Chapter 67: Furious Five Elders!
"Beep... beep..."
Inside the Marine Headquarters at Marineford, in the Fleet Admiral's office, a new, white-shelled secure Den Den Mushi suddenly opened its eyes, calling repeatedly.
"Moshi moshi, this is Fleet Admiral Hammons William!"
Hammons William's expression tightened as he immediately grabbed the receiver to answer the call.
"Hammons William, what the hell are you doing as the Fleet Admiral?" The voice of an elderly man with a long white beard echoed through the Den Den Mushi, furious. "The World Nobles were attacked right at the Navy's doorstep, and you had no idea?"
"What!?"
William's face changed drastically, his shock evident. "The Celestial Dragons were attacked?"
"I deeply apologize, Five Elders, this is my oversight..." Sweat formed on his forehead as he stood up, his mind racing. He didn't need to hear the man's name to recognize the voice—it belonged to one of the Five Elders, the supreme rulers of the World Government. Even as Fleet Admiral, he knew how easily they could replace him.
"Earlier today, five Celestial Dragons left the Holy Land to attend an auction on the Sabaody Archipelago!" Another voice took over the call, equally filled with anger. "Just moments ago, Harlock's life card turned to ashes!"
"The other Celestial Dragons and their guards have all lost contact, and no one can reach them!"
"Our intelligence on Sabaody has confirmed it—someone attacked the auction house and targeted the Celestial Dragons!"
"What!? A Celestial Dragon was killed!?"
William's mind reeled. If a life card had burned to ashes, it meant someone was dead. Offending a Celestial Dragon was already a grave crime, one that warranted the deployment of an Admiral. But for one to be killed? That was an unimaginable disaster.
His face turned pale with fury and disbelief. Who would dare commit such a brazen act?
"The bloodline of the gods is sacred and inviolable!" The Elders' anger was palpable as they continued, "Anyone who dares harm a Celestial Dragon faces certain death!"
"Send an Admiral immediately! Mobilize the fleet and surround the Sabaody Archipelago! The criminals must not escape!"
They left no room for William to speak, coldly declaring, "Or you can forget about being Fleet Admiral!"
"Yes, I understand. I'll make the arrangements immediately—" William's voice was tight, unable to argue as he promised to take action.
After hanging up the phone, his face darkened further than ever before. "Damn it, why now of all times..."
He had every reason to be enraged. Just as the Fallen Angel El launched an attack on the G-5 fortress in the New World, he had dispatched Admiral Ironclaw Hark. Hark should have been close to reaching Mariejois by now, but with this new crisis, the Celestial Dragons took priority.
The situation with El would have to be postponed for now.
"Someone—!"
"Fleet Admiral William!"
A lieutenant rushed into the room, awaiting orders.
"Recall Admiral Hark immediately and tell him that the situation is urgent. His current mission is canceled!" William commanded sternly. "I'll send personnel from the nearby Navy bases to investigate G-5. Hark must head to Sabaody at once!"
"Tell Admiral Hark to capture the criminal who killed Harlock and safely rescue the other abducted Celestial Dragons!"
"What—!?" The lieutenant stood frozen, shocked by the news. The idea that a World Noble had been killed was inconceivable.
"Gather five Vice Admirals and mobilize over ten thousand Marines!" William continued. "Send out ten top-class battleships and twenty medium and large warships to completely surround the Sabaody Archipelago. No ships are to leave or enter. Admiral Hark will command the entire fleet!"
The lieutenant broke into a cold sweat, swallowing nervously. Over thirty warships, led by an Admiral—it was a force far exceeding the usual Buster Call. The only difference was that they hadn't yet issued orders for the complete destruction of the Sabaody Archipelago.
"What are you waiting for?" William's voice thundered as he noticed the lieutenant still standing there, stunned. "Move!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
While William scrambled to manage the crisis, he had no idea that while he was recalling Admiral Hark from the Holy Land, another crisis had already descended on the New World.
At the G-1 base, the gateway to Mariejois from the New World, a massive dark shadow was descending from the sky.
The base was immediately thrown into chaos as Marines caught sight of the enormous creature in the sky. It was a giant, winged serpent, adorned with golden horns, scales gleaming like metal, and two massive wings, one green and one black. It rapidly descended towards the G-1 fortress.
"Enemy attack—!"
Sirens blared throughout the base.
A chilling voice echoed over the base, sending shockwaves through the minds of the Marines below. "Life or death?"
A wave of paralyzing fear swept through the Marines as they stared at the terrifying serpent in the sky.
"Dammit… what's happening to me?"
"I can't move… I feel like my soul is being ripped out!"
"No, I don't want to die!"
Screams filled the air as, one by one, the Marines' souls were torn from their bodies, drawn towards the giant serpent. The bodies of the fallen lay scattered across the base, eyes wide open in terror, life snuffed out.
"It's going better than expected," El said with satisfaction as he watched the souls gather. In his form as a massive winged serpent, enhanced by Lily's Pile-Pile Fruit and Gerd's Soul-Soul Fruit abilities, he felt invincible.
He had expected stronger resistance but found only a few Marines whose strength compared to the now-deceased G-5 base commander, Bolter. None were a match for him.
"Looks like we have enough souls to build the flying fortress," said Gerd's voice in El's mind. "But we still need more for the large Homie army."
Just then, a furious voice rang out from the base.
"Damned Fallen Angel El, what have you done!?"
From within one of the base's massive buildings, a powerful figure charged out—Rear Admiral Wright, the commander of G-1. His fist, darkened with Haki, shot towards the massive serpent.
"Boom!"
"Useless!" El's cold, mocking voice followed the blow. Wright's punch had landed squarely on the serpent's head, but it hadn't even scratched the surface.
"You think that's going to hurt me?" El asked icily.
Before Wright could retreat, El's body crackled with a terrifying surge of electricity, enveloping the rear admiral.
"AAAAHHHH!" Wright screamed as the lightning tore through him, leaving nothing but a charred body on the ground.
~~~
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