Chapter 118

"It's over. It's all over!" The weight of those words hung heavily in the air.

"My life is coming to an end," the Marine Rear Admiral thought somberly.

Upon receiving this news, the Marine Rear Admiral stationed at the Sabaody Islands was struck with shock. As if a bolt of lightning had pierced him.

"They were killed by some nobodies," the Rear admiral pondered. A sense of finality washed over.

But before accepting this fate entirely,

"If only we could apprehend the person responsible for the demise of those celestial dragons," a flicker of hope ignited within the rear admiral's mind.

A glimmer of opportunity yet remained. With this thought in mind, the Marine Rear Admiral's hand instinctively reached for the emergency button.

A deafening siren promptly blared. Its wails echo throughout the marine base, alerting all personnel. Marines swiftly congregated, a sense of urgency palpable in the air.

"Hurry up!" barked the admiral, urgency lacing every word.

"Someone has killed the Celestial Dragons!"

"These damn idiots must be captured! Otherwise, we'll have no tomorrow to look forward to!"

As the Marine Rear Admiral urgently relayed the situation, the gravity of the situation became starkly apparent to all present. Without delay, the Marines were dispatched.

They hastened towards the vicinity where the Celestial Dragons had met their demise.

Simultaneously at the headquarters of the Navy, Marineford.

An alarm resounded suddenly within the communication department. As the alarm pierced the silence, the expressions of all those in the vicinity underwent an instantaneous change. With haste they ran to the office of Sengoku, bearing the report.

"Fleet Admiral urgent report!"

"A crisis has developed at Sabaody Archipelago!"

"The Celestial Dragons have been killed!"

The messenger foregoing any formalities barged into the office.

The attack on the Celestial Dragons was an event of unparalleled significance rendering the norms of protocol obsolete.

"What's the matter?" Garp inquired while intrigue displacing his nonchalant expression.

"This is no ordinary attack," Sengoku's countenance revealed the severity of the situation.

"On Sabaody Islands three Celestial Dragons have been killed!"

"What?!" Garp's response was a mix of astonishment and disbelief.

Sengoku's face twisted with a mix of frustration and anxiety, mirroring the gravity of the report. Garp rushed to the desk, grabbing the report for a closer read.

Having absorbed the contents, Garp was confounded, the distinction between resisting and killing Celestial Dragons being starkly evident.

The implications diverged significantly.

"To all units! Recall all leaves for Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals!"

"Assemble the Admirals!"

"Prepare the ships swiftly! We're setting sail for Sabaody Island!"

Sengoku's orders reverberated, initiating a flurry of activity throughout the Marine headquarters.

Garp's swift reaction underscored the unprecedented nature of the situation. He sprung to action and exited the room to make preparations.

As Sengoku readied to depart for the port. A distinctive den den mushi, symbolic of the World Government's communications began to ring on the table.

Sengoku heaved a resigned sigh; the inevitable had caught up.

From the other side, a sombre voice emanated from den den mushi, "Sengoku heed this order! Use all necessary means to apprehend these criminals! This violation shall not go unpunished! Their execution shall be a public spectacle worldwide!"

"The world must remember the consequences of this taunt towards the authority of the World government!"

In the face of this order, Sengoku's compliance was swift.

The reasons behind the World Government's urgency were evident, even without explicit explanation. For eight centuries the Celestial Dragons had evolved into fat idiots with the delusion of being the gods.

The world too had grown accustomed to their impunity, refraining from any action against them. Yet now some nobodies had taken the lives of Celestial Dragons.

Failure to address this would unravel their perceived invincibility, threatening their already fragile standing.

Malevolent individuals seeking notoriety would inevitably target these vulnerable gods.

Hence, resolute action was critical. The assembly of Marines began promptly.

Sengoku and Garp joined the ranks, accompanied by the three Admirals and various Vice Admirals. A formidable force set forth toward Sabaody.

Fortuitously, the Naval Headquarters' proximity to the island was advantageous. The timing seemed favourable.

"Kizaru!"

"Initiate reconnaissance on the island's situation! Prevent these pirates from fleeing at all costs!"

