"Turn a blind eye to the evil on the Sabaody Archipelago, yet try to cover up the true source of that evil!"
Vane sneered coldly. He grabbed the body of the female Celestial Dragon and hurled it toward the door of the auction house. The impact was so tremendous that it shattered the solid door on the spot. Her body flew like a cannonball.
By coincidence—or fate—her corpse landed squarely on the Navy's cannon stationed outside. Her head was jammed into the muzzle, her body hanging grotesquely over the weapon.
"What… what is that?"
"Is it a person?"
"Those are Celestial Dragon clothes!"
"It's covered in blood!"
Panic erupted among the Marines. The noble was drenched in blood, and none of them had ever witnessed something so horrifying. These weren't elite soldiers—just standard garrison forces stationed on the Sabaody Archipelago. They were completely unprepared for this.
When the body hit the ground, they could see it clearly—it was a woman. Her head was deformed beyond recognition, and she was unmistakably, irrevocably dead.
"She's… she's dead!"
"A Celestial Dragon is dead!"
The Marines collapsed with fear. Some dropped to the ground, shaking uncontrollably, unable to fathom the reality. The so-called gods—slain!
"How could this happen…?"
Before they could collect themselves, another body was hurled out. It crashed straight into the second cannon.
"It's another one! Another Celestial Dragon!"
"Dead… he's dead too!"
The scene descended into chaos. Never had they imagined such a thing. The Celestial Dragons—untouchable and revered—murdered. Not just one, but two. And their wounds weren't from a quick death; they'd been tortured.
"Breaking news! This is breaking news!"
"Who did this?!"
All eyes turned to the auction house. No one dared to enter. Whoever had the audacity to kill a Celestial Dragon was no ordinary criminal—they were a force of nature. To the trembling Navy, a demon now lurked within those walls.
"This is the biggest story in the world!"
"Even bigger than the Red-Haired becoming ruler of the New World!"
Nearby reporters furiously scribbled in notebooks and snapped pictures, eager to capture the moment that would shake the world.
---
"It's because this world is ruled by filth that more filth keeps rising to the top. Some people think of themselves as gods, sitting on their thrones. But when power is unchecked, corruption festers."
Vane stood among the carnage with a calm expression. He had killed today—killed people, killed Celestial Dragons—but his heart didn't waver. There was no guilt. Cleansing the world of sin shouldn't carry a burden.
He stepped forward, out the door of the shattered auction house. On the other side, Marines saw him. So did a swarm of reporters gathered on the Sabaody Archipelago, one of the busiest transit points to the New World. With news agencies from across the seas stationed here, cameras and pens were ready.
As soon as Vane emerged, the flashes began. The reporters shouted, taking wild notes, photographing everything they could.
Vane didn't care. Let the world see. Let them know someone had dared to challenge the so-called descendants of the Creator. Not just challenge—he'd killed them.
"Was it him? Did he kill the Celestial Dragons?"
"He's covered in blood…"
"But he's just a kid!"
The Marines raised their guns, muzzles trained on him.
"Hands in the air! Surrender—now!"
The lead officer barked orders.
Vane responded by unleashing his [Conqueror's Haki].
The moment it hit, Marines and reporters alike fainted in waves, crashing to the ground in silence.
"All quiet now."
Vane knew there was no turning back. But he wasn't afraid. He would rise, no matter what. Someday, not even Admirals could stop him.
He also knew the Navy wouldn't sit idle. An Admiral would come. And Vane wasn't ready to face an Admiral—yet. He lacked the combat experience to go head-to-head. He needed to leave Sabaody soon.
But not before finishing what he started.
Turning to face the auction house—a lavish, towering building—Vane raised his right hand. With a gesture mirroring Whitebeard, a translucent spherical force began to wrap around his fist.
This was the first time he'd used the power of the [Tremor-Tremor Fruit].
He could feel the devastating might within his arm—energy that could break the world itself.
Intermediate Development: Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
Whitebeard was said to have awakened the fruit's power to the point of shaking the sea itself when enraged. Vane couldn't yet grasp that level, but even now, his own mastery was fearsome.
He threw a punch.
CRACK.
The air itself shattered. Fractures webbed outward from his fist like broken glass. Then the entire auction house began to tremble. Cracks split the ground and the walls, expanding like veins through the structure.
Within moments, the massive building collapsed, reduced to rubble. The destruction echoed across the island.
"Unreal... this power is monstrous," Vane muttered, shaking his numb fist. The sensation faded after a few seconds. The [Tremor-Tremor Fruit] wasn't just strong—it was demanding. Whitebeard had grown weaker in his later years, not because of the fruit, but because his body could no longer contain its potential. Like a cup's capacity, even power has limits based on the vessel holding it.
"Next up," Vane said with a chilling smile, "I'll destroy every auction house. And every last slave trader."
Vane had lived on the Sabaody Archipelago for more than a decade, watching its cruelty fester. Powerless before—now, he would burn it all down. Afterward, he would vanish.
He couldn't fight an Admiral—yet.
But soon...
---