Above the towering Red Line that pierces the clouds, a massive ice road suddenly extended from within, slanting down into the ocean.
Despite the warships cushioning their fall, Noyer and his group plunged headlong into the sea. The powerful impact shattered the vessels.
The laughter and singing on the warship came to an abrupt halt. As the warship was slapped down by the waves, splash after splash rang out — people falling into the water one after another.
The scene was like rain falling from the sky — except it was raining people.
Fortunately, there was some buffer. Otherwise, even crashing into the sea would likely have left them smashed to pieces. Natural disasters are often far more dangerous than man-made calamities.
The exhausted Noyer plunged into the sea without warning, then was instantly slapped to the ocean floor by the giant waves. He covered his mouth expressionlessly as the icy seawater washed away some of the fatigue from using his abilities, clearing his head considerably.
It seemed they had escaped from Mary Geoise…
He really didn't know how Fisher Tiger had managed to set fire to Mary Geoise and then bring people out.
Noyer's operation to free the slaves was actually something he'd done impulsively after listening to Wyper's words and getting carried away in the moment.
That it succeeded was mostly due to luck. If any part had gone wrong, he might well have been killed by Aokiji or Kizaru…
Noyer held his breath and paddled, trying to surface. But then — his head was suddenly covered by a large shadow!
He looked up, and his forehead immediately broke out in terrified sweat. A group of burly men who looked like drowned corpses rushed toward him in a dense mass, desperately paddling and frantically blowing bubbles from their mouths with gurgling sounds.
This group of brothers who regarded Noyer as their benefactor saw him fall into the water and rushed over anxiously to rescue him.
In their understanding, he had endless abilities and was definitely a Devil Fruit user. And ability users were the people most in need of rescue in the ocean!
In the sea, the sweating Noyer showed a face of despair.
No need to be quite so enthusiastic… I can actually swim, you know…
But seeing their determined expressions, he had no choice but to pretend to be unresponsive and quietly let this group of well-meaning brothers bring him to the surface.
The people who caught Noyer showed joy on their faces — their benefactor was fine, and all was well! Their benefactor had rescued them, so everyone would protect him at any cost!
But clearly, they had forgotten another very important matter.
Nearby in the deep sea, Wyper, Blueno, Enel, and Lucci — four genuine Devil Fruit users — hugged each other as they silently sank into the ocean, wearing expressions of utter despair.
After much effort, they finally managed to fish everyone out of the sea.
Under Noyer's command, everyone hastily repaired a ship that could barely float. The Fish-man brothers in the group helped pull the vessel, dragging it from below as they moved forward across the sea.
Behind them, two giant warriors swam along, relying on their formidable physiques to follow at a moderate distance.
The damaged warship was unbearably cramped with everyone aboard. Even so, the largest room was reserved for Noyer's group.
In the battered room, Wyper helped Enel press on his stomach. Enel vomited water like a fountain. Lucci and Blueno leaned against each other with closed eyes, exhausted and dozing.
Only Noyer sat alone, staring at the Log Pose to determine their course.
Thriller Bark was mobile — people couldn't find it with an Eternal Pose. But that place had become his territory. He only needed to sense the zombies created by shadows to determine the direction. Once they returned, they could rest and recuperate properly.
However, after causing such a major incident, the World Government would not let him off easily. In the battle at Mary Geoise, Noyer had exposed far too many trump cards.
The fictional "Copy-Copy Fruit" ability had almost been confirmed. He had also exposed the abilities of the Kage Kage no Mi and the Mane Mane no Mi right under the Marines' nose. Not to mention he had copied the abilities of two Admirals.
And aside from Mary Geoise, the hot potato of the Celestial Dragons had begun sending out deadly signals…
Noyer dragged his weary body to a corner of the room. Sacks were piled high like a small mountain.
He gently opened one sack, revealing an ugly head staring at him with terror.
Saint Rosward never dreamed someone would kidnap all the Celestial Dragons present at his daughter's engagement banquet.
And the person before him was the leader who had killed his son.
Saint Rosward was shocked and furious, but still seemed unable to grasp the situation, "Release me at once! Do you know what the consequences will be?"
