The moment Tuli stepped onto the deck, he sensed that something was wrong.
The atmosphere was far heavier than he had expected.
The armed Marines standing on both sides of the deck showed no fear toward him whatsoever. Their gazes were cold and indifferent, as though they were looking at an ordinary criminal rather than a man backed by influential figures within the World Government.
However, what shocked him even more was the identity of the female Marine officer he had spoken to through the Den Den Mushi.
Now that he saw her in person, he had to admit she was astonishingly beautiful.
Long silver hair flowed behind her like moonlight.
Golden eyes radiated an oppressive sense of authority.
Her elegant appearance alone would have been enough to draw attention anywhere in the world.
Yet the truly frightening part was not her beauty.
It was the rank emblazoned upon her coat.
Rear Admiral.
And judging by her age, she was absurdly young for someone who had reached such a position.
Suppressing the unease in his heart, Tuli decided to take the initiative.
"Let's settle this peacefully."
He forced a smile onto his face.
"Return the goods, and we'll pretend none of this ever happened."
In his view, a Marine Rear Admiral already possessed sufficient status to sit at the negotiating table.
There was no need for either side to make matters worse.
Unfortunately for him, Saint Roselith Seraphina merely looked at him as though he had said something amusing.
"The goods?"
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"The World Government strictly regulates the distribution of Seastone."
Her fingers tapped lightly against the armrest.
"I'm curious."
"Where exactly did your goods come from?"
The smile on her face widened slightly.
The situation was becoming increasingly interesting.
On one hand, the World Government tightly controlled Seastone production and distribution.
On the other hand, someone was secretly smuggling large quantities of it through the underworld.
And according to Tuli, powerful figures were involved.
The contradiction was obvious.
Someone was using their authority to profit from resources they publicly restricted.
A classic case of one set of rules for the rulers and another for everyone else.
Tuli's expression darkened.
"Rear Admiral."
His tone became colder.
"Just because you've reached your current position doesn't mean you can do whatever you want."
"There are many people in this world whose authority far exceeds yours."
"I suggest you learn to see the bigger picture."
Seraphina nodded thoughtfully.
"So what you're saying is…"
She leaned slightly forward.
"The shipment originated from individuals within the World Government?"
Tuli's face twitched.
He suddenly felt as though he had walked into a trap.
Meanwhile, Seraphina was secretly amused.
She genuinely wanted to know how many influential figures this man could drag into the open.
The more he revealed, the easier it would be to clean up the corruption later.
After all, she still had access to Mary Geoise.
If she couldn't deal with someone directly, there were plenty of other ways to make their lives miserable.
Eventually, everyone had a weakness.
Family.
Status.
Wealth.
Pride.
Nobody was truly untouchable.
"You…"
Tuli pointed at her angrily.
Then he suddenly stopped.
Looking around, he noticed dozens of Marines watching him.
Several officers had their hands resting on their weapons.
Even Bruce was quietly observing him from the side.
The threatening words he wanted to say instantly died in his throat.
Instead, he changed tactics.
"Then allow me to make a call."
Seraphina raised an eyebrow.
"A call?"
"Of course."
Tuli nodded rapidly.
"If I make one call, all misunderstandings will be cleared up."
Seraphina almost laughed.
"Be my guest."
She casually waved her hand.
A Marine immediately brought over a Den Den Mushi.
Tuli quickly dialed a number.
"Buru Buru Buru…"
The snail rang.
No answer.
Sweat appeared on Tuli's forehead.
"Perhaps that lord is busy."
He laughed awkwardly.
"I'll try again."
The second call connected almost immediately.
"What is it?!"
An irritated voice erupted from the Den Den Mushi.
"If this isn't important, prepare to suffer the consequences!"
Tuli's eyes immediately brightened.
"Saint Rosward!"
"There's been a misunderstanding!"
"The Marines have seized your shipment and are holding me responsible!"
The entire deck suddenly became silent.
Several Marines exchanged strange looks.
Even Bruce's expression became somewhat peculiar.
Rosward Saint?
Of all people?
Seraphina nearly burst out laughing.
"What?!"
Rosward's furious voice exploded through the receiver.
"The Marines intercepted it?"
"Have they lost their minds?!"
Tuli immediately nodded despite Rosward being unable to see him.
"Exactly!"
"I told them everything, but they refuse to listen!"
Then he extended the Den Den Mushi toward Seraphina.
"Explain it to Saint Rosward yourself."
His expression carried a trace of confidence.
After all, who would dare offend a Celestial Dragon?
Unfortunately for him, he had chosen the worst possible person.
