~ Support & Read 13 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!
❁❁❁❁
The fall of Ohara was, in a sense, inevitable.
When men of limited power attempt to grasp knowledge that is far beyond their station, the only possible outcome is their own annihilation.
They were not lone wolves, and they possessed no power that would make their enemies hesitate.
If Ohara had possessed the overwhelming power and influence of someone like Whitebeard or Arthur, do you think the World Government would've been so quick to order a Buster Call?
In the eyes of the strong, rules are a joke. They are chains meant to bind the weak. The strong write the rules; the weak can only obey them.
That is the iron law of the world.
The archaeological team that had set out from Ohara years ago was now all but dead.
A group of idealists with no means of self-preservation, they had set foot on the Grand Line, where something as simple as a severe illness could claim their lives. Only one scholar remained—a woman named Nico Olvia.
And at this very moment, Olvia was on a Marine warship, personally escorted by Vice Admiral Jaguar D. Saul.
——————
"Initiate the Buster Call. Let the entire world see the price for defying the World Government's authority. It will serve as a deterrent to the pirates, who grow more rampant by the day. Let them understand that the one who truly rules this sea is not some so-called emperor of the New World."
"Sengoku," one of the Five Elders commanded, his voice laced with cold fury. "You will be the commander of this Buster Call. Succeed, and you will be the new Fleet Admiral."
How long since someone was foolish enough to break this taboo? The one who strokes the tiger's whiskers must be punished.
"If Sengoku becomes Fleet Admiral, what of the Navy's greatest military powers—the Admirals? Zephyr and Garp are both teaching at the academy…"
"Among the rising stars, the ones most qualified to become Admirals are Sakazuki, Borsalino, Kuzan, and Dragon," Kong answered truthfully. In terms of combat strength, these men were already on par with the current Admirals; they only lacked the military honors.
They each had their own unique personalities, and their potential had been fully realized. It was time to bring them onto the main stage.
Garp's son, Dragon, was terrifyingly powerful. He had yet to reveal his full strength, always holding something back. In recent years, he had become more and more low-key, more silent. His stoic nature was the polar opposite of Garp's.
Kong had seen Dragon just a few days ago at the naval hospital when he came to visit Garp. He'd found, to his unease, that he couldn't quite see through the man.
When Dragon saw his father injured and near death, a flicker of anger had crossed his eyes—a deeply suppressed rage so profound that it had made Kong feel as if he couldn't breathe.
It was as if some terrifying monster were lying dormant within him.
——————
"I hear Dragon's recent missions have been underwhelming. In the last operation to encircle the organization that defied the World Government, he allowed several targets to escape. His promotion to Admiral will be put on hold," one of the Five Elders said, tapping his fingers on the table. The others nodded in agreement.
There was a hint of wariness in their words. It was unclear if it was because of the "D. clan" that they were directly excluding him from the highest echelons of power.
"Send Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan on the Buster Call. First, we will see if they are loyal, if they can carry out the World Government's orders without any objections…"
The World Government always needed obedient men.
If they were caught between their own mercy and a direct order from the government, which would they choose? The Five Elders wanted an answer to this question to confirm their loyalty.
Only after seeing their choice would they be granted the position of Admiral.
"The meeting is adjourned."
——————
New World.
Over two hundred nautical miles from Raijin Island, near the Calm Belt of the West Blue, a warship was sailing.
In the steel brig in the ship's hold, a woman with white hair and a tattered coat sat quietly, staring into space. Beside her, the impossibly thick arm of Marine Vice Admiral Jaguar D. Saul was fiercely tugging at his own orange hair, his eyes a portrait of inner turmoil.
In front of him was a Den Den Mushi, one wearing a seagull cap and round glasses. It was obvious who he was speaking to:
Sengoku, the man who was about to become the new Fleet Admiral.
"TAKE NICO OLVIA TO IMPEL DOWN. IMMEDIATELY! WHEN A PERSON MAKES A MISTAKE, THEY MUST PAY THE PRICE! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YET, SAUL?!" Sengoku's furious roar was perfectly transmitted through the Den Den Mushi.
"Admiral Sengoku, when a person makes a mistake, they must pay the price. But the scholars of Ohara were pursuing the answers they sought, trying to bring history back to light. What is so wrong with that?!" Saul asked, his face a mask of confusion.
He knew nothing of the World Government's orders or the dark history of the eight hundred years ago. All he knew was that the scholars of Ohara were willing to give their lives for what they believed in.
It was a belief that was truly shocking—to put life and death aside and single-mindedly pursue history.
"YOU FOOL! IT IS A FORBIDDEN TOPIC OF THE WORLD GOVERNMENT! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! NO ONE IS PERMITTED TO TOUCH IT! THE PAST IS THE PAST! IT SHOULD BE FORGOTTEN!" Sengoku was at his wit's end with Saul's obstinance, wishing he could punch the stubborn giant through the phone.
"In any case, you are to return immediately and deliver Nico Olvia to Marine Headquarters—"
"Click."
The call was mercilessly disconnected. Sengoku would hear no more of Saul's opinions.
The dim brig of the warship instantly fell silent, leaving only the sound of two people breathing.
"Vice Admiral Saul, don't waste your breath. The World Government will not allow us to continue our research."
Olvia's eyes were dim, her spirit broken. She lowered her head, her white hair obscuring her sorrowful eyes. As intelligent as she was, she had already sensed the disaster that was about to befall Ohara.
It was just a pity that once a person has taken the wrong path, there is no turning back. Though she did not believe that what Ohara had done was wrong.
"Dereshishishishishi!" Saul let out a forced, foolish laugh to comfort her. "There is nothing wrong with pursuing history. The World Government will understand. I will have the warship cross the Calm Belt immediately and take you back to the West Blue."
As he spoke, he opened the cage and let Olvia out.
The two of them walked up to the deck, talking as they went.
There were only a few Marines on this warship, all of them Saul's trusted subordinates. They naturally carried out his orders without hesitation.
The warship immediately turned around and began to plow straight ahead, racing towards the Calm Belt.
——————
Lying comfortably on the deck, soaking up the sun, Arthur shifted his position and casually took the newspaper and the bottle of North Blue red wine that Doflamingo handed him.
'Just as I thought. The World Government, with its spineless indecision, would never execute Redfield. They'll just lock him up in Impel Down to repent for the rest of his life.' Arthur sneered. He had expected this outcome all along.
He didn't know why, but whenever the World Government captured a great pirate, they never executed them.
They always chose to imprison them as a deterrent.
So far, the only one to ever be publicly executed was the Pirate King, Roger.
❁❁❁❁
~ 13 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)