The killing of a Celestial Dragon was an event so huge that no amount of effort by the World Government could ever hope to cover it up completely.
Still, by using all their influence, they managed to limit how much it affected ordinary citizens and smaller island nations.
But among underworld powers and pirates, the news was common knowledge.
Apart from the great powers of the New World, rising pirate crews — such as the Spade Pirates — and famous rookies already making names for themselves on the Grand Line were equally stunned.
It only fueled their ambition to make their mark on the seas and strike back hard against the Marines.
In a very short time, Oboro had become the absolute center of attention across the entire world, even overshadowing the Four Emperors in the public eye. Normally, every movement of the Four Emperors was watched closely, as they alone could shift the balance of power at will.
How exactly the World Government and the Celestial Dragons held the Marines accountable and what measures were taken remained unknown to the public.
Outwardly, it looked as though no one had been made the scapegoat. A situation that seemed ready to explode into chaos passed over in an oddly calm, almost absurd way. It appeared the Government simply wanted the disgrace suffered by the Celestial Dragons to fade quietly with time.
To let people gradually forget.
They wanted to avoid making matters worse.
After all, Morgans was still watching from the shadows.
If the Government had punished the Marines too severely, Morgans would surely have poured fuel on the fire with more sensational reports.
Instead of settling down, the issue would only have grown larger, becoming a laughingstock to all who opposed the Government.
What no one knew was that Sengoku had escaped being made the scapegoat thanks to two people who played decisive roles.
One was Garp.
The other was Kong — former Fleet Admiral, now Commander‑in‑Chief of the World Government.
During the meeting with the Celestial Dragons, Sengoku had remained silent while being scolded and denounced by one noble after another, stripped of all dignity due a Fleet Admiral.
Even Topman Warcury, the God of Law among the Five Elders, had watched coldly without intervening. It seemed certain Sengoku would be sacrificed as a warning to others… until Garp stepped forward at the critical moment.
He spoke only one sentence: if Sengoku were forced to resign, then… he too would retire.
Garp held only the rank of Vice Admiral, yet his influence across the seas surpassed even Sengoku's. He was the Hero of the Marines, their golden standard, a beacon of justice to millions. Like an anchor, his very presence kept pirates — no matter how bold — from running completely wild. Though he never took part in internal power struggles, his impact on the organization was immense.
In recent years, promising new pirates had begun to rise, while the Marines had produced few notable talents, letting the pirates take the spotlight. Meanwhile, the Four Emperors were moving aggressively in the New World. For Sengoku and Garp to step down at such a time would have been catastrophic.
It would have left the door wide open for the Emperors to advance unchecked.
Making drastic changes or purges within the Marines at such a delicate moment was simply too dangerous.
Kong understood this perfectly. He defended his former subordinate so fiercely that he even slammed his fist on the table in defiance of Topman Warcury.
In the end, after a long and grueling meeting…
Sengoku kept his position.
But the Celestial Dragons demanded an answer. Since they could no longer punish Sengoku, they had to take their "revenge" elsewhere within the Marine ranks.
Tsuru had not attended; only Sengoku and Garp went. They arrived at Mary Geoise at dawn and did not leave until deep into the night.
Garp looked relaxed, as if nothing had happened. Sengoku, however, appeared exhausted and heavy‑hearted.
On the warship sailing back to Marineford, the two stood side by side at the bow, letting the salty sea wind blow over them.
"Right now, every reaction and movement on the seas — even within the Government and among the Celestial Dragons — is based on the assumption that the killer is dead. If he is still alive, and word of it spreads…" Sengoku said grimly.
He didn't need to explain. Everyone in the world — including them — was wondering the same thing.
Is the man who killed a Celestial Dragon still alive?
And if so… where is he?
"Wouldn't it be better if he is alive? Then I'll just go catch him myself…"
Garp bit hard into a rice cracker, making it crunch loudly, and laughed heartily.
Sengoku glanced at him and closed his eyes.
To his old friend, every complicated problem seemed to become simple. Garp always preferred straightforward solutions.
But… the nature of this incident could never be changed.
Where… are you?
...
Meanwhile, Oboro and Dom had remained hidden inside the Sea King's body.
Dom had woken up, and his condition was slowly improving.
When he realized exactly where they were and how they had escaped capture, he was utterly stunned.
He never imagined his captain could actually control a Sea King.
If word of this ever got out… it would be almost as shocking as killing a Celestial Dragon.
Because it meant they were no longer limited to traveling by ship. They could go literally anywhere across the seas — ignoring even the Calm Belts or the harshest, most dangerous waters known to man.
Dom had always thought of Oboro as mysterious and incredibly powerful.
But that kind of power was something he could understand and measure.
What he saw now… defied all logic.
"We should be far enough away from Sabaody by now… somewhere along a route in the first half of the Grand Line. Exact position is hard to say," Oboro said, sitting cross‑legged on the fleshy ground. He pulled a small fish bone from between his teeth, tossed it aside.
For days, their only food had been small fish swallowed and carried inside by the Sea King — eaten raw, just enough to keep them going.
