"Admiral Kizaru, thank goodness you're out!"
Vice Admiral Raphael had been waiting outside Dragon Mansion. When he saw Kizaru emerge, he hurried over with a smile, failing to notice how grim the admiral looked.
Kizaru might have seemed easygoing, but as an admiral at Marine Headquarters, he had a great deal of pride. Ye Chen had nearly frightened him out of his wits time and again. Kizaru had fled the battle on Amazon Lily, but this time was worse: in front of all those people, he had come within a hair's breadth of dropping to his knees. He had lost every shred of dignity.
Yet however furious he felt, he still had to appear lofty and untouchable before others.
Putting on a stern face, Kizaru grunted. "What's the situation? How many Revolutionary Army troops are here?"
Russell hastily replied, "Admiral Kizaru, it's urgent! Dragon brought a full hundred thousand troops. They've surrounded the Holy Land. Fleet Admiral Aokiji sent me to find you. He stressed that once you'd defeated Ye Chen and his people, you were to go reinforce him immediately."
"Defeated Ye Chen?" Cold sweat broke out on Kizaru's skin.
Missing every hint, Raphael said with a fawning smile, "Since you've come out of Dragon Mansion, you must have defeated them, right? Did you kill them or capture them?"
"Well..." For the first time in his life, Kizaru stammered.
"Go get Momousagi and Chaton. Now!" The Revolutionary Army was bearing down on them, battle could erupt at any moment, and the Holy Land was in peril. Even so, Kizaru had no intention of letting Ye Chen and the others off so easily.
For public and personal reasons alike, he had to kill Ye Chen. Otherwise, the man would haunt his dreams, and he would never sleep soundly again.
Not