Chapter 95: Chapter 95: Marineford Treasury
'Boom! Boom!!'
Deafening explosions rocked the entire Sabaody Archipelago. The island trembled violently, as though the massive Yarukiman Mangrove trees supporting it might collapse at any moment.
Had it not been for most of the pirates, residents, nobles, merchants, and marines already being knocked unconscious by the Conqueror's Haki shockwave, they would likely have been paralyzed with fear and panic.
'Whoosh... Whoosh…'
Fierce winds raged as massive waves roared, surging outward in all directions.
"Tch! That monster..." Hammons William, the Marine Fleet Admiral, had been forced into retreat. Just as he tried to regain altitude using Moonwalk, his expression darkened. Even someone of his rank couldn't help but gasp in astonishment. The terrifying power of the attack had wiped out an entire section of the Sabaody Archipelago.
'Roar—'
High in the sky, a massive creature, several hundred meters long, appeared, its presence overwhelming. It carried Lily, Linlin, and Gerd within it. The beast, with golden horns and a fierce head, suddenly extinguished the roaring flames behind its neck.
'Crackle... Crackle...'
The enormous Feathered Serpent was bathed in a dazzling electrical glow. Its two massive pairs of wings, one blue and one black, beat with immense force.
'Whoo... Whoo...'
It was as if a super-typhoon had formed out of nowhere. The towering trees of the Sabaody Archipelago began swaying wildly. Some cracked and collapsed, while less stable buildings were ripped from their foundations and hurled away.
Even Hammons William, trying to use Moonwalk to ascend, was pushed back by the forceful wind currents, unable to maintain his balance in mid-air, let alone give chase.
'Whoosh...'
In the next moment, the gigantic creature soared into the distance at an incomprehensible speed, like a massive blue rocket, showing no intention of lingering.
"Fallen Angel El!!!"
Angry roars echoed across the sky. Several formidable figures, their faces twisted in fury, shot into the air. Their expressions were grim as they watched the colossal creature disappear into the horizon, growing smaller and smaller.
"Damn it!"
A massive thunderbird screeched and took off in pursuit, but it couldn't keep up with the gigantic Feathered Serpent, which had achieved its full form, mastering wind and lightning with unbelievable speed, leaving the thunderbird far behind.
'Crackle... Crackle...' The thunderbird unleashed fierce lightning bolts in an attempt to strike the fleeing figure, but El was too fast, soaring to an altitude of over ten thousand meters, impossible to track.
"No need to see us off…" El's mocking voice echoed as he called out, "If you want those Celestial Dragons back, then prepare the 'ransom' properly!"
"Damn Lunarian scum, we cannot let him get away…"
Members of the self-proclaimed noble Holy Knights, their faces full of anger, glared at the massive figure as it flew further and further away, helplessly watching it vanish into the distance.
…
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, Marineford, which neighbored the Sabaody Archipelago:
Within the imposing, heavily guarded Marine Headquarters, a treasure vault sealed by a Seastone door lay hidden in a secluded corner. Even the surrounding walls, reinforced with Seastone, were designed to prevent Devil Fruit users from entering.
Yet, no one would have believed that someone could infiltrate it unnoticed.
Inside the vault, the dazzling sight of countless treasures—gold and stacks of Berries—was overwhelming, the sheer quantity enough to leave anyone in shock.
"There are surveillance transponder snails…" said Moss, the young mink, scratching his head as he stood in the unnoticed alternate space alongside Uthan, the Door-Door Fruit user. "Shall we take them out?"
"No rush," Uthan replied confidently, tapping the horns on his head. "Since any action might raise suspicion, let's first thoroughly scout for any hidden compartments…"
He smirked, exuding confidence. "I'm sure even if the Marines realize what's going on and rush here, it'll take at least five minutes to break through the door—especially with their Fleet Admiral absent."
"And if necessary, I can reverse the door, leading them into the alternate space, making them believe they've entered but unable to reach us. That would buy us another ten minutes at least!"
Though Devil Fruit abilities had limits, how much they could achieve depended on the user. Ever since Uthan acquired the Door-Door Fruit three years ago through the Underworld Trade, he had honed his abilities under El's guidance, mastering them to the point of easily outsmarting the Marines.
"True. With Little Oars helping out…" Moss chuckled, confident. "A few minutes should be more than enough for us to empty this place!"
