Chapter 73: Celestial Dragon news

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In the office, Byakuya was arranging pre-departure tasks with Smoker and the others. It had been a week since they rescued Teacher Zephyr. 

During this time, Byakuya had applied for a mission from Fleet Admiral Sengoku to leave the Sabaody Archipelago. 

Now that he had the money, the 'Adam' tree branch could be put to use. 

He planned to go to Water 7, known for its excellent shipbuilding technology, to commission a ship unique to him, rather than continuing to use the standard Marine battleship of a Rear Admiral.

However, this was only one of Byakuya's objectives. 

The other was to find a suitable famous sword, at least one of the Great Grade Swords. His current sword, Kazemune, was no longer suitable for him. 

Although for a strong person, a weapon is merely an enhancement, during his fight with Weevil, Byakuya had to cover Kazemune with Armament Haki, not to enhance its power but to protect it. 

Without the Haki, Kazemune would have shattered from his attack. It simply couldn't handle Byakuya's strength. Hence, acquiring a new sword was also part of his plan.

After making all the necessary arrangements, Byakuya prepared to leave with Tashigi and Quake, leaving Smoker and Fergus behind. 

This was a decision made after careful consideration. 

Fergus had managed the Sabaody Archipelago exceptionally well during this time, allowing Byakuya to live comfortably without worry. 

Naturally, he couldn't leave. Smoker, being the strongest on the island apart from Byakuya, was tasked with handling potential troublemakers. 

Bringing Tashigi was convenient for choosing a new sword, while Quake was merely brought along as a labourer.

Byakuya had wanted to visit Teacher Zephyr before leaving, but Zephyr had firmly refused, claiming that seeing Byakuya would worsen his injuries and hinder his recovery. 

He even said it would be best not to see each other again this year and to wait until later, which left Byakuya both amused and helpless. 

Zephyr was genuinely scared of Byakuya; if Byakuya came to the training camp and started spouting nonsense again, the Marine Elite Training Camp might as well be renamed the Marine Sleep All Day Camp. 

So, it was better not to meet. Just as Byakuya was about to leave, Aokiji unexpectedly appeared in his office, claiming there was a new mission and keeping Byakuya there. 

Before Aokiji could speak, Byakuya rattled off a list of complaints, "Admiral Aokiji, what's the matter now? Look, I've got my leave approved and was about to leave."

"If you're making me stay to work, shouldn't there be overtime pay? And my leave time can't change; it should be extended. We can't be working for free, right?"

Aokiji stared at Byakuya in astonishment. At that moment, he saw a reflection of Kizaru in Byakuya—both in tone and content. 

This can't be Kizaru pretending to be Byakuya, can it? 

"Admiral Aokiji?" 

"Admiral Aokiji? What's wrong with you?" Byakuya waved his hand in front of Aokiji's face, bringing him back from his thoughts. 

Aokiji coughed lightly and said, "I'm fine. I'm here to tell you that there's been an answer regarding the previous incident."

Byakuya was puzzled, "The previous matter? The one involving the Celestial Dragons?" 

Aokiji nodded, "Yes, the Celestial Dragons matter. Last time, it involved the Donquixote Family, right?"

"Yes, but aren't they one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea? Shouldn't the World Government handle this investigation? What does it have to do with the Marines?" Byakuya asked.

Aokiji hesitated before saying, "It seems CP0 discovered that the Donquixote Family is indeed involved in dealings with the Beast Pirates." 

"There's going to be a transaction soon, and the location is around the Sabaody Archipelago."

"So, the World Government wants us, the Marines, to cooperate with the CP organization to secretly capture members of the Donquixote Family and question them about the disappearance of Palace Mapelseciel."

'Damn! I forgot' thought Byakuya who forgot that Palace Mapelseciel was still held by Sonic. 

Maintaining his composure, Byakuya asked, "Have they pinpointed the exact location of the transaction?"

"Based on their observations over the past few days, they've narrowed it down to three possible islands: Gil Island, Waddon Island, and Sente Island." 

"The World Government will handle Gil Island, while we Marines are responsible for the other two."

"If we discover the transaction, we will immediately notify each other and try to apprehend them as quickly as possible."

Byakuya now understood. The World Government was suspicious of the Donquixote Family but lacked concrete evidence to act. 

Doflamingo's special status meant they couldn't openly investigate. 

So, they planned to capture a few key members of the Donquixote Family to gather more information. 

The Marines, then, were just a cover to mask the World Government's true intentions, making Doflamingo think they were there to capture the Beast Pirates and just happened to stumble upon the Donquixote Family's dealings.

However, there was one thing Byakuya didn't understand, "But… what does this have to do with me?" 

"There are plenty of vice admirals at Marine Headquarters. Why not send one of them?" 

"Besides, with Admiral Aokiji overseeing the operation, as long as Kaido himself doesn't show up, there's no risk of failure."

"Why involve me when I'm busy with shipbuilding and getting a new sword?"

Aokiji sighed and explained, "Well, you were involved in the previous incident, your strength is considerable, and you're already stationed at Sabaody Archipelago. Who else would we get?"

Byakuya reluctantly agreed, "You make a good point." Maybe this operation could also resolve the Palace Mapelseciel situation. 

The World Government just wanted to find Palace Mapelseciel, right? 

Once the transaction island was confirmed, Byakuya could have Sonic secretly placed Palace Mapelseciel at the transaction site, catching them red-handed. 

If this worked, it could significantly alter the original storyline, earning Byakuya a lot of world source power. 

