บท 42: Chapter 42
Title: A Reward Of 5.25 Billion Berries Is Offered
Observing the half-dead Akainu, the Black Dragon deemed it a bit excessive to start auctioning him off in this state. It was clear that presenting him like this would diminish the product's value. Letting Akainu rest for a while before selling him off seemed more prudent.
The battle concluded in a catastrophic defeat for the Marines, with Garp eventually retreating in shame, accompanied by a substantial number of remaining Marines. Dressrosa lay in ruins, transformed from a once-thriving nation into a desolate wasteland.
Doflamingo, too, decided to leave, along with his younger brothers. Facing renewed pursuit by both the Marines and the World Government, he recognized that staying in Dressrosa made him an easy target for assassination and other forms of reprisal. His priority was to find a safe refuge.
The Black Dragon soared away from Dressrosa, adopting his original appearance as Marine Admiral Xilan and delivering Blackbeard's heart to Whitebeard and his crew. True to his word, Whitebeard paid a total of 30 billion Berries for the transaction.
Subsequently, the Black Dragon transformed once again and launched a devastating assault on the Sabaody Archipelago, apprehending the entire Roswald family—the Celestial Dragons residing there. As promised, he released Luffy.
In truth, such dutiful sons needed time to mature, just like Ace, which made him reap over 100 billion Berries from Whitebeard and could rightfully be deemed the "King of Leeks." The Black Dragon hoped that Luffy would follow in Ace's footsteps and become the "Leek King" of the younger generation.
Furthermore, the Black Dragon's defeat of the Marine Admiral and the legendary Marine hero Garp, coupled with his audacious attack on the Sabaody Archipelago, catapulted his prestige and personal influence to unparalleled heights. His bounty soared from the original 4.1 billion Berries to 5.25 billion Berries, surpassing the likes of Big Mom, Kaido, and Whitebeard, second only to the legendary, Gol D. Roger.
In light of the Marine's mission failure and the disastrous events, Sengoku convened an emergency meeting. The World Government was incensed, directing their anger at Sengoku, invoking ancestral curses, and condemning all the women associated with those in power by giving condolences to the places where they gave birth.
Sengoku dared not utter a word in response to the barrage of insults. Recent events had seen the Marine suffer significant setbacks. First, Ace was abducted, and numerous prisoners escaped from Impel Down. Now, Akainu had been defeated and captured. The Marine's reputation worldwide had been severely tarnished, prompting top World Government officials to consider changing leadership.
"Everyone, you're all aware of the situation, and I'm here now, asking for your opinions," Sengoku said with a grim expression, his face bearing the weight of recent failures, his ugly face resembled that of a cuckolded bastard, "We also need to figure out how can we rescue Sakazuki".
A tense silence enveloped the room. At this moment, no one was eager to step forward and become the scapegoat for the ongoing crisis.
Upon closer inspection, Kizaru was meticulously tending to his nails, while Aokiji dozed off peacefully. As for Xilan, he was engrossed in reading a book, featuring a scantily clad cover girl with exposed breasts.
Garp lowered his head in silence, aknowledging everything with a bow of his head. Despite the mission's failure, Sengoku refrained from scolding him, leaving Garp somewhat surprised. Perhaps it was because of the previous incident involving Luffy that he felt a sense of shame?
Conversation ceased, conolete csilence overwhelmed the room, and Sengoku had no choice but to glance at the people in the room until suddenly he stopped on a single figure, it was Aokiji. Although he was asleep, Sengoku's gaze held warmth, and he had no intention of disturbing him. After all, Aokiji was his trusted and beloved general, the Marine Marshal he had chosen for the future.
Thus...
"Kizaru!!!" Sengoku barked at Kizaru while glaring angrily, which cause the poor Admiral to stand up hesitantly. "Marshal Sengoku, according to my estimation, Sakazuki is currently held captive, sitting in a cage, in a human auction house, waiting to be sold. We need to wait quietly for Doflamingo's auction. I believe, given Sakazuki's abilities, he will find a way to escape. Let's not forget, he is a Marine Admiral!"
Kizaru's explanation sounded reasonable.
"Are you dumb?!!" Sengoku erupted in anger, cursing, "Doflamingo is known as the 'Kidney Emperor', that bastard holds a gruesome practice during slave auctions. To prevent retaliation, he weakens the strength of the captives by cutting off their kidneys. Do you expect me to watch Akainu be butchered? You fool! Why don't you cut your kidney instead, you imbecile!!"
Sengoku's heated reprimand sent sparks flying through the air, many of which landed on Kizaru's face. Swearing, it seemed, was the most direct means of venting, and the anger that had built up in Sengoku's heart diminished by half in an instant. Nonetheless, Kizaru found himself in a rather pitiable situation, having been scolded right from the start. The old man's demeanor had become downright animated, and he truly resembled an ape who had consumed the Human-Human Fruit.
"Sengoku, Kizaru does have a point," Xilan interjected as he closed his very halal book, offering a faint smile. "Sakazuki represents the best of the next generation, and I believe he will become a pillar of the Marines in the future. If he can't overcome this minor setback, how can we entrust the future of this organization to him? Let's simply wait patiently for Sakazuki's return."
Sengoku sighed in response, acknowledging his own powerlessness to rescue Akainu. The world was vast, and Doflamingo had already left Dressrosa. Where could they even begin to search for him?
"By the way, in addition to this matter, there is another announcement to make," Sengoku declared abruptly, his expression growing deadly serious. "Considering that the situation at sea has become increasingly perilous, with Marine gradually losing control, the Five Elders have approved my proposal—a significant expansion of our military forces!"
...
—
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง