Nalandesheng froze, then gave a bitter grin. When did I say I'd release your friends? That's complete nonsense!
But he had already made so many concessions that one more hardly mattered. All he wanted was to get away from this demon as quickly as possible. He nodded. "Yes, what he said is true!"
Since Ye Chen was becoming a Shichibukai, and they were holding a full-blown press conference to announce it, there had to be photographs.
Neither Brannew nor Nalandesheng could have imagined that Ye Chen would throw an arm around each of their necks. Ye Chen smiled. "Perfect. Brannew represents the Marines, the Prince represents the Celestial Dragons, and I..."
Ye Chen rolled his eyes as he thought for a moment. "I represent the Shichibukai. A photograph of the three of us together should say plenty. It'll show that we're all on the same side and ought to get along from now on!"
"What?"
They had seen shameless people before, but never anyone this shameless. Ye Chen had only just become a Shichibukai—and had done it by threatening a Celestial Dragon—yet here he was, claiming to represent the Shichibukai.
There should be a limit to how much nonsense a man can spout, Brannew thought.
"Then, Your Highness, may I ask which of the current Shichibukai will have to leave?"
It was a pointed question. Ye Chen had barged his way into the Shichibukai, effectively taking someone else's seat. One of the existing members would inevitably have to be removed.
"I'm sure the Marines can handle that properly."
Nalandesheng answered without a care. The Celestial Dragons did not concern themselves with whether the Marines would be put in a difficult position. They issued orders. What happened afterward, or whether a Shichibukai reacted violently, meant nothing to them.
To the Celestial