Chapter 82: Capturing a Celestial Dragon!

East Blue—A Land in Conflict

The roar of battle gradually faded as the Revolutionary Army secured their grip on the King's Castle. Outside the stronghold, soldiers rested, their tired faces lighting up with triumphant smiles. Laughter and conversation filled the air, a rare moment of respite.

"Finally, it's over," one soldier said with a grin, stretching his sore limbs. "We've achieved a great victory this time."

"But it's just the beginning," another soldier replied, his voice filled with resolve. "Wherever there's resistance, our Revolutionary Army will rise to help the powerless. We're mercenaries for justice!"

"Earn rewards, gather funds, and spread the flames of revolution!"

Amid the lively chatter, Ginny, the captain of the Eastern Army, sat casually atop a crate of ammunition. A bone-in piece of meat dangled from her mouth as she carefully cleaned her firearm, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. She was a figure of both elegance and ferocity, her demeanor always commanding respect.

"Sister Ginny, you look especially happy today," a subordinate wearing a top hat teased, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Ginny blinked, caught off guard. "Huh? Is it that obvious?" She let out a soft laugh, her eyes narrowing into slits as her smile grew. "Well, of course, I'm happy. Tomorrow, we meet up with Kuma's forces. It's been a while."

"I'm jealous of Captain Kuma," the subordinate added with a grin. "How lucky he is to be favored by the Goddess of the Eastern Army herself!"

Ginny rolled her eyes, waving off the comment with a snort. "Goddess? Me? Don't make me sick. You're just a bunch of brats with too much free time."

"You're too harsh, Sister~"

Their playful banter was abruptly cut short when a Revolutionary soldier sprinted over, panic etched across his face.

"Captain Ginny! It's bad news! The Marines have landed on the southern coast, and they're already—"

Boom!

A sharp crack echoed through the air, and the soldier gasped. Blood poured from the wound in his chest as he collapsed to the ground, lifeless. The sound of the gunshot lingered as the laughter of moments ago vanished, replaced by the eerie silence of shock.

"Marines!" Ginny's eyes widened, her expression darkening as the enemy revealed themselves. From all directions, Marine soldiers swarmed in, surrounding the Revolutionary troops in an airtight formation.

But then came a far more terrifying sight—a Celestial Dragon, flanked by a retinue of bodyguards, stepped forward. His opulent clothing and arrogant demeanor made him unmistakable.

"Are you Ginny, the Captain of the Eastern Army?" Saint Halifax asked, a twisted grin spreading across his face. His eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction as he looked her up and down. "A beauty, indeed. And a commander of the Revolutionary Army? How amusing. I've decided—you'll be my eighth wife! Seize her!"

Twenty Marines obeyed without hesitation, closing in with shackles in hand. Ginny's expression turned grim. Why would a Celestial Dragon be here? There was no time to ponder. She ducked behind the ammunition crates, barking orders to her subordinates.

"Everyone, fall back! The situation has changed—we need to break through and escape!" she commanded. "Do not engage the Celestial Dragon directly! If we avoid harming him, they'll waste resources protecting him."

"And if he's injured," she added through gritted teeth, "it'll be a nightmare for us all."

Ginny briefly considered the possibility of taking Saint Halifax hostage, but quickly dismissed the thought. As tempting as it was, the risks far outweighed the benefits. With swift precision, she directed her forces, and a fierce battle erupted. Bullets flew, swords clashed, and the Revolutionary soldiers fought valiantly, but the Marines' numbers were overwhelming.

Within an hour, the Revolutionary forces had been decimated. Only a handful of Ginny's men managed to flee, while the rest lay defeated. Ginny herself was forced to her knees, two Marines holding her down with rifles pressed to her head.

Saint Halifax stood over her, his face twisted with smug triumph. "Lick my boots, and I might still make you my eighth wife," he sneered, his voice dripping with condescension.

Ginny's eyes flashed with defiance. "I'd rather die than grovel to the likes of you."