"And if we act fast and discreetly, the Marines might even think the transponder snails are malfunctioning. By the time they realize the truth, the bureaucratic procedures could delay them further."
Soon, the two began their search in the alternate space, carefully investigating the vault and locating hidden compartments that contained Devil Fruits and treasure maps.
"Air Door!"
In no time, a tiny, nearly invisible Air Door appeared in mid-air, going unnoticed.
"Finger Pistol!"
Uthan swiftly attacked. Though still young, his natural talent had flourished under El's rigorous training, allowing him to master advanced Six Power techniques, including the ranged version of the Finger Pistol.
'Pew, pew, pew…'
Sharp air blades shot out, swiftly and accurately killing the surveillance transponder snails.
'Shing—'
After confirming that all the transponder snails had been eliminated, they opened a larger Air Door, stepping out of the alternate space.
"Barry, let's get started!"
Moss took out a mirror and called to Barry, the Mirror-Mirror Fruit user, who was on standby inside. "We don't have much time!"
"No problem!"
In no time, the mirror expanded before their eyes, and Barry, the Snakeneck youth, emerged from Mirror World. "Wow, this is impressive!" he marveled.
Though Barry had seen large quantities of treasure before—due to the Underworld Trade's involvement in black market transactions with gold and jewels—the sight before him far surpassed anything he'd seen.
"This is just the tip of the iceberg," Nef, another member of the group, crossed her arms with a smirk, gazing at the age-worn treasures. "These are the spoils the Marines have collected from countless pirate raids, sunken ships, and discovered treasures over many years…"
"What a pity…" someone else added. "The World Government's quarterly funding is transferred directly into their bank accounts, not in cash."
"All in all, though, this haul is more than enough," Moss said as he opened a secret compartment that stored the Devil Fruits. Inside, ten or so small, colorful treasure boxes lay in wait. He packed them all into a large cloth, hoisting it over his shoulder with a grin. "By the time we're done here, the Marines will be losing their minds!"
"Hurry, Little Oars, help us move the treasure!" Uthan called to the Ancient Giant Oars.
"No problem, leave it to me!" Oars's body expanded, growing to a towering five or six meters. His giant hands scooped up massive piles of treasure, which he then stuffed into the enlarged mirror provided by Barry.
'Clang, clang…' The heavy treasures clattered into the mirror's surface, vanishing into the endless depths of the Mirror World, which seemed like a bottomless pit.
It was an unbelievable scene, leaving them all in awe.
Chapter 96: Chapter 96: Saint Nerona Shendewas
'Whoosh—Whoosh—'
"Search everywhere—don't let any suspicious targets escape!"
"Seal off the entrances and the entire coastline. No one is allowed to leave without authorization!"
"Be on high alert—our target might have some sort of spatial ability!"
At Marine Headquarters, a sharp alarm echoed throughout the base. Minutes earlier, after receiving an anomaly report from the surveillance room, the Chief of Staff, the Minister of Finance, and several Vice Admirals had rushed to the treasury with the keys.
When they opened the door to find the vault completely empty, everyone was stunned. Their eyes widened in disbelief. For a moment, no one could comprehend what had happened. Chaos quickly spread across Marine Headquarters.
Heavily armed Marines gathered, frantically searching for any suspicious individuals in an attempt to catch the thieves responsible for robbing the vault.
"What did you say?"
Over in Sabaody Archipelago, Marine Fleet Admiral Hammons William received the report. His mind went blank for a second, his body swaying as if he was about to collapse.
"I deeply apologize, Fleet Admiral William... It's entirely our fault for being so negligent..."
On the other end of the transponder snail, the Marine Chief of Staff was sweating profusely, on the verge of tears as he reported, "At first, the monitoring room personnel thought the signal issue with Vault 24 was just a technical error due to the room's isolation. They tried to fix it... But in those few minutes, by the time we got there, the entire vault had been cleaned out!"
"Damn it! Fallen Angel El!!!"
Upon hearing this, Hammons William's face turned bright red. Blood surged up his throat, and he coughed up a mouthful of it.
"Fleet Admiral William—" Several Marines rushed forward, their faces pale with worry as they tried to support him.
"I'm fine..." William's fists clenched tightly, his knuckles cracking. His bloodshot eyes burned with fury as he struggled to control his anger. "That Lunarian brat... I won't let him get away with this!!!"