This was an opportunity he couldn't miss. He had to participate to prevent any unforeseen mishaps.

Seeing Byakuya frown in deep thought, Aokiji assumed he was reluctant to join the operation. 

It made sense; after all, he was about to go on leave, and suddenly being told to cancel it for an operation involving the troublesome Celestial Dragons would upset anyone. 

Admiring Byakuya, Aokiji hesitated and said, "Byakuya, if you don't want to participate, I can request Fleet Admiral Sengoku to grant your previous leave request."

Before Aokiji finished his sentence, Byakuya firmly declared, "Following orders is a soldier's primary duty. How could I be unwilling?" 

"As a Marine Rear Admiral, it's my responsibility to make sacrifices for the Marines. Skipping a small vacation is no big deal." 

"If everyone in the Marines only cared about themselves and refused to contribute, how could we maintain justice on the seas?"

"So, I have to be part of this mission. If not, I'll take it up with Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" Aokiji was dumbfounded by Byakuya's words.

When Aokiji heard the latter part of Byakuya's speech, his face flushed. He reasonably suspected that Byakuya was indirectly criticizing him. 

After all, among the three Marine Admirals, Aokiji was known to be the most laid-back, always avoiding responsibility. 

Unfortunately, he had no proof. He couldn't possibly admit to being lazy in front of everyone, could he?

As for Kizaru, another Marine Admiral, there was a difference. 

Kizaru might be lazy, but as long as the pay was right, he'd take on even the Four Emperors. In comparison, Aokiji seemed more like a "slacker."

Aokiji looked at Byakuya, who wore an expression that screamed, {"If you don't take me along, I'll fight you."} 

Aokiji sighed, exasperated, "All right, all right. This time, you will lead a team to Sente Island." 

"Tonight, take your team and prepare an ambush. Keep the numbers small but strong."

Byakuya nodded solemnly. "Don't worry, I'll handle it. We'll get Marple Cecil Palace back this time."

Aokiji sighed, "I hope so."

However, Byakuya had no intention of taking anyone with him. He planned to go alone to Sente Island. 

For him, too many people would only complicate matters and hinder his plans. 

For an operation involving the kidnapping of a Celestial Dragon, the fewer people who knew, the better. 

After all, they weren't characters summoned by Byakuya, so there was no guarantee they wouldn't betray him.

Upon arriving at Sente Island, Byakuya first scouted the area. After ensuring there was no one else around, he contacted Sonic to meet him. 

To avoid detection, Sonic had changed out of his distinctive purple attire and into a Marine soldier's uniform, also removing his mask to reveal a face that bore a resemblance to Sasuke. 

This way, even if Aokiji or the World Government found out, Byakuya could cover for him.

When Sonic met Byakuya, he greeted respectfully, "Byakuya-sama!"

"How is Palace Mapelseciel?" Byakuya inquired.

"Still unconscious. She should wake up in a while," Sonic replied.

Byakuya was puzzled, "It's been almost a month, why hasn't she woken up yet? Did you hit her that hard?" 

He was concerned that if she hadn't eaten for so long, she might starve to death, which would affect his plans significantly.

Sonic quickly clarified, "It's like this. When she woke up, she made a lot of noise and caused a lot of trouble." 

"I was afraid she might attract the attention of passing ships, so each time she woke up, I knocked her out again."

Byakuya was taken aback, "So, she hasn't eaten anything all this time?"

"I caught some wild animals and roasted the meat for her. At first, she refused to eat, but later, when she was extremely hungry, she ate." 

"After each meal, I knocked her out again. That's how we've maintained the situation until now."

Hearing this, Byakuya couldn't help but be astonished. Poor woman, what a miserable life. 

Sonic—what kind of normal man would treat a woman like this? Is he even a man? 

Though Sonic's methods were extremely "cruel," they weren't entirely without merit.

At the very least, Palace Mapelseciel still had no idea who had kidnapped her. 

After sharing his plan with Sonic, Byakuya instructed him to be ready for immediate relocation. 

Everything was set; now, it was just a matter of waiting for the Donquixote Family and the Beasts Pirates to make their move.

Three days later, two ships departed from the New World and Dressrosa, heading towards the Sabaody Archipelago.

In truth, before the trading ships even set sail, Doflamingo had sensed that something was off. It felt as though his every move was being watched. 

This sensation was subtle, but the cautious Doflamingo didn't ignore it. 

He even sent people to investigate, trying to confirm if someone was targeting him. However, they found nothing.

If it weren't for the predetermined trade time with the Beasts Pirates and the risk of offending Kaido by changing it, Doflamingo would have postponed the deal by a month. 

There was no way around it; trading with the Beasts Pirates, if exposed, could cause significant turmoil and potentially jeopardize his position as a Warlord of the Sea. 

He needed that position to fulfil his ambitions. To be extra cautious, Doflamingo had his top family executive, Trebol along with others.

The Beasts Pirates also took this trade very seriously, sending Jack the Drought, one of the Three Disasters, to handle the transaction. 

This was crucial for Kaido's plan to build an army of Zoan Devil Fruit users.

Both groups steadily made their way into the World Government and Marine's ambush. 

As soon as the ships set sail, Byakuya and Aokiji received the information from CP0. 

They were instructed to wait until the transaction began before taking action to ensure they captured both parties.

At this stage, Byakuya knew it was time to initiate his plan. 

He informed Sonic to proceed with the relocation, and then it was just a matter of waiting to see which island the trade would occur on—the one where they had set up their ambush.

<End Chapter>

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