Tap! Tap!
Crisp, heavy footsteps echoed in everyone's ears, resonating with their heartbeats.
Hades appeared, with Bullet and Gerald following behind him.
He wore a dark purple aristocratic robe, and his noble bearing and the aura of a ruler were impossible to conceal.
His deep, indifferent eyes were filled with boundless majesty.
He exerted immense pressure on everyone without a word.
Bullet was still dressed in a black military uniform.
Gerald wore a dark blue, court-style military uniform. Without the military insignia and cap, it would have looked like formal aristocratic attire.
Most affiliated nations had to rely on Marine escorts, as their kingdoms had few powerful fighters of their own.
Even when powerful individuals emerged among the populace, they were unlikely to join a kingdom's army and submit to its royal family.
Nations like the Kronos Kingdom, which brought their own top combatants while also receiving an escort from a core Marine officer, were exceedingly rare.
Both Bullet and Gerald had demonstrated their abilities in that battle.
Bullet in particular had displayed absolutely terrifying power, and he was also a top-tier mythical Zoan Devil Fruit user.
That battle had been broadcast live around the world. Practically everyone knew about it.
Yet the person who drew most of their attention was still Hades.
"Hades, the Lord of the Underworld!"
"He actually came in person!"
The reporters cried out in uncontrollable excitement, their bodies trembling as their fingers pressed their camera shutters so rapidly they almost seemed to be convulsing.
Without a doubt, tomorrow's front-page story had already taken shape.
Hades and his two companions descending from the passenger ship, the Marine elites standing in two rows, and Sakazuki waiting respectfully would together form a world-famous painting.
At a time like this, no one cared whether they had enough film.
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