In place of the legendary Dark King was a desiccated corpse and a pool of spilled blood.
After a brief, deathly silence, Grove 42 erupted into an uproar.
"Rayleigh is dead! The Dark King Rayleigh is actually dead?!"
"My God! Leo killed even the Dark King?!"
"Big news! This is absolutely earth-shattering news!!"
"So this is what a 3 Billion Berry bounty truly means?!"
Everyone who witnessed the scene was utterly horrified. Nothing was more impactful than seeing Rayleigh's corpse with their own eyes.
Leo calmly withdrew his gaze, focusing on the Seven Star Sword in his hand. After absorbing Rayleigh's blood, the sword's blade was noticeably brighter, its power even greater than before. This was the advantage of the Seven Star Sword; by continuously consuming the blood of the strong, it could endlessly enhance the dark will contained within. It was truly a demon blade with (extremely high potential)!
Satisfied, Leo stored the Seven Star Sword away. He cast a final, disinterested glance at Rayleigh's remains before turning and leaving.
Once out of Grove 42, Leo expanded his Observation Haki, sensing his surroundings. He then took out a Den Den Mushi and dialed Nami's number.
Meanwhile, at the Shakky's Rip-Off Bar in Grove 13.
Shakky stared at the Vivre Card in her hand as it burned down to nothing. Her normally unflappable expression completely crumbled. She closed her eyes in despair, whispering hoarsely, "Rayleigh... you shouldn't have gone."
Elsewhere.
"Keep firing!! Hit them harder!!" Nami stared intently at the large screen, sipping coffee and cheering on the bombardment.
On the screen, Marine Headquarters was being relentlessly pummeled by laser fire, now riddled with holes and craters. Ruins and debris of various buildings were everywhere, dust filled the air, and the faint, furious voice of Fleet Admiral Sengoku could be heard cursing. He was clearly beside himself with rage.
"Ahahahaha... The Marines' losses are enormous this time," the women watched gleefully. While the actual Marine casualties were relatively low and consisted mainly of ordinary soldiers, the sheer destruction of the headquarters itself would require a massive investment of manpower, resources, and money to rebuild.
Buru Buru~
Buru Buru~
Just then, the Den Den Mushi on the coffee table began to ring.
Nami, without taking her eyes off the screen, picked it up absently.
"It's over. Stop playing around and come back now," Leo's voice came from the other end. Without another word, the Den Den Mushi went silent with a final Buru.
Nami pouted, her enthusiasm deflated. "Leo's fight is over. Let's go back."
Outside Marine Headquarters HQ Building.
As Nami and the others departed, the laser cannon assault ceased.
Sengoku emerged from a pile of rubble, his face and uniform covered in dust. He scanned his surroundings; collapsed buildings were everywhere, and even his office tower had a large chunk blown off it. He clenched his fists, fury boiling within him. This was purely a move to humiliate and harass them. And the infuriating part was, there was little he could do about it.
"Fleet Admiral! News from Sabaody Archipelago!" A messenger ran over hurriedly.
"Report!" Sengoku's voice was low and grim.
"Sir, just moments ago, Leo and the Dark King Rayleigh engaged in a major battle in Grove 42 of Sabaody. Rayleigh was defeated and killed by Leo."
"I see." Sengoku nodded slightly. If even Kizaru and Garp together weren't a match for Leo, what chance did a 76-year-old man have? While he didn't know why Rayleigh had confronted Leo, this outcome was not unexpected. "Is there anything else?" he asked, his patience wearing thin. His mood was already at rock bottom.
"Sir, we've just received word... Celestial Dragon Charlos is about to land on Sabaody."
"What?!!" Sengoku's eyes bulged, his heart sinking. Why now, of all times?! It couldn't be... Surely even Leo wouldn't dare lay a hand on a Celestial Dragon... right? He definitely wouldn't... right? Sengoku tried to reassure himself, but a moment later, he exploded. "SAKAZUKI! KUZAN! GET TO SABAODY AND RESCUE CHARLOS NOW!!!" His voice, high-pitched and urgent, echoed throughout the ravaged headquarters.
Sabaody Archipelago.
Charlos, the Celestial Dragon, was riding on the back of a giant slave, surrounded by a contingent of guards as he made his way towards Grove 2. This was the designated lawless zone for human trafficking and slave trading, a place he frequented often. Grove 2 also boasted the highest quality slaves; on a lucky day, one might even find a mermaid.
As he appeared, everyone on the street trembled and prostrated themselves, their foreheads nearly touching the ground. Anyone who encountered a Celestial Dragon was required to kneel respectfully in this manner. It was their exclusive privilege.
