Chapter 235: Execution Upon the World! (10k) (Part 2)

Chapter 235: Execution Upon the World! (10k) (Part 2)

It's not just about being reported, and it's not some vague 'possibly.' The World Government values their face, but I, Norton Sagar, don't care about mine? You guys aren't decisive enough in your actions, unlike me. I'm a very straightforward person."

"As for passage through Mariejois, we still have things to discuss. But regarding the newspaper, forget it. Consider our deal null and void. I'll do it my way.

"What are you doing?! That's a Roswald!" The agent hurriedly reached out to stop him, alarmed.

They had assessed the situation, and as dangerous as Sagar was, they believed he would only use the Celestial Dragons as leverage to force them into submission. They never imagined he would dare to harm the Celestial Dragons.

After all, no one had ever dared to lay a hand on the Celestial Dragons before.

"Death?"

Szzz!

Lily's sword sliced off the agent's head, and as her rapier drew a line on the ground, a chilling gleam flashed like thunder toward those hidden presences.

Sagar glanced at the corpse, his smile growing more unbridled. "Looks like they really forgot, or maybe you're just a little frog, jumping about frantically but unable to reach those above. Haven't there been Celestial Dragons who have died, only to have it covered up or forgotten?"

He looked at Rozwald, who was being dragged along the ground, baring his teeth in a sinister grin. "Right?"

"What do you want to do now? I'm a Celestial Dragon! You've already humiliated me beyond measure. What more could you possibly want to do?! You can't kill me! You can't! You're just a commoner, a descendant of the Creator, the most noble of all! The Navy will not let you get away with this, and neither will the World Government!"

Rozwald's eyes widened, his entire body chilled by the threat of death.

He could sense it.

"Rest assured, not yet," Sagar replied.

He pulled the chain, hoisting Rozwald up before sitting back down on the sofa, placing his foot on Rozwald's head to silence him.

"This execution platform, is it for punishing sinners?" Sagar continued, looking at the platform on the screen. "Pirates are sinners, but what about the Celestial Dragons? Hey, what do you guys think?"

"Yes!"

The first to respond were the former subordinates from the Kingdom of Bridges in the East Blue.

They had been slaves, pirates, and citizens of non-affiliated kingdoms, captured and enslaved because their nations had not joined the World Government.

And the root cause of all this was none other than the Celestial Dragons!

"Yes!"

Bella and Pasha chimed in, their faces filled with emotion. They, too, had been slaves and knew all too well the cruelty and depravity of the Celestial Dragons, who acted with impunity, feared by all.

It was because of their existence that the concept of slavery persisted.

"Yes!"

Next to speak up were some of the pirate subordinates.

Not all who became pirates did so for the thrill or the pursuit of the One Piece. Some turned to piracy because they couldn't afford the heavy taxes imposed by the World Government, making it impossible for them to set sail legally.

And even this could be traced back to the Celestial Dragons!

"Of course," Hawkins agreed, his tone indifferent. "I've always found the Marines rather distasteful."

He came from a minor noble family, which was why he had the leisure to pursue fortune-telling and interior design—privileges typically reserved for the nobility. But because of his background, he also knew the true nature of the Celestial Dragons.

Lucci remained silent, but the excitement on his face made it clear that he supported this turn of events.

Dark Justice dictated the elimination of all threats to justice.

Previously, Lucci hadn't given much thought to the Celestial Dragons because the World Government's legitimacy rested on their existence. But now, if he had the chance to witness their true nature, he was eager to see it!

"Of course," Marica said as she descended from the ship, a tray of early morning tea in her hands. Her usually cheerful smile had frozen, and her clear, cold eyes fixed on Rozwald. "The Celestial Dragons are the reason we go hungry."

After all, the so-called Kingdom of Shallows' existence was partly due to the Celestial Dragons' demand for tribute.

"Hmph!" Reinette glared at Rozwald. "Bad people!"

She was still young and hadn't experienced the darkness of the Celestial Dragons firsthand, but she stood firmly with Sagar, believing that whatever he did was right.

"Sinners!"

Finally, Lily, her white lightning still crackling with the blood of her victims, spoke in a frosty tone. "Oppressors!"

The Celestial Dragons were the ultimate oppressors!

