Meanwhile, the Red Hair Pirates were enjoying a leisurely time browsing the stalls at a market on the other side of Ambri Island. Shanks casually picked up a few bottles of sake, while Beckman selected several old, yellowed navigation books. Lucky Roux was haggling loudly with a butcher, spitting as he argued. The authority they commanded on their ship was replaced here with relaxed laughter and bags filled with goods.
"That's enough, time to head back," Beckman said, tucking his new scrolls neatly into his satchel. His gaze swept over the crowd, his tone as calm and sharp as ever. "The Celestial Dragons are on this island; it's not wise to stay long."
Shanks lazily rubbed his chin and smiled. "Where's Takero? Where did that guy run off to cause trouble? Uta misses him, you know." Before he could finish, little Uta let out a dissatisfied "Eee-yah" from his arms, waving her small fists as if to accuse Takero of abandoning her. As they spoke, the crew quickly packed up their purchases, getting ready to leave.
Just then, a commotion erupted from deep within the market. The crowd pushed and shoved like a school of startled fish. Vendors frantically packed their stalls while screams and cries filled the air. Some people were so scared they were frozen in place.
"What's going on?" Shanks squinted, craning his neck with interest toward the disturbance.
Beckman, however, moved swiftly, stopping a middle-aged man who had a pale face and red-rimmed eyes. "What happened? Why are you all running?" his voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable sharpness.
The man stammered, at first unable to explain clearly. "A… a Celestial Dragon!" his mouth trembled, his voice shaking uncontrollably. "Some… someone hit a Celestial Dragon! All the guards are down! That Celestial Dragon… blood… so much blood! It's terrifying!"
"This…" Beckman's brows furrowed deeply. The rest of the crew exchanged looks of disbelief. Attacking a Celestial Dragon in broad daylight was completely outrageous.
Only Shanks, after a brief moment of shock, burst out laughing. "Puhahaha! This is hilarious! There are still people this fierce nowadays, daring to beat up a Celestial Dragon?" He grinned at his crew. "How much of a headache do you think that guy's companions have right now? I've never seen anyone dare to do something like this before!"
"Stop laughing!" Beckman interrupted him sharply. "This is no laughing matter! The World Government will never let this go. The Marines will blockade this entire island, and they might even dispatch an Admiral! We need to leave now before we get dragged into this mess!"
At his words, the air grew heavy. The smiles vanished from the crew's faces, replaced by grim determination.
Shanks just clapped his hands easily. "Relax, it's not that serious. Besides, an Admiral?" He flashed a confident smile and pointed a thumb at his chest. "I am Shanks!" An invisible force seemed to dispel the tension, and the crew's eyes firmed up again. That was right, with their Captain here, what could a Marine Admiral do?
"Th-that… can I go now?" the forgotten passerby asked cautiously.
"Of course, buddy!" Shanks smiled, patting his shoulder. "Thanks for the info." Out of curiosity, he added, "By the way, do you know who did it? What did they look like?"
"N-not clear…" the man said, shaking his head. "I only heard… it was a kid with a tail!" Having said that, he plunged back into the chaotic crowd and disappeared.
"Hahaha! A kid with a tail? Kids these days are really something else!" Shanks marveled. He was about to say more when he noticed his entire crew was staring at him with complex expressions.
"What's wrong? Why are you all looking at me like that?" Shanks asked, bewildered.
Beckman took a deep breath and reminded him, word for word, "A tail. A kid. Incredibly bold. Who does that sound like to you?" The words combined in Shanks's mind, slowly forming a familiar, wild-grinning face.
The smile on Shanks's face froze instantly, then twisted into a roar that echoed through half the market. "Takero! You son of a b****!!!" He slapped his forehead. No wonder he'd felt a chill down his spine earlier! It was that scoundrel causing trouble!
"What do we do now?" Beckman asked in a deep voice, his hand already on the pistol at his waist.
