Chapter 72: Five Elder Attention

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"How could I possibly have an opinion on that?" His heart trembled when Proshu realized the true intent behind the young Vice Admiral's words. 

As a mere captain, he was a small figure in the world, even within the Marine ranks. 

When his superiors gave an order—no matter how unreasonable or cruel—he had to carry it out. 

Yet, at this very moment, the young Vice Admiral, highly respected and overwhelmingly powerful, had crushed the only witness to Roger's whereabouts with one strike and then turned to Proshu with this loaded question.

All he felt was fear, his entire body stiff and unmoving. 

But quickly, Proshu pulled himself together and, gritting his teeth, responded, 

"Everyone else on Baterilla Island insists they've never seen Roger. Perhaps… maybe… this guy lied and submitted a false report?" 

After saying that, he looked cautiously at the tall, powerful young Vice Admiral beside him. 

Even just from the man's towering figure, Proshu felt great pressure; the Vice Admiral was a full head taller than him, with powerful, bulging muscles that looked like they could tear through his Marine uniform. 

Anyone looking at him would think of two words: intimidating strength. 

Arashi merely gave a slight smile, his gaze narrowing as he looked ahead at the civilians trembling under Marine watch, fear evident in their eyes. 

"The World Government isn't so easy to fool," he murmured, a comment that made Proshu's face pale even further, fear flashing through his eyes. 

"Should he even say something like this to someone as lowly as me?" Proshu thought, nearly shouting in his mind.

"Captain Proshu," Arashi's cold voice suddenly cut through his thoughts. 

"Yes, sir!" Proshu immediately replied. 

"Would you mind helping me with something?" Arashi asked, his tone calm. 

"It would be my honor, sir!" Proshu, taken aback, answered with respect. 

"Evacuate everyone from this island," Arashi ordered. 

"What?" Proshu stared, confused. 

"Your hometown is in the South Blue, isn't it?" Arashi asked. 

"Yes, Vice Admiral," Proshu replied, still unsure of the point.

Arashi said no more, walking along the street. 

As he moved forward, he saw familiar faces among the island's residents, who also recognized him. 

Their expressions gave them away at first glance. Arashi nodded at the villagers, giving them a reassuring look, and his gaze grew contemplative. 

He realized something important: it was clear that the villagers knew about Roger and were also aware of Rouge's information. 

Yet despite repeated questioning from the Marines, they had kept this knowledge hidden. 

Only one individual had chosen to report to the Marines. 

This reluctance likely stemmed from fear and a sense of compassion, common among the simplest people.

They all knew that once Portgas D. Rouge's identity was exposed, this weak, defenseless pregnant woman would face a terrible fate. 

Arashi's steps slowed as his gaze landed on the women in front of him, who looked terrified, their eyes filled with worry. 

Most of them were visibly pregnant, the current expectant mothers of the island. 

He turned to Proshu. "If you were ordered to execute these innocent mothers, would you?" Proshu's body trembled at the question, too shaken to reply.

"Is it reluctance… or fear that holds you back?" Arashi asked with a faint smile. 

Proshu carefully observed Arashi's face and replied, "These women… they're innocent." 

"Innocent?" Arashi asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"But what if one among them carries Roger's blood?" Proshu flinched. 

"Do we… have to kill all the innocent people here just because of one person connected to Roger?" 

Arashi resumed walking after a long silence, finally responding in a low voice that reached Proshu's ears: 

"That's exactly what they want to do," he paused, then added, "but not us."

Proshu sighed in relief but felt a strange mixture of emotions. 

His responses were calculated based on what he'd heard of the Vice Admiral's reputation: 

Arashi was known for his sense of equal justice and kindness toward the weak. 

Yet here he was, on a mission that went entirely against those principles. 

At the same time, Arashi's decisive, even brutal, actions on the island had shown he was no weak-minded fool nor one to be trifled with.

"Evacuate everyone off this island. Find them a safe place to go," Arashi ordered calmly. 

