"I still owe you my deepest apologies, Saint Aurelius D. Virel Is. This time… we truly troubled you."
Kong looked at Aurelius D. Virel Is with genuine respect.
As Fleet Admiral, there were very few people Kong truly admired.
Aurelius D. Virel Is was one of them.
Though he was a Celestial Dragon, Aurelius D. Virel Is was completely different from the others.
If it were any other Celestial Dragon celebrating a birthday, there would've been hundreds of banquet tables laid out in extravagant fashion.
Yet on Is's birthday, not only was there no grand ceremony—
There wasn't even a proper cake.
It was almost shabby.
And on top of that, he had to battle a monstrous pirate like Rocks.
If another Celestial Dragon's birthday had been ruined, they would've gone mad with rage, pressuring the Marines endlessly until whoever destroyed the celebration was hunted down and killed.
But Is?
He had simply killed Rocks himself.
"You can skip the pleasantries," Is said calmly.
"No, this isn't politeness, Saint Aurelius D. Virel Is."
Kong's expression turned solemn.
"You're a hero to the entire sea."
Suppressing pirates was supposed to be the Marines' responsibility.
Yet now, a Celestial Dragon had accomplished what they failed to do.
At this moment, Kong genuinely admired Aurelius D. Virel Is from the bottom of his heart.
"You're a Celestial Dragon, yet you fought personally. We truly owe you this time, Saint Aurelius D. Virel Is," Sengoku praised.
As a Marine Admiral with immense authority at Headquarters, he had never spoken to a Celestial Dragon with such respect before.
Aurelius D. Virel Is was the first.
"That's enough. Rocks may be dead, but many of his crew escaped. The Marines' troubles aren't over yet."
Is spoke lightly, as if it weren't worth mentioning.
Suppressing pirates was the Marines' duty.
The reason he led his companions against pirates had merely been a spur-of-the-moment decision.
As for killing Rocks—
That was because God Valley belonged to him.
Pirates dared invade his territory.
How could he let them leave unharmed?
The surviving members of the Rocks Pirates posed no threat to him.
But for the Marines…
That was another story.
"I know. Still, with Rocks dead, this sea should remain peaceful for a while."
Kong nodded.
"Wait… where's Garp?"
Sengoku scanned the surroundings and frowned when he failed to spot him.
"Garp?"
Even Is looked around curiously.
But Garp was nowhere to be seen.
"Yo, Sengoku! Kong! You guys are here!"
In the distance, a broad-shouldered man waved as he walked toward them.
"Garp!" Sengoku shouted.
Garp grinned and quickly sped over.
"We sent you to God Valley to fight the Rocks Pirates. Where exactly did you run off to slack around?" Sengoku pushed up his glasses, his expression darkening.
"Garp, you're a Marine, yet you abandoned your duties and left all the trouble to Saint Aurelius D. Virel Is?" Kong scolded coldly.
"Saint Aurelius D. Virel Is could handle everything by himself. I figured there wasn't much use for me here."
Garp scratched his head with a laugh.
Aurelius D. Virel Is had insisted on fighting Rocks alone.
And Garp respected him greatly, so he didn't want to disobey his wishes.
He obediently left.
Later, worried that staying too close would get him caught in the aftermath of the battle, he watched from afar while taking care of a few pirates on the side.
When he returned, Kong, Sengoku, and the others had already arrived.
"Garp, your punishment is one month without snacks!" Kong declared sternly.
"Ah?! A whole month?!" Garp shouted in shock.
"One month."
Kong raised a finger, his face serious.
"Enough, Garp, Sengoku. God Valley is about to sink. Search the area first and see if there are any surviving Celestial Dragons."
"Yes!"
Sengoku and Garp answered in unison.
Buru buru…
Buru buru…
Buru buru…
Suddenly, Kong's Den Den Mushi rang.
"Hello?"
"F-Fleet Admiral Kong! The Roger Pirates have arrived!"
A panicked Marine's voice came from the other side.
"What? The Roger Pirates?"
Kong frowned briefly—
Then a smile appeared on his face.
"Garp! Forget the Celestial Dragons for now! The Roger Pirates are here! This is our chance to wipe out the great pirates of the New World in one sweep!"
Kong excitedly gave orders to Sengoku and Garp.
But in the next second, he sensed something strange in the atmosphere around him.
The words he'd just spoken…
Were rather unfriendly toward Celestial Dragons.
Kong coughed twice before correcting himself with a stern expression:
"Garp, Sengoku, let's go deal with the Roger Pirates."
Then he pointed at the surrounding Marines and continued:
"You all search nearby for any surviving Celestial Dragons."
"Yes, sir!"
The Marines shouted together before dispersing to search the area.
"Saint Aurelius D. Virel Is, leave the upcoming battle to us. You should stay here and rest."
Is gave a slight nod.
Then Sengoku, Kong, and Garp rapidly rushed toward the coastline.
"Before God Valley sinks beneath the sea, search around one more time. See if we get lucky and uncover treasures… or secrets."
Is instructed the six people beside him.
He wasn't interested in the Roger Pirates.
What interested him were the secrets hidden within God Valley.
He wanted to search one final time before the island disappeared beneath the ocean.
What if they found something?
"Understood."
The six nodded and dispersed.
They began searching God Valley for treasures.
As Is passed by a pile of ruins, he heard a faint cry.
"Save me…"
Buried beneath the rubble was a Celestial Dragon.
His face was covered in blood, his body crushed beneath shattered structures, with only his head exposed.
"Saint Aurelius D. Virel Is! Did you find any surviving Celestial Dragons over there?"
Several Marines in the distance called out to him.
They assumed Is was searching for survivors as well.
"No."
Is shook his head indifferently.
…
At the shores of God Valley—
The Roger Pirates had arrived.
"The battle's already over?"
Rayleigh rested his chin in thought.
"Did we come too late?"
Roger frowned slightly.
"Who won?"
Gaban asked curiously.
"No idea."
The powerful members of the Roger Pirates didn't immediately land on God Valley.
Instead, they remained aboard the ship, carefully observing the island's condition.
"If the Marines won, we leave immediately."
Rayleigh paused before continuing:
"But if Rocks won… then we attack."
If the Marines had won—
Then Is was undoubtedly still alive.
If Rocks had won—
Then Is certainly wouldn't be here anymore.
However, even if Rocks had won, the Marines would've severely weakened them.
At that point, they could eliminate Rocks…
And seize the opportunity to dominate the world.
Two birds with one stone.
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