Confrontation in the Flower Room

"I'll be damned, that Celestial Dragon died..." Donquixote Doflamingo leaned close to Dragon and whispered.

Doflamingo had no awareness whatsoever of being a former Celestial Dragon. He directly joined the crowd of onlookers and was quite interested.

"I heard."

Dragon helplessly brushed away Doflamingo's hand from his shoulder. Everyone nearby had already spread the news everywhere. Did he really need to whisper it right into his ear...?

The people on the island wore gloating smiles, their eyes gleaming with a trace of pleasure and satisfaction. They felt thoroughly vindicated, and because of certain personal grudges from the past, they were delighted by the Celestial Dragons' misfortune.

"Good riddance. I've had enough of those overbearing Celestial Dragons."

"The more of them that die, the better. Then life will be easier for us."

Their words were filled with mockery and excitement, displaying an undisguised sense of satisfaction at the Celestial Dragon's death.

Another group, however, looked worried. Their brows were tightly furrowed, and their hearts were filled with fear and unease.

"Keep it down..." Someone glanced around. "It's fine to be happy, but we don't know what kind of retaliation they'll take..."

"I heard that even when a Celestial Dragon is merely injured, they can summon a Marine Admiral. Now that one has died, who knows what they'll do."

They feared this incident would trigger even greater unrest, perhaps leading to more violence and hatred. They carefully chose their words, afraid of inviting unnecessary trouble or offending certain forces.

The atmosphere across the island became tense and uneasy. Discussions rose and fell one after another. In the streets and alleys, people huddled together, passing along every sort of rumor and speculation about the incident.

Some gathered to condemn the violence. "Celestial Dragons are not people we can speculate about. Everyone should stop discussing this matter."

"The Celestial Dragons brought this upon themselves. Someone finally couldn't stand them anymore. They should pay for the sins they committed."

In such an atmosphere, people's words were full of emotion and complexity.

Some were furious, some were afraid, while others remained calm and rational. But regardless of their emotions, everyone was trying to deal with the impact of this incident while protecting themselves and what they held dear.

"..."

Suddenly, Dragon unconsciously turned to look behind him.

Dark clouds filled the sky, lightning flashing through them from time to time. Gale-force winds howled past, carrying an indescribable sense of oppression and ominous foreboding.

An inexplicable unease rose within him, as if the sky itself were brewing an unstoppable storm.

"The world is becoming more chaotic by the day. Who knows what it will become in the future..." Dragon sighed.

In such an environment, an individual's strength was always limited. I hope that staying by Jin An's side can change this world, even if only a little.

In Jin An, he saw a temperament unlike anyone else in this world, as though the place Jin An had once lived was filled with peace.

And he wanted to turn the place under his own rule into something like that as well.

"That Jin An, finding an old flame actually took him this long." Doflamingo shook his head, lamenting the decline of morality.

Dragon's mouth twitched. How had this brat completely let himself go ever since leaving the auction house? "Enough. Be careful Jin An doesn't hear you talking about him like that when he gets back."

"I'm not afraid of him. I'll be stronger than him someday. He dares to hit me now, but I'll definitely hit him back in the future." Doflamingo spoke confidently.

Dragon said nothing more. He himself had no confidence that he could surpass Jin An. He truly did not know where this brat got such confidence.

Red Line, Pangaea Castle, Flower Room.

The five people at the highest level of power in the World Government... the Five Elders.

The five supreme authorities of the World Government sat together solemnly, their expressions grave and their eyes revealing unquestionable authority.

Sunlight shone through the windows, casting their shadows upon the walls and giving the room a solemn, mysterious air. They ignored the man opposite them, lightly tapping the table before them as they watched him.

It seemed they were displaying their authority, making it clear that they controlled the pace of the conversation.

Marine Fleet Admiral Steel Bone Kong stood before them, his posture straight and his gaze unwavering.

The Five Elders stared at the Marine Fleet Admiral. One of them spoke first, his voice solemn and oppressive. "Kong, we summoned you here to hold you accountable for the Celestial Dragon's death. Can you give us a satisfactory answer?"

His tone carried reproach and interrogation, his attitude arrogant and unquestionable.

"Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, I offer my condolences for the Celestial Dragon's death," Steel Bone Kong said in a deep voice. "The moment the Holy Land contacted me, I arranged for Sengoku to investigate. With his abilities, I believe he will handle it well."

His expression revealed unshakable determination. It was his trust in Sengoku, but also a demonstration to the Five Elders of the Marines' capabilities—of Sengoku's capabilities.

"Kong, you're still quite the smooth talker." Saint Marcus Mars clapped mockingly. "So you believe the life of a World Noble warrants sending only one Marine Admiral?"

The moment those words were spoken, Steel Bone Kong's expression changed.

Facing the Five Elders' questioning gazes, he stood there calm and composed, staring firmly at the five of them. "Saint Rasgard met with trouble in waters very close to Mary Geoise. That area is generally patrolled by Cipher Pol. I believe the responsibility for this matter does not lie with the Marines."

"The Marines are completely cleaning up Cipher Pol's mess this time."

As the Marine Fleet Admiral, he needed to handle matters from the Marines' standpoint rather than blindly obeying the Celestial Dragons' orders. Every one of the Marines' highest combat powers had to be deployed where they mattered most.

Besides, the Celestial Dragon had not been killed by the Marines. Why should he expend so much effort cleaning up their mess?

"Don't forget that we provide your Marines' military funding." Saint Jaygarcia Saturn's face darkened. "You must obey our orders!"

Steel Bone Kong was nearly angered into laughter. "Of course I know that you provide the funding, but many pirates with great strength and potential have emerged recently. Zephyr and the others have all been deployed."

"If you give me manpower and funding right now, I'll immediately send a group after that damned Golden Lion!"

Steel Bone Kong laughed at himself. In name, he was the Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters and could command every Marine in the world, but he understood that he was really no different from a puppet. Whenever anything even slightly major happened, he had to seek the Five Elders' approval.

The Five Elders could even bypass him, the Marine Fleet Admiral, and issue orders directly to the various Marine branches.

They might have wiped out the Rocks Pirates a few years ago, but only he knew that the Marines were now suffering from a severe shortage of capable personnel. They could not compare to the pirates at all.

Saint Shepherd Ju Peter stepped forward to mediate. "Kong, I know you're under a great deal of pressure, but you need to consider our position as well. The Celestial Dragon's death has become common knowledge. We must show our strength and intimidate those who are starting to stir."

"As for your shortage of manpower, we will send Cipher Pol to assist you."