"Yes, sir!" Proshu immediately obeyed. 

As he watched the Vice Admiral's tall figure disappear from view, his eyes shone with newfound respect. 

He was fully aware of the turmoil that Arashi would face next. Neither Marine Headquarters nor the World Government were likely to be easily swayed. 

The official orders were to dispose of every pregnant woman on Baterilla Island, not to investigate or question the credibility of the reports. 

These were two vastly different approaches. In essence, Arashi had disobeyed orders.

The evacuation moved swiftly. Proshu personally oversaw the process, ensuring the women boarded the ships safely and even explaining, 

"You owe your lives to Vice Admiral Arashi! Without him…" He sighed, leaving the thought unfinished as he turned away. 

Once they realized, they'd been spared from the jaws of death. The civilians were shaken with both shock and relief.

The Marine ship remained anchored at the port, and from its bow, Proshu watched Arashi's powerful figure standing in the island's center. 

"All the civilians have been evacuated… What does Arashi intend to do now?" he wondered. 

Then, catching sight of the officers on Arashi's ship taking their positions, Proshu suddenly realized. 

A clap of thunder broke through the sky as golden lightning cut across the horizon.

"Is it about to rain?" Proshu muttered, glancing up at what had been a clear sky moments before. 

Suddenly, electric light from the island's heart illuminated the sky, gathering into a terrifying dragon of blinding light that roared as it surged toward the clouds above. 

In an instant, the electric dragon struck the clouds, which now blanketed the entire island in shadow. 

"That's… Vice Admiral Arashi!" Proshu gasped, trembling.

A spark of understanding dawned on him, and he shouted, "Hurry! Get out of here! Now!" 

Proshu's guess was only a hunch, but he felt ninety per cent certain: Arashi would destroy this island. 

At that moment, lightning bolts crackled through the dark clouds, their blue arcs stretching across the sky in all directions. 

The air grew dense with tension as the thunderclouds shrank inward, forming a massive sphere of terrifying power.

"Raigeki!" The voice pierced through the stormy wind, and Proshu's eyes widened. Fear flooded through him as he shook uncontrollably.

The winds surged, and thunder roared. Proshue's eyes widened in shock as he looked at the massive form above. 

The dark clouds had gathered into a spherical shape, like a giant black orb, covered with countless tiny flashes of light and streaked with blue electric arcs extending outwards. 

It was impossible to fathom the terrifying energy contained within this enormous sphere or the extent of destruction it could unleash. 

But Proshue was sure of one thing—it was anything but natural. 

Gazing toward the island's center, he realized he'd lost sight of Arashi, only noticing moments later a figure, cloaked in lightning, standing beneath the gigantic black orb.

"Rumble!" Countless lightning bolts echoed together, forming a terrifying sound reverberating through the heavens. 

The wind howled as ripples of energy spread far into the distance, even distorting the air itself. 

"This... this is the precursor to a natural disaster!" Proshue murmured, staring up at the massive sphere of lightning in the sky. 

Behind him, Marines and civilians alike looked up, the civilians trembling in fear, clinging to each other.

Then, suddenly, a deafening explosion resounded. 

Everyone watched as the giant black sphere released an intense surge of electric arcs, glowing bright and hot. 

It began to descend slowly yet with terrifying speed directly toward Baterilla Island below. This horrifying descent took only a few breaths. 

When the black orb struck the island's surface, everyone was momentarily blinded, and their ears filled with the sound of utter devastation.

Gigantic bolts of lightning, thousands of meters long, shot out, violently engulfing the island. 

Buildings disintegrated, trees turned to particles, flames erupted, and the ground scorched. 

Everything was destroyed, swallowed in that blinding light, twisting into nothingness. Proshue trembled, staring in shock. 

He felt a profound awe at the young Vice Admiral's strength. A blast of force swept over him, lifting his coat and pushing the battleship further to sea. 

