Chapter 188 - Renji: Five Elders, from now on, the game has changed!
"Ohara is finished."
Saul stared at the distant flames rising from the bombardment as naval warships surrounded the island on all sides.
The commander overseeing the Buster Call was Sengoku, with vice admirals Kuzan and Sakazuki participating—along with three others, originally including Saul himself.
Seeing the Navy's full-scale encirclement, Saul knew there was no hope for Ohara. Those two monsters were here—none could survive.
At that moment, he thought of Olvia. With Ohara doomed, he hoped she hadn't returned. If she had, she would perish with the island.
And then there was Robin. Saul regretted sending her to warn the townsfolk; he should have made her flee instead.
In the island's center—
Within the Tree of Knowledge, all the scholars had been captured by CP agents and gathered together.
Olvia looked at the scholars before her, her heart heavy with guilt. In her mind, Ohara's destruction was entirely because of her capture.
"Everyone's here," Spandine said with a cold smirk, throwing Olvia to the ground. He took a Den Den Mushi from his coat.
"Doctor Clover, isn't it?"
"Yes."
By now, Clover understood there was no escape.
"They're all here?"
After receiving confirmation, Spandine glanced at the CP9 agents nearby. Once they nodded, he pulled out another Den Den Mushi—this one connected directly to the Five Elders.
Before the extermination began, those five wanted to speak personally.
"How are things progressing, Spandine?"
The Den Den Mushi took on the features of Saint Mars. The arrogant Spandine immediately shifted into obsequious humility. "Everything's under control. Clover is here with the others."
He had done it—captured the entire group. The mission was complete. He was already imagining his promotion.
"Doctor Clover, is it?"
Mars' voice was calm, confident—victorious.
Indeed, everything had gone as planned. Ohara was fully under the World Government's control. Escape was impossible.
"Five Elders," Clover said slowly, "why must you suppress the study of history?"
Mars asked curiously, "Why do you insist on studying it?"
Once, the government merely arrested them when they went too far. He thought that warning was enough. Yet they persisted.
With the rise of the Pirate King and Ohara's deepening research, the World Government's tolerance had reached its limit.
Despite the ban, the scholars continued—even at the cost of their lives. And they weren't alone; generation after generation had died for this cause, refusing to stop.
"History belongs to all humankind," Clover replied steadily. "It doesn't belong to any single person or organization. Everyone has the right to know it."
The hundred missing years—what had truly happened? He believed all people deserved to know.
"You realize that deciphering the Poneglyphs could revive the Ancient Weapons," Mars said smoothly. "Even without malice, your research could plunge the world into chaos if misused."
Listening to those hypocritical words, Clover's eyes hardened. "No. It's because that history contains a past you wish to hide."
His words froze the other side of the line. So they truly had uncovered too much.
Clover continued, piece by piece, revealing the existence of a Great Kingdom whose ideals threatened the World Government more than any weapon could. He explained how the government emerged after that kingdom's fall—until he was about to speak its name.
That was when Mars cut him off.
He was right—completely right.
If Clover lived, it would be a disaster for the World Government.
They had underestimated Ohara. What they thought was a small rebellion had already reached the core of the forbidden truth.
"Kill him."
At that command, Spandine grinned cruelly. Raising his pistol, he aimed at Clover and pressed the Buster Call trigger with his other hand.
Bang!
All eyes turned toward Clover—some filled with sorrow, others with indifference. And in that moment, Ohara's fate was sealed.
The Buster Call commenced. Civilians who had been evacuating under Marine supervision were already aboard the refuge ships, ready to leave.
"Are all the islanders on board?" Sakazuki asked coldly.
His aide nodded—but a second later, felt a suffocating heat radiate from him.
Then came the eruption of molten fire.
Volcanic meteors rained down like crimson fireworks upon the refugee ships.
Those aboard never even realized what happened before the magma consumed them entirely.
"What are you doing?! Those were civilians!"
Kuzan roared, glaring at Sakazuki in fury.
They were the Navy—how could he attack civilians?
But Sakazuki's indifferent expression only enraged him further.
"Who's to say no scholars were hiding among them?" Sakazuki replied flatly.
To him, civilian or scholar made no difference. Once the Buster Call was issued, every life on the island was to be erased.
That was the meaning of the Buster Call—complete annihilation, not evacuation.
Listening to Sakazuki's calm tone, Kuzan's anger burned hotter, but words failed him.
He knew he couldn't argue.
Sakazuki was right—by the Navy's definition of "justice." But that justice wasn't his.