Seraphina accepted the Den Den Mushi.
"Rosward?"
The moment she spoke, silence fell on the other end.
Absolute silence.
Rosward froze.
The voice sounded familiar.
Very familiar.
His mind rapidly searched for the answer.
Then realization struck him like lightning.
His face instantly turned pale.
"Saint Roselith Seraphina?"
The arrogance in his voice disappeared completely.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten me already."
Seraphina's smile became increasingly dangerous.
The surrounding Marines could not hear Rosward's expression.
But they could easily imagine it.
Rosward certainly remembered.
How could he not?
The entire Holy Land knew about Saint Roselith Seraphina.
Unlike ordinary Celestial Dragons who spent their days indulging in luxury, she had joined the Marines.
More importantly, she possessed terrifying strength and a reputation for causing endless trouble throughout Mary Geoise.
For several seconds, Rosward remained silent.
Then…
Click.
The call disconnected.
The Den Den Mushi closed its eyes.
Everyone stared.
The entire deck fell silent.
Even Tuli looked stunned.
Rosward had hung up.
Just like that.
Seraphina casually tossed the Den Den Mushi back toward him.
"Well?"
She rested her chin on one hand.
"Do you have any other backers?"
The playful look in her eyes instantly shattered Tuli's confidence.
His face turned pale.
Cold sweat poured down his forehead.
At that moment, he finally understood.
The person sitting before him was not an ordinary Rear Admiral.
She was someone even a Celestial Dragon preferred not to provoke.
"Your Highness!"
Tuli immediately dropped to his knees.
The speed of his surrender stunned several nearby Marines.
"I was blind!"
"I failed to recognize your greatness!"
"Please show mercy!"
"I have elderly parents to care for and children depending on me!"
"I've never committed any truly evil acts!"
"I merely carried out orders from powerful people!"
The words poured out without pause.
Years of surviving among nobles and officials had taught him one lesson.
Pride was worthless compared to survival.
Seraphina observed him quietly.
"Never committed any evil acts?"
To her surprise, he wasn't entirely lying.
Her Kenbunshoku Haki could detect fluctuations in emotion.
Most of what he said appeared genuine.
Not completely truthful.
But not completely false either.
"Your Highness!"
Seeing a chance, Tuli hurriedly continued.
"If you don't believe me, ask the residents!"
"They all know me!"
"They'll tell you I'm honest, humble, and approachable!"
Bruce nearly choked.
Several Marines struggled to suppress their laughter.
Even Riva's expression became strange.
Humble?
Approachable?
The man who had been threatening Marines half an hour ago was describing himself as a saint.
Seraphina rolled her eyes.
"Liar."
She waved her hand lazily.
"Bruce."
"Throw him overboard."
Tuli immediately panicked.
"Wait!"
"I can prove it!"
His voice nearly cracked.
"Your Highness, please!"
"Look at St. Poplar!"
Seraphina paused.
"Oh?"
Tuli quickly pointed toward the town visible beyond the harbor.
"What do you think of this place?"
She glanced toward the island.
The scenery was undeniably beautiful.
Flower gardens stretched across the hills.
Clean streets connected elegant buildings.
The people appeared healthy and prosperous.
Compared to many nations under the World Government, the quality of life here was exceptionally high.
"It's not bad."
Tuli's eyes immediately lit up.
"Exactly!"
He pointed proudly at himself.
"I built this!"
For a brief moment, genuine pride appeared on his face.
Not arrogance.
Not greed.
Pride.
"I was born here."
His voice became quieter.
"When I was a child, St. Poplar wasn't like this."
"There were no flower fields."
"No prosperous districts."
"No wealthy retirees."
His gaze drifted toward the distant town.
"I used to dig through trash looking for food."
"There were too many mouths to feed at home."
"As the eldest child, I carried the burden."
The deck gradually became quieter.
Even the Marines listened.
"The only thing this island ever had was its location."
"It was close to Marineford."
"Close to Mary Geoise."
"Nothing else."
As the Great Pirate Era began, however, everything changed.
Government officials started retiring there.
Nobles purchased property.
Money flowed into the town.
And Tuli had seized the opportunity.
"When I was twenty-one, I became a servant for the son of a government official."
"He liked my ability to talk."
"So he kept me around."
A self-deprecating smile appeared.
"One connection led to another."
"I met nobles."
"Kings."
"World Government officials."
"And eventually…"
His expression became complicated.
"Celestial Dragons."
The path that had elevated him from poverty had also dragged him deep into the underworld.
And from that moment onward, there had been no turning back.