Shattered

Sabaody Archipelago, Arena.

"He... he did it!"

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

"He really did it!"

Did what?

That man named Aiven Lindsey had actually grabbed a Celestial Dragon by the throat in front of everyone!

Given his behavior up to this point, Aiven Lindsey had thoroughly enraged Saint Ecowina, so it wasn't surprising that the two of them had come to blows.

But in these seas, "opposing the Celestial Dragons" and "attacking a Celestial Dragon" were two entirely different things!

Even the so-called "Revolutionary Army," which had grown increasingly active of late, hadn't launched any direct attacks against the Celestial Dragons.

Did that man named Aiven Lindsey even realize what he had done?

"Whoops!"

With one hand gripping Saint Ecowina by the throat, Lindsey patted his head with the other and said, as if suddenly realizing something, "I think I've made things pretty serious?"

You're only just realizing that?!

Almost everyone present roared inwardly.

Meanwhile, Saint Ecowina looked furious as he cursed, "You ungrateful commoner! You dare to..."

The hand around his throat squeezed tighter. His voice grew fainter and fainter, and he was about to pass out.

Just then, the second suited bodyguard—the one Lindsey had slammed into the ground earlier—stepped forward.

He leaped up despite his grievous injuries and pressed his nearly shattered blade against Lindsey's neck.

But the suited man wasn't trying to kill Aiven Lindsey. He was trying to draw his attention.

The reason was simple—

He couldn't cut the man in front of him... no, he couldn't cut this "monster"!

Lindsey already had a tough body, and the powers of a Zoan Mythical Beast Type had made his defense absurdly strong—no less formidable than if his entire body were coated in Armament Haki.

Faced with such a monster, the suited man, a CP Organization agent, knew he was outmatched. But to fulfill his duty, he had no choice but to appeal to Lindsey's feelings, then reason with him.

"Believe... cough, believe me. This isn't a good idea."

The suited man spat out a mouthful of blood and rasped, "Celestial Dragons are the worst possible 'hostages.' If you keep wasting time here, you'll only give the Marines more time to surround the exits."

It was a reasonable suggestion.

The situation made it seem as though Aiven Lindsey had stolen the show, but almost no one believed he'd be able to escape easily.

"Forgive my bluntness, but your decision was a serious mistake."

When Lindsey didn't answer, the suited man pressed on. "Whether you're trying to escape or make a name for yourself across the seas, there are better ways to do it. You had no need to attack a Celestial Dragon."

"..."

"Fair point."

Lindsey nodded, actually agreeing with the suited man. Then he candidly admitted, "There are indeed many better choices I could've made. The way things stand, I'm at a disadvantage."

His straightforward admission of his mistake left the suited man momentarily stunned. "So you..."

"But!"

Lindsey cut him off, grinning to reveal a mouthful of fangs. "Tell me, kid. What living 'being' always chooses the so-called 'best option'?"

"Life isn't a perfect machine. Not every choice can be the best one. There are bound to be regrets."

"So we have to learn to enjoy our imperfect 'present.'"

"..."

"I understand."

The suited man nodded.

He realized that no amount of words could sway the "will" of the monster before him!

An imperfect present?

Thinking about it, the suited man's own life had been imperfect too.

He'd once had a happy family, but war had torn them apart.

An orphan, he'd been taken in by a World Government institution and eventually trained as a CP Organization agent, assigned to guard a Celestial Dragon.

His childhood dream had been to become a chef...

"You make a good point."

The suited man slowly tightened his grip on the hilt.

Even though the blade was covered in cracks, he still raised it high and aimed for Lindsey's neck.

"If that's the case, then let's focus on this imperfect present."

What was truly frightening wasn't "defeat." It was remaining forever fixated on the "best option" one hadn't chosen.

So the suited man decided to fulfill his duty.

He raised the battered blade, steeled himself for death, and brought it crashing down toward Aiven Lindsey's neck!

Whoosh!

Whoo!

A rush of air rang out.

Before the broken blade could fall, Lindsey suddenly tightened his grip on Saint Ecowina, swung him through a half-circle in midair, and slammed him hard into the suited man above and to the side!

Thud!

Saint Ecowina crashed into the suited man. Driven by Lindsey's monstrous strength, the two of them slammed into the stands.

Boom!

Their bodies sank into the ground together. A rumble rang out, kicking up a cloud of dust that swallowed Lindsey too, leaving only his silhouette faintly visible.

"N-no, this is bad..."

The onlookers stared at the scene in shock.

The recently rescued slaves and the noblemen trying to flee were all panicking.

They had no idea what Aiven Lindsey would do next, much less what kind of upheaval would soon engulf the entire Sabaody Archipelago.

A few of them managed to pull themselves together and tried to escape the Arena.

But before they reached the exit, they caught sight of what was happening outside and came running back in terror.

"T-this is bad!"

The fat man who'd been the first to run out cried, "It's the Marines! There are so many of them outside!"

The Marines were stationed on the Sabaody Archipelago, and a huge Marine branch was nearby.

So, as soon as Aiven Lindsey had confronted Saint Ecowina, someone had reported what was happening in the Arena to the Marines.

With a Celestial Dragon involved, the Marines immediately sent several teams rushing over to surround every exit.

And the violent rumbling that erupted from inside the Arena only made the Marines nearby even more nervous!

What exactly was happening inside?

Lindsey noticed the commotion outside the Arena.

If he tried to break out through an exit, he'd probably have to endure a hail of bullets from the Marines, wouldn't he?

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

"Ha!"

Lindsey roared, raised both arms, and brought them crashing down toward the ground.

Boom!

The entire Arena trembled as if an earthquake had struck.

The stands beneath Lindsey's feet split open with a massive crack that continued to spread.

Before long, this entire section of the stands had broken apart. Huge chunks of earth and stone tumbled down, stirring up even more dust.

With a single blow, Lindsey had completely wrecked the stands beneath him, smashing out a massive trench that led straight outside!

Outside the Arena, several Marine teams had spotted the commotion. They raised their rifles and took up defensive positions nearby.

The Arena cracked open.

A cloud of dust billowed, outlining a huge, hulking shadow.

Its thick limbs, unusual horns, and eyes gleaming red made the Marines nearby break out in a cold sweat.

"Fire!"

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang...

At the command, several Marine teams pulled their triggers at once. A rain of lead bullets disappeared into the dust, striking the shadow.

But the bullets seemed to vanish into the waves of the sea without making the slightest ripple. The huge, strange shadow remained standing.

It even took half a step forward, revealing a glimpse of its crimson body, then opened its mouth, lined with fangs, and roared at the Marines.

"Roar!"

The sound was deafening!

Seeing this, one Marine soldier recalled the ghost stories his grandmother had told him as a child and couldn't help murmuring:

"D-demon..."