"Bitch!" Halifax snarled, raising his leg to kick her. But before his foot could make contact, a shadow fell from the sky.

Thud!

A powerful figure landed between them, one hand effortlessly catching Halifax's foot mid-kick. Halifax froze, his arrogance replaced by fear as he stared at the newcomer.

"Protect the Celestial Dragon!" a Marine colonel shouted. But before anyone could move, a massive wave of Conqueror's Haki exploded from the mysterious figure, crashing over the battlefield like a tidal wave. The Marines collapsed one by one, fainting under the sheer force of the aura. Even Saint Halifax, the pampered Celestial Dragon, rolled his eyes back and slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Ginny, still kneeling, blinked in disbelief. "Who…?" she whispered, staring at the dark figure before her. Could this be a rescue mission sent by Dragon?

The man, known only as Chenlong, turned slowly, his Golden starry eyes locking onto Ginny's. "The command comes from the Heavenly Father," he said in a low, menacing voice. "You will come with me, woman."

"Heavenly Father…" Ginny's mind raced as she connected the dots. The Revolutionary Army's intelligence reports had mentioned a powerful figure in the New World—the infamous Lord of the Hive, the scientist Edie. And this man before her, with his Kaido-like appearance, could only be one of Edie's creations.

"You're one of the Earthly Branches," Ginny realized, her eyes widening. "Chenlong, Kaido's clone!"

Chenlong didn't respond. In a swift motion, he grabbed her by the arm, spread his black wings, and took to the sky. His departure was as sudden as his arrival. In the span of ten seconds, Ginny and the Celestial Dragon were gone, taken away by the clone.

The remaining Marines scrambled in panic. "The Celestial Dragon has been kidnapped!" they shouted. "It was one of the Twelve Earthly Branches—Chenlong!"

The alarm spread like wildfire, soon reaching the highest ranks of the Navy and the World Government. Chaos was about to erupt.

A few days later, on Beehive Island, nestled deep within its labyrinthine caves between the towering cliffs known as the "Right Eyes," Chenlong arrived, bringing Ginny and the Celestial Dragon, Saint Halifax, in tow.

"Kneel," Chenlong commanded coldly, kicking Halifax hard in the knee. The Celestial Dragon yelped, collapsing onto the stone floor, a mirror of the degradation he had earlier inflicted on Ginny.

"It hurts!" Halifax whimpered, the shock of pain quickly turning into indignant rage. "Do you even know who I am?!"

Smack! The sound of Chenlong's hand connecting with Halifax's face reverberated through the cave, sending several of his teeth scattering across the ground.

"You don't speak out of turn in the presence of Heavenly Father," Chenlong growled, his voice a quiet storm. Halifax blinked, disoriented, unable to comprehend this alien sensation of fear and pain—experiences foreign to a Celestial Dragon.

Ginny watched from the side, her body trembling. Her mind raced as she recalled the power these Celestial Dragons held over her life just hours before. And now, the tables were turned so abruptly—could she expect even worse treatment from Edie? As Chenlong's cold gaze met hers, Ginny felt an overwhelming urge to kneel as well. She instinctively prostrated herself before Edie, crawling forward with a sense of dread she couldn't shake.

"Heavenly Father, I have brought them as requested," Chenlong said as he knelt before Edie, showing his reverence.

"Well done." Edie acknowledged Chenlong with a slight nod, his gaze shifting indifferently from Ginny to the disheveled Celestial Dragon. "Name," he said, his voice flat and unemotional, directed at Halifax.

The Celestial Dragon, still dazed, said nothing.

Edie's brows furrowed in mild irritation. Chenlong wasted no time, slapping Halifax again, his teeth rattling as he tried to recover from the blow.

"M-my name is Isaac Halifax!" he finally stammered out, panic setting in.

Smack! Halifax barely finished speaking when another slap sent him tumbling, his face contorted in disbelief.

"Why? I answered you!" Halifax cried out, clutching his bruised face.

