140 Conflict, Terrible Consequences (2)

With a swift blur, a figure vanished amidst a sudden riot of the air, and abruptly materialized upon the high platform.

Standing before the massive water tank, Xuan Ye stared fixedly at the mermaid’s wrist. There could be no mistake; it was absolutely, undeniably the one he had crafted and gifted to Xiao Xi on her birthday, inscribed specifically with the words: "Tang Xuan-xi, forever happy."

Furthermore, it was the only birthday gift he had spent nearly a month carefully, painstakingly carving out piece by piece, blow by blow.

He still remembered how Xiao Xi had smiled radiantly back then, saying, "I will wear it on my wrist forever, even if I die."

*Crack... Snap...*

The transparent water tank shattered, and the seawater from within splashed across the high platform. The mermaid lay sprawled upon the ground with an expression of profound anxiety, gazing up at Xuan Ye in terror.

Squatting down, Xuan Ye grasped the mermaid's wrist. Staring directly at it with a cold, ruthless gaze, he demanded, "Where did you get this bracelet?"

Cowering and shrinking her neck, the mermaid turned pale, trembling uncontrollably all over. She tried to pull away, but her right hand remained locked in Xuan Ye’s unyielding grip, causing her to burst into tears.

"Please don't kill me! Don't kill me! I will never come to the human world again!"

Large, bean-sized tears welled up, which, coupled with her flawless and delicate visage, instantly stirred deep pity in anyone's heart.

"Tell me, where did you get this bracelet?" Gripping the mermaid's right hand tighter, Xuan Ye looked coldly at the tear-streaked captive.

"It hurts... It hurts so much..." Tears streaming down her face, the mermaid shuddered violently, curling her body up as tightly as possible as if only doing so could grant her a shred of security.

"What kind of an idiot is this? Is he trying to hijack the mermaid?"

"Quick, capture him!"

"That mermaid belongs to me!"

Chaos erupted below the high platform as the entire crowd went into an uproar.

Simultaneously, numerous law enforcement officers surged from every corner of the grand hall, rushing forward in unison to apprehend Xuan Ye.

Turning his head to look at the charging mob, Xuan Ye’s expression remained glacial. With a single wave of his hand, a vast sheet of fire instantly erupted across the airspace above, followed by countless sharp blades that plummeted downward like a torrential rain.

*Splat...*

The sound of flesh being pierced echoed out. In the blink of an eye, the entire charging crowd was pinned to the ground by burning, plunging blades. The air filled with the sickening scent of roasting meat, presenting a horrifying and grotesque sight.

"Quick... Hurry! An outlaw has appeared, protect the Celestial Dragons!"

This sudden turn of events terrified everyone present. In an instant, a multitude of men dressed in black emerged to surround the three Celestial Dragons, clearly serving as their elite bodyguards.

"Hmph, filthy, inferior race. I want that mermaid!" Shoving the bodyguards aside, Roswald Saint pointed arrogantly and dismissively at the mermaid on the high platform.

"Big brother, that human looks rather nice. Capture him and make him my slave!" Beside Roswald, Shalulia Pal’s eyes shone with greedy excitement as she stared at Xuan Ye.

"Go on, capture that lower-class human for me." Seeing that his children had taken a fancy to both the mermaid and Xuan Ye, Roswald Saint immediately issued an order to his surrounding guards.

"Understood!" Across the blazing sky, three figures utilized the Moon Walk technique, charging directly toward Xuan Ye.

Having cleared the immediate area, Xuan Ye raised his head, expressionlessly watching the three figures hurtling toward him without the slightest ripple in his gaze.

Extending a hand, he made a distant pointing gesture. Countless blades tore through the air, instantly riddling the three figures with holes like a beehive, leaving them without even the chance to strike back.

"Scoundrel! How dare you lay a hand on my subordinates?" Seeing his men killed instantly, Roswald Saint’s face darkened as he fished a golden Den Den Mushi from his robes.

*Belo... Belo...*

"Hello, this is the Admiral's office."

"I am Roswald Saint. Order Sengoku to dispatch a Marine Admiral to the Sabaody Archipelago immediately. I will double next year's Marine budget."

As Roswald Saint uttered these words, not only did the faces of the pirates in the hall drain of color, but the Marine operator answering the call also paled drastically. The name alone carried too much weight; it unmistakably belonged to a Celestial Dragon.

"Run! Hurry and run, that lunatic has actually provoked a Celestial Dragon!"

"Let's go, a Marine Admiral is going to be here immediately!"

"Damn it, what a madman!"

"I have no desire to end up in prison."

"......"

The entire hall devolved into complete pandemonium, with countless people scrambling frantically toward the exits, their expressions heavy with dread and panic.

Meanwhile, the two Marines who had been trailing Xuan Ye hurriedly whipped out their Den Den Mushi.

*Belo... Belo...*

"Hello! This is Vice Admiral Strawberry."

"Sir, this is bad! Vice Admiral Skybird has come into conflict with the Celestial Dragons!"

"What?" Strawberry’s jaw dropped wide open in utter astonishment.

"Does that bastard even know what he's doing?" Recovering from his momentary shock, Strawberry broke into a string of furious curses, cold sweat pouring down his face as he shouted, "Stop that lunatic immediately, or the Celestial Dragons are going to die!"

"Yes... Yes...!"

