"You damn brat! How dare you lay hands on Saint Charlos?! I'll kill you!!"
The suffocating silence shattered like glass.
Just moments earlier, the terrifying clash of Conqueror's Haki had left devastation across thousands of meters—ninety percent of the people had collapsed, unconscious.
Only a few still stood—those with true strength or who had been revived in time.
Now, all eyes turned to CP0.
Even Hancock and her sisters, still soaked from the sea and perched atop the bloody remains of the Sea King, found themselves involuntarily staring.
Moments ago, the world had turned upside down.
Not only had a Shichibukai been sent flying like a ragdoll…
But even a Celestial Dragon—a World Noble—had been blasted unconscious, his bubble helmet shattered, face swollen and bloodied beyond recognition.
This wasn't just shocking.
This was world-altering.
It wasn't a hypothetical anymore.
It had happened.
A Marine Admiral had punched a Celestial Dragon in the face—and not metaphorically.
Every soul present was wondering the same thing:
What now?
What happens when a symbol of absolute authority gets reduced to a joke?
And what becomes of the one who did it?
"You damn Marine!" CP0 shrieked, cradling Charlos's limp, bloodied body. "You assaulted a World Noble! Even if you're an Admiral, there's no escaping this! You think the Navy revolves around you?! There are other Admirals! There are consequences!"
His hand trembled as he pulled out a special Den Den Mushi, slamming its activation.
This wasn't a normal call.
This was an emergency beacon—a direct line to all nearby high-ranking Marines.
Whenever a Celestial Dragon left Mary Geoise, this device had to be carried.
Once activated, every nearby force—be they Vice Admirals, Admirals, or even Fleet Admirals—would be alerted and expected to respond immediately.
"This is bad…" Tashigi paled.
Tina's face turned ashen. "Ain, have you reached Zephyr-sensei yet?!"
"I'm trying, but—almost there! Just a little more!" Ain's fists clenched tight, her gaze locked onto the pulsing Den Den Mushi.
And then—
"Moshi Moshi~ I'm Borsalino. What's the situation?"
A languid, slippery voice crackled out.
Every head snapped toward CP0's Den Den Mushi.
Borsalino.
Admiral Kizaru.
CP0 nearly wept in relief. "Admiral Kizaru! I need immediate support! Saint Charlos has been attacked by—"
"—By me," a voice lazily interrupted.
CP0's breath caught in his throat.
Because the moment Luoyu adjusted his golden-rimmed glasses, the atmosphere twisted again.
"Oi oi, Borsalino-san," Luoyu said with a weary sigh. "It's after hours now. If you're here, stop hiding already. Lurking around while I'm working overtime… not a good look."
"…He's already here?" someone whispered in disbelief.
Then—
SHWAAA—
Particles of golden light began converging beside Luoyu.
Within seconds, a man coalesced out of photons.
Yellow suit. Dark shades. That signature lazy smile.
Admiral Kizaru—Borsalino—had arrived.
He took one look at the carnage around him—the cracked earth, the unconscious Marines, the bloodied Celestial Dragon—and whistled softly.
"My my… Admiral Luoyu, you never fail to surprise. If I knew this was your party, I wouldn't have come at all. I'd have left this mess to Sakazuki."
"Sakazuki cleaning up for me?" Luoyu scoffed, "Please. That guy's temper would set my desk on fire. I still want to sit down when I eat dinner tonight."
He adjusted his coat. "But since you're already here, how about a quick spar? Been curious to test you for a while. Perfect timing."
The audience froze.
Wait… weren't they supposed to be talking about the Celestial Dragon who just got turned into sashimi?
How did it turn into… friendly banter?!
Kizaru raised his hands in exaggerated surrender.
"No, no, Luoyu-dono~ You win. I surrender. I'd rather not damage my appetite either. Let's just leave this to old man Sengoku to clean up."
He leaned in with a wink. "But I gotta say… I'm really jealous of your little nine-to-five life. Clocking out like a normal guy? That's living the dream!"
He turned to leave, golden specks already dancing across his body.
"Oh, by the way, Luoyu-dono… anything you want me to pass on to the old man? Y'know—about the whole Celestial Dragon incident?"
Every jaw clenched.
Here it is. This was the moment. Surely, Luoyu would try to justify what happened—plead temporary insanity, anything.
Instead—
Luoyu shrugged, retrieving his gourd of cheap earth-brewed liquor from Koby.
"Not much. That 'ghost' told me to go fetch a Shichibukai for drinks, but I was about to clock out. Told me to go ahead and use force. He said he'd handle the 'fish tank head' himself."
He drank.
"Guess his skills were just too average. Couldn't even shield that clown from one shockwave."
Then, as if remembering something, he casually pulled out another Den Den Mushi.
"Here. My enforcement-recording snail. Caught the whole thing. Give it to the old man. Saves you the paperwork."
Kizaru chuckled. "Wow~ You really are thorough. Makes my job easy."
He turned back to CP0, voice still relaxed but tinged with an icy edge.
"Hey, CP0. Just bring your boy back. I'll file the report. Oh, and next time—if your skills are actually that average, maybe don't brag so much, yeah?"
"…Later."
SHWAAA—
And just like that, Admiral Kizaru dissolved into light, vanishing into the distance.
Silence.
Stunned silence.
Everyone stared at CP0.
What just happened?
This wasn't punishment. This wasn't escalation.
This was…
Dismissal.
The Celestial Dragon had been beaten like a dog, and the Navy's response was to file it away as routine.
He got smacked for wasting an Admiral's time.
CP0 stood rooted to the spot, face blank.
He should never have made that call.
He had begged Luoyu to act. He had bragged about protecting the Celestial Dragon.
And now… this.
This humiliation would follow him the rest of his life.
"…Borsalino! You can't just leave!" CP0 suddenly screamed. "When I said my strength was 'average,' I was being humble! I could've protected Saint Charlos! That monster targeted me on purpose!"
He pointed a trembling finger at Luoyu, voice cracking.
"He did this intentionally! He attacked a World Noble—this isn't my fault! You have to do something!!"
Everyone turned to Luoyu.
His response?
He casually raised his wine gourd and took another sip.
Then exhaled.
"Ahhh… the taste of freedom."
He glanced at his pocket watch.
Five o'clock sharp.
"…And that's time."