"If nothing unexpected, their target should be them."
Kuzan's face, under the glow of distant firelight, looked uncertain and shifting.
He had considered that they might clash with Rosse and his people.
But never did he think, conflict didn't happen, instead they had most likely been played.
"It's too late," Tsuru took a deep breath, "Whether your guess is right or wrong, now it's already too late."
Just then, a streak of golden light shot across the sky, heading toward the fire.
Clearly, that was Borsalino's figure.
If this was really Rosse's scheme, they had no way of stopping it anymore.
If they went, they might even walk right into the trap.
"Let's go! Immediately evacuate everyone. Afterward, we throw this matter onto Dragon. We must publicly cut ties with him, cannot let our forces lose heart," Tsuru made her decision swiftly.
Their group was special, gathered together by justice.
If word came out that, because of moving their families, they maliciously killed other marine families. Even if it was to save their own kin, some in their ranks would have doubts.
After all, not everyone had family. In the marine, singles still made up the majority.
Tsuru had thought Rosse wanted to hold hostages to force that minority into being spies.
But now, it was obvious Rosse only wanted to muddy the waters.
When their group no longer represented justice, what reason could they use to leave the Marine? What banner of justice could they still raise? What difference would they have from pirates?
Once today's matter was exposed by Rosse, they would have no way to defend themselves.
But now, they couldn't worry about that.
Getting these people out was the most important thing.
The future would be left for the future to deal with.
"No problem!", Kuzan also knew this was the best solution now, and quickly joined in helping the evacuation.
They had to use this time to swiftly complete it.
———
[Punk Hazard, Central Area]
"DRAGON!"
Borsalino's furious voice boomed through the sky. A rare sight, to see him truly angry.
The night sky was lit up by golden light.
Countless people were startled awake, instinctively looking out from windows.
Most saw it clearly: in the glow of Borsalino's light, a black-robed figure stood there.
"Borsalino, you can't stop me," Dragon spoke flatly, without a shred of fear.
He had only gathered a bunch of thugs to set a fire in the middle of the night.
Since Golden Lion and Rayleigh had been killed, Kozuki Oden was probably dead too, though he hadn't gotten the news yet.
Now, he was the only surviving powerhouse of the Holy Land incident, also the number one criminal on the World Government's wanted list.
Twelve billion.
A bounty more than double Whitebeard's, enough to show the World Government's hatred of him.
Things were already like this. What was setting a fire and killing some people? It was all necessary sacrifice.
"You bastard! They were once your comrades too, don't you understand 'don't bring disaster to families'?"
Borsalino was truly enraged this time. The Pika Pika no Mi was pushed to its limit, a chain of light bullets exploding across the sky.
"Heh! All necessary sacrifice."
Dragon didn't understand Borsalino's meaning, but still kept his cold image.
The fire had already been set, and he had even used his fruit ability to strengthen it. The people might already have burned to death. Talking more was pointless.
Ridiculous!
Calling him evil, wasn't it just to strengthen the World Government's legitimacy?
With half the Marine about to defect, whether the World Government even had legitimacy left was in question.
WHOOSH!
A storm whipped up, blocking Borsalino's attacks.
Dragon's body soared into the sky, shouting loudly, "Borsalino! Today's deed is my revenge against the World Government! If anyone still dares help tyrants do evil, I will not forgive them!"
The Fishman Kingdom was the newest member state of the World Government. Destroying it was the same as announcing to the world that Dragon would always oppose the World Government.
With those words, those who dared join the World Government would surely think twice.
But in Borsalino's ears, they carried another meaning.
To take revenge on the World Government, Dragon had gone mad. He had purposely come to kill marine families.
Even if those families were still back at Marine Headquarters, Dragon would have stormed in and caused chaos until this top combatant was forced to retreat.
"DRAGON!", Without a thought, Borsalino charged after him.
Unlike his usual laziness, this time he gave his all.
Among these families were also subordinates of his.
Failing to protect them would be his responsibility too.
This time, even if he didn't kill Dragon, he would strip a layer of his skin.
———
[Central District]
Once Otohime arrived, the fire was soon brought under control.
The burned area was not small, and the damage was not small either.
But Otohime didn't care for that. After leaving the follow-up to Niya, she, with heavy heart, went to Rosse's former residence here.
This district hadn't suffered damage, but where it should have been empty, suddenly stood a tall woman.
"Saintess Vanessa, this matter. It was you, wasn't it?"
Otohime pressed her lips, eyes locked straight on the other woman.
She had noticed Dragon arrive, but at the same time, Vanessa had come too, volunteering to keep watch on him.
The Yamauba Fruit's perception range was vast, but not enough to cover from the port district to the central one.
And with her own strength insufficient, she could only watch Kuzan's side.
But in the end, the central district had still been struck. Only Vanessa could have tampered with it.
"They wanted to betray, then they had to bear the cost. I made a bet with Rosse before. Since Dragon chose to act, of course I went along with it."
Vanessa didn't try to hide it. This was Rosse's order.
Only, for Rosse's image, she selectively concealed some details.
In truth, Rosse had given the command, and she was tonight's executor.
As long as Dragon chose to move tonight, those marine families would surely meet misfortune.
But in this group, most were navies who bore dissatisfaction toward the World Government. Some openly, some deeply hidden, some through their families.
Whatever the case, in Rosse's eyes they were disposable pawns.
Rosse would give his own people the best treatment. But if hearts strayed, he had no problem making them sacrifices.
Rosse needed Garp, Sengoku, and the others to leave the Marine, but he wouldn't let it be too easy.
In Vanessa's mind, Rosse was far too kind.
If it were her, she would have wiped out all who came for their families halfway.
With her strength, or Rosse's, doing so would be no trouble.
But since it was Rosse's will, she wouldn't go against it.
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