Charlos looked down with disdain at the lowly commoners below him, a cold sneer playing on his lips. Just then, a child, driven by curiosity, glanced up at him. Though the action was cautious, Charlos noticed immediately and was displeased.
"Hehehe... You filthy scum, how dare you look directly upon my holy person? Who gives you lowly worms the courage?!"
"Guards! Kill everyone here!!" Charlos ordered without hesitation.
In his eyes, the people kneeling before him weren't human; they were vermin, lower than pigs or dogs.
A CP0 agent in a suit and a grotesque mask focused his gaze, zeroing in on the child.
Soru!
Shigan!
With a low cry, the CP0 agent vanished. When he reappeared, a red beam shot from his fingertip, aimed directly at the child's head.
Clang!
At the last possible moment, a sword flash cut through the air, effortlessly destroying the red beam.
"Who's there?!" Almost simultaneously, all the CP0 agents went on high alert, scanning their surroundings. To protect Charlos, they constantly kept their Observation Haki active. Yet, they had failed to detect the opponent's move. This was no ordinary threat.
"Charlos," a voice, cold as ice, rang out. Leo's gaze was frigid. First, Rayleigh had come looking for trouble on his way in. Now, just as he was preparing to leave, a Celestial Dragon had delivered himself to his doorstep. Was this fate's way of making up for his ruined mood? And it was a familiar face, too—Charlos, the Celestial Dragon who seemed to exist to be bullied. This guy had been killed by transmigrators dozens, if not hundreds, of times. It was just his lot in life.
"Perfect. I'll give him to Hancock as a greeting gift," Leo decided instantly. It was a classic, overused trope, but it worked. Like Charlos, the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock's character was set in stone. Kill a Celestial Dragon, and she was guaranteed to be won over, and become exceptionally obedient. With just one Celestial Dragon corpse, the aloof Empress would instantly transform into a compliant accessory. Perhaps, like Doll, she could even be trained into a (contrasting) little M.
"You bastard! How dare you address my holy self by name?! Kill him! Kill him now!!" Charlos thought he was hearing things. Someone actually dared to say his name out loud?!
"Break this lowly worm's legs! I want him to regret the words he just spoke!!" Charlos shrieked at the CP0 agents before him, spittle flying inside his helmet.
The CP0 agents didn't hesitate. Aside from two who remained to protect Charlos, the rest charged at Leo. They were well aware of Leo's strength, but the orders of a Celestial Dragon were their absolute command. They were the Celestial Dragons' sharpest blades. Even if Charlos ordered them to die, they would do so without a second thought. They were the World Government's Strongest Shields!
"Die." Facing the several CP0 agents rushing him, Leo felt no pity. He swung the Seven Star Sword, and several flying slashes shot out.
In an instant, the attacking CP0 agents froze mid-charge, standing dumbly in place. The next moment, a bloody line appeared on each of their necks with a pfft sound, and they all collapsed into growing pools of blood. These CP0 agents might have had tragic childhoods, but now they were nothing more than emotionless killing tools. Their deaths were no loss.
"Useless! All of you are useless trash! What are you two still standing there for?!" Charlos stamped his feet in a frenzy, spraying saliva everywhere. Coddled and privileged his entire life, he still hadn't grasped the severity of the situation. "Go kill that lowly worm! I want to whip his corpse!!"
The two remaining CP0 agents exchanged a glance. In the next second, they moved to attack. However, before they could even leave their spots, two sword flashes passed through their throats.
Dead.
"Everyone, leave this place! Now!" Leo's voice, cold and commanding, cut through the air like a thunderclap to the ears of the kneeling civilians.
After a two-second hesitation, the crowd scattered like frightened birds, fleeing in panic. As they ran, they cast grateful looks back at Leo. If he hadn't appeared, they would all be dead today.
Soon, aside from a few reporters hiding in the shadows and furiously taking pictures, all the civilians had fled. Leo glanced their way but didn't bother with them.
"How dare you! I didn't give you lowly worms permission to leave!! Come back here immediately, or I'll—" Charlos's rant was cut short as Leo delivered a sharp kick!
CRACK!
The glass helmet shattered instantly, revealing Charlos's ugly, gourd-like face beneath.
"Fucking disgusting," Leo muttered, fighting down a wave of nausea. He immediately conjured two solid cloud locks that pierced through Charlos's collarbones.
"AAAAAGH!!" A pig-like squeal of agony tore from Charlos's throat, echoing across Sabaody. His face turned deathly pale, sweat pouring from the pain.
"You... you dare to—" CRACK! The finger he had just pointed was instantly snapped by Leo.
"AAAHHH!!" Another scream.