"Heh heh heh, it seems that in my book, you're the sinner," Sagar said with a low laugh. "Then, let's borrow this execution platform. After all, I'm a pirate, and pirates do as they please! Let the execution begin! For my reputation and to punish his sins, we'll execute him before the eyes of the world!"

"Oh!"

Nearly nine hundred members of the pirate crew voiced their approval in unison.

Plan B!

Execute a Celestial Dragon live for the world to see, boost his reputation, and take this opportunity to showcase his strength, proving to the world that he had what it took to be a Pirate Emperor candidate!

Whitebeard's death was inevitable, and with his passing, there would be a power vacuum in the New World. His collaboration with Blackbeard was centered around this opportunity—to enter the New World together and seize Whitebeard's territory.

So, Sagar needed not only a boost to his reputation but also a stage to demonstrate his strength and qualifications.

The Summit War was the perfect stage!

If the World Government had agreed to his initial demands, granting him a clean slate and safe passage through Marineford, he might not have taken this path. But they valued their own face and wanted to preserve the Celestial Dragons' reputation, so he had no choice.

"My plan will definitely succeed! Nothing can stop it!"

Sagar laughed heartily. "The final step of our plan after robbing Shabondy is about to be realized! Get ready, everyone! We're about to enter the New World and fulfill my ambition! Hahaha, whoo ha ha ha ha!"

"Long live Lord Sagar!"

"Captain Sagar, lead us forever!"

The pirates cheered loudly.

Just as the crew was shouting their approval, three massive ships appeared on the screen, entering Marineford's inner bay. The prows of the ships resembled whales, and two of them were covered in soap bubbles that burst as they broke through the surface.

Whitebeard had arrived!

"Huh? Is that the world's strongest man? Why is he emerging from the sea? Is that some kind of coating? How fascinating." Reinette's attention was quickly drawn to the scene on the screen.

That whale-shaped ship directly facing Marineford had a giant-like figure standing at its bow. He wore a white captain's coat and a black headscarf, and his beard curved like a crescent moon, signifying his identity.

The Emperor of the Sea, reigning over the New World, one of the [Four Emperors], 'Whitebeard' Edward Newgate, with a bounty of...

Five hundred million, four thousand, six hundred million berries!

The most seasoned veteran among the old-time pirates!

"The world's strongest? In terms of destructive power, he's currently the best," Sagar commented, his feet pressing down on Rozwald. "But in terms of true strength, the strongest is Kaido."

Rumble...

As he spoke, the ground beneath him shook inexplicably, causing the wine in the cups to tremble.

"What's that?"

Lily looked at the screen in disbelief. There, Whitebeard had shaken his arms, and visible cracks, like shattered glass, appeared in the air on both sides of Marineford. Enormous tsunamis rose from the sea, threatening to engulf the entire town.

The vibrations could even be felt in Shabondy.

A broadcast even began to play in a nearby town.

"Everyone, get to higher ground! Everyone, get to higher ground! A tsunami has been detected; everyone, evacuate to higher ground!"

"Can it reach us here?" Lily's cheeks glistened with a thin layer of sweat.

Due to the war, she knew that people had been coming to Shabondy from Marineford to seek refuge over the past few days. However, they only looted once and wouldn't come back, so she didn't pay it much mind.

She just felt that no matter what, the fighting shouldn't reach this far, even though it was quite close. But now, looking at the destruction, it seemed even more intense than when Sagar had fired his cannons!

Could the Emperor of the Pirates be this powerful?!

Just then, a figure leaping in the air stopped the tsunamis. Lily recognized him.

[Kuzan]!

He merely extended two ice cones and easily froze the tsunamis into icebergs, halting them in their tracks.

This display of power far exceeded their imaginations.

Back in Water Seven, the area Kuzan had frozen didn't seem nearly as large as this.

Lily subconsciously looked towards Sagar.

She knew that their group's strength wasn't on the same level as Sagar's, but she never expected the gap to be so vast.

He had actually fought against such formidable opponents and held his ground for quite some time.

"Don't look at me; I couldn't beat him either!"

Sagar rolled his eyes. "These guys are one freak after another."

He had only recently acquired his ability, and in terms of destructive power, he had reached the level of these top-tier individuals.

