Leaving The Holy Land

Sengoku wasn't happy.

Well, I wouldn't have been happy either if I was in the Marines, or the World Government. I doubt that we had completely trashed the Holy land, but we did leave a lot of destruction in our wake.

Anyway, the message that we had intended to send The World Government and the Marine's way were already sent. Moreover, if they were really smart, they would probably be doing their damnest to make sure that word never leaks out of this happening. So, I guessed that the World Economic News Agency would be their next target, but it wasn't like I cared.

Stussy was still hovering over me trying to tend to my wounds. However, I still wouldn't let her; the corruption was still rampaging in my body. Moroever, it didn't help that the corruption had now started burning like acid within me. I initially thought that all the corruption would have done was to prevent me from regenerating, but it turns out that there was more to it than that.

As a result, I decided to make it my priority to get rid of the corruption as soon as we were out of the jurisdiction of the Holy Land. I conciously maintained my awakened form as well to keep me concious. Ken and the red fishman were currently releasing some slaves, they weren't many. However, the joy that they had expressed when they were freed were more than worth the trouble.

Sengoku, and Borusalino on the other hand, were currently analyzing the situation to see what they could salvage from it. However, a transpoder call that came from Sengoku immediately changed their priorities. I could hear one of the Five Elders ordering him to patrol around Mariejois to ensure that no other foreign factions were within the Holy Land.

Sengoku wanted to protest and say that the only foreign presences within the Holy Land was us, but the Elders said that they had already sent reinforcements to deal with us. Whitebeard had also heard about this as well, and he let out a small chuckle before turning towards the Bondolas that would be taking us out of the island.

By now, I could sense that more Marine reinforcements were already on the island and currently boarding the Bondolas to surround us.

"We need to leave," I noted lately.

"How will we do that? The Marines have already arrived near the Bondolas," Whitebeard questioned.

"We could try flying?" I suggested.

"Absolutely not," Stussy objected, giving me a cold look that somehow managed to send shivers down my spine, "Look at the state of his left shoulder! He is in no condition to carry anyone."

"Then, we'll just have to fight our way out then!" Whitebeard boomed excitedly.

We all immediately started heading for the sole Bandola that was on the Red Line. Borusalino was the only one following us, I guess he was just making sure that we didn't kill anymore World Nobles while we were on our way out.

When we had finally reached there, Stussy manned the controls, and we promptly began our descent towards the Red Port. I also took this time to borrow a transponder snail so I could check in with Thatch. If I heard correctly from Stussy, they had left Thatch in charge of the ship so that they could come back to fetch us so that we could leave.

Calling him, he reported that he had hid the pirates within the ship and was currently waiting for us to board so that we could leave. Once again, I was thankful for thinking ahead and getting a Marine Warship for a disguise. We would probably need to get rid of it once this all was over, but its utility throughout this scenario was completely vital.

We reached the Red Port, we were greeted by an army of Marines on the doorway. The air immediately became tense as we stared the Marine soldiers down and vice versa.

They were about to draw their weapons to attack, but Whitebeard and I immediately released our Conqurer's haki to subdue the lot of them. Unconcious bodies started dropping like flies as we spread our haki throughout the entire island. It was better this way because we didn't want any unwanted variables standing in our way as we escaped.

Passively, I expanded my Observation haki to its limits to make sure that we weren't being followed. Knowing the man on the throne, he probably would have sent multiple troops our way to make sure that we wouldn't escape alive. Surprisingly however, nobody was coming down from the Holy Land. I could only assume that they had taken my threat to heart, and that was all I needed. Until the plot-line for the story officially begins, we didn't really need any more interaction with the World Government or the Marines until then.

We calmly walked over the multiple unconcious bodies as we made our way back to the ship. One of the Division 0 crewmembers must have sensed my haki because the ship that was supposed to take us back to the New World was waiting for us in an open part of the Port. We all managed to board successfully, and we even managed to bring the fishmen as well. Speaking of which, it was now time to decide what to do with them now that they had been freed. However, I got an omnious transponder call before any of us could make a proper decision.

"Storm Dragon Boris, your actions this time are practically a declaration of war, do you know that!!" Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro's voice hissed through the transponder snail.

"You have a bad habit of talking shit on the phone, it's almost as if you want to go another round with me," I chided the bald headed Elder.

"Oh Please! The only reason we lost was because we underestimated you! However, next time won't be so simple," Saint Saturn boomed malicously.

I was getting tired of them putting on airs to defend their dignity, it was almost as if they wanted to pick another fight with me.

"What do you want?" I asked coldly.

Whitebeard was also listening in to the conversation that I was having with the Five Elders, he didn't seem to pleased at the fact that I was the one being called instead of him.

"Initially, we would have done everything within our power to make sure you died here. However, our Lord thinks otherwise, he wants to put forward a proposition," Another Elder, Saint Warcury stated coldly.

"I thought that you didn't negotiate with us vermin pirates?" I asked sarcastically.

"This was a personal proposition from the Lord, do you want to hear it or not?!" Saint Nusjuro boomed through the call. It was the first time that I had ever heard one of them lose their temper.

"We will give you what you want. We won't meddle with the Whitebeard Pirate's territory anymore," Saint Warcury started, "However, we want the Celestial Dragon that you abducted in Enies Lobby."

Everyone went silent upon hearing news about the kidnapped World Noble. Most of us had already heard the news, but with what we were doing up there in the Holy Land, I had almost completely forgot about it.

This time, Whitebeard decided to respond to the transponder snail instead of me.

"Hm? What if we don't? Are you finally going to declare war on us?"

"Insolence! Do you think that we won't perform another Buster Call on Sphinx for what you have done here?!" Saint Ju Peter's voice boomed out from the call this time.

"You have claimed way too many islands for you to protect, you should be thanking the fact that you are feared that most pirates haven't invaded them. However, we are different, we can easily attack all of those territories simultaneously. Do you think that you can defend them all?" Saint Marcus Mars added.

"You have no other choice but to accept these conditions," Saint Warcury concluded, "Just give the World Noble up, and enjoy your life with your family. We won't bother you in the near future."

Whitebeard remained silent throughout the entire ordeal, but looking at him was a completely different case. He was furious, this was a blatant provocation to his authority, and practically a bait to start an official war with them. However, we both knew that they had a point.

Our current forces were tiny compared to the total forces that the World Government can draft completely. I mean, he was going to lose a war in the future to one subsidary of the World Government; and those Marines have over 100,000 soldiers as high ranking soldiers. It was going to be impossible just to face those goons alone, there was too much to lose on our side.

I calmly took the transponder snail from Whitebeard's hands before he killed the poor snail before responding for him.

"Fine, you can have your nephew back Marcus. However, if we hear another story about you bombing our territories again. I will personally pay all of you a visit; including your Lord. I don't mind going for another round with the six of you," I promised coldly.

"Watch your tone vermin, don't think that we won't kill you the next time we see you!"

With that, the Five Elders hung up their line. The entire deck was silent as they tried to digest what they had heard. Even Whitebeard was surprised by the number I just announced: six.

"What do you mean six. Aren't they only Five Elders who preside over the entirety of the World Government?" Whitebeard asked curiously.

"It's more complicated than that, and yes there are five people who preside over the World Government. However, the person who leads them is way more stronger than the Five Elders," I responded indifferently.

"How so?" Whitebeard asked.

I quietly grabbed my left shoulder to embrace the stinging pain that came with it afterwords. It was one of the few remnants that would remind me of the battle that I had with the god of this World.

"He's the one responsible for all these scars you see on my body," I responded, letting out a cold chuckle afterwords.