He couldn't believe it. Fallen Angel El had not only kidnapped the Celestial Dragons and killed a Marine Admiral, but also emptied the entire Marine treasury. The plan had been meticulously crafted; it wasn't a spontaneous act of defiance. It had been planned for a long time.
"Hammons William, did someone infiltrate Marine Headquarters and empty the treasury?" A tall, middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, wearing a uniform and an air of authority, approached the Marine Fleet Admiral. His luxurious attire, adorned with the unique emblems of the Celestial Dragons, made his status clear.
"Yes, Commander Saint Nerona Shendewas. We're not sure how it was done, but there's no doubt that this is the work of Fallen Angel El," William gritted his teeth. He paid no mind to the commanding tone of the Celestial Dragon, for Saint Shendewas was not only a Celestial Dragon but also the Supreme Commander of the Holy Knights, holding a rank far above that of a Marine Fleet Admiral.
"Kidnapping and killing the descendants of the creators, slaying a Marine Admiral, and emptying the Marine treasury... This Lunarian survivor is truly insane," Saint Shendewas muttered, his expression dark. Earlier, when they had heard about Admiral "Iron Claw" Hark's death, they had blamed the Marines for being incompetent. But after witnessing firsthand the combined power of El and that young woman, they understood just how terrifying their strength was. No wonder a Marine Admiral couldn't stop him and ended up decapitated.
'Clang~~~Clang~~~'
At that moment, Hammons William's transponder snail rang.
"I am the Fleet Admiral—"
But before he could finish, the transponder snail, simulating the face of an old man with a mustache, began to shout angrily: "Hammons William, is your Marine force a bunch of useless idiots?"
"You didn't capture a single criminal, and you let Fallen Angel El—the last surviving Lunarian—escape!"
"Not only did you fail to rescue the kidnapped Celestial Dragons, but the only one you did retrieve, Saint Fenix, has been left a cripple!"
"First, G-5 and G-1—key strongholds that guard the New World for Mary Geoise—were attacked, resulting in massive casualties... Then the naval fleet sent to surround Sabaody Archipelago, far larger than a standard Buster Call, was almost entirely wiped out!"
"An Admiral, the pinnacle of Marine power, was beheaded by that Lunarian brat! And now your Marine treasury has been looted without a trace!"
"You bunch of incompetent fools—what a disgrace!"
The face simulated by the transponder snail kept shifting, and several furious and elderly voices joined in, mercilessly berating the Fleet Admiral, who stood at the pinnacle of millions of Marines.
"I deeply apologize. It is my failure, elders of the Five Elders Council..."
Hammons William bowed his head. Despite being scolded by the highest authority, the Five Elders, he dared not offer any rebuttal. "I will take full responsibility!"
"As a mere Fleet Admiral, what do you think you can take responsibility for?" one of the Five Elders, the one with a long beard, said coldly through the transponder snail. "Saint Hanic was brutally murdered, Saint Fenix crippled, and Saint Prank and the others are still in that Lunarian brat's hands!"
"William, we'll deal with your responsibility later. Right now, mobilize the entire Marine force and CP units to hunt down Fallen Angel El's pirate crew and rescue the three Celestial Dragons!"
"Elders, before Fallen Angel El escaped, he made a demand that he asked me to relay to the World Government..."
Hesitating for a moment, Hammons William glanced at the grim-faced Holy Knights and spoke directly into the transponder snail: "He said that if we want to rescue the three World Nobles, we must provide twenty Devil Fruits as ransom, including two Logia, two Mythical Zoan, and three Ancient Zoan types..."
"What!?"
"That arrogant criminal dares threaten the World Government?"
"Twenty Devil Fruits, including the rarest types? He's gone mad!"
"We cannot let this slide! The World Government does not negotiate with anyone!"
The Five Elders, far away in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, were enraged. Even the members of the Holy Knights standing nearby were furious upon hearing the demand.
"That Lunarian brat is a lunatic! He said..." Hammons William took a deep breath and continued, warning them coldly, "If we don't meet his demands, he'll give those Celestial Dragons aphrodisiacs and throw them into a pigsty—then broadcast it to the entire world using a large transponder snail."
"What!?"
"That bastard! How dare he—"
"We can't let him get away with this!"
"He's digging his own grave!"
Upon hearing this, not only the Five Elders but also Saint Shendewas and the Holy Knights were shocked, their faces contorted with fury. Flames of anger and killing intent burned in their eyes.
~~~
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