"What else can we do?!" Shanks rubbed his temples, a headache forming. His eyes sharpened like an eagle's. "Of course, we go clean up that bastard's mess! Let's go!" As he strode toward the commotion, he gritted his teeth and growled, "Takero, you jinx! We should have left you on that island!"
In a shadowy corner of the market, a tall figure slipped through a chaotic alley. Gollier finally found a secluded spot and pulled out a special Transponder Snail.
"Purupurupuru… Click!"
The call connected, and the snail mimicked a sinister face wearing sunglasses.
"Something terrible has happened, Doflamingo-sama!" Gollier's voice trembled. "A Celestial Dragon… a Celestial Dragon was beaten in the slave market! Right here on Ambri Island!"
There was a moment of silence on the other end, followed by a low voice, playful yet filled with hidden anger. "Fufufufu… Who is this?"
"It-it's me! Doffy-sama! I'm Gollier, the one you stationed on Ambri Island!" Gollier hastily introduced himself and quickly reported everything he had seen.
There was a longer silence from the other end. Doflamingo wasn't angry that a Celestial Dragon was beaten; he was furious that someone dared to cause trouble on his turf. It was like a harsh slap across his face.
"Fufufufufu…" a chilling laugh came through the snail. "Such… such nerve! Daring to cause trouble on my territory! Keep a close eye on them for me! I'm coming over right now!"
Gollier was so startled he almost bit his tongue. "You… you're coming personally?!"
"Fufufufufu! That's right!" Doflamingo's voice was filled with a twisted excitement. "I want to see for myself which clueless fool dares to challenge me!"
The news shot like a thunderbolt through the Transponder Snail lines, reaching the Fleet Admiral's office at Marine Headquarters. The air in the room seemed to freeze instantly. A Celestial Dragon being attacked wasn't a simple crime; it was a blatant challenge to the highest authority of the World Government.
"Outrageous!!!" Sengoku slammed his fist on the desk, scattering documents. His hair seemed to bristle as he was consumed by rage. "Lawless! Absolutely lawless! They must be severely punished! Immediately dispatch our highest combat power and suppress them with lightning speed!!" He turned to his old comrade beside him, his fury burning. "Garp! Did you hear me?!!"
"Hmm? Huh?" Garp looked up blankly from a pile of donut wrappers, his mouth still smeared with frosting. He struggled to swallow before asking indistinctly, "What's up, Sengoku? I was just trying to break my record of eating fifty donuts in one go. What did you say?"
"I…" Sengoku felt a lump in his throat, almost passing out from frustration. He looked at Garp's innocent, irritating face and felt a deep sense of powerlessness wash over him before slumping back into his chair. He was certain that if this continued, Garp would be the death of him.
He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and squeezed the words out through gritted teeth. "I said, a Celestial Dragon was beaten on Ambri Island! What do you think?"
"Oh, if he was beaten, he was beaten," Garp shrugged indifferently, picking up another donut. "What's it to me? It's not like I did it." His expression seemed to say,
You interrupted my donut challenge for this trivial matter?
Sengoku's temples throbbed, and he was too angry to speak. His weary gaze turned to the corner of the office. A man wearing sunglasses was leisurely trimming his fingernails. When the Fleet Admiral's gaze locked onto him, his heart skipped a beat.
"Borsalino," Sengoku's voice left no room for argument, "You, go to Ambri Island immediately!"
"Yeeeh~ Fleet Admiral Sengoku~" Borsalino drew out his words slowly, looking troubled. "It's almost time to clock out, you know~ And Ambri Island is so far away~"
"Stop talking nonsense!!!" Sengoku's roar almost ripped the roof off. "Immediately! Right now! Get over there!! And accumulating more merits will be beneficial for your future promotion to Admiral!"
"Haaai~ Haaai~ I know, I know~ How scary~" Borsalino, who was then a Vice Admiral, reluctantly put away his nail clippers and slowly stood up. He muttered under his breath, "No overtime pay to negotiate either…"
With that command, an invisible storm began to gather over Ambri Island, which was now destined to experience an unprecedented level of "excitement."
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