Omen of Turmoil

"De...demon..."

A certain Marine soldier muttered, a word that existed only in fantasy slipping from his lips.

"ROAR!"

The roar resounded all around, rattling eardrums painfully!

But those present were, after all, Marines stationed on Sabaody Archipelago—elite through and through—so they quickly pulled themselves together.

"Don't panic! Its body's huge, keep aiming!"

Under the lead captain's command, the Marines shook off their brief shock, re-formed their ranks, loaded their rifles, and continued firing at that "monster."

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang...

Bullet after bullet, like raindrops, struck Lindsey's body.

The lead rounds scraped against his skin, even sparking profusely, engulfing Lindsey!

But soon, the Marine soldiers realized everything they'd just done was futile.

"No, no good!"

A Marine soldier, seeing Lindsey's condition clearly and noticing not even a scratch on his skin, couldn't help but exclaim:

"He's a Devil Fruit user! Bullets are useless against him!"

The Marine captain also fixed his gaze.

As the highest-ranking officer here, it was his duty to analyze and judge the situation, but the more he analyzed, the more dire it seemed.

A Zoan-type user?

Given this abnormality, it was highly likely a Zoan Mythical Beast Type—even rarer than a Logia Devil Fruit!

These slave traders really knew how to cause trouble—how did they let someone like this slip into the Colosseum!

"Keep firing! Aim for his head, suppress him!"

The Marine captain ordered: "Headquarters will definitely send reinforcements. Until then, we have to hold out!"

Bang bang bang bang...

Another round of gunfire.

But this time, it didn't hit Lindsey's skin—it struck two earth walls he'd raised.

"Give me a break. Gunpowder smoke stinks."

Lindsey stretched out his hands, tore two massive chunks of earth and stone from the ground, and used them as shields as he advanced slowly.

Thud! Thud! Thud...

Each step was so heavy it made the nearby Marines struggle to breathe.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, Lindsey's pace quickened. He charged forward, holding the two massive slabs of earth and stone, and slammed heavily into the Marine defensive line.

"Stop him, stop him—!"

"Whoa!"

"..."

Amidst a chorus of shouts, Lindsey had completely shattered the Marines' formation.

And the slaves, gladiators, and even the noble lords hiding inside the arena, seeing the Marine gunfire finally cease, all poured out from the Colosseum.

In an instant, a chaotic mix of people flooded out, each fleeing in different directions, even creating the awkward situation of slaves and noble lords running the same way.

Chaos erupted on the scene!

The Marines on-site tried to restore order, but the nobles wouldn't listen to them, and the slaves and gladiators had no reason to side with the Marines.

So the Marines could only lock their eyes on the most conspicuous figure—the one who'd started it all—

Aiven Lindsey!

"Pursue him! Stick to him like glue, and drag it out until our reinforcements arrive!"

Marineford.

Navy Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office.

Nowadays, the former Fleet Admiral "Iron Bones" Kong had been reassigned as World Commander, and "War Strategist" Sengoku had taken his place, becoming Fleet Admiral a few years ago.

At this moment, Sengoku sat at his desk, staring intently at a freshly delivered Urgent Battle Report.

The report's contents were simple:

On Sabaody Archipelago in the Grand Line, an incident had occurred where Celestial Dragons were attacked, and one Celestial Dragon's life hung in the balance!

With such a major event, protocol demanded dispatching a Marine Admiral to handle it. Unfortunately, the current situation was rather unfavorable for the Navy.

This year was Marineford Calendar 1506.

The Great Pirate Era had only been underway for a few years, and many events that would shape the future were still in their infancy.

Sengoku, bearing the title of "War Strategist," had foresight into many major incidents and handled each with careful consideration.

What was the situation now?

In the New World, the "Four Emperors" structure was not yet set in stone, with various factions locked in chaotic conflict.

The "Shichibukai System," established to counterbalance the Four Emperors, was still in its early stages, with only a few pirates appointed and the remaining seats vacant.

Moreover, those who had been appointed, like the "Sand Crocodile" Crocodile, were stirring restlessly and had to be watched.

In other words, although this sea appeared much calmer on the surface than the chaos of the early Great Pirate Era, undercurrents still surged fiercely!

Under such circumstances, combat power at the level of "Marine Admiral" was especially critical, and any move by one could trigger a cascade of consequences!

Sengoku had to be vigilant.

He wore a grim expression, pondering for a long time, yet still couldn't find the right person to handle this matter.

The three Marine Admiral candidates—Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru—each had their own assignments and couldn't easily break away.

"But if the Navy doesn't send someone, then the World Government's CP0 will step in..."

Sengoku muttered to himself.

He knew all too well what kind of people those CP0 agents were.

As the "Strongest Shield" of the Celestial Dragons, CP0 carried out their missions with ruthless coldness, showing no regard for innocent bystanders.

If it were on an uninhabited sea, that would be fine—no one else would be caught in the crossfire.

But this time, the incident was on Sabaody Archipelago!

That place wasn't just a famous tourist island; it was also a vital transport hub connecting the first and second halves of the Grand Line!

If CP0 went berserk in a place like that, who knew how many civilians would be killed or injured?

The consequences were unpredictable, and it could easily expand the lawless zones of Sabaody Archipelago, further weakening the Navy's sphere of influence there!

"I need a solution that satisfies both sides."

Sengoku thought to himself.

But at the same time, the Den Den Mushi from the Celestial Dragons kept bombarding him without pause.

Bruh bruh bruh bruh...

Bruh bruh bruh bruh...

"Tch..."

Sengoku felt a headache coming on. He really didn't want those heartless CP0 bastards to get their hands on Sabaody Archipelago.

Just as he was at a loss, the door to the Fleet Admiral's office suddenly swung open.

No knock.

There were few in the Navy who would dare do such a thing, but they were all formidable figures who could help Sengoku share his burdens.

He looked up, and sure enough.

An elderly woman with graying hair and a small, slender frame stood before Sengoku's desk. She casually picked up the battle report and sighed with a click of her tongue:

"Tsk, another young one getting restless."

Who was this?

It was none other than the Navy Headquarters' sole "Chief Officer," a veteran who had served alongside the two heavy hitters, Sengoku and Garp—Tsuru!

Tsuru-san gently set the battle report down, raised her eyes to Sengoku, and hit the nail on the head with a helpless tone.

"No one to send, but you can't stand the thought of CP0 getting involved?"

"Mm."

Between old comrades, few words were needed. Sengoku nodded.

Tsuru-san thought for a moment, then pulled a Den Den Mushi from her pocket and placed it lightly on the desk.

"No choice. There's a slacker near Sabaody Archipelago right now. He's only a mere 'Vice Admiral'..."

Tsuru-san smiled, her demeanor utterly composed.

"If he goes to handle it, the Celestial Dragons shouldn't have anything to say, right?"

Sengoku's eyes lit up immediately.

If it was him, then he was indeed the best person to deal with trouble involving Celestial Dragons and civilians!

Bruh bruh bruh bruh...

Click-clack!

The Den Den Mushi connected.

From the other end came an incredibly boisterous voice, laughing heartily:

"Ahahahaha, my vacation isn't over yet, Tsuru! What kind of trouble do you have over there?"