Chapter Forty: The Celestial Dragons Under Attack

Orochimaru becoming the Hokage could be described as a win-win situation for all parties involved, with the sole exception of Orochimaru himself, who had relinquished a massive amount of authority and thus drawn the short straw.

Yet, for Orochimaru, the power represented by the position of Hokage was something he had never truly cared about.

Abandoning that meaningless power actually granted him ample leisure and time to pursue his beloved scientific research. Furthermore, the various factions that had acquired a share of power from Orochimaru needed the support of such a prestigious Hokage to safeguard their own positions. Otherwise, even the Hokage was subject to term limits, let alone those elected council members and department heads.

Consequently, while Orochimaru had indeed surrendered a vast amount of authority, his methods and prestige ensured that the village remained firmly under his control.

Having witnessed Orochimaru's "livestreamed rebellion," Borsalino also harbored the notion of broadcasting himself.

Prior to the broadcast, Orochimaru's image within the chat group was akin to some sort of mad scientist. Afterward, not only did he flaunt his looks, but he also successfully shed the unfavorable public persona that had previously plagued him.

"Once the Summit War kicks off, I might as well take the opportunity to start a livestream..."

The more Borsalino pondered it, the more he felt it was a brilliant idea; after all, the very essence of livestreaming was capturing the audience's attention.

With a grand spectacle involving over ten thousand participants at the Summit War, one that would reduce Marineford to ruins, Borsalino refused to believe anyone else could possibly be more magnetic to viewers. Moreover, the Summit War would be teeming with powerhouses, making it the prime occasion to showcase his supreme combat prowess. Should anyone in the group ever seek assistance in the future, having witnessed the broadcast of the Summit War, he would undoubtedly be the first person to cross their mind.

"Borsalino, were you just zoning out?"

Emerging from the luxurious bathroom wrapped in nothing but a bath towel, Nami eyed Borsalino suspiciously as he remained seated on the sofa. She had mentally prepared herself to be ambushed while bathing, only for Borsalino to make no move whatsoever by the time she finished.

Had this been a few years ago, Nami might have still harbored some illusions about Borsalino, given how deceptively handsome his dashing appearance truly was. No matter who laid eyes on Borsalino for the first time, they could never imagine that this fellow was an unadulterated womanizer.

"Come sit over here, little Nami~"

Gazing at Nami's curvaceous figure accentuated by the bath towel, Borsalino beamed with delight and patted the sofa beside him to summon her over.

Nami's stamina might have been slightly lacking, but her youth ensured a rapid recovery rate, and Borsalino was already impatient to kick off the second half.

"Hands off..."

Retrieving a bottle of warm milk and a bottle of chilled beverage from the mini-fridge and insulation cabinet respectively, Nami sat down beside Borsalino with a hint of displeasure. Not being ambushed during her bath had made her somewhat doubt her own appeal to him, yet the moment she sat down, she was scooped into Borsalino's embrace as he prepared for round two.

*Prur-prur, prur-prur*

Right at that moment, however, the Den Den Mushi on the luxurious desk suddenly rang out. Too lazy to pay it any heed, Borsalino was nevertheless urged by Nami to answer the call.

"This is Borsalino. Speak quickly if you have something to say!"

With his mood thoroughly ruined by the interruption, Borsalino's tone upon picking up the Den Den Mushi was exceedingly grim.

"It's Sengoku. Set off immediately. A Celestial Dragon has been attacked at the Sabaody Archipelago, and the headquarters' fastest warship has already been prepared. This is an emergency, and no delays will be tolerated!"

Fleet Admiral Sengoku's voice was intensely urgent, though it was evident that his mood was equally infuriated. While the Marines were busy preparing for the Summit War, the Celestial Dragons not only failed to help but were actually causing trouble.

"Understood... Tch, what a bunch of troublesome fellows..."

Borsalino rubbed his temples. Come to think of it, for Celestial Dragons to be attacked at a time like this... could it be the work of the Straw Hat Pirates?

Speaking of which, without Nami as their navigator, how on earth had those idiots—the lovesick cook and the hopeless marimo—managed to reach the Sabaody Archipelago? Furthermore, the Arlong Pirates had already been casually apprehended by Borsalino, who had also extorted a ransom from Jinbe and Fish-Man Island. Lacking the connections of Hatchan the octopus and Keimi the mermaid, what on earth had compelled this timeline's Straw Hat Pirates to cross paths with the Celestial Dragons?

"Are we setting sail?"

Hearing Fleet Admiral Sengoku's call, Nami had changed into her uniform and little leather boots at lightning speed, leaving Borsalino deeply regretful that he had missed the process of her getting dressed.

"Are you coming too, little Nami?"

Borsalino only needed to throw on his trench coat to be ready, but to his surprise, Nami appeared intent on accompanying him.

Thinking about it, due to his interference, Nami had not yet crossed paths with the Straw Hat Pirates. Yet given the choice, Nami would undoubtedly prefer Bell-mère to continue living safely. When Nojiko had previously written to Nami, she even mentioned that Genzo wanted to propose to Bell-mère.

"I am your adjutant! Wait, you weren't planning to sneak off behind my back again, were you?"

Nami's gaze turned sharp, a trace of inner frenzy welling up within her. Strictly speaking, wasn't she essentially the other woman? Why on earth did she also have to help keep an eye on Borsalino!

Yet, recalling Gion—who was on extremely good terms with her and had never blamed her despite knowing full well about her ambiguous relationship with Borsalino—Nami's glare toward Borsalino grew all the more perilous. It was all this guy's fault for flirting around everywhere and losing his composure the moment he laid eyes on a pretty girl.

"How could that be... Since you want to come, let's go together. Just remember to watch your safety."

Borsalino scratched his head. Well, alright, he did indeed harbor the intention of taking the opportunity to catch a glimpse of that Miss Robin. But now that Nami had called his bluff, he had better behave himself. Otherwise, while Nami was relatively easy to appease, Gion—who usually seemed so gentle—was truly capable of drawing her sword when pushed into a rage.

Although Borsalino had no reason to fear her, Gion's sworn elder sister was Vice Admiral Tsuru, and Vice Admiral Tsuru shared exceptionally close ties with Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Garp, and former Admiral Zephyr. If this had happened before he actively pursued Gion, it might have been fine, but to provoke her anger after they were already engaged meant there was a genuine risk of getting beaten to a pulp by a gang of top Marine brass should things go awry.

"Sigh, Borsalino, oh Borsalino, why on earth can't you keep yourself in check..."

Borsalino silently declared that he refused to take the blame for this; it was entirely Borsalino's own legs refusing to move whenever they saw Gion's long legs.

Meanwhile, back on the Sabaody Archipelago, the Straw Hat Pirates, having just thoroughly thrashed a Celestial Dragon, were fleeing frantically under the pursuit of the Marines in order to avoid implicating innocent civilians.

"D—Dammit! Didn't I tell you guys! Even if it kills you, you must not lay a hand on the Celestial Dragons! Did you completely fail to understand me?!"

To be precise, it wasn't just the Straw Hat Pirates; running alongside them for reasons unknown was the Supernova, Jewelry Bonney.