Simultaneously, the door to the Marine Fleet Admiral's office was violently shoved open. A panicked operator rushed in to address Sengoku and the others who were in the midst of a meeting. "Reporting, Fleet Admiral! A Celestial Dragon on the Sabaody Archipelago has been threatened, and the call requests immediate Admiral-level reinforcement!"

"What?" Sengoku, who had been on the verge of reprimanding the operator for bursting in, froze instantly.

"Who dares to provoke that bunch of trash?" Garp muttered nearby, his face filled with disdain.

"Did they say who it was? If it's some heinous pirate, it's a possibility," Tsuru mused, resting her chin in her hand with narrowed eyes.

"What a drag!" Kizaru crossed his legs lazily, his sleet countenance clearly displaying intense annoyance.

"Admirals aren't weapons you can just dispatch on a whim," Aokiji said coolly, evidently harboring profound disdain for the Celestial Dragons.

"Justice brooks no desecration. Since the Celestial Dragons have been violated, Headquarters must dispatch an Admiral," Akainu stated heavily with an expressionless face.

"Those pieces of trash. Can't they just stay put in Mary Geoise instead of coming out to roam around Sabaody?" Sengoku felt a surge of fury, his complexion as dark as the bottom of a charred pot.

"Which of you three will go? And while you're at it, purge the pirates on the island," Sengoku rubbed his temples, glaring at Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji.

"I have no free time," Aokiji pulled his eye mask down over his eyes, clearly unwilling to accept the assignment.

"I still have missions to attend to!" Kizaru spread his hands.

"Then I shall go! Maintaining justice is my absolute duty," Akainu rose to his feet, expressionless.

With a sudden flicker in her eyes, Tsuru interjected, "Isn't that fellow supposed to be executing a mission to Fish-Man Island? He should still be on the Sabaody Archipelago right now. Why not just leave it to him? After all, he's already close by."

"That's right, that fellow is currently on the island," Sengoku’s eyes lit up. That would make things much simpler.

Spinning the dial of his Den Den Mushi, Sengoku initiated contact with Strawberry, recalling that Strawberry had previously called to report that Xuan Ye had already arrived.

As for why he contacted Strawberry instead of calling Xuan Ye directly, it was because Sengoku wished to avoid hearing Xuan Ye's sarcastic remarks, and to deny him any direct pretext to reject the assignment.

*Belo... Belo...*

"Hello! This is Strawberry." At that moment, Strawberry was rushing anxiously toward Xuan Ye's location, preparing to report to Sengoku when Sengoku's call came in first.

"Strawberry, order Xuan Ye to resolve the Celestial Dragon incident. Deal with those outlaws on the spot, and while he's at it, clear out the pirates on the island."

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I believe we need to dispatch two Admirals for this matter," Strawberry said with a gloomy expression. Initially, he had thought one Admiral would suffice, but the moment he considered Xuan Ye's terrifying strength, it seemed only two Admirals could possibly suppress him.

"What? Could Whitebeard have shown up? Or one of the other Emperors?" Sengoku’s previously relaxed expression turned grave as he stared intently at the Den Den Mushi.

"No, it's because the outlaw who offended the Celestial Dragons is that very bastard..."

The entire office fell into a dead silence. Everyone stared fixedly at the Den Den Mushi resting on Sengoku's desk, even Aokiji lifting his eye mask to watch.

"What did you say? I didn't catch that clearly... Are you saying the one who offended the Celestial Dragons is Xuan Ye?"

Rising abruptly to her feet, Tsuru stared at the receiver with ragged breathing.

"It's that exact bastard. I'm rushing over there right now," Strawberry replied, covered in cold sweat.

"This is bad! Kizaru, hurry up and stop that madman. If a Celestial Dragon dies, it will be a catastrophic disaster! Aokiji, you go too—you must stop Xuan Ye at maximum speed!" Everyone's expression shifted drastically, and Tsuru issued the urgent directive with a pale face.

"Understood!" Without hesitation, Kizaru and Aokiji vanished from the room in the blink of an eye.

"I'll go too..." Akainu’s face lit up with eagerness, his eyes gleaming fiercely.

"You stay right here!" Sengoku slammed his palm onto the desk. He could hardly fathom the aftermath of this incident.

Knowing Xuan Ye's temperament, killing a Celestial Dragon was something that fellow was entirely capable of doing.

If that bastard truly murdered a Celestial Dragon, it would mean the Marines could no longer provide him sanctuary, effectively driving him into direct hostility with the World Government. Sengoku had no doubt that if that came to pass, a brand-new Emperor of the Sea would rise upon the grand expanse of the ocean.

"Those idiots! Why couldn't they just stay put in Mary Geoise instead of wandering about? Don't they know there are countless people in this world just waiting for a chance to kill them?" Sengoku cursed furiously—not at Xuan Ye, but at the Celestial Dragons themselves.

"Let us pray we are in time to stop this, otherwise the consequences are unimaginable," Tsuru rubbed her temples. Everything Sengoku had thought of, she had foreseen as well.

"If this truly happens, the birth of a new Emperor of the Sea is not far off," Garp added with a heavy sigh of concern. Given Xuan Ye's monstrous willpower and overwhelming strength, the emergence of a fifth Emperor on the seas was a distinct possibility.

After all, with the Seven Warlords system yet to be fully implemented and the era of the Four Emperors still in its infancy, rising to the rank of an Emperor was entirely achievable for someone with Xuan Ye's innate talent, especially since all the necessary prerequisites would soon fall into place for him.

Even Akainu did not dispute this possibility, for he was deeply aware of that man's terrifying nature; all he required was time.