Tear

Sabaody Archipelago, the arena.

"Done... he actually did it!"

When Lindsey charged into the spectator stands and grabbed Saint Ecowina by the throat, everyone who witnessed the scene couldn't help but gasp in shock.

"He really went through with it!"

What had he done?

That man named Aiven Lindsey had actually seized a Celestial Dragon by the neck in broad daylight!

Given his behavior up to this point, Aiven Lindsey had already thoroughly enraged Saint Ecowina, so a clash between them wasn't surprising.

But for this sea as it stood today, "being hostile to a Celestial Dragon" and "attacking a Celestial Dragon" were two completely different concepts!

Even the so-called "Revolutionary Army," which had grown increasingly active lately, hadn't launched a direct assault on a Celestial Dragon.

Did that man named Aiven Lindsey truly understand what he had violated?

"Whoops!"

Lindsey held Saint Ecowina's neck with one hand while tapping his head with the other, suddenly realizing, "Looks like I've stirred up quite a mess?"

You're just figuring that out now?!

—Every single person present, without exception, roared inwardly.

As for Saint Ecowina, his face twisted in fury as he cursed, "You filthy commoner, ungrateful for my grace, and you dare to—"

His throat being squeezed made his voice grow weaker and weaker, until he was on the verge of passing out.

Just then, the second suited guard, whom Lindsey had slammed into the ground earlier, stepped forward.

Dragging his severely injured body, he leaped up and pressed his nearly shattered blade against Lindsey's neck.

But the suited man's goal wasn't to kill Aiven Lindsey—it was to grab his attention.

The reason was simple:

He couldn't cut through this man... no, he couldn't cut through this monster!

A naturally tough physique, combined with the power of a Zoan Mythical Beast Type, had pushed Lindsey's defense to an absurd level, no less than full-body Armament Haki coverage.

Facing such a monster, the suited man, a member of the CP Organization, knew he was outmatched. But to fulfill his duty, he could only appeal to reason, then to emotion.

"Trust me... cough, trust me, this isn't a good idea."

The suited man spat out a mouthful of blood, his voice hoarse. "Celestial Dragons are the worst possible 'hostages.' If you keep dawdling here, you'll only give the Navy more time to surround the exits."

The suggestion wasn't without merit.

In the current situation, it seemed like Aiven Lindsey was stealing the spotlight, but practically no one believed he could escape easily.

"With all due respect, your decision has a major flaw."

Seeing that Lindsey didn't respond, the suited man pressed on while the iron was hot. "Whether it's escaping from here or seizing the chance to make a name for yourself on the sea, there are far better plans. You had no need to attack a Celestial Dragon."

"..."

"Fair enough."

Lindsey nodded, actually agreeing with the suited man's point, and admitted openly, "There are indeed many optimal solutions available to me, and this situation is indeed disadvantageous."

Such a blunt admission of error caught the suited man off guard, and he asked in surprise, "So you—"

"But!"

Lindsey shifted his tone, grinning to reveal a full set of fangs, and chuckled lightly, "Kid, in this world, what 'living being' always chooses the so-called 'optimal solution'?"

"Life isn't a perfect machine; it can't make every choice the best one. There are always regrets."

"So, we have to learn to enjoy the imperfect 'now.'"

"..."

"I understand."

The suited man nodded.

He realized that the "will" of this monster before him could never be swayed by mere words!

An imperfect now?

Looking at it that way, the suited man's own journey seemed imperfect too.

He once had a happy family, torn apart by war.

Orphaned, he was taken in by a World Government institution and eventually trained as a member of the CP Organization, serving as a Celestial Dragon's guard.

As a child, his dream had been to become a chef...

"You have a point."

The suited man slowly tightened his grip on the sword hilt.

Even though the blade was already riddled with cracks, he still raised it high, aiming it at Lindsey's neck.

"Since that's the case, let us focus on this imperfect present."

What's truly terrifying isn't "defeat," but being forever immersed in that "optimal choice" never taken.

So the suited man decided to fulfill his duty.

The broken blade was raised high, carrying a will to die, and he brought it down heavily toward Aiven Lindsey's neck!

Shiiing!

Whoosh!

A sound of something cutting through the air rang out.

Before the broken blade could fall, Lindsey suddenly grabbed hold of Saint Ecowina in his hand, then swung him in a half-circle through the air, slamming him heavily toward the suited man diagonally above!

Thud!

Saint Ecowina crashed into the suited man. Both of them, driven by Lindsey's monstrous strength, smashed heavily onto the spectator stands.

Boom!

Both bodies sank into the ground. A thunderous roar erupted, kicking up a vast cloud of dust that swallowed Lindsey's form, leaving only his silhouette barely visible.

"N-Not good..."

The onlookers stared at the scene in shock.

Whether it was the slaves who had just been freed or the noble Lords planning to flee, everyone's heart was now in chaos.

They had no idea what Aiven Lindsey would do next, nor what upheaval would sweep through the entire Sabaody Archipelago.

A few among them barely managed to snap out of it and tried to escape the arena.

But before they even reached the exit, they saw the situation outside and ran back in terror.

"N-No good!"

The Fat Uncle who had fled first cried out: "It's the Navy! There are so many Navy soldiers outside!"

Sabaody Archipelago had its own naval garrison, and a large naval branch was nearby.

So, as early as when Aiven Lindsey was locked in confrontation with the Celestial Dragon Saint Ecowina, someone had already reported the arena's situation to the Navy.

After all, it involved a Celestial Dragon. The Navy immediately dispatched several squads, rushing over to surround all exits of the arena.

And after that, the violent roar erupting from within the arena only made the nearby Navy soldiers' nerves stretch to the breaking point!

What exactly was happening inside the arena?

Lindsey sensed the commotion outside the arena.

If he recklessly broke through the exit, he'd likely have to endure a hail of bullets from the Navy, wouldn't he?

Since there was no avoiding it, he might as well choose to face the inevitable outcome head-on!

"Ha!"

Lindsey let out a low roar, raised both arms high, and slammed them down fiercely at the ground.

Boom!

The entire arena trembled as if struck by an earthquake.

The spectator stands beneath Lindsey's feet split open with a massive crack, which continued to spread relentlessly.

Before long, that side of the stands had completely fractured. Large amounts of Earth and Stone tumbled and fell, stirring up even more dust.

With a single strike, Lindsey had utterly destroyed the stands beneath him, smashing out a huge chasm that led straight to the outside!

Outside the arena, several Navy squads had already noticed the disturbance. They raised their muskets and stood ready at a distance.

The arena cracked open.

A thick cloud of dust billowed, outlining a massive, towering black silhouette.

Thick limbs, strange Demon Horns, and eyes gleaming with a crimson glare made the nearby Navy soldiers break out in cold sweat.

"Fire!"

Bang, bang, bang, bang...

At the command, several squads pulled their triggers at once. A hail of lead bullets plunged into the dust, striking the black silhouette.

But those bullets seemed to vanish into the surging waves of the sea, stirring not a single ripple. The massive, alien silhouette stood firm.

He even took half a step forward, revealing a hint of his crimson true form, then opened a fang-filled maw and unleashed a roar at the Navy soldiers.

"Roooar!"

Deafening!

One of the Navy soldiers, seeing this, recalled a ghost story his grandmother had told him as a child and couldn't help muttering:

"A... A demon..."