Just as Ash was about to finish off Cracker, Chaton suddenly shouted from the side.
Hearing him, Ash frowned in confusion.
"You bastard, are you seriously telling me to stop?"
"Do you even know who you are?"
During that brief hesitation, Chaton had already rushed forward and reached out to pull Cracker away.
Ash raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not interested in your nonsense."
He lifted his leg and drove a kick straight into Chaton's waist.
Only because Chaton was a Marine did Ash hold back ninety percent of his strength. Otherwise, this Admiral candidate would have been killed instantly.
Even so, the remaining force was far beyond what Chaton could endure.
Chaton was launched through the air. The moment he landed, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Facing Ash's icy gaze, he hurriedly explained before even wiping the blood from his lips.
"Without authorization from the World Government, neither the Marines nor the Seven Warlords of the Sea are allowed to start conflicts with a Yonko's forces!"
"Heavenly Emperor Ash, if you kill Cracker, Big Mom will never let this go. A war is guaranteed. You need to think this through..."
Crack!
In front of Chaton's stunned eyes, Ash snapped Cracker's neck without the slightest hesitation.
Chaton's jaw nearly hit the floor.
"You... did you even hear what I said?!"
Ash glanced at him indifferently.
"Do you even remember what your job is?"
"You're a Marine."
Holding up Cracker's lifeless body, he continued,
"And this is a pirate."
"Tell me, why is a Marine begging a Pirate Hunter to spare a pirate?"
"It's one thing to act like a watchdog for the Celestial Dragons."
"But now you're acting like a watchdog for pirates too?"
"So what if they're one of the Four Emperors? At the end of the day, they're still pirates."
"If Akainu were standing here instead of you, he'd be discussing how to cover up the scene and hit Big Mom as hard as possible."
"His sense of justice may be extreme, but compared to spineless people like you, I prefer his way of handling things."
"You brat! Who are you calling spineless?!"
Chaton was left speechless by Ash's argument. Unable to refute him directly, he could only latch onto the insult.
"Enough."
Ash waved dismissively.
"I don't have time to waste on this."
"No conflicts with the Yonko?"
"I've already fought three of them, and Fleet Admiral Sengoku never said a word."
"Since when did a Vice Admiral start deciding matters like this?"
Although Chaton was furious, he finally caught the important point.
That's right.
Neither the Seven Warlords nor the Yonko fell under his authority.
This matter was far beyond his rank.
It would be better to report everything to Fleet Admiral Sengoku and let headquarters deal with it.
Thinking this, Chaton held his aching waist and turned to leave.
The moment he stepped away, Ash released the spatial seal surrounding the auction hall.
Watching Chaton pull out a Den Den Mushi while leaving, Ash casually tossed Cracker's severed head into his storage ring, along with the Den Den Mushi connected to Fleet Admiral Sengoku that hung from Chaton's belt.
His gaze then shifted toward Baccarat, who stood frozen on the auction stage.
In an instant, Ash appeared beside her.
"Where's my Devil Fruit?"
"I... it's right here."
Baccarat quickly handed over the treasure chest with both hands.
Ash stored it directly in his ring before smiling.
"Tell Tesoro I'm very satisfied with this auction at Gran Tesoro."
"If the Marines or the Big Mom Pirates come looking for trouble later, put all the blame on me."
"And tell him to stop hiding."
"If I wanted to deal with him, running away wouldn't save him."
"The next time I come here, I expect to meet him personally."
"If his answer satisfies me, I'll give him a gift he'll appreciate."
"Understood!"
Baccarat nodded repeatedly.
By the time she looked up again, Ash had already vanished.
One auction.
A Paramecia-type Sticky Fruit acquired.
A Paramecia-type Biscuit Fruit obtained.
Unique Mission Progress: Devil Fruit Collection [84/500]
...
Ash publicly executing Cracker sent shockwaves throughout the New World.
Since the establishment of the Yonko system, most casualties among the major powers had been insignificant figures.
Commanders such as the Sweet Commanders, the All-Stars, and division commanders represented far more than combat strength. They carried the prestige and authority of their respective Emperor crews.
Yet Ash had crushed Cracker as casually as stepping on an ant.
To the world, this was a direct slap in Big Mom's face.
Previously, Ash had joined forces with Shiki and Bullet against Kaido and had clashed with the Red-Haired Pirates while charting routes through the New World.
