"Peeking at a Celestial Dragon... and it's the Navy?"
"What are you doing here? Why aren't you kneeling?"
In the dim, narrow alley, five CP9 agents dressed in black suits blocked Mihawk and the others, cutting off their escape.
The moment they appeared, both Kyros and the young Rear Admiral Brannyu instinctively widened their eyes in alarm, momentarily unsure how to respond. As for Tiger, he subconsciously pulled his Marine coat tighter around himself, trying to hide his fish-man features.
Unfortunately, his small movement did not escape the sharp eyes of the CP9 agents nearby.
Escorting a Celestial Dragon was no easy job. Though the World Nobles were hailed as gods, every time they traveled, their CP9 bodyguards had to be on constant alert, treading on eggshells. They not only had to guard against potential external attacks but also constantly worry about whether any of their own actions would offend their masters.
To a Celestial Dragon, CP9 agents were little different from the average slave. One misstep, and it could cost them their lives.
Always on edge, these elite CP9 agents quickly detected the presence of Kyros' group. But when they came face-to-face and saw they were Navy, they didn't let their guard down. Suspicious behavior from Marines was far more dangerous than from civilians.
While one agent questioned them, the others kept their eyes on their movements, and when they saw Tiger's nervous gesture, their faces darkened.
"A filthy fish-man?! What is he doing on Sabaody Archipelago?!"
The insult landed like a slap. Tiger's face stiffened. He didn't talk back. Instead, he lowered his head slightly, stood behind his companions, clenched his fists, and forced himself to suppress the burning fury inside.
Rationality in his mind screamed: now is absolutely not the time to clash with CP9.
He reminded himself, he was the crucial bridge between fish-men and humans. He couldn't act on impulse. He couldn't leave the Navy. He couldn't bring trouble to the Dawnblade Division.
Jaw clenched, fists tight, Tiger remained silent.
Mihawk seemed to sense Tiger's state. He stepped forward, blocking the group, and wordlessly reached for the hilt of his sword, Black Blade Yoru, ready to draw at a moment's notice.
The CP9 agents tensed. All eyes were now on Mihawk. Muscles taut, they braced themselves.
The alley was electric with tension.
"Apologies."
"I'm Rear Admiral Brannyu of Marine Headquarters."
"Gentlemen of CP9, our companion is unwell and needs rest."
"Please... pretend you didn't see us and let us through."
"We're all on the same side, no need to escalate things."
Brannyu stepped in quickly, raising both hands, inserting himself between Mihawk and the CP9 agents, his voice soft but firm.
Only now did Mihawk and the others learn the Rear Admiral's name. Kyros, hearing it, glanced twice at him. He had heard it mentioned back at HQ, someone the Fleet Admiral Sengoku highly valued. Though not the strongest of his peers, Brannyu's calm and composed nature had earned Sengoku's trust.
In that sense, he shared certain qualities with Sengoku himself, a strategist, not a brawler.
"Marine Headquarters, Rear Admiral?"
Hearing that, the CP9 agents exchanged surprised glances, but quickly their eyes drifted past Brannyu and settled on Tiger at the back. One of them spoke coldly:
"We've never heard of Marine HQ recruiting dirty fish-men."
"Saint Mjosgard just so happens to be looking for some fish-man slaves. This one, he'll do. The rest of you may leave."
The leading CP9 agent, a man around thirty, pointed at Tiger and grinned. Though some of the others looked a bit taken aback by his words, they didn't object. They aligned with their comrade and moved to back him up.
"H-he's a Marine, not a slave!"
"I won't let you take him."
Brannyu turned to look Tiger over after hearing the word "fish-man," then faced the agents again, tone steely. He had heard rumors that Vice Admiral Yoriichi had recruited a fish-man into his command, but he hadn't connected the dots until now.
And now that CP9 had clearly targeted this Marine, Brannyu found himself with a serious problem on his hands.
They actually wanted to hand a Marine over to curry favor with the Celestial Dragons? The very idea was absurd, but knowing CP9, Brannyu wasn't even surprised.
Anyone who spent too much time close to the Celestial Dragons ended up warped beyond repair. Their values twisted, logic broken. Brannyu had long stopped expecting sanity from them.
But even so, he couldn't let this happen.
Even if this wasn't a Marine, just a regular fish-man, he'd still try to stop it. And this wasn't just any fish-man.
This was Vice Admiral Yoriichi's fish-man.
If word of this ever reached Yoriichi…
Brannyu shuddered at the thought.
He'd only met the man a few times, but the stories, the reputation, he knew them all too well.
"Being a Marine doesn't mean you're not a slave."
"Oi, do you people even know how this world works?"
"To the Celestial Dragons, there are only two types of people: them, and the slaves who serve them."
"You lot clearly don't know your place."
The lead CP9 agent was almost hysterical now.
His behavior? Like a dog furious that someone dared to stand tall before his master.
He didn't want to see the Navy acting righteous.
CP9 were dragged around like slaves by the Celestial Dragons, so what? The Navy wanted to stand upright? Be treated like humans?
The sheer madness in his logic stunned Brannyu. He opened his mouth, unsure how to respond, then felt a chill at his back.
Turning, he saw Mihawk had drawn Yoru at some point. The blade pointed downward, its chilling aura filling the alley.
"Dracule Mihawk!"
"Stand down!!"
Brannyu instantly understood what Mihawk was about to do. He shouted, trying to stop him.
But Mihawk didn't even flinch.
Head slightly raised, both hands gripping the hilt, he lifted the black blade over his shoulder. His expression was cold and resolute.
"My superior is Yoriichi Tsugikuni. You have no right to command me."
"And I have no intention of bringing trouble to the Dawnblade Division."
