Three hours earlier...
With the death of the Celestial Dragon, the shock and panic had barely begun to fade when a single, unanimous thought took hold of Gasparde and the four CP9 agents—those two lunatics must not be allowed to escape.
Failing to protect a Celestial Dragon was already a capital offense. Their only hope now was to capture the culprits and redeem themselves.
"What are you all standing around for? Surround those two maniacs and don't let them get away!"
Gasparde growled through gritted teeth, his hatred for the pair skyrocketing. From this moment on, his career in the Marines was utterly ruined.
The Marines responded immediately to his orders. Wave after wave of armed soldiers surged from below deck, expressions tense as they swarmed the deck and encircled Yemu and Enel.
"We absolutely can't let these two get away."
Gasparde shouted again, but this time his words were directed at the four CP9 agents.
Leading the group was a bald, red-skinned man with a goat-like beard and a bloated frame. His face was as dark as the bottom of a scorched pot.
The other three looked no better.
"Take them down."
Without hesitation, the goat-bearded agent activated his Devil Fruit ability—Hitsu Hitsu no Mi, Model: Mountain Sheep. In a blink, his entire body became covered in pink wool. His frame expanded to twice its size, limbs transforming into hard, hoofed legs, while a pair of massive, spiraling horns jutted from his skull.
The remaining three agents flanked Yemu and Enel from three sides. One wielded the Paramecia-type Gyaa Gyaa no Mi, capable of turning any part of his body into spinning gears to strike with high-speed rotational attacks. The other two were close-combat martial arts ninjas.
Enel's eyes lit up at the sight and he turned to Yemu.
"Leave these guys to me."
"No problem. Just don't kill them—we'll need these four later."
With that, Yemu turned his gaze to the sea of Marines surrounding them.
"But first, let's clear the deck."
Hearing this, Enel seemed to realize what was coming. His face twisted in annoyance.
"You bastard..."
Gasparde and the CP9 agents listened to the two pirates speak so arrogantly, their expressions growing darker.
If it weren't for the order to capture them alive, Gasparde would've already given the signal to open fire.
But then, the red-haired youth's expression sharpened, and a crooked smile played at his lips.
Before Gasparde or the CP9 agents could react, a terrifying wave of pressure erupted from the boy.
Time seemed to freeze. Every Marine on the deck felt a sudden grip tighten around their hearts. Their breath caught in their throats—then, as if struck by a hammer, their minds shattered. In an instant, all thought ceased. Everything went blank.
To Gasparde, that moment felt like an eternity.
His expression twisted from grim to pure terror.
"Hah... hah... hah..."
He collapsed to his knees in front of Yemu, legs giving out as if all strength had been drained. He doubled over, vomiting violently, then gasped for air like a man who had nearly drowned.
At the exact moment he fell, the Marines on deck dropped one after another like dominoes. Eyes rolled back, bodies hit the floor. Faint after faint.
In the blink of an eye, only Yemu, Enel, and the four CP9 agents remained standing on the deck.
And the CP9 agents looked utterly lost, their eyes wide in disbelief as they stared at the collapsed soldiers and the kneeling Gasparde.
Until Gasparde finally broke the silence.
"Conqueror's Haki... Conqueror's Haki..."
"What!?"
"No way..."
The expressions of the four CP9 members shifted instantly. They had never faced Conqueror's Haki directly, but its reputation was impossible to ignore. That was a power only those with the disposition of a king could possess.
In that moment, they understood everything.
The two boys in front of them weren't madmen—they were terrifying monsters.
The CP9 leader, a Hitsu Hitsu no Mi user, didn't hesitate. The instant he witnessed that overwhelming presence, he made his decision.
With a burst of power, he stomped down hard—and vanished.
But he didn't attack Yemu. He ran.
There was no way he could face off against these two monsters. If he stayed, he'd be dead for sure.
Fleeing meant punishment, perhaps even death, for failing to protect the Celestial Dragon.
But...
"If I can get this information out... maybe I'll live."
With that thought, he used Soru and, in just a few breaths, moved from the bow of the ship to the stern.
This was one of the Marine Rokushiki techniques: Soru.
By stomping the ground dozens of times in just 0.36 seconds, it created explosive propulsion for high-speed movement.
Every CP9 member had to master it. Thanks to the physical enhancements from his Zoan-type Devil Fruit, he was the fastest among the four in using it.
But just then, out of the corner of his eye, a flash of blue appeared—along with the crackle of lightning.
And a voice that sent his soul flying.
"Hey, where do you think you're going...?"
He turned around in panic—only to see a massive black fist the size of a pot...
...
On the deck, the other three CP9 members turned pale as they watched their captain abandon them and flee. Without hesitation, they too launched into their fastest escape, vanishing from sight.
Unlike him, though, they were smart about it—they split up and fled in three different directions.
Yemu didn't move. Enel was more than enough to handle them.
He slowly walked up to Rear Admiral Gasparde, who was still kneeling and gasping for breath, and looked down at him.
"Well, Marine... are you ready to answer my question now? This ship—isn't it transporting the Heavenly Tribute?"
Gasparde, face full of fear, no longer carried the pride of a Marine. He gave in quickly.
"No... no, this is just an escort vessel..."
"Hm!?"
Yemu's displeasure made Gasparde flinch. He hurriedly spilled everything.
"Our mission is to head to Mahebasi, a Member Nation of the World Government in the West Blue. We're escorting the ship carrying the Heavenly Tribute from Mahebasi to Mary Geoise. That's the one transporting the tribute..."
Yemu's expression darkened.
"So this ship's actually empty..."
"Y-yes..."
Disappointment swept over Yemu. He had hoped to strike it rich by robbing the Heavenly Tribute.
Sure, he already possessed all the gold from the City of Gold and wasn't lacking in money.
But who would turn down more? Especially when there might be a Devil Fruit or a quality blade onboard.
Still, the disappointment faded quickly. Instead, he looked curiously at the Rear Admiral before him, who now seemed like a completely different person.
"You sure changed fast. I thought you'd put up a bit more of a fight. Seems like that so-called Marine justice doesn't mean much to you, huh..."
Gasparde's expression twisted, but then he exhaled as if resigned.
"Marine justice? I've never believed in that crap..."