š¤ Please if you find any incorrect names let me know in comments so I can fix themĀ
From beginning to end, this Celestial Dragon incident yielded no other clues apart from a single phone call requesting assistance.
The sea cave had already been refilled, and no wreckage or bodies were found during the underwater salvage operation. The search area covered several kilometers, yet not a single clue could be found.
This showed that the culprit who killed the Celestial Dragon understood full well that not a single trace could be left behind. Thus, even with the Marines' full efforts, apprehending the culprit proved difficult.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, it's not justĀ anyĀ person who died! It's a Celestial Dragon! A World Noble, a descendant of the Creators! And he's a child of my 'Alvin Family,' not some stray cat or dog from your Marines. You absolutely must take this seriously!"
Saint Alvis's eyes were filled with anger, yet also with the arrogance and lofty, unchallengeable demeanor of a Celestial Dragon.
As he said, the one who died was a Celestial Dragon!
The noblest race in the world!
And his own son, no less!
To be murdered by an unknown pirateāhow could he remain calm?
He hadn't directly brought all the Celestial Dragon families from the Holy Land of Mariejois to pressure Sengoku the Buddha; that was already showing restraint.
"Saint Alvis, I understand your feelings, but we Marines are already doing everything we can to find the culprit. I hope you can give us a little more time."
Fleet Admiral Sengoku was deeply displeased with Saint Alvis's words, but as a military man, he chose to endure.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
"Oh, oh, Saint Alvis, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, you're both here."
Admiral Kizaru, wearing his toad-like spectacles, walked in.
"Kizaru, is there something you need?" Fleet Admiral Sengoku asked.
"I've run into a rather serious matter. However, the other party's demands are quite high, so I need to consult with Fleet Admiral Sengoku for your opinion."
Kizaru simply slumped into a chair, crossing his legs, and said lazily.
"Just say it directly. With you, everything seems troublesome... When are you going to change that habit of always being troubled by trouble?"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku shook his head.
"This time, it's different."
Kizaru's eyes flickered. He glanced at Saint Alvis, who was nearby. "Do you know Portgas D. Ace?"
"Of course I know him."
Fleet Admiral Sengoku's voice was grim. "Whitebeard's Second Division Commander, possessing immense strength, with a considerable reputation in the New World. What about him?"
"He lost."
Kizaru said languidly, "He lost to Marshall D. Teach. He calls himself Blackbeard."
"What does that mean?" Fleet Admiral Sengoku frowned.
"Marshall D. Teach defeated Ace, then found me, wanting to exchange Ace for a Warlord of the Sea position. He hopes we'll agree."
Kizaru directly revealed the truth.
"Marshall D. Teach, that fellow's name also contains D... Kizaru, connect me to him! I want to speak to him personally!"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku realized the gravity of the situation. "Saint Alvis, I apologize, but I have a very urgent matter to deal with right now. Please rest assured, we will do everything in our power to apprehend the culprit. I still ask for a little more time!"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, my patience is limited. If you cannot give me a clear answer soon... believe me, I will make you very unhappy!"
After delivering his threat, Saint Alvis strode rapidly out of the Fleet Admiral's office.
"Celestial Dragons are particularly difficult to deal with." Kizaru chuckled softly, his toad-like spectacles glinting in the sunlight. "They always put themselves above everyone else, and us beneath their feet."
"The position you hold dictates the pressure you bear."
"Enough about that. Connect me to Marshall D. Teach right now... I have a premonition, a major event is about to unfold!"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku said gravely.
"Of course a major event is happening." Kizaru leaned back languidly, tilting his head up, and said with a hint of exasperation, "Whitebeard's son... he's going to hate us to death. With his personality, he'll never stand by idly. The Marines are in for an unprecedented tough battle this time... what a nuisance!"
...
Out on the open sea, the crew were all diligently training.
"Qingluo, yes, that's right. This way, you'll be able to use 'Five-Color Threads' easily... How are you coming along with the 'Super-Strike Whiplash' I taught you last time?"
"No need to rush, little Gyamanie, you're just too impatient. The Heal-Heal Fruit's ability is incredibly powerful; we all need it. Train slowly, and I'm sure it won't be long before you can heal me instantly!"
"Karlz, have you amplified your training to twenty times yet? This sniper rifle I bought specially for you has a range of one kilometer. If your amplification can reach twenty times, a single shot from you will be like a cannonball, capable of directly blowing up the enemy pirate ship!"
Ye Jia trained while also teaching his companions how to use their abilities.
Although they were all beginners, having only recently encountered these powers, with Ye Jia present, familiar with all the skills, they naturally avoided many detours in their development.
Indeed, in just a few days, Qingluo had already completely mastered the 'Super-Strike Whiplash 380'... This technique was a bit like Spider-Man's web-slinging; her palms could instantly shoot out dozens of almost transparent threads, which then intertwined to form a thick, lightning-fast column of thread.
Its power was immense, capable of slicing anything in half... and if used when the opponent was unaware, severing their head would be no difficult feat.
Karlz already possessed some inherent strength, and with all his power focused on his flame gun, he only needed to continuously increase the fruit's amplification.
He was still some distance from the hundredfold amplification achieved by his predecessors.
As for Qiuli and Gyamanie, Ye Jia basically didn't need to worry about them.
Gyamanie's Heal-Heal Fruit inherently belonged to a support-type ability, so her training progress was naturally somewhat slow.
Qiuli, on the other hand, refused to become a Devil Fruit user, dedicating herself wholeheartedly to sword arts. Through continuously consuming Stamina Pills and training day and night, she had already become much stronger than before.
"News Coo, over here!"
Ye Jia waved, and the News Coo responsible for delivering newspapers landed on the ship.
Taking a newspaper, Ye Jia placed a gold coin in the News Coo's satchel. The bird gave an excited squawk of thanks and flew away.
Opening the newspaper, Ye Jia only took one glance before his gaze froze.
"Ace... has been captured."
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