The reporters in hiding (excitedly mashed their camera shutters), burning through film as if it were free. The thought of the most explosive news story in history being born from their hands made them almost faint with excitement. Once they reported this to Morgans, raises and promotions were guaranteed.
Leo proceeded to break all four of Charlos's limbs, one by one, until the Celestial Dragon finally passed out from the pain. Only then did he stop. Surveying his handiwork, Leo nodded in satisfaction. This was the proper way to deal with a Celestial Dragon.
He tossed the unconscious Charlos to the side and used Instant Transmission.
The reporters, still taking pictures, jumped in fright as Leo suddenly appeared before them, their lips trembling with fear.
"L-Leo... you... I..."
"You work for Morgans, right?" Leo cut them off, getting straight to the point.
After exchanging nervous glances, they all nodded hurriedly.
"Give me Morgans's contact information. I need to speak with him."
Under Leo's imposing aura, they didn't dare refuse, immediately offering up Morgans's Den Den Mushi number with trembling hands.
"Brother Leo! We need to go!!" Vivi's voice called down from above.
Memorizing the number, Leo didn't linger. He used his cloud locks to drag the unconscious Charlos and instantly teleported back onto the flying ship.
Let Charlos inside the ship? That would be too good for him. Instead, Leo had him hung off the back of the ship by the cloud locks piercing his collarbones, forced to follow along through the air.
After Leo left, the reporters, finally snapping out of their daze, immediately took flight, vanishing in a puff of smoke. They needed to get this story published in the shortest time possible.
The New World was about to be turned upside down!!
Not long after Leo and his crew departed, Admirals Aokiji and Akainu arrived belatedly on Sabaody. After briefly questioning a few bystanders, Sengoku's worst fears were confirmed. All the CP0 agents were dead, and Charlos was missing. There was no need to guess who was responsible.
"A wasted trip. Let's head back," Aokiji said, his demeanor as lazy as ever. If it had been an ordinary citizen, he might have shown more concern. But it was a Celestial Dragon. He'd only come because Sengoku had given a direct order.
Akainu boarded the warship with a dark, thunderous expression, not saying a word.
"Captain, who is that ugly thing hanging off the back?!" the women asked, their faces full of disgust as they looked at the grotesque figure dangling from the cloud locks.
"A Celestial Dragon?! Captain, why did you capture a Celestial Dragon?!" Kalifa's face paled significantly upon recognizing the distinctive Celestial Dragon attire. Having been trained as an assassin from childhood, she had been thoroughly indoctrinated with the idea of unconditional obedience to the Celestial Dragons. If attacking the Marines left some room for maneuver, harming a Celestial Dragon meant only one thing: being hunted by World Government agents for the rest of their lives, with no peace ever again.
"Sigh~ Our Captain is truly insane," Doll, who also understood the severity, sighed helplessly. "It seems a peaceful life is out of the question now."
The other women just shrugged indifferently. They'd already bombed Marine Headquarters. What was one more Celestial Dragon?
"Leo, just kill him! Why are you keeping him alive?!" Nami frowned, puzzled and disgusted. The thing was so ugly that looking at it was nauseating.
Leo looked at the women and smiled. "This is my greeting gift for Hancock."
"Starting tomorrow, you'll all be sisters!!"
"Ahahahaha..." Amidst Leo's loud laughter, the ship powered up and flew straight towards the Calm Belt.
The Calm Belt, Amazon Lily.
This was an island inhabited only by women. All the girls on the island were raised as warriors from a young age, making them exceptionally powerful. The ruler of this nation was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock.
The Island of Women was a place many men dreamed of, but it wasn't a place just anyone could visit. Unless one had a ship like the Marine vessels, lined with Seastone underneath, or possessed the sheer power to swim through the Calm Belt like the Dark King Rayleigh, any visitor would simply become food for the Sea Kings.
At that moment, within the opulent palace hall.
"Sister Hancock, here is the recent news," the orange-haired, heavyset sister, Marigold, said respectfully as she placed a newspaper beside Boa Hancock.
"Is there anything worth paying attention to?" From her throne, Boa Hancock languidly responded, her right hand propping up her cheek, her legs crossed. Her tone was haughty, laced with a hint of impatience.
"Sister, a new pirate named Leo has emerged on the seas recently. In just one month, he killed Crocodile, destroyed Enies Lobby, and now his bounty has reached 3 Billion Berries."
"Hm?" Hancock raised an eyebrow, elegantly switching the cross of her legs, accentuating her alluring, curvaceous figure to its fullest. "Leo?" she murmured, a flicker of interest in her eyes.
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T/N :
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