Noyer's face was pale, but his presence was undiminished. He drew Rasetsuō and rested it gently on his shoulder, "If one more word comes out of your mouth, I'll cut off your head."
Saint Rosward's face twisted with rage, but he refused to stop threatening, "Do you know who you're talking to? We are descendants of gods! You will be erased by the world!"
Noyer exhaled. Too exhausted for idle chatter, he took the scabbard and tapped it several times against the cabin wall. Outside the door, rustling sounds responded immediately.
"Benefactor, sorry to disturb you. Have you rested well? If you need anything, just give us orders!"
The door opened slightly, and a face peeked in. Noyer looked carefully — it was the elder Fish-man.
So he could rest well, everyone outside remained silent despite being crammed together on the warship, afraid of disturbing their benefactors.
The small gesture warmed Noyer's heart. His cold tone softened as he asked, "What is your name, old sir?"
The old Fish-man wore a tattered fisherman's hat. He took it off and said respectfully, "This old man is called Puff. I used to handle official business for His Majesty Neptune on Fish-Man Island. Later, when I left to venture out, I was captured and made into a slave…"
Noyer nodded silently. Everyone here had a painful past. Puff was clearly no exception.
A subordinate Neptune had assigned to handle official business — surely a talented administrator. Many matters in the coming days could be handled with this old Fish-man's help.
Noyer leaned on his sword and walked toward Puff. The old Fish-man hurried to support him, afraid he might get hurt — as if Noyer, a grown man, was somehow particularly delicate.
Noyer smiled warmly at Puff, "Do you know how to use a Visual Den Den Mushi?"
Puff paused, then replied quickly, "This old man is not without talent — such trivial matters I can handle."
Noyer nodded with satisfaction, "Good. Can you do me a favor?"
Puff nodded firmly, "Benefactor, just say the word."
"I want to broadcast what's happening here to nearby islands. Preferably, let the Marines and the government see it."
◇◆◈◆◇
In the first half of the Grand Line, a group of special guests set foot on a desolate island in the middle of nowhere.
The big brothers Noyer had rescued were multi-talented. With just a casual search, former shipwrights from various races could be found. The long-arm tribe members especially — whether racial talent or not — had ship repair skills far stronger than ordinary people.
Over there, they worked feverishly to repair the warship while checking for anything with Marine tracking capabilities.
On Noyer's side, the stage for what was to come had been set.
Thirty-seven Celestial Dragons had been abducted from Mary Geoise. All had their sacks removed and were lined up in a row, kneeling on the ground. Despite their panic, their deficient intellects meant they still spewed wild threats, claiming they would take revenge on Noyer and the others.
Noyer ignored the Celestial Dragons' threats, pulling on a pair of black gloves and changing into relatively clean gray high-collared clothing.
The more the Celestial Dragons cursed, the more uneasy they became. The Devil Man was one thing — but why wasn't anyone else afraid?
One Celestial Dragon spat as he roared at a man standing nearby, "Release me at once! Or I'll slaughter your entire family and feed the corpses to pigs!"
Without hesitation, the man punched the Celestial Dragon in the face, sending his bloated body flying.
"We lost our families long ago. All Celestial Dragons deserve to die…" The man's eyes were red-rimmed, his voice trembling as he raised his fist again.
Puff walked up, trembling but with a surprisingly strong grip. His webbed hand clamped tightly onto the man's arm, "Don't interfere with our benefactor's plan."
The man's fist clenched and unclenched. Ultimately, he trusted Noyer's instructions. He wiped away tears and returned to the group.
The Celestial Dragons glanced at their companion who'd been sent flying, then at the murderous looks surrounding them. Finally, they shut their mouths.
Noyer tidied himself up and comforted the man, "Don't worry. The Celestial Dragons will pay the price." Then he turned to Puff, "How are the arrangements?"
Puff replied steadily, "We've hijacked that island's Den Den Mushi transmission line, but time is short. If you want to say something, benefactor, you'll need to be quick."
Noyer smiled and nodded, "To accomplish this under these conditions — worthy of you, Mr. Puff."
Puff lowered his head humbly, "It's all what I should do."
Noyer stretched and sat down before the Visual Den Den Mushi, "Let's begin."
◇◆◈◆◇
At the same time, in the Fleet Admiral's office at Marine Headquarters, Sengoku stared in shock at his two lieutenants who'd returned wounded.