However, his Haki quantity was still lacking, as was his physical constitution. These were his shortcomings, especially his Haki quantity. After obtaining his ability, perhaps due to a change in mentality or the influence of his ability, or maybe because of his battle with Magellan, his Haki had indeed improved somewhat. But ultimately, he still fell short.

He was using Garp as a benchmark.

That old man packed quite a punch, and his attacks were painfully strong.

Only when his Haki quantity reached that level would Sagar truly be standing at the pinnacle of the strongest.

However, just because he couldn't beat them didn't mean he would cower from executing his plan.

Fear wasn't part of Sagar's nature.

After freezing the tsunamis, Kuzan was shattered by Whitebeard's vibration ability, falling into the sea as he froze it over. Although the live broadcast didn't cover the entire scene, Sagar could see that not only the inner bay but even the outer sea had been frozen over with a thick layer of ice.

The freezing power on display now was far beyond what Kuzan had shown during their battle.

It had to be admitted that those three had been quite relaxed when they faced him back then.

With the sea frozen over, the pirates had a platform to stand on, and instead of staying on their ships, they began to disembark and charge towards Marineford. A massive number of people could be seen on the live broadcast, and their numbers were at least half of the hundred thousand Navy personnel.

"That's insane!"

Hawkins wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Is this what a battle between top-tier forces looks like? Our numbers are indeed too small."

"Our initial goal is three million!"

Sagar said, "After entering the New World, I want to recruit at least three million people. Only then can we firmly establish our foothold."

Islands on the vast ocean were typically sparsely populated, and while some islands were as large as continents, the number of people living on them wasn't very dense. However, this wasn't a reason for Sagar to be complacent.

After all, he couldn't be like Kaido, controlling a country of Wano, and yet be completely unaware of what was on his territory.

If he wanted to maximize his control over his territory, he definitely needed more subordinates.

Otherwise, being a landlord would be meaningless.

"That guy..."

Lily stared intently at the screen, her grip tightening around the hilt of her White Lightning sword. "The man with the hawk eyes."

On the screen, a man with short stubble, wearing a black hat adorned with white fur, a burgundy patterned shirt, and a black coat entered Lily's field of vision.

He had a pair of sharp eyes like those of a hawk, and he unsheathed an enormous sword, slashing horizontally and effortlessly cleaving through a massive iceberg.

As a swordswoman, even though she had grown up in isolation within the palace, cut off from the outside world, she had still heard this name from her foster father.

The World's Greatest Swordsman, 'Hawk-Eye' Dracule Mihawk!

He was also the dream of all swordsmen!

This was indeed the pinnacle of battlefields.

The world's greatest swordsman, the world's greatest destructive power, the world's greatest speed, the world's greatest slowing ability, and the world's greatest attacking power!

Countless fiery meteors rained down like a volcanic eruption, burning and killing countless people.

Sagar shifted his gaze forward and saw the man with half his face hidden beneath his military hat, his right arm transformed into molten lava.

"That's you, Akainu," Sagar murmured. "Thanks to you, I managed to survive."

If it weren't for his good fortune back then, he would have perished in the molten lava.

"Wait, and I'll let you experience the feeling of having the land you're standing on sink!" Sagar said with a laugh.

Did he hold a grudge?

Well, yes, but not a very big one.

Sagar was quite open-minded about such things. After all, he was only two years old when it all happened, and there wasn't much he could do at the time.

However, if he had the strength, he would do the same to those who wronged him.

Ever since that meteorite fell, the battlefield had descended into chaos. Then, a ship descended from the sky, bringing with it a familiar straw hat and...

"Can't hold it in anymore? Old Sha, you're finally coming out. Tch! If you had changed earlier, you wouldn't have been captured in Alabasta back then! Stanzen!" Sagar called out.

"Captain," Stanzen replied, standing up with his massive body.

"Go, get that big tree down and bring the trunk over here," Sagar ordered.

Standing up, Sagar stretched his body and removed his foot from Rozwald's head. "It's time, I need to get moving!"

There was no need to rush into the initial battlefield.

The current battlefield was his goal!

Boom! Boom!!

With a loud blast, the numbered giant tree toppled over, and the giant struggled to drag the enormous tree closer, inch by inch.