At that moment, Kuzan felt the weight of his "Justice" coat. This wasn't the justice he once believed in.
He had thought only pirates would harm the innocent. But the higher he climbed in the Navy, the more darkness he saw—and realized the world wasn't what he once imagined.
Once, he had been full of youthful conviction. Now, it felt as if part of him had died—perhaps the old Kuzan himself.
"Vice Admiral Kuzan? Vice Admiral Kuzan?"
His aide called softly. Seeing him unresponsive, the man repeated until Kuzan finally stirred, looking toward the burning remains of the refugee ships.
And then he understood.
"I'm fine," he muttered, shaking his head.
He prepared to head inland—his Observation Haki had detected Saul's presence.
Sakazuki glanced his way but didn't stop him. He merely stood on deck, watching for any survivors.
His task was to ensure no one escaped.
With the ships gone, the island's destruction was only a matter of time.
"Kuzan, the Buster Call has begun. Remember—you are a Marine."
Sakazuki's voice rang out behind him—a warning.
He knew Kuzan's nature and feared he would hesitate.
Then he turned back toward the island. With the people dead, it was time to sink it completely.
But just as Sakazuki prepared to act, his private Den Den Mushi rang. The moment he answered, Spandine's panicked voice screamed through: "Sakazuki! Bring the Marines here immediately! And Kuzan—get him too!!"
Too late.
Spandine stared at the figure before him, nearly in tears. Why hadn't he called Sengoku instead?
Though Sengoku had ordered the operation, he wasn't on the battlefield—only stationed at a nearby base.
"Find Kuzan," Spandine shouted desperately.
Sakazuki glanced at his aide, then charged toward Spandine's location.
Meanwhile, Renji stood there, smiling at Spandine. The bullet that had just been fired was intercepted perfectly by the Sword of Ame-no-Murakumo.
Having watched the spectacle from the trees for some time, Renji knew that if he didn't appear now, these people would really be done for.
"Well now, what a fine show this has been."
"Renji."
Saint Mars glared coldly through the Den Den Mushi. Before the operation, they had made sure not a single word had leaked.
Though Olvia had escaped, the news had not spread. Their plan was to announce it only after destroying Ohara—just to prevent Renji's interference.
After the Edd War between Shiki and Roger, and Roger's execution—where Renji personally ended Roger's life—the Five Elders had realized that Renji would step into certain events himself.
And yet, somehow, he'd still found out—and even come to Ohara.
"Renji, you really intend to walk this dark path to the end," Saint Saturn said coolly. The crimes Renji had committed left no possibility of reconciliation.
"What else? I actually agree with one of his lines: anyone should be free to know history. But it's a pity—if you want to know history, you must have the strength to protect yourself. Without power, you're just a lamb waiting for slaughter."
Renji turned to Clover. "So, what do you say? Want to come with me? I can give you protection and the chance to continue your research—and I happen to know where many of the Poneglyphs are located."
His words were like fuel to the fire—openly declaring he would take the scholars away, the one thing the Five Elders could never tolerate.
Especially since Renji was now personally involved with them.
Renji possessed overwhelming strength, and as history continued to be deciphered, he would eventually expose it all to the world—something the World Government could never allow.
"Renji, do you even know what it means to play with fire?"
Saint Peter clenched his fists, eyes full of killing intent.
Time after time—God Valley, where Renji killed Celestial Dragons and spoke heresy; then Roger's execution, where he struck down the Pirate King himself.
And now he had set his sights on Ohara.
"Of course I know. Look, aren't I playing with fire right now?"
As he spoke, Renji exhaled a breath of flame, instantly incinerating every CP agent who had aimed their guns at him.
"How was that? Not bad, right?"
"…"
Was that what they meant by playing with fire?
An eerie silence hung over the place; everyone knew exactly what he meant.
"Renji, after this, you will become the World Government's greatest enemy. From now on, we'll abandon all other matters and focus everything on destroying you. Everyone around you will die because of you!"
Saint Saturn's voice carried pure threat, but Renji didn't care in the slightest. With a casual gesture, he summoned several heavenly bolts of lightning, striking down every government agent nearby.
Picking up the Den Den Mushi from the ground, Renji said calmly, "Your threats are outdated. From this day forward, the game has changed, Five Elders. The ones who should be afraid aren't me—it's you. Every Celestial Dragon will live in my shadow. Any one of them who enters my sight will die miserably."
With that, he crushed the Den Den Mushi in his hand.
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