The air around Baterilla seemed twisted, the island transforming into a radiant sun of blistering, blinding light radiating outward.

No one could tell how much time had passed before the light began to fade, and the Marines opened their eyes, their vision blurred with pain and tears. 

Their mouths hung open as they looked at what remained of the island. 

"Hisss!" 

"Where's Baterilla Island?" 

"It's all… gone!" 

"The island, just moments ago, is now just a charred wasteland!" 

What followed was the sound of fearful gasps and awe. The entire island was blackened; the buildings, trees, plants, rivers—everything had vanished. Only blue arcs of electricity remained, occasionally sparking and igniting embers.

"Szzzt!" A sudden bolt of lightning split the air, instantly appearing in front of everyone. And from the glow, a figure stepped forth.

"Vice Admiral Arashi!" someone exclaimed. Proshue tensed, instinctively bowing. 

Arashi, floating above the charred land and wreathed in lightning, didn't speak. 

He nodded, then flashed away in a bolt of electricity, vanishing from sight. 

Exhaling deeply, Proshue looked again at the island, now reduced to scorched earth, his heart racing. 

"The Thunder God," he whispered, turning away solemnly. 

Evacuating the civilians was now crucial. He had to hold onto this alliance, no matter the cost. Forget the World Government.

A short while later, in the South Blue temporary Marine base.

"What did you say?" Sengoku shot up from his seat, astonished. 

"Vice Admiral Arashi flattened Baterilla Island moments ago!" 

The Marine officer in front of him looked equally shocked, then quickly added, "Thunderstorms descended upon the entire island, leaving it nothing but scorched earth." 

"We've dispatched a team to investigate, but reports indicate the temperature around the island exceeds hundreds of degrees, making it impossible for regular soldiers to approach." 

The Marine continued, "The island's geography, affected by his Devil Fruit power, is continuously crackling with explosive lightning arcs."

"In other words, Baterilla Island has become an island of thunder—inhospitable for any living being." Sengoku's expression shifted. 

After a long pause, he slammed his hand on the table with a bang. 

"What's that brat up to?" A simple order to deal with the pregnant women, and he decimated an entire island? Was this a message?

"What about the islanders?" Sengoku asked, collecting himself. 

"We contacted Captain Proshue. He said the civilians were evacuated to other regions… including the pregnant women. All on Vice Admiral Arashi's orders." 

The officer hesitated, then added, "He said it was by Arashi's explicit command." 

Sengoku fell silent, and after a long moment, he sighed, a complex look crossing his face. 

"That rascal…" The whole series of events became clear. Sengoku instantly understood Arashi's intent. A silent act of defiance. A challenge.

"Marijoa, the Holy Land on the Red Line. Within a grandiose palace…

"In one blow, he annihilated an island, permanently altering its geography and climate," came a voice filled with authority. 

"His Logia Fruit ability is at its peak!" 

"In terms of strength alone, he's already at the world's top level, qualified for Admiral rank." 

The voice paused. "But given his recent words, he's hardly trustworthy." 

"He's a weapon—one we can't fully use." 

"And if necessary…" The sentence went unfinished, but the implication was clear. The five elders' eyes grew cold.

After a moment, an elder with a sword spoke. "First, he kills the witness who reported Roger." 

"Then, he relocates the entire island's civilians, scattering them globally, cutting off all our leads." 

"If it weren't for him capturing Roger himself, we'd have every reason to charge him with collusion." 

Another elder added, "This is a blatant defiance of our orders!" 

The elder's voice trailed off as he pondered. 

The ability to annihilate an island with a single blow—a power they could not ignore, one that inspired wariness.

"He's demonstrating his dissatisfaction with our orders." Silence settled over them until one elder spoke. 

"For now, let it be. It's not yet time to deal with him." The elder who spoke glanced toward his peers, his eyes narrowing coldly. 

"His background shows he hails from the West Blue." 

"O'Hara."

<End Chapter>

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