Compared to the giant's massive body, the tree was even bigger, making the twenty-meter-tall giant look like an ordinary burly man, while the ancient tree remained imposing.

"Stop, stop, it's a bit too big," Sagar said, waving his hand to signal Stanzen to stop. He then dragged Rozwald to stand in front of the giant tree.

"It doesn't need to be this big; it's too troublesome. Something of a regular size will do," Sagar said.

Bang!

He kicked the tree, and as his Haoshoku Haki permeated it, the tree's roots split open, revealing a three-meter-tall log within.

This precise control of Haoshoku Haki caused Stanzen's pupils to contract, revealing his astonishment.

He knew Sagar was strong, but he never expected his control over Haoshoku Haki to be so formidable.

"That's enough," Sagar said.

He lifted the log and aimed it at Marineford, then turned to look at Lily.

"One hour," Lily instantly understood.

It would take an hour to sail from Marineford to Shabondy, so this was indeed right under their noses.

"Twenty times!"

Sagar threw the log with both arms, and as he released it, the log suddenly accelerated, its size also increasing.

As he threw the log, his body suddenly accelerated as well, turning into a residual image as he dragged Rozwald and leaped onto the log flying into the sky, quickly disappearing from Shabondy and heading toward Marineford.

"Bruno, open your spatial door," Lily instructed as she watched Sagar leave. "The rest of you, half get on the ship and take your positions at the cannons, and the other half guard the ship from below, just in case. Reinetti, get on the ship and be ready at any time."

"Leave it to me!" Reinette replied with an OK sign and boarded the ship first.

With Sagar gone, Lily wanted to ensure everything went according to his plan without a hitch.

...

Marineford was in a state of complete chaos.

There were crashed ships that had smashed into the cliffs by the inner bay, fallen Navy and pirate bodies, smoke and ash from explosions, lava, cracked earth, and boiling cries of battle.

The fight was reaching its climax.

"Grandpa, don't stop me!"

Luffy punched Garp down as he tried to stop him, but as he rushed to grab Ace, Sengoku, transformed into a golden Buddha, struck him with a palm strike, sending a shockwave that not only knocked Luffy back but also shattered the execution platform.

Ace fell into the air, and as he did, Mr. 3, transformed into an execution soldier, used his ability to melt the keys and help Ace escape.

Then, Akainu punched a hole through Ace's chest.

"Ahhhhhh!" Luffy knelt on the ground, hugging Ace and screaming inconsolably.

Garp, who had just gotten up, rushed forward with a terrifying expression on his face.

"Garp!"

Sengoku grabbed Garp's head and shouted, "What are you trying to do!"

"Just hold me back like this, Sengoku. Hold me back!"

Garp struggled to stand up straight, his eyes fixed on Akainu. "Otherwise, I might not be able to hold myself back!"

Garp suddenly turned and pulled his arm out of Sengoku's grasp.

Boom!!

A residual image suddenly appeared in the sky, colliding with where Garp and Sengoku had just been, sending out a shockwave that blew away the surrounding debris and rubble. A thick fog also rose from the impact.

"What is that?" Sengoku stood straight, his brows furrowed as he stared at the strange shadow emerging from the fog.

It looked like a tree?

As the smoke cleared, everyone could see a massive, unfamiliar white-haired figure standing on a giant log that had appeared amidst the cracked earth.

"I'm a bit late, it seems my execution platform is gone," the figure said.

But as soon as he spoke, Garp's expression changed, and the elite Navy vice admirals present also reacted with shock.

Squire, Firefist, and Strawberry all turned to face the figure, their faces grave.

"Could it be..."

Squire widened his eyes, his grip tightening on his sword hilt. He stared intently at the figure atop the log.

Then, a white-haired man emerged from the top of the log, and his voice sent shivers down their spines.

"But it doesn't matter," Sagar said, looking down at the people below. A sinister smile played on his lips as he continued, "This thing is high enough, isn't it?"

Squire's voice was filled with rage and disbelief as he shouted, "Why are you here!?"

The battle had been brutal enough.

Why did this troublesome guy have to show up now?! The destruction of Enies Lobby, the annihilation of two thousand Marines, the relentless barrage of powerful Haoshoku Haki, and that man with a cruel grin who had looked down on them with overwhelming dominance...

Disaster Bird!

Norton Sagar!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end