Chapter 536: Fujitora's Demeanor
"I get it, I get it, stop staring at me already!"
Buggy wiped cold sweat from his forehead as Fujitora's empty eyes seemed to bore straight through him.
"I am going to Laugh Tale first. You guys enjoy yourselves here!"
With that declaration, Buggy's body lifted off the deck as he prepared to float away.
Bang.
Fujitora suddenly closed his eyes and dropped to his knees in front of everyone.
The sound of his knees hitting the deck echoed across the ship.
For a moment, the entire group fell silent.
This was a Marine Admiral.
Even if the Marines no longer held the same overwhelming dominance they once did, they were still one of the greatest powers on the seas.
And because of the alliance with the Dragon Hunter Pirates, the status of a Marine Admiral was higher than ever.
Yet that same Admiral was now kneeling before them.
It was a scene that left every pirate present stunned.
"Please," Fujitora said softly, his voice heavy. "We hope that all of you will take the affairs of the sea more seriously."
He bowed even lower.
"On behalf of the Navy… thank you."
He slammed his forehead into the deck.
The impact was so loud that, if not for the sturdiness of Doflamingo's ship, Fujitora would have left a crater in the planks.
"We understand Admiral Fujitora's feelings," Hancock said quietly.
"The Amazon Kingdom, including our Kuja Pirates… we will keep our promise."
She bent at the waist and offered a formal bow to Fujitora.
For the proud Empress to bow to anyone spoke volumes.
He had not shown off overwhelming strength or terrifying power.
He had simply chosen to kneel.
Yet that alone had earned Hancock's sincere respect.
After the Empress turned and left, Mihawk rose as well.
He said nothing, but his calm expression made his stance clear. He would do what he could.
"When can I go to Marine Headquarters to get those treasure maps?" Buggy asked, still thinking about his prize rather than the emotional atmosphere.
Fujitora slowly straightened and turned his head in Buggy's direction.
"You can come at any time," he replied. "I will inform the people at headquarters to prepare them."
"Captain Buggy, I also hope you will manage your own crew properly," Fujitora added. "Once you hold power, you must not use it to bully the weak."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Buggy muttered, nodding quickly.
Then he floated away in a hurry, cape billowing behind him.
"Did you see that? Even a Marine Admiral kneels in front of our great Captain Buggy!"
"Captain Buggy is incredible!"
"Is Captain Buggy going to find Whitebeard next?"
"Maybe Captain Buggy is planning to kill Whitebeard!"
"The great Captain Buggy…"
The chorus of ridiculous speculation from Buggy's crew grew louder as they chased after him.
Watching this scene, Doflamingo lifted a hand and covered his face.
Buggy was not strong, but somehow he seemed to be enjoying life more than anyone else.
Of course, Doflamingo did not seriously believe Buggy would go pick a fight with Whitebeard.
He knew very well what Buggy's actual strength was.
"Admiral Fujitora, are you planning to continue being a guest on my ship," Doflamingo asked lazily, "or will you be leaving now?"
"I will not trouble you further," Fujitora replied with a faint smile. "There is still work to be done."
He paused, then added, "But Mister Doflamingo, joining the Dragon Hunter Pirates was one of the best choices you have made in your life."
Leaving those words behind, Fujitora leapt lightly away from Doflamingo's ship and returned to his own vessel.
The Marine warships turned and began to sail off.
It seemed Fujitora was heading back to make preparations of his own.
At the same time, Doflamingo relayed everything that had transpired to Ryuunosuke via Den Den Mushi.
"I see," Ryuunosuke said. "I understand."
"Our original goal was never to plunge the seas into chaos."
"The Dragon Hunter Pirates are the most stable pirate crew on the seas."
His tone carried a hint of exasperation, as if he was silently criticizing Doflamingo's past habits.
After leaving that reminder, Ryuunosuke hung up.
"Captain, now that the Marines are on their way, should we let them join the fight?" Najenda walked over and asked.
"Other than you, we have not seen anyone who can stand against these Aragami," she added. "At least, not easily."
The wild gods they were facing now were all terrifying creatures.
From what they had seen, even a single Aragami was not weaker than Enel.
And right now, Enel was already at a level comparable to a Marine Admiral.
Even he had to fight cautiously. The others felt a sense of pressure just watching.
If the Marines joined the battle, they might become a burden they would have to protect.
Najenda did not like the idea of having to babysit them.
"Let them come," Ryuunosuke replied.
"Whether it is us, the Marines, or other pirate crews, all of us have had our vision limited by the seas we know."
"If we keep our eyes fixed only on a familiar patch of ocean, it will never be a good thing."
He looked out at the horizon.
"Even if the Marines cannot provide many top tier fighters, they can still provide something just as important."
"Word will spread faster through their channels."
If only the Dragon Hunter Pirates had seen the Aragami with their own eyes, then no matter how they described it later, most of the world would treat it as rumor.
But once the Marines witnessed the same monsters and verified the story, even the World Government would not be able to casually suppress the truth.
"Got it," Najenda said with a nod.
"Captain, the course we are on now leads straight toward the second Laugh Tale," Nojiko called out from the side. "Should we head there directly?"
Ryuunosuke blinked.
"Then we will go straight there," he decided. "Contact Morgans and restart the live broadcast."
"If this is another secret they are desperate to hide…"
"Then we will show it to the entire world."
Whether it was a secret the World Government wanted buried, or something the Guardians and Evictors wished to conceal.
Ryuunosuke had already made his decision.
If the seas truly wanted to move toward a stronger future, then using secrets to chain everyone's knowledge and research would only drag the world backward.
The truth needed to be exposed.
Only then would people start thinking about how to face it.
…
Meanwhile, in another part of the New World.
"Boss Jeff, Charlotte Linlin has already swallowed part of Adam's body," Wades reported quietly. "Keshia is completely out of control now."
"Is it time for us to move?"
"If Atostana makes a move first, we might be at a huge disadvantage."
He looked troubled.
They could no longer suppress the powers on the sea through pure military force.
The rise of the Dragon Hunter Pirates, especially, had disrupted their plans and eaten away at their influence.
If Atostana moved one step ahead again, their own plans might collapse completely.
And the price of failure was something they could not afford.
"The Dragon Hunter Pirates' goal does not seem to be this sea alone," Jeff said slowly.
"Most likely, this is what they want."
He reached into his clothes and took out a stone.
The Eternal Heart.
The Orange Heart that Ryuunosuke was searching for.
Jeff studied the Eternal Heart of Orange for a long moment.
Then he made up his mind.
"Are we really going to talk cooperation with the Dragon Hunter Pirates?" Wades asked.
He sighed.
"Unless we give up competing over this world entirely…"
"Otherwise…"
There were things far beyond his control now.
He knew very well he did not have the power to change the current state of affairs.
In his personal opinion, they should already be abandoning their old plans.
They had long lives ahead of them and countless possibilities to pursue. There was no need to gamble everything on a single world spanning struggle.
But that was only his private thought.
He knew it was almost impossible to convince everyone.
"Charlotte Linlin is already heading toward the Dragon Hunter Pirates' location," Jeff said quietly.
"Do you really think we have any right to walk away now?"
"It has already begun."
"This sea is destined never to know peace again."
He put the Eternal Heart of Orange away, then rose to his feet.
In the next instant, Jeff's figure vanished, leaving only the sound of the waves crashing against the hull.
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