The Show Begins

Amid the rumbling thunder, Jin An slowly approached the cabin.

Saint Rasgard jolted awake from his sleep, sitting up abruptly and clutching his chest as he gasped for breath.

After resting for a while, his unfocused pupils gradually regained their clarity, and the pallor on his face slowly faded.

"Hm?" Saint Rasgard frowned. He had heard the thunder exploding overhead as well.

At that moment, the tightly shut cabin door slowly began to open.

He turned his head and glared irritably in the direction of the cabin door, only for it to continue opening at an agonizingly slow pace.

"Can't you even guard a door? Are you trying to die? Hurry up and close it!" He was already cursing before the door had fully opened.

Gales continuously poured through the gap. Having taken off his outer coat, Saint Rasgard folded his arms around himself uncomfortably and shrank back slightly.

Under his furious gaze, a foot clad in a leather shoe stepped into the cabin.

"You filthy dog, who told you to come in?! I told you to close the door! Can't you understand?!" He shivered from the cold, almost wishing he could rush over and shut the door himself.

The cabin was dim, with only faint light streaming through the gap and casting mottled shadows by the entrance.

Like a strand of dark shadow, Jin An silently entered the cabin. His eyes remained fixed ahead as he watched the stunned Celestial Dragon with great interest.

When Saint Rasgard saw the figure before him clearly, his pupils dilated unnaturally. Overwhelmed by shock, he could not help crying out, "Why are you here?!"

Once the door opened, his furious expression froze instantly. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the figure before him. The panic in his heart was almost written across his face; his body trembled slightly, and his fingers quivered uncontrollably.

A trace of fear and unease showed in his eyes. He knew he stood no chance against this man, and he could not understand how this person had infiltrated his side without making a sound.

At that moment, he felt as if his mental defenses had collapsed in an instant, leaving behind nothing but emptiness and helplessness.

"Where are my guards?"

"What did you do to them?!"

Jin An raised a finger to his lips, signaling for him to lower his voice.

"But you clearly said you'd spare me!" Saint Rasgard roared as if he had not seen Jin An's gesture. "You can't go back on your word!"

Jin An looked helplessly at the shouting Celestial Dragon. Sometimes, he really wanted the powers of the Calm-Calm Fruit. Otherwise, dealing with people who screamed like this was always troublesome. It was simply too hard on the ears.

"If I remember correctly, I only told you to leave the Sabaody Archipelago quickly. I never said I was letting you go." Jin An spread his hands.

"As for your guards, they're outside."

Hearing Jin An's words, Saint Rasgard looked through the open cabin door and saw the situation outside.

Every one of them had collapsed on the ground. There were no visible wounds on their bodies, but they had no strength left to fight.

He truly was... all alone now.

Saint Rasgard stared at the man before him in disbelief. "Why can't you let me go?"

Why was this guy so determined to target him...

"Why shouldn't I let you go? I never expected you to ask such a question." Jin An grinned. "Because it makes me happy, because I'm stronger than you, because I... can't suppress the urge to kill you."

"You really have such thoughts?" His mouth hung open, his face full of disbelief.

He could not understand. Was this man insane?

He actually wanted to kill a Celestial Dragon, to kill one of the people at the very top of this world.

Their lives were more precious than everyone else's in this world. No one could judge them. They were the gods of this world.

They were the taboo of these seas. Ordinary people did not even dare look directly at them. What kind of freak was this man?

"Are you satisfied with that answer?" Jin An asked. "If you are, then I'll send you on your way."

Jin An stood in the room's shadows, his gaze cold and sharp. In the dim light, a cruel smile flickered across his face.

With a casual motion, he split the door into long wooden rods, then drove them forcefully through Saint Rasgard's limbs.

Saint Rasgard was pinned to the bed. He struggled, but every movement made him grimace in agony. Unable to escape, his eyes filled with fear and despair as he realized there was no way out.

"Do you think you can escape?" Jin An's voice was cold and mocking. "You're nothing but a bug trapped in my hand. Now, I'll let you experience the despair of those innocent people you tormented."

He slowly approached Saint Rasgard and casually picked up a sharp knife, its blade glinting with an eerie light.

Jin An's smile turned even colder. Without mercy, he drew the knife across the other man's skin. Screams echoed through the room, but he ignored every plea, his heart as hard as iron.

"You think you can still live well after killing me?" Saint Rasgard's voice was full of mockery. "You're wrong. The World Government will avenge me. Neither you nor your pirate crew will escape. Even if I die, I won't let you off."

"I'm looking forward to them avenging you." Jin An grinned. If they wanted revenge, they could go find Golden Lion. What did that have to do with the Governor of South Blue?

Perhaps by then, he would even celebrate the two dogs tearing each other apart.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

"You beast, I'll make you wish you were dead!!!"

Venomous curses continuously poured from the Celestial Dragon's mouth. Jin An clicked his tongue in wonder. So they could be afraid too. They could fear death too.

"They'll avenge me. Every move you make is being watched by those people. They're already on their way here. I'll wait for you in hell, hahahahahaha..."

Jin An cleanly slashed across Saint Rasgard's neck. His head separated from his body in an instant, propelled into the air by the surging blood before crashing heavily onto the floor.

His final expression remained on his face—confusion, anger, and disbelief tangled together into an exceptionally comical look.

At last, the annoying wailing stopped, leaving only terrifying silence in the room.

Jin An looked at the Celestial Dragon's lifeless body and smiled disdainfully. Of course, he knew the World Government had placed surveillance Den Den Mushi on this ship, which was why he had remained disguised all along.

When the time came, Kuzan and the others could wipe out a pirate crew and report it to Marine Headquarters under that crew's name. That way, no one would connect what happened today to him.

"Celestial Dragons? Compared to lambs waiting for slaughter, killing you takes little more effort..."

"..."

"Men, the target ship is right ahead! Charge in! The treasure is all ours! Once we're done looting, we'll hold a feast! Let's celebrate to our hearts' content!"

In the distance, pirate ships rapidly closed in on the vessel carrying the Celestial Dragon.

The pirates' laughter gathered together, making these waters lively once more.

"A feast!!!"

"Charge!"

"..."

"The show begins..."