Chapter 199: Blackbeard
It had been nearly half a year since Rhodes's last visit to Red Port, and the interior facilities remained largely unchanged.
Rhodes and his group quickly crossed the harbor and entered the bubble gondola system.
Hancock and Rhodes sat together in one bubble capsule as it began ascending smoothly—with almost no turbulence whatsoever.
"This thing..."
Hancock's expression grew complicated. This wasn't her first time riding in a bubble gondola.
The first time had been when she was taken to the Holy Land of Mariejois as a slave, and the second time was during her desperate escape from that same place.
This was her third time, and each journey carried a completely different emotional weight.
Rhodes could clearly sense Hancock's inner turmoil—her hesitation, anxiety, and unease...
This psychological trauma, spanning over a decade, couldn't be resolved with mere words; she had to confront it herself.
Moreover, Hancock had likely already steeled herself for this moment by agreeing to come to Mariejois. After all, she had awakened her Conqueror's Haki.
With the Celestial Dragon's brand removed by Rhodes, her future achievements would likely reach even greater heights!
There were many men in this world who'd awakened Conqueror's Haki, but women were extraordinarily rare—so few that even mentioning them felt inadequate.
"We won't encounter any Celestial Dragons..."
Rhodes suddenly spoke when they'd reached approximately seven or eight thousand meters elevation.
"Huh?" Hancock looked slightly puzzled.
"Because... they wouldn't dare appear before us."
Rhodes calmly stated this fact while gazing down at the boundless ocean stretching into the distance.
In the eyes of the Celestial Dragons, the Seven Warlords represented nothing more than a group of powerful pirates. Given their habits, they were unlikely to appear before Rhodes and his companions—and the Five Elders certainly wouldn't permit such a meeting anyway.
Hearing this reassurance, Hancock couldn't help but breathe a slight sigh of relief, her expression visibly relaxing.
The bubble gondola moved swiftly upward, and soon Rhodes and his companions landed atop the Red Line and arrived in Mariejois proper.
This time, unlike their previous brief passage where they'd only glimpsed the Holy Land from afar, they were entering its depths.
Led by Vice Admiral Momonga, Rhodes and his group passed through numerous security checkpoints before arriving deep within Mariejois.
It was a city of extreme prosperity and decadent extravagance—every inch exuding an aura of excessive luxury.
Almost everyone who came and went was adorned with gold and jewels, their attire ostentatious, a hint of natural arrogance evident in their bearing.
And...
While walking through the streets of Mariejois—
Rhodes detected numerous presences, both overt and concealed, subtly monitoring them from the shadows.
He sensed that any suspicious movement—even just straying from the designated route and out of sight—would immediately trigger the arrival of powerful CP0 agents.
"One of the Seven Warlords?"
"That must be the newest one—the Dragon Slayer. They say even Admiral Kizaru couldn't gain the upper hand against him."
"Look, that's the Pirate Empress! She's so beautiful—truly worthy of being called the world's most beautiful woman."
Nearby people commented in hushed voices, their eyes tinged with awe and respect.
Mariejois wasn't populated solely by Celestial Dragons; far more numerous were officials serving the World Government.
Naturally, these people wouldn't dare offend the Seven Warlords.
As they walked, Rhodes suddenly felt delicate fingers nervously grasp his arm. Turning, he saw Hancock had instinctively taken hold of him—the surroundings clearly triggering unpleasant memories.
Momonga also noticed Hancock's unusual behavior and felt somewhat puzzled, but he said nothing. It wasn't his place to interfere.
"Hancock, look up and observe their eyes carefully."
Rhodes whispered softly.
Hancock, barely suppressing her inner turmoil, cautiously glanced at the people around them. Then, after a moment of hesitation, she paused thoughtfully.
As the Empress of Amazon Lily, she was intimately familiar with those looks of awe mixed with fear.
These people seem... afraid of me.
They're not as formidable as I'd imagined!
These thoughts flashed through Hancock's mind, and after that brief pause, a different kind of brilliance suddenly blossomed in her beautiful eyes.
It was confidence!
True, genuine confidence!
Not the narcissistic façade she'd used to mask her deep-seated inferiority complex.
Rhodes smiled faintly, sensing that Hancock was undergoing a fundamental transformation and elevation of her spirit.
This metamorphosis would see the Pirate Empress reborn from her traumatic past—truly worthy of her title. Her strength would transcend mere physical beauty, becoming something far greater.
Following Vice Admiral Momonga to a magnificent palace, the Vice Admiral presented identification documents once more. After thorough review, the group finally arrived at the Seven Warlords' gathering location.
It was a spacious and brilliantly lit hall, adorned with crystal chandeliers and pillars carved with golden patterns—brimming with ostentatious luxury.
At the center stood a large conference table—
Already occupied by several figures.
Hawkeye, Kuma, Gekko Moria, Blackbeard, and Doflamingo were all present.
With the arrival of Rhodes and Hancock, all Seven Warlords of the Sea had gathered—a genuinely rare occurrence.
Upon seeing Blackbeard present, Rhodes felt slightly surprised, but then realized the reasoning. Blackbeard was obviously planning to wait until the Battle of Marineford reached its most intense, chaotic moment before infiltrating Impel Down.
Just then, an authoritative elderly female voice rang out from the side:
"Since you two have arrived, all Seven Warlords are now present. Please take your seats."
Rhodes turned and saw Vice Admiral Tsuru of Marine Headquarters. Perhaps because of her relationship with Momousagi, Tsuru appeared more cordial toward Rhodes than the other Warlords—even offering him a slight nod of acknowledgment.
Rhodes nodded respectfully in return, then found seats with Hancock.
As the two sat down, the other Warlords regarded them with varying expressions.
Kuma remained characteristically emotionless.
Hawkeye, however, displayed a hint of fighting spirit in his piercing gaze.
Being capable of fighting Admiral Kizaru to a standstill—the young swordsman Rhodes whom Hawkeye had initially noticed had undoubtedly matured into a formidable force.
However, this location and timing weren't appropriate for a duel, and Hawkeye—noting that Rhodes hadn't yet achieved the realm of a Great Swordsman—suppressed his competitive urge for now.
Doflamingo, who held a prior grudge against Rhodes, remained characteristically silent. His eyes were hidden behind crimson sunglasses, his expression completely unreadable—leaving no indication what the Heavenly Yaksha was thinking.
Of course, Rhodes wasn't particularly concerned. An opponent of Doflamingo's level wasn't someone he needed to take seriously anymore.
Although they hadn't fought directly yet, Rhodes was confident he could defeat the Heavenly Yaksha under the right conditions.
"How long do we have to wait here? Didn't they say we were supposed to be supporting the Marines in this war?"
The towering, onion-shaped Gekko Moria complained impatiently.
"Be patient, unless you no longer wish to remain a Shichibukai."
Vice Admiral Tsuru was cordial toward Rhodes but quite different with the other Warlords—she didn't even look up when delivering her curt response.
"Tch...!"
Gekko Moria bristled at the dismissive words, but remembering where they were, he suppressed his irritation.
"Zehahahaha! So this is the newest Shichibukai, eh? First time meeting you. How about becoming my subordinate?"
Blackbeard spoke up suddenly, holding a piece of cherry pie while regarding Rhodes with obvious interest.
Rhodes felt slightly taken aback by the audacious proposal, then laughed:
"Should I take that as a provocation?"
(End of Chapter)
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