Kizaru is usually nonchalant and lazy but at the moment grasped the gravity of the situation. Moreover, Sengoku's order reminded him of his allegiance to the World Government.

Sengoku's command spurred Kizaru into action. Transforming into a beam of golden light, he raced towards Sabaody.

Meanwhile on the island,

Ryan and his group being the centre of the unfolding events emerged from a shop. An eternal pose in his hand which indicates the path to Water Seven.

Amidst the group's movement to the shore,

Hashirama contemplated shaping a wooden boat using his Wood Style abilities. Such feats were well within his capabilities. Yet Ryan interjected determining the impracticality of a wooden ship's utility.

After all, such a ship offered minimal comforts. Time was of the essence. No need to indulge in unnecessary preparations.

"There should be a shipyard near Area 50. Plenty of boats there! Let's go and get one!"

With Ryan's instruction, the group members surged toward Area 50 with determination.

In the wake of the Celestial Dragons' death, Sabaody had descended into chaos. Consequently, the shipyard that had been bustling a few hours ago. Now had been deserted by many who fled in panic. The number of available boats had declined significantly.

Staring at the deserted shipyard, a silence fell over the group momentarily.

However, hope remained as there were shipyards from Area 51 to Area 59. The search continued as they moved to the next area.

After exploring multiple areas, they finally stumbled upon a newly constructed, sizable ship at Area 54's shipyard. This ship had complete facilities and was ready for the voyage. Without hesitation, they boarded and surveyed their newfound means of escape.

"Hey, that ship ain't yours?"

Yet, just as Ryan and the others were ready to set sail. An unexpected voice reached their ears which caught their attention.

Turning their gaze towards the source of the voice, they found an elderly man with white hair looking at them sceptically.

Upon seeing this man, Ryan immediately recognized him. The individual before them was none other than the Right Hand of the Pirate King, Silver Rayleigh also known as the Dark King.

Ryan's straightforward response brought their motives to light. "It wasn't ours before, but it is now. The ship belongs to us."

Rayleigh remained in character, feigning ignorance. "I'm not concerned about ownership. However, I do ask for my fee. Coating is a labor-intensive task."

With that, Ryan tossed a bag of belli toward Rayleigh. The substantial contents of the bag elicited an almost comical reaction from the seasoned pirate.

Rayleigh's amusement was evident. "This is more profitable than selling myself to Slave houses."

Content with the compensation, Rayleigh confirmed that the payment sufficed.

Ryan's response drew a chuckle from the pluton, "Haha, your captain is certainly straightforward!"

"However, coating isn't instantaneous; it will take time before you can venture into the New World."

Ryan's next words seemed to perplex Rayleigh, "Who said we were headed to the New World? We're returning to the Grand Line; there are matters we must handle there. As for the New World, that's an adventure for another time. When we're ready for coating, we'll reach out for you and I hope you won't decline; consider the money a deposit."

As the group sailed away, Rayleigh remained bewildered by their intentions.

Meanwhile, the ship smoothly navigated towards the Grand Line.

Rayleigh's thinking deepened as he pondered the reasons behind the pirate crew's strange decisions. Observing the powerful individuals on board, Rayleigh noted that their strength was extraordinary. Indicating them being a formidable existence in the New World.

Attempting to discern their motives, Rayleigh chalked it up to generational differences. Returning his attention to the bag of money, Rayleigh's spirits lifted. Without other thoughts, he set out to enjoy a well-deserved drink.

As the ship embarked on its journey, a sudden question broke the peaceful area, "Hey, do you know what happened on the island?"

Rayleigh brushed off the query, "Don't worry about that; let's just focus on getting some booze!"

However, as Ryan's ship left the harbour and ventured into the open sea, its abrupt departure did not go unnoticed. Near the Marine base in Area 60 caught sight of the hasty retreat.

Ryan's shrewd instincts told him that the Marine fleet on the horizon was undoubtedly pursuing them.

Meanwhile, as the ship sailed further away,

Kizaru noticed Ryan's ship and without hesitation concentrated a beam of light from his fingertip. Ready to attack.

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