Looking up into the distance, the outline of the Red Line had already appeared. Xuan stopped considering anything else and accelerated.
With steady steps, towering waves surged, and a figure slowly emerged from the billowing waters.
On the Red Line, the captain of the guards responsible for protecting the Celestial Dragons had cold sweat dripping from his forehead. Behind him, several hundred well-equipped soldiers stood waiting solemnly.
They were the first group the Five Elders had sent to stop Xuan, as well as the first line of defense guarding Mary Geoise.
Basically speaking, Holy Land Mary Geoise lay at the very center of the Grand Line and was not far from Marine Headquarters. Its security should have been Marine Headquarters' responsibility, and it had always been so over the years.
But that did not mean Mary Geoise lacked its own forces to protect it.
Although the pirate world was centered on the sea, with land making up far less area than the ocean, the World Government, as the legitimate government of the entire world, was still the greatest authority.
Under such circumstances, it would not entrust its safety entirely to the Marines. Moreover, there were indeed still many land-based nations in this world that likewise obeyed the World Government.
Though the army had never made much of an appearance in the pirate world and was not as powerful as the Marines, it did exist.
"He's here... Does that mean Fleet Admiral Void and the others have failed?" the guard unit's deputy captain asked in a low voice, a tremor already present in his tone.
He had no confidence at all in their ability to defend Mary Geoise. Even Marine Headquarters' strongest forces had failed—what could they possibly do?
The guard captain took a deep breath. "Focus. No matter what, Mary