Oboro could communicate with the creature using his mind, but Sea Kings lacked human‑like reasoning, and they had no Log Pose. There was no way to determine their exact location.
"Where do we go now?" Dom asked.
In his mind, outside the New World, there was nowhere left where they could survive.
"I've made this Sea King surface from the deep ocean a few times…" Oboro smiled calmly at Dom, leaning back against the thick tissue wall, hands behind his head. "Just as I thought: warships are everywhere. Near any route close to Sabaody, you barely even see pirate ships anymore… The Celestial Dragons' rage isn't going to fade anytime soon. They are hunting us down with unprecedented force."
"Right now, the Marines are probably holding a meeting with all three Admirals and their top officers, trying to decide whether we're dead or alive."
Dom swallowed hard.
"Let's go to the New World!" he urged.
"No." Oboro shook his head. "The World Government has very little influence there. It's true we'd be safe. But the New World's power structure is already set; most territories and resources are carved up between the Four Emperors. For a newcomer, unless you submit to one of them, it's nearly impossible to gain a foothold. And after what I've done… do you really think they'd welcome me?"
"We could join one of them… work under them…" Dom suggested uncertainly.
That was exactly how ordinary small‑time pirates thought.
To Dom, as long as he survived and had the protection of an Emperor, it was acceptable.
He had always served the strong anyway. Besides, being associated with a Yonko would give him status and prestige — something most pirates could only dream of.
With the "merit" of killing a Celestial Dragon, Oboro had already made a name big enough to open doors to the Emperors and earn them a comfortable living.
"Hah… Those four — even Shanks, who only recently rose to their level — are no soft touches. They've ruled the seas for years. You think they can be trusted? If the World Government offered them enough benefits… apart from Whitebeard, especially Big Mom and Kaido… they wouldn't hesitate to sell us out instantly."
"Never bet your life on trust. You can't afford to gamble — you have nothing to bet with."
Oboro's tone was firm.
"We're going to the North Blue."
He changed the subject and smiled.
"The North Blue?!" Dom was shocked.
"Each of the Four Blues is different. The East Blue is the calmest and most tightly controlled by the Marines. The South Blue is chaotic and produces many pirates; they're strong enough, but it offers us no advantage. The best choices for us are the West Blue and the North Blue.
"The West Blue belongs to the mafia. Power groups are tangled and complex. We could lie low there for a while and be safe… but only for a short time. The Marines may not control the place or crush the families, but they still have influence. And more importantly: the mafia are just businessmen operating in the shadows. All they care about is profit. They'd do anything for money. There are too many families, information travels fast… we wouldn't be able to hide. They'd sell our location not only to the Marines or Government, but to every power that would pay."
"Out of all four seas… the North Blue is perfect."
Oboro raised one finger.
"First: it is chaotic enough. Doflamingo's family started there, building their fortune as war profiteers. He was smart — cast out from the Celestial Dragons, he chose the North Blue to build his power precisely because it is the place least affected by their authority."
"Doflamingo… was a Celestial Dragon?!" Dom's jaw dropped open.
"He was."
"Did you think he'd be allowed to speak to them otherwise? Those people care only about blood and status. Without that background, no matter how powerful he became, they wouldn't even glance at him." Oboro chuckled.
"The North Blue also has the highest number of nations unaffiliated with the World Government. Civil wars are constant, and news rarely leaks out to the outside. It's full of factions born from war: arms dealers, traffickers, tech cartels, mercenary companies… Even affiliated nations are in terrible shape.
"Right now, our first priority is hiding. Once this storm blows over, the threat will be much smaller.
"That's why the North Blue is ideal… It gives us all the time we need to prepare ourselves before we return to the Grand Line.
"Think about it: most people there live on the edge of survival. When you face death every day, when you barely have food or clothes… whatever happens outside doesn't matter. They don't care about the rest of the world… and that makes us safer."
Since they had plenty of time, Oboro took the chance to teach Dom how to look at things from the root.
"In the West Blue, you have the mafia. To build anything there, you must fight them directly. But the North Blue has no single overlord. Ordinary people struggle just to survive. Those who go there only care about money. Big fish, small fish, monsters of every kind — it's all mixed together.
"Even the strongest figures in the North Blue care only about profit, not territory or authority…
"If there's money to be made, there's wealth to be grabbed… and where wealth flows, chaos follows. Chaos that is man‑made… controlled from behind the curtains by those who benefit from it.
"Only in muddy waters can you hide your fish."
Those nations are in constant turmoil — and on this scale, in the Blues, they are far beyond the reach of pirates or mafia. They operate on a completely different level. You think the World Government doesn't want to control it? They can't, and they have no reason to try — non‑member states are outside their protection. It's exactly this unique background and system that makes the North Blue special.
"Now… do you understand?"
Oboro looked at Dom.
Dom let out a long breath… a chill running down his spine.
His head was spinning, but at the same time, everything suddenly became crystal clear.
The way he looked at Oboro changed — filled with genuine admiration.
His captain knew so much… it was like he knew everything.
Amazing!
Dom had spent years sailing the seas, considering himself a veteran, yet what he knew about the Four Blues was only surface‑deep.
He had never seen the truth so clearly before.
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