Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 66. The Marine Garrison, Branch 4.
Clang!
A teacup was thrown to the floor, shattering into pieces.
"Damn it, why did I pass out?"
In the lounge, the newly awakened Celestial Dragon, Saint Eanriel, was having a tantrum. "Where is my slave? Did you release him?! What do you take the bloodline of this world's creators for?! I'm telling you, if you don't return my slave, I'll take you all back as slaves and let you taste a little of hell on earth!!!"
The surrounding Marine officers were all cowering under his verbal abuse, each one anxious and silent, afraid of being caught and turned into slaves by the Celestial Dragons.
"Forgive us, Eanriel-sei, but your slave was already gone when we arrived," one Marine Captain said nervously. He was the one who had led the first response team to the scene, so he felt he had to explain things clearly. If he were accused of releasing the Celestial Dragon's slave, he would be finished.
"You low-born scum, you didn't even find the person who attacked us? I, who am a god, was lying on the ground, sleeping with a bunch of commoners! AAAAHH!!!"
Saint Raynera, the female Celestial Dragon, shrieked, nearly going mad, her pretty face contorted in a sneer. "I'll have them all executed! Executed!"
Creak!
"Arara~ Raynera-gu, please calm down. I think it would be better if you described what happened just before you passed out. After all, the sooner we catch the culprit, the better it is for me to file my report!"
The lounge door was pushed open, and Kuzan walked in, looking lazy as ever. He wore his Justice coat with gold epaulets over a white vest and a dark blue shirt.
"Admiral Kuzan!"
Seeing Kuzan's arrival, the Marine officers in the room all straightened up and saluted.
"The Marine Admiral, Aokiji Kuzan!"
Upon seeing Kuzan, the expressions of both Saint Eanriel and Saint Raynera calmed down slightly. Although they still looked arrogant, they were not as overbearing as before.
The Marine Admirals are the highest combat power of the Marines and the World Government. Their status is not comparable to that of regular Marine officers. The safety of the Celestial Dragons themselves depends on the Admirals maintaining order. So even if Saint Eanriel and Saint Raynera were morons, they would, at worst, have a bad attitude, but they wouldn't maliciously curse Kuzan to his face.
"Aokiji, are you Marines all useless? Do you still not know who the culprit is?" Saint Eanriel walked up to Kuzan, asking viciously.
"My sincerest apologies, Eanriel-sei. Everyone on an entire street was unconscious. I'm afraid the culprit has already fled, which is why I wanted to ask you," Kuzan said lazily, scratching his hair and casting a sidelong glance at Saint Eanriel, who only reached his chest.
"Damn it, what's with that attitude?!" Infuriated by Kuzan's look, Saint Eanriel fumed, "If I knew, why would I need you Marines?!"
"Arara~ That's a headache. Can't you recall what happened before you passed out?" Kuzan rubbed his head, looking troubled.
"Ah! I remember!" Saint Raynera suddenly shrieked from the side. "It was him! It was him! It must have been him!"
"Yes, that's right, it was definitely him!" At this, Saint Eanriel also seemed to recall something, speaking with seething hatred.
"Oh, really~ a lead? Your Highnesses, can you describe the person?" Kuzan rolled his eyes, asking lazily.
Saint Eanriel and Saint Raynera ignored Kuzan's perfunctory manner. Saint Raynera stated with resentment, "That man in the coat, the inferior human with the gold earrings, who dared not kneel before us and even dodged my shots! Catch that guy! I want to torture him thoroughly!"
Kuzan's eye twitched as he listened. These Celestial Dragons are truly idiotic. They shoot at someone, and yet expect them not to dodge. Their personalities are indeed awful. And the reason for all of this was simply that someone didn't kneel.
Despite his thoughts, Kuzan didn't let it show on his face, as the description sounded familiar. After thinking for a while, he scratched his head and pulled out a crumpled bounty poster, asking, "Is it this person?"
The bounty poster showed a youth with a very bright smile, each ear adorned with a gold earring, with a sunset over a desert in the background.
Saint Eanriel and Saint Raynera peered at it and immediately their faces hardened. Simultaneously, they said, "That's right, that's the guy."
"I'd recognize him even if he were ash!" Saint Raynera added bitterly.
"A pirate, is it... Perfect. Kuzan, catching pirates is your responsibility. Make sure you catch him," Saint Eanriel chimed in, fiercely poking the bounty poster.
"This is a bit of a problem," Kuzan said, scratching his head in annoyance. He pointed at the bounty poster. "Don't you two read the newspaper, Your Highnesses? He's not that easy to catch. The man possesses Conqueror's Haki. No wonder an entire street of people passed out."
"Conqueror's Haki!!!"
Similarly, upon seeing the person on the bounty poster, all the Marine officers in the lounge turned pale with shock. At the same time, they understood everything. No wonder the air quality tests didn't detect any drugs—they were all knocked out by Conqueror's Haki.
"What do I care if I read the newspaper or not! Kuzan, your job is to catch pirates! Now this pirate has offended us. You should use all your power to capture him, or do you want to be punished by the World Government?" Saint Eanriel said with a furious glare.
Kuzan pursed his lips, pointing at the bounty poster. "He's a great pirate from the New World, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Golden Ring Aeridar. Even if we were to arrest him, it would require the approval of Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the World Government. And if we were to fight on Sabaody Archipelago, you'd have to evacuate first."
"Nani? A Warlord of the Sea?!" Saint Eanriel's expression froze. Even he, as clueless as he was, knew that the appointment of a Warlord of the Sea was a matter that affected the balance of the world and was not something a regular Celestial Dragon could decide on a whim.
"Now, now, don't worry, Eanriel-sei. No matter what, the Marines will give you a proper explanation. Leave the rest to us." Kuzan saw Saint Eanriel's expression and gave a lazy smile. No matter what, the prestige of the Celestial Dragons must be upheld. When someone brazenly attacks a Celestial Dragon, the Marines must show a response.
"Tch, you'd better know that. Make sure you give that damned guy a good beating," Saint Raynera said, discontent.
Bang!
Suddenly, the lounge door was violently pushed open. A young Marine officer rushed in, his face full of urgency.
"A report just came in! One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Golden Ring Aeridar, has arrived on Sabaody Archipelago in Grove 30!"
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