An Explanation

There will be a Chapter Three too; this isn't Chapter Three.

Seeing some readers say, "What the hell are these chapters even about?" still hurt quite a bit. After all, unlike before, this time it was legitimate readers who had been following along saying it, which meant the problem really was with me. Maybe I hadn't explained some things clearly enough. So let me explain here. The chapter about the Op-Op Fruit Awakening was, in a sense, the deepest purpose behind the protagonist's plans. Otherwise, there were actually many other ways to intensify the conflict. So of course I had to explain that chapter in more detail; simply saying the Devil Fruit had awakened would have felt too hollow. As for these next few chapters, the protagonist was using Sebastian's severe injuries to enrage the Five Elders. Otherwise, the Celestial Dragons weren't killed by the protagonist. Even if he pleaded for mercy afterward or something, the Five Elders wouldn't be able to direct all their rage at him. But since some readers feel the pace has slowed down, I'll wrap this up directly in the next chapter.

The plot over the next few days still won't enter the final battle directly. There will probably be another two or three days of buildup, and maybe people will again ask whether I'm padding things out, so I might as well explain it all here at once.

The following contains mild spoilers. Proceed with caution!

Because the protagonist's character setting was too perfect, it was both an advantage and a shackle. If he rebelled because of this incident, it would inevitably seem like a decision made in blind rage. Or people might say, "Longinus, you rebelled over your disciple, but what about all those people who were hurt before? Why didn't you see