Although the World Economy News Paper heavily reported those incidents, outsiders never learned the full details.
This time was different.
Everyone had witnessed Ash kill one of Big Mom's Sweet Commanders before calmly walking away.
The significance of that act was impossible to ignore.
The following day, headlines exploded across the seas.
The Big Mom Pirates began gathering forces along the borders of Totto Land.
Every sign suggested preparations for retaliation.
Meanwhile, after Chaton reported everything that happened at the auction, Fleet Admiral Sengoku felt another headache coming on.
His brows twisted together so tightly that several strands of his carefully braided beard were sacrificed in the process.
Over the years, Sengoku's feelings toward Ash and the Dawn had always been complicated.
On one hand, they relentlessly hunted pirates and helped maintain stability across many regions. That alone justified the trust he and Tsuru had placed in Ash years ago.
On the other hand, the trouble they caused never seemed to end.
Especially after entering the New World, clashes with Emperor crews had become routine.
Still, this incident brought one unexpected piece of good news.
According to Chaton's report, Ash possessed incredibly powerful Conqueror's Haki.
A person with such overwhelming Conqueror's Haki was certainly no ordinary individual.
However, future matters could wait.
The immediate crisis required attention first.
The Gorosei had already ordered the Marines to prevent a war between Ash and the Yonko.
Unfortunately, the troublesome brat had chosen this exact moment to stop answering his Den Den Mushi.
Thinking back now, Sengoku even suspected Ash had planned this from the beginning.
After all, when negotiating his appointment years ago, Ash had specifically demanded a clause stating that nobody could interfere with his pirate-hunting activities.
Perhaps he had anticipated situations like this all along.
Unable to contact Ash directly, Sengoku could only call another person.
Kizaru.
...
Two days later, Nami and Robin returned to the Dawn after completing their trip to Fish-Man Island.
At the same time, Wyper delivered confirmed information.
The Road Poneglyph that had once been located on Fish-Man Island had completely disappeared.
Ash sighed inwardly.
Just who had moved the thing?
If all of his previous theories were wrong, where exactly was Robin supposed to find the final Road Poneglyph?
With no better option available, Ash ordered Wyper to secretly search every island within the Red-Haired Pirates' sphere of influence.
Whitebeard's hometown, Sphinx Island, received the highest priority.
...
Meanwhile, the world's attention remained fixed on Totto Land as everyone waited for Big Mom's retaliation.
Unnoticed by most people, the fully assembled Dawn had already sailed into the waters surrounding Hachinosu.
The infamous Pirate Island.
For more than twenty years, this lawless territory had been controlled by Wang Zhi, one of the surviving remnants of the Rocks Pirates.
Deep within Hachinosu's central stronghold, pirates with bounties exceeding 300 million Berries gathered from every corner of the island.
At the center of the crowd sat an elderly pirate.
He stood nearly three meters tall with a massive frame and broad shoulders.
A bald head marked by three intersecting scars, combined with a graying goat beard and fierce upturned eyes, gave him a savage and intimidating appearance.
The ruler of Hachinosu.
Wang Zhi.
One year older than Whitebeard, Wang Zhi was now seventy years old.
Although he had failed in the struggle for Yonko status years ago, he had never abandoned his ambitions.
Instead, he remained in Hachinosu, patiently waiting for another opportunity.
Over the past year, no topic had dominated the New World more than Ash and the Dawn.
Naturally, Wang Zhi knew Hachinosu was their next destination.
At first, he intended to teach these arrogant youngsters a lesson.
Then news arrived that Ash had publicly killed Cracker.
Wang Zhi immediately dismissed the act as a diversion.
In his view, Ash was simply looking for an excuse to avoid Hachinosu.
After all, Hachinosu was located close to Totto Land.
Given the long-standing hostility between Wang Zhi and Charlotte Linlin, if the Dawn continued forward, they could easily end up trapped between both forces.
Rather than risk a two-front confrontation, provoking Big Mom and redirecting the conflict toward Totto Land seemed like the smarter option.
After all, Ash had no direct grudge against Hachinosu.
If he changed course, Wang Zhi had little reason to chase him into enemy territory.
Convinced he had seen through Ash's intentions, Wang Zhi relaxed.
Unfortunately for him, reality unfolded very differently.
Contrary to all his expectations...
The Dawn came anyway.