"Don't get in my way, or I'll consider you an enemy too."
As he spoke, powerful Armament Haki surged onto the blade. Already gleaming with a cold light, Yoru now radiated a terrifying aura.
And Mihawk himself, already an intimidating presence, now exuded killing intent like a blade drawn from its sheath.
"Yoriichi?"
"Dawnblade Division?"
The CP9 agents froze at the name. But before they could speak,
Mihawk vanished.
A blink later, he reappeared in front of the five CP9 agents. Raising his black blade, he slashed.
A black shockwave tore through the alley.
None of the CP9 agents could react. The slash swept cleanly through their waists and into the ground behind them.
A thick black crack split the earth.
And those arrogant CP9 agents?
Silenced in an instant.
"Thud!"
Several dull crashes followed. The bodies hit the ground, blood pooling beneath them. All five had been severed cleanly in half.
The smell of blood overwhelmed the alley.
These once-feared CP9 elites were obliterated in the blink of an eye.
Mihawk stood tall again. Not a speck of blood sullied his blade.
He calmly sheathed Yoru on his back.
Without sparing Kyros or Brannyu so much as a glance, he muttered:
"Problem solved. Let's go."
And just like that, he turned and walked out of the alley.
"Wait up, Mihawk!"
Kyros didn't dare raise his voice. He called after him in a low hiss and quickly followed.
Tiger too rushed after them, but as he passed the mutilated CP9 corpses, his steps faltered.
CP9 was dead.
Mihawk, a Navy officer, had just butchered them like they were ants.
This... this was insane.
Snapping out of it, Tiger glanced back at the still-dazed Brannyu and kindly reminded him:
"Rear Admiral Brannyu... are you planning to stay here?"
Then, without waiting for a reply, he caught up to the others.
The thick stench of blood filled the air.
Brannyu clutched his head in disbelief, staring at the carnage, then at Mihawk's fading silhouette.
"Is there no law anymore? No order?"
"The Dawnblade Division... what kind of monsters are they?"
Muttering in frustration, he double-checked that no witnesses remained, quickly wiped their tracks from the ground, and slipped away.
Shortly after Mihawk and the others left, the CP9 corpses were discovered.
Panic erupted among their ranks.
The surviving CP9 agents reported the deaths immediately, and reinforcements flooded Sabaody to investigate.
But the truth?
The killers left no trace.
The world government's best efforts uncovered nothing.
They only managed to frame a few unlucky pirates, and no further progress was made.
After fleeing the alley, Brannyu dragged Kyros, Mihawk, and Tiger back to the warship like misbehaving children who had just smashed a window and run home to hide.
In a small meeting room aboard the Dawnblade's ship, Brannyu fumed at them:
"You just killed them? Just like that?!"
"They're part of the World Government's intelligence agency, our allies! How could you do this?!"
"Do you understand how much trouble you've caused the Navy? And your division?!"
Hands on hips, face flushed with anger, he scolded like a frustrated teacher.
"Mihawk didn't mean to."
"It was an accident. An accident."
"Besides, those CP9 guys deserved it! They didn't treat us like allies either!"
"If Vice Admiral Yoriichi were here, he wouldn't have let them off either."
"He hates traitors the most."
Kyros tried to mediate, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. Mihawk sat with arms folded, eyes closed, completely unconcerned.
Tiger leaned by the door, arms crossed, silently watching Mihawk.
He'd spent months with the Dawnblade Division.
He knew Mihawk's temperament.
But still, he hadn't expected this.
Mihawk, a Marine, just cut down CP9 without hesitation.
That utter fearlessness...
It was Marine-like, but also something else entirely.
"I really don't understand the Dawnblade Division yet," Tiger thought.
No matter what Brannyu said, Mihawk remained unmoved.
And Brannyu?
He was furious, but helpless.
Report Mihawk to Sengoku?
What a joke. He was present too, wasn't he?
Snitch to Yoriichi?
That guy had probably killed more CP9 than Mihawk had.
Only now did Brannyu get a clearer picture of what the Dawnblade Division really was.
To them, questions like "should we do this" or "is this legal" didn't exist.
CP9?
To ordinary Marines, they were watchdogs of justice.
To the Dawnblade?
They were just bugs. Killable whenever necessary.
For Yoriichi's people, it wasn't about whether they could kill,
Only about whether they should.
Truly unrestrained.
While this "small incident" played out on Sabaody Archipelago, Yoriichi had already returned to Marineford with Garp and Zephyr.
His presence immediately drew attention from the younger Marines. Eyes filled with admiration followed him all the way to Commander-in-Chief Kong's office.
Inside, both Kong and Sengoku were waiting.
When the door opened and Yoriichi entered, Kong didn't waste time.
"Vice Admiral Yoriichi, why did you leave the New World without orders?"
Straight to the point.
"I went to Fish-Man Island to recruit new personnel."
"It was sudden, and I didn't have time to report to you beforehand."
Yoriichi casually brushed it off. The senior officers in the room exchanged looks.
Too sudden?
That excuse was laughably weak.
Kong's eyes narrowed. He coughed once and replied:
"Fine, I won't pursue it. Your Dawnblade Division has independent recruitment rights."
"But!"
"Don't cause any more incidents. Until your ship's coating is complete, stay at HQ. When you're ready to depart, Zephyr will escort you."
"Oh, and one more thing. When you return to Dressrosa, handle this 'incident' you left behind."
"This mess was caused by your... unorthodox methods."
Kong conveniently swept Yoriichi's misconduct under the rug.
Then tossed a folder across the table.
"What's this?"
Yoriichi caught it, opened it casually, and the first photo stopped him cold.
Kong's voice followed:
"You remember the Beasts Pirates, don't you?"
"Clean up your mess."
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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter
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