Half of Aokiji's hair had been burned off. Burns and sword wounds covered his body. Most terrifying of all — his lower leg had been cleanly severed!
And the other Admiral, Kizaru? He was actually… fine. Just his clothes were dirty.
Whatever. At least the dirt showed he'd put in some effort.
Sengoku suppressed his rising anger and asked quietly, "Is the Devil Man Noyer really that strong? Even working together, you weren't his match?"
Kizaru and Aokiji exchanged guilty looks, "Ah, yes… yes…"
Sengoku's keen eyes had already seen through everything. He sighed helplessly. If only he hadn't sent these two on the mission — if only he'd steeled his heart and sent Sakazuki instead…
The slaves and Celestial Dragons would have been unlikely to survive, but that would still be better than letting the menace Noyer return to the seas.
Aokiji had lost a leg. His Devil Fruit powers meant it wouldn't greatly affect his future combat ability, but it would still impact an Admiral's prestige within the Marines.
Sengoku stood, supporting himself on the desk. He radiated authority as he said, "We must capture the Devil Man Noyer as soon as possible. We cannot let the Marines' strength be wasted! The Celestial Dragons have been abducted. The World Government is enraged and has ordered us to capture him."
Sengoku and the two Admirals stood at attention, discussing their next moves.
Breaking into Mary Geoise, freeing slaves, kidnapping Celestial Dragons — this series of events had made him absolutely certain: as long as the Devil Man Noyer lived, the world would not know peace.
Just as he was about to convene a meeting of high-ranking Marines, urgent knocking came from the wooden door.
Someone knocked while shouting anxiously:
"Report to the Fleet Admiral! The Devil Man Noyer has hijacked the Den Den Mushi signal of the Sabaody Archipelago and is broadcasting footage!"
Sengoku's eyebrow twitched. He quickly led the two Admirals out of the office, running toward the door.
The Marine soldiers led him to a large office where footage from Sabaody was being broadcast on the wall. On the screen projected by the Den Den Mushi in Sabaody Plaza, a handsome face appeared. Just seeing that face made Aokiji's lower leg throb with phantom pain.
Sengoku's face was livid — like a volcano about to erupt — as he watched the broadcast.
On the screen, Noyer stood in an unfamiliar environment, smiling at the camera.
After a moment, Noyer spoke cheerfully:
[I know you can see this, gentlemen of the Marines.]
Sengoku frowned and quickly ordered the soldiers, "Trace the signal! Find the Devil Man's location!"
The soldier saluted hastily, "Yes, sir!"
Noyer couldn't hear Sengoku's words and continued:
[I'm speaking with you this way to discuss a deal.]
As he spoke, he turned the camera, focusing on the Celestial Dragons kneeling in a row.
Sengoku's alarm spiked. What did he want to do with those Celestial Dragons?
Noyer walked to one Celestial Dragon, slowly crouched down, and lifted her chin. He smiled like a demon prince, [The lives of these Celestial Dragons should be quite valuable to you, shouldn't they? I have thirty-seven here. Let me calculate… one hundred billion each. How about it?]
The one whose chin he lifted was none other than Saint Shalria, who had previously had an "engagement" with him.
She bit her lip, tears of humiliation streaming down. This man had kidnapped the World Nobles for money. And back in the Holy Land, she had been toyed with by such vermin!
Saint Shalria was overwhelmed with shame and anger. Her noble upbringing combined with her current predicament gave her thoughts of ending her life.
Noyer held up a finger to the camera, [Whenever you pay, I'll hand them over. However…]
He suddenly turned around, the blade in his hand raised coldly toward Saint Rosward, who had been so boastful earlier. Under the horrified gaze of the people of Sabaody Archipelago and Sengoku's furious roar, he drew his blade across the neck without hesitation.
Blood sprayed, staining the entire screen red. A head rolled across the ground a few times. The fat, headless body collapsed.
Against the crimson-stained background, Noyer showed his white teeth and spoke words that made Sengoku break out in a cold sweat.
[For each day that passes, one person dies — and you can pay one hundred billion less for the ransom. But you'd better hurry. Don't leave me empty-handed…]
◈◈◈
T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
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