Elders did nothing, it proved one thing...
The original owner of this body had another identity—one that even he didn't know about. And this identity was undoubtedly high-ranking. It was even possible that...
'Could I... be related to the person on the Empty Throne?'
For a moment, Sean began to question his own existence.
'No, I must find a way to get to the bottom of this!'
'''
Hundreds of meters away, atop a building's roof, Rayleigh stared with wide eyes, a look of utter disbelief on his face.
"Sean Campbell... just who is this guy?"
"Perhaps I should have agreed to his condition and used this opportunity to find out?"