"Kong, you're old, but surely you're not so old that you've gone deaf?"
Meeting Kong's shocked and disbelieving gaze, Ryūjin shrugged and replied with a playful smile.
Crack! Crack!
Kong clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked. His face flushed red with fury, looking as though he wanted nothing more than to tear Ryūjin apart.
This Ryūjin was simply too arrogant!
"Ryūjin, are you openly provoking the entire Marine?!"
Kong glared at him viciously, his voice rumbling like an enraged beast.
"Yeah."
The only response he received was Ryūjin's firm and straightforward answer.
Crack! Crack!
The cracking of Kong's fists grew louder. Grinding his teeth, he felt as though he were about to explode from anger.
"Damn you, Ryūjin..."
Whoosh!
Before he could finish speaking, Ryūjin vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared in front of Kong like a ghost.
Given Kong's severely injured condition, there was no chance he could react.
Bang!
A casual punch sent Kong crashing to the ground.
He couldn't even get back up.
"Instead of standing here barking empty threats, why don't you crawl back and start figuring out how you're going to deal with Uchiha Ryūjin's anger?"
"Because when I get pissed off, it's a lot worse than you can imagine."
Ryūjin looked down at him and spoke meaningfully.
Kong's eyes turned bloodshot.
Veins bulged across his face as his fingernails dug into his palms, drawing blood.
Everything Ryūjin had done today was an unforgettable humiliation for both him and the Marines.
"Ryūjin!"
Kong roared like a wounded beast and tried to charge forward to fight to the death.
But Sengoku immediately stopped him.
"Commander-in-Chief, don't throw your life away for nothing! Even the Three Admirals have fallen into Ryūjin's hands."
Kong's body trembled.
The struggle and desperation in his eyes froze.
He wasn't a fool.
He knew Sengoku was right.
The problem was that he simply couldn't accept it.
"Commander-in-Chief, you can stay and fight Ryūjin until your final breath, but that sacrifice would be meaningless."
"Other than costing the Marines another top-tier powerhouse, it would accomplish nothing."
"Let's return to Marineford first and discuss our next move."
...
After Sengoku's repeated persuasion, Kong finally regained some composure.
Gritting his teeth, he suppressed the urge to charge forward.
"Ryūjin, the Marines are not something you can provoke so easily! You'll pay dearly for your arrogance today!"
After throwing out one final threat, Sengoku grabbed Kong and swiftly departed.
The surrounding Marines and CP0 agents naturally did not dare remain behind after seeing their leaders retreat.
Covered in cold sweat, they hurriedly evacuated.
Within moments, every Marine who had come because of the Celestial Dragon incident had disappeared.
Not a single one remained.
The spectators instinctively turned their eyes toward Ryūjin's youthful figure.
Even now, everything that had happened felt unreal.
The Marine Commander-in-Chief, the Fleet Admiral, and the Three Admirals.
Such an overwhelming force had been completely crushed by one man.
They had been routed and forced to flee.
"Ryūjin really is a god..."
Nami stared blankly at Ryūjin's unruly and domineering figure, her eyes filled with admiration.
"Ryūjin-san, are you really planning to attack Marineford in two months?"
Robin could not help but ask quietly.
Even she, who usually remained composed, was deeply shaken by Ryūjin's decision.
"Of course. I declared war in front of everyone. Why would I be joking?"
Ryūjin shrugged indifferently.
"The Marines keep sticking their noses into my business. If I don't smack them around a bit, they'll actually start thinking I'm easygoing."
Nami and Robin immediately broke into cold sweats.
Only Ryūjin would consider attacking Marineford merely to "teach the Marines a lesson."
What nobody knew, however, was that this was only an excuse.
As the enforcers of the World Government and loyal servants of the Celestial Dragons, the Marines were naturally opposed to Ryūjin's actions.
Their conflicts were inevitable.
Ryūjin did not genuinely care about that.
The real reason he intended to attack Marineford was much simpler.
Devil Fruits.
Haki.
That was all.
With the terrifying strength Ryūjin had already displayed, once his declaration of war spread, the Marines would undoubtedly gather an unprecedented force to resist him.
During the Paramount War, the Marines assembled a luxurious lineup consisting of 100,000 elite soldiers, the Three Admirals, and the Seven Warlords of the Sea to face the Whitebeard Pirates.
Against someone like Ryūjin, the preparations would only be greater.
To him, it was a giant field of ripe leeks waiting to be harvested.
That was why he had given the Marines two full months.
Enough time for them to gather every available force.
Making it easier for him to reap the rewards.
"Nami, Robin, feel free to explore Sabaody Archipelago for a while."
"I've got other things to take care of."
"Crocodile, stay with them."
After casually giving his instructions, Ryūjin disappeared in a blur.
His sightseeing trip through Sabaody Archipelago was officially over.
Now it was time to get to work.
It was time to harvest people like Silvers Rayleigh and the Supernovas.
As for Nami and Robin's safety, Ryūjin wasn't worried in the slightest.
After watching him defeat the Admirals and the Marine Commander-in-Chief, he doubted anyone would be stupid enough to target them.
And even if someone was foolish enough to try, Crocodile wasn't weak.
As one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, he stood among the strongest individuals on the ocean.
On top of that, Ryūjin's Observation Haki could easily cover the entirety of Sabaody Archipelago.
Nothing happening on the island could escape his notice.
The harvesting process went extremely smoothly.
