The moment Roswald arrogantly declared that the City of Nightless now belonged to the Celestial Dragons, figures clad in tailcoat suits began to appear one after another.
Their expressions were dark as they surrounded Roswald and the other Celestial Dragons in a tight circle.
As the BloodSworn Guard emerged, armed Celestial Dragon guards also stepped forward in response, their faces tense as they confronted the BloodSworn Guard head-on.
It had to be said that the foundations of the Celestial Dragons were indeed formidable. Aside from CP agents, they possessed a large number of powerful personal guards.
Among these guards, even the weakest were no inferior to Navy ensigns. Some of them radiated extremely powerful auras, on par with Navy officers, and there were even several whose strength rivaled that of top-tier vice admirals.
Add to that the two admiral-level CP0 agents, and the force the Celestial Dragons had assembled here alone was enough to rival the Gray Nation, perhaps even surpass it.
The standoff between the two sides caused the surrounding air to grow heavy and stagnant, like dry tinder that could ignite at the slightest spark.
"Hey, hey, this is outright robbery now. You do realize that the Five Elders also hold shares in the City of Nightless, right? Are you really sure you want to do this?" Doflamingo said, veins bulging on his forehead.
Rage surged in Doflamingo's chest, but he forcibly suppressed it, waving his hand to signal the BloodSworn Guard not to act rashly.
Rosinante was not present, and the combined strength of the Navy and the Celestial Dragons gathered here was enough to wipe out the Gray Nation. If things escalated into open conflict now, the consequences would be catastrophic.
"Hmph," Roswald snorted coldly, clearly disdaining to answer. The other Celestial Dragons all sneered as well.
At that moment, a man dressed like a steward stepped forward and spoke. "Without Celestial Dragons, there would be no commoners. The Celestial Dragons are the creators of the world. Everything belongs to the Celestial Dragons. All that commoners possess is bestowed upon them by the Celestial Dragons. The Celestial Dragons decide the ownership of all things. Since the Celestial Dragons have deemed the City of Nightless to belong to them, then it belongs to them."
"This decision has been approved by more than one third of all Celestial Dragons. Even the Five Elders cannot overturn it," Roswald said with a cold laugh.
"Hey, is the Navy really going to let them act so recklessly? This is going to cause a major incident," Doflamingo said, turning to look at Sengoku.
"I am only responsible for the safety of the Celestial Dragons," Sengoku replied flatly.
Hearing those words, Doflamingo's expression darkened even further.
Although Rosinante had provided the funds to build the City of Nightless, the one who had poured the most effort, time, and heart into it from beginning to end was him.
Now the Celestial Dragons wanted to take it away with a single sentence. Of course Doflamingo could not accept that.
Yet at this moment, he could not erupt.
Because he knew the situation was extremely unfavorable for both the Gray Nation and himself.
He could even feel that the two CP0 agents beside Roswald had already locked onto him. The instant he made any unusual move, they would strike and take him down.
So it really was too early to enter the New World after all.
Even with Rosinante's power helping them gain a foothold in the New World, if their own strength was insufficient, they would never be able to truly stand firm there.
After a long while, Doflamingo's expression finally steadied, as if he had made up his mind.
At this moment, he was already considering abandoning the City of Nightless.
Though it represented an enormous amount of his hard work, he understood that only by preserving their strength would they have a chance to take it back in the future.
If they fought now, both he and the Gray Nation's forces present would suffer devastating losses. As long as they preserved their strength, there would still be an opportunity someday to settle accounts with the Celestial Dragons.
Has he decided? Sengoku and Garp exchanged a silent glance.
Was even the Gray Nation going to bow before the Celestial Dragons' tyranny?
It seemed that land truly was not suitable for merfolk to come to after all. Neptune quietly made his decision.
The surrounding crowd also began to believe that the Gray Nation was about to submit.
Did even a sea emperor have to lower his head before the Celestial Dragons?
Some even began to think that Rosinante had deliberately gone into hiding because he knew the Celestial Dragons would cause trouble today, knowing that the Gray Nation could not withstand them. That way, he could retreat gracefully. Otherwise, how could Rosinante possibly be absent on such an important day as the opening of the City of Nightless?
Just at that moment, a suffocating aura suddenly surged out from the high platform at the center of the plaza.
The sheer intensity of that presence made everyone's expression change as they instinctively looked up toward the platform.
Under the gaze of the crowd, a single foot stepped out from the void.
As that step landed, vast and domineering waves of Conqueror's Haki rolled outward, one after another, causing the very air to tremble.
This aura did not knock people unconscious, yet its overwhelming dominance filled everyone with dread. Many were pressed into lowering their heads, unable to directly face the figure slowly emerging from the void.
"I heard someone wants to seize my City of Nightless. Who's so arrogant?" the man said calmly as he took two steps forward, stopping beside the high platform and looking down at everyone below.
Has he finally arrived? Sengoku lifted his gaze toward the figure on the platform.
Rosinante.