"Empress Boa Hancock!"
The moment Sengoku saw Boa Hancock boarding Lin Xuan's ship, his eyes lit up.
Of course, this wasn't because he was dazzled by her beauty, but because he recalled her terrifying abilities—abilities that were a natural counter to men!
Sengoku thought that while others might not be able to deal with Lin Xuan, Boa Hancock's intervention could turn the tide!
In fact, it wasn't just Sengoku who thought this way. The other high-ranking Marines present shared the same hope. They were well aware of Hancock's irresistible charm to men and eagerly anticipated seeing Lin Xuan stumble here.
Thus, they all watched intently as Boa Hancock stepped onto Lin Xuan's ship.
Then, they saw Lin Xuan's eyes brighten upon spotting Hancock, and their excitement grew even stronger.
This might actually work!
But in the very next moment, their hopes were utterly shattered.
Because while even Conis, the only other woman present, showed a dazed expression upon seeing Hancock, Lin Xuan merely glanced at her with mild appreciation before his gaze turned calm again. There was none of the infatuation other men displayed when facing the Empress.
Clearly, Hancock's charm, though potent, was completely ineffective against Lin Xuan!
This left Sengoku and the others bitterly disappointed, though they couldn't say they were entirely surprised.
After all, true powerhouses possessed unshakable willpower—they couldn't be swayed by mere beauty!
But what happened next infuriated them even more.
After failing to charm Lin Xuan, Boa Hancock didn't leave his ship or attempt to fight him. Instead, for some reason, Lin Xuan suddenly seemed delighted and invited her to sit down for tea.
And Hancock—without any hesitation—actually accepted, sitting down and chatting with Lin Xuan as if they were old friends!
Witnessing this, Vice Admiral Tsuru was the first to erupt in anger.
"What is that snake woman doing?! Does she no longer care about her Warlord title?!"
Of course, she couldn't have known that Lin Xuan was thrilled because Hancock's appearance had just been broadcast worldwide via the live feed set up by Fredricks and his crew. Instantly, millions of viewers were captivated, earning Lin Xuan over a hundred million reputation points in mere moments.
Naturally, in high spirits, Lin Xuan warmly invited Hancock to stay.
Besides, he was confident Hancock posed no threat to him. Given that he had enslaved three Celestial Dragons—something Hancock would deeply approve of—he knew she wouldn't turn against him. Plus, keeping her around meant more reputation points. Why not?
Sengoku, however, sighed heavily and muttered, "It seems I'll have to create an opportunity myself."
But before he could decide on his next move, a Marine rushed up to him, saluted urgently, and reported:
"F-Fleet Admiral! We've just received word that live broadcasts of this battle are being projected on massive screens across the world!"
"WHAT?!"
Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru all gasped in shock.
Sengoku immediately scrutinized Lin Xuan's ship again and finally noticed that, aside from Lin Xuan, Conis, and Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo standing at the bow, there were several suspicious figures hiding in the cabin—Fredricks and his crew, along with a few reporters, secretly operating the live broadcast!
Lin Xuan had arranged for them to stay hidden, only allowing the Den Den Mushi cameras to peek out for filming.
And in the chaos, Sengoku and the others had completely overlooked them, allowing the live feed to continue uninterrupted!
Which meant… the Marines' humiliating defeat was being broadcast to the entire world in real time?!
How could they maintain any authority after this?!
"BASTARD!"
Sengoku slammed his fist onto the table, shattering it instantly.
After taking several deep breaths to suppress his rage, he growled to Garp and Tsuru:
"We must stop that broadcast immediately—and rescue the Celestial Dragons!"
His gaze returned to Lin Xuan's ship, where the three Celestial Dragons, after being dragged out of Lin Xuan's "System Prison," were now lying on the deck like lifeless dogs, completely ignored by him.
However, Lin Xuan had deliberately placed them within the Den Den Mushi's filming range, ensuring their disgrace was shown to the world repeatedly.
That said, Sengoku's earlier plan had progressed smoothly—because now, the Celestial Dragons were left unguarded.
Wait… no, there's still one person nearby.
Sengoku's eyes narrowed as he spotted a figure standing close to the Celestial Dragons.
It was a middle-aged man with thick eyebrows, wearing a skintight green jumpsuit and a brown scarf around his neck. He stood there, looking around as if bored by the ongoing battle.
But what puzzled Sengoku was that this man looked utterly unremarkable—his presence was even weaker than Fredricks', like a complete nobody.
If not for the fact that everyone else had been lured away, Sengoku wouldn't have even noticed him.
At first, he assumed this man was just one of Fredricks' underlings, assigned to guard the Celestial Dragons.
But soon, Sengoku frowned.
As the Fleet Admiral, he wouldn't underestimate anyone based on appearance—especially someone associated with Lin Xuan.
In this battle, he had already witnessed too many seemingly ordinary individuals unleashing terrifying power.
This man… might very well be another hidden monster!
"To ensure absolute success, Tsuru—you and Garp will attack together!" Sengoku declared solemnly.
Garp's eyes bulged in outrage.
"Sengoku, what the hell?! You think I can't handle that guy in the green jumpsuit?!" he roared, insulted that Sengoku doubted his strength.
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T/N:
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