Chapter 154: Kill Pirate Buggy and Earn Favor with the Celestial Dragons!
When Sengoku returned to the meeting room from the lounge and relayed the Five Elders' orders, the hall erupted into chaos.
"How is that possible? Was the prize real after all?"
"There's actually a Celestial Dragon Bloodline? Just what is this mysterious Game Merchant capable of?!"
Among those seated slightly further back, the vice admirals were the most stunned and confused.
They weren't like Vice Admiral Onigumo, Burning Mountain, or the admirals themselves—those with innate strength and the confidence to ignore the authority of most Celestial Dragons.
These officers had clawed their way up from the bottom and were acutely aware of what it meant to possess the privileges of a World Noble.
In their minds, the Celestial Dragon title held enormous weight.
Even a Supreme Grade blade or a rare Logia Fruit didn't come close to the shock of hearing "Celestial Dragon Bloodline" as a reward.
At least the first two, though rare, were within the realm of possibility.
But Celestial Dragon blood? That was stuff from fairy tales—like the old legend in the West Blue where a god declared the world needed a Red Line and then raised the continent to divide the seas.
So the idea that a random pirate could be told "you now have Celestial Dragon blood" and it actually be true?
It was reality-bending.
Only the three admirals, their two candidates, and a few vice admirals remained calm.
Vice Admiral Tsuru, unsurprised, nodded and said,
"As expected. The Game Merchant clearly orchestrated this, deliberately awarding the absurd prize of 'Celestial Dragon Bloodline' to someone who already possessed it: Buggy."
She was no ordinary officer. Though her Wash-Wash Fruit let her "launder" and hang-dry anything like clothes, her true strength lay in her brilliant mind and keen grasp of politics and strategy.
Just hearing the Five Elders' orders had been enough for her to infer the truth.
Her analysis helped quiet the chaotic room.
Some of the vice admirals began to understand.
Of course that reward wasn't random—it was planted.
This realization helped preserve their pride.
They hadn't been fooled after all.
Once again, Tsuru had lived up to her title as the Navy's tactician.
Akainu, more concerned with the actual orders, frowned.
"So… we're supposed to bring Pirate Buggy back unharmed? Without offending him? That just plays into the enemy's hands."
A pirate who had mocked the Celestial Dragons was now being escorted with honor to the Holy Land?
Wouldn't that only prove the Game Merchant's reward was legitimate?
Tsuru rubbed her forehead and gave a bitter smile.
"This is how the World Nobles operate. They don't care if East Blue plunges into chaos.
But if we so much as slight someone suspected of being a Celestial Dragon?
We'll be the ones punished."
The Five Elders weren't pampered fools like most of the Celestial Dragons.
They were powerful, politically savvy, and led the World Government.
They knew what this would stir up—how much it would confuse Marines, pirates, and nobles alike.
But they didn't care.
Wars might break out in East Blue.
Pirates might plunder and slaughter.
Soldiers might die trying to keep order.
Nobles might crack down harder on civilians.
None of it mattered to them.
They could've just quietly taken Buggy away before the world noticed.
But no—
the Five Elders chose the most inconvenient, most insulting method.
All because World Nobles were not allowed to feel even slightly uncomfortable.
The blood and death of thousands?
Less important than a Celestial Dragon's mood.
"Disgusting."
Kuzan, still wearing his sleep mask, muttered from his chair.
Akainu's brow twitched.
"Kuzan, shut your mouth. I'll overlook it this time. But never insult the World Nobles again."
Kuzan ignored him, pretending to sleep.
The other officers said nothing.
They were used to it.
Among the three admirals, Kizaru followed his own vague "Ambiguous Justice" and rarely interacted with the others.
That left Akainu and Aokiji, who frequently clashed over ideology.
Sengoku, already nursing a headache, decided not to interfere.
He turned and said, "Vice Admiral Tsuru, I'm putting you in charge of this mission."
"Understood. I'll head to East Blue immediately."
"And Garp? He told me he was going home. He should be in East Blue now.
Let him test the Game Merchant's strength."
...
"Kill him!"
On a battered pirate ship, Don Krieg stood at the bow, eyes filled with malice.
He pointed toward the Buggy Pirates' ship.
Dressed in golden armor bristling with weapons and wielding a thousand-pound war lance, Krieg was out for blood.
"My grand fleet… wiped out by Mihawk.
I'll recoup my losses by taking Buggy's head!
He dared to mock the World Nobles. That bounty's gonna be massive!"
After Mihawk destroyed his fleet, Krieg hadn't collapsed from hunger like in the original timeline.
He still had his flagship—and that's when he stumbled upon a Contract Fruit and joined the East Blue Trial Tower event.
His hatred for Mihawk burned deep.
"Just wait… once I collect Buggy's bounty, I'll rebuild my armada and return to the Grand Line!"
"Don't let him beat us to it! Charge!"
Other pirates shouted, whipping their crews into action.
Even nobles from allied nations were joining in.
They all saw this as a rare chance to curry favor with the World Nobles.
They couldn't let the pirates get there first.
In no time,
Buggy—newly blessed with the Game Merchant's reward—
had become everyone's target.
His crew retreated into the cabin, trembling.
"Captain Buggy, once you're executed, we'll hold a funeral for you!"
Moji shrank down, peeking through a porthole at the massive alliance of pirate and noble ships closing in.
Even with his enhanced powers and tamer skills making Richie more ferocious,
they stood no chance against this overwhelming force.
"Where's your heart?!"
Buggy wanted to cry.
He furiously clawed at his celestial outfit, trying to tear it off.
Then he looked up at the top of the black tower—
at the Game Merchant smiling pleasantly down at him.
Baring his teeth, Buggy shouted,
"This is all your fault! Your damn game reward is going to get me killed! Do something!!"
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