"You were too slow," Chenlong replied coolly. Halifax's body quivered in a mix of fear and helpless rage. How could he, a Celestial Dragon, be treated this way? In front of Edie, the overlord of the New World, Halifax was reduced to a trembling figure, no better than a dog.

Edie smiled calmly, the corners of his mouth curling up with amusement. "Halifax," he began, his tone still measured, "your kind has access to many Devil Fruits. Am I right?"

Halifax's eyes lit up, sensing an opportunity to salvage his situation. "Yes! I can give you five Devil Fruits if you let me go!"

Smack! Before he could continue his bargaining, Chenlong delivered another swift blow, sending Halifax sprawling once more.

"Why?! I just offered you what you wanted!" Halifax whimpered in disbelief, blood pooling at the corner of his mouth.

"You interrupted Heavenly Father," Chenlong said icily, his patience wearing thin. Halifax suppressed the urge to scream in frustration, his body shaking with the weight of fear and anger. Even as a esteemed Celestial Dragon, in the presence of these titans, he was nothing.

Edie, paying little attention to Halifax's pitiful state, continued his line of questioning. "The Love Fruit—do you know of it?"

Halifax's eyes widened as he recognized the fruit's significance. "Yes! Yes, I remember! It's an exceedingly rare fruit… unique, because it's a twin fruit!"

"A twin fruit?" Edie asked, now intrigued.

Halifax nodded frantically, desperate to keep his captors interested. "It's shaped like two hearts, one pink and one deep purple, hanging from a single stem. The two fruits have entirely different abilities, but you can only eat one. If one is consumed, the other loses its power."

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"And what are the abilities of these Love Fruits?" Edie pressed, his curiosity piqued.

"I—I don't know the exact details," Halifax stammered. "But the pink fruit is meant for women, and the purple one for men… I only know this much!"

Edie's face remained expressionless, but his eyes gleamed with calculation. "And where is this fruit now? Has it been given to a slave?"

Halifax hesitated before replying. "It should still be in the hands of the Roswald family."

Satisfied with the information, Edie turned to Chenlong. "Take him to the port. Leave him hanging there with only the essentials—let him bake in the sun."

"Yes," Chenlong replied immediately, grabbing Halifax by the collar and dragging him away like discarded trash. Halifax's protests echoed through the cavern. "But I did everything you asked! Why are you still doing this? I am a Celestial Dragon!"

A few more slaps silenced his cries.

With Halifax gone, Edie's attention turned to Ginny. Her fear was palpable as she knelt before him. "Ginny, commander of the Revolutionary Army's Eastern Division."

"Y-yes…" she replied quickly, her heart racing. "Thank you for saving me. If not for Chenlong's timely arrival, I would have been taken by the Celestial Dragon…"

Edie smiled again, though his tone remained playful, as if amused by her attempt to ingratiate herself. "If Chenlong hadn't come, you would indeed be a slave by now. Do you really think the Revolutionary Army would have saved you?"

"Of course!" Ginny said quickly, but doubt flickered in her eyes. She faltered. "No… the Holy Land is too dangerous. Even the Leader Dragon wouldn't risk going there."

"You're clever," Edie praised with a dark chuckle. "But tell me… do you think Bartholomew Kuma would have come to save you?"

Ginny froze at the mention of Kuma. The cruel question twisted her heart. Would Kuma risk everything for her? As a commander, she knew it was reckless. But as a woman, she couldn't suppress the hope that he would.

"You want him to, don't you?" Edie asked again, like a devil playing with her deepest emotions.

In the pit of her soul, Ginny knew the answer.

Edie's smile widened. "You'll have your chance to find out. Beehive Island isn't as dangerous as Mariejois. I'm sure the Revolutionary Army has already heard the news. Let's see if Kuma comes for you, I also want to collect blood from him."

Ginny's heart trembled. Edie had turned this into a twisted test—one that would challenge her, Kuma, and even the ideals of the Revolutionary Army itself.

She could only pray that someone would come.