Whether it was Silvers Rayleigh or the various Supernovas, none of them could resist Ryūjin.
He effortlessly collected rewards from each of them.
However, after finishing his harvesting, Ryūjin did not leave Sabaody Archipelago.
The island truly did have an underground Devil Fruit auction.
It simply wouldn't begin for several more days.
Until then, Ryūjin spent his time enjoying himself while waiting for the auction to start.
Meanwhile, the captured Admirals were quietly released when Ryūjin found the opportunity.
Now that they belonged to him, there was naturally no reason to keep them imprisoned.
As for how they explained their return to the Marines, that was their problem.
Ryūjin couldn't be bothered to ask.
The Admirals were not idiots.
A matter this small was well within their abilities.
While Ryūjin remained on Sabaody Archipelago, news of everything that happened spread across the seas at astonishing speed.
The entire world was shaken.
Most shocking of all was Ryūjin's public declaration of war against the Marines.
"Ryūjin declared war on the Marines? Is he insane?!"
"He's actually planning to attack Marineford in two months!"
"No one has ever challenged the Marines like this!"
"Ryūjin really has no fear at all!"
"As expected of Ryūjin, daring to take on the entire Marine organization by himself!"
...
Countless people discussed the news in disbelief.
Everyone was stunned by Ryūjin's unprecedented actions.
For a time, people from all corners of the world began heading toward Marineford.
Their goal was simple.
They wanted to witness the monumental battle with their own eyes.
As a result, the name Ryūjin became the hottest topic on the entire ocean.
Naturally, such explosive news reached the World Government.
More specifically, it reached the Gorosei.
Holy Land Mary Geoise.
Inside a luxurious Gothic palace.
The five Gorosei sat on elegant sofas with grim expressions.
Their faces were so dark they looked as though they had each been slapped several times.
Standing before them were Kong and Sengoku.
The two men carefully reported everything that had occurred on Sabaody Archipelago.
"Elders, that's exactly what happened. Ryūjin's strength far exceeds our previous estimates."
Kong spoke with a serious expression.
"He defeated you in less than twenty minutes? Is Ryūjin really that terrifying?"
The long-haired Gorosei spoke in disbelief.
The others looked equally shocked.
Defeating Kong wasn't difficult for them.
Any of the Gorosei could accomplish that.
But defeating him within twenty minutes was another matter entirely.
"Ryūjin is simply too dangerous."
The Bald Elder spoke in a heavy voice.
"Even my Shodai Kitetsu was broken by him. That's unbelievable."
The Shodai Kitetsu was one of the world's supreme cursed blades.
Its blade was exceptionally durable, and an evil spirit resided within it.
Against people like Sengoku or Kong, it was practically unbeatable.
Yet not only had it failed against Ryūjin, it had been cut in half.
It had even been frightened into fleeing back to its owner.
The Bald Elder still found it difficult to believe.
"I never imagined such a terrifying individual could exist on these seas."
The Gorosei with the hat sighed.
His voice was filled with caution.
"Elders, Ryūjin claims he will attack Marineford in two months."
"I don't believe he's bluffing."
Kong spoke again.
Ryūjin's strength had already surpassed what the Marines could handle alone.
That was why he had come to seek the Gorosei's guidance.
"Hmph! What an arrogant brat! He actually dares to look down on the Marines!"
The short and stout Gorosei angrily slapped his thigh.
"Arrogant, yes. But he has the strength to back it up."
The tall and thin Gorosei spoke gravely.
"With his current power, I'm afraid Marineford has no one capable of stopping him."
"It seems it's time for the five of us to act."
The Bald Elder let out a long sigh.
Kong and Sengoku's pupils shrank.
The Gorosei themselves were planning to take action?
These were the supreme rulers of the world.
"Very well. You may leave."
The Bald Elder waved his hand dismissively.
Kong and Sengoku immediately withdrew.
After they were gone, the Gorosei exchanged solemn glances.
Their expressions became even more serious.
"At this point, I think we should report the matter to Imu-sama."
The Bald Elder spoke in a low voice.
The others nodded in agreement.
Having reached a decision, they rose and headed toward the deepest region of Holy Land Mary Geoise.
Pangea Castle.
Soon, they entered a vast and mysterious hall filled with overwhelming pressure.
At the far end stood the Empty Throne, the symbol of supreme authority throughout the world.
A figure sat upon it.
Imu.
"The Gorosei greet Imu-sama."
The five elders bowed deeply.
"Have you come because of Ryūjin?"
A deep, ethereal voice filled with boundless majesty drifted from the throne.
"Yes, Imu-sama."
The Bald Elder respectfully replied.
He proceeded to report Kong's defeat on Sabaody Archipelago and Ryūjin's declaration that he would attack Marineford.
"So he has already reached this level?"
Even Imu's voice carried a trace of surprise.
Imu was naturally aware of Ryūjin and had long possessed intelligence concerning him.
Even so, this level of power exceeded expectations.
"Imu-sama, we have decided to personally eliminate Ryūjin."
"Please rest assured."
"The incident of Ryūjin attacking Marineford in two months will never happen."
"We will erase him from this world before then."
After finishing his report, the Bald Elder made a solemn promise.
Imu's distant voice echoed through the hall.
"Go."
"In this world, there are likely no better candidates than the five of you to restrain him."
"Yes, Imu-sama!"
The Gorosei responded in unison before respectfully withdrawing.