"Oh, by the way, do you remember that ancient voice from the last war? It said the strongest Celestial Dragon in centuries would appear to kill Ashveil!" Vice Admiral Tsuru's eyes shifted as she spoke, lightly patting her head.
Her words immediately silenced everyone. She was right—the prophecy existed, yet the way it manifested was beyond imagination.
The sky above the Whitebeard Pirates brightened intensely as the Sword Saint arrived, bathing the vast waters in blinding light. Even the pirates, feasting and laughing, turned their gaze upward in astonishment.
"Look… what is that? A shooting star?"
"No, it's heading straight for us! It's small but unbelievably fast, and the energy… it's immense! If it hits, our crew will suffer devastating losses!" The Whitebeard Pirates whispered urgently among themselves.
The elite captains of the Whitebeard Pirates rose from the deck, their expressions a mix of curiosity and tension. Marco rubbed his head, confused.
"What is that exactly? It doesn't look like a shooting star, does it?"
"If not a shooting star… then what? You don't mean it's a person flying through the sky, right?" Vista joked, unaware that his words were closer to reality than he imagined.
The Sword Saint's descent was impossibly fast. In moments, he reached above the Whitebeard Pirates, then plummeted toward the ground with terrifying speed.
"Wait… it's heading straight at us…" Doflamingo's throat tightened as he felt the overwhelming pressure.
Though small in appearance, the Sword Saint carried an aura surpassing even the meteor summoned by Fujitora Issho.
Empress Hancock furrowed her brows, her gaze fixed on the descending figure. "Shouldn't we do something? Otherwise, the entire Whitebeard Pirates will suffer…" Her voice was firm, yet the trembling sea beneath them made her words incomplete.
Doflamingo sensed the imminent danger. Veins bulging, he activated his Devil Fruit ability, casting a massive spider web above the fleet to absorb the impact.
The Sword Saint struck like a hammer, crushing the web in an instant. Even Doflamingo, prepared with his own ability, could not withstand the overwhelming force. Threads of the web shattered immediately.
Finally, the Sword Saint landed on a nearby island with a thunderous crash. The small island shattered instantly, sending earth and debris flying in all directions. The blinding light dimmed, leaving the sea trembling from the aftershock.
Ashveil, comfortably inside his dormitory, frowned at the tremor. "Can a person not get some peace? Urouge, go outside and see what's happening."
Urouge, standing ready, obeyed immediately, while Ashveil remained seated, absorbed in his leisure.
Outside, the Sword Saint Bickley held his holy sword, long hair flowing, revealing his handsome face. He scanned the surrounding crowd with cold interest.
The people around him stared in disbelief. They had never encountered anyone like him. Emerging from the shattered island, he must be the meteor they had witnessed moments ago—a being of incredible strength.
Among the onlookers were the elite captains of the Whitebeard Pirates—Marco, Diamond Jozu, and others—as well as former Shichibukai, Donquixote Doflamingo, Empress Hancock, Mihawk, and even high-ranking former World Government officials, including Kong, Sengoku, and two of the Gorosei.
Observing the former officials, now dressed in tattered laborer clothing, the Sword Saint's aura flared. This display of humility before an enemy enraged him. To a Celestial Dragon, such degradation of the ruling class was intolerable.
"You disgrace the World Government! If I were you, I'd die here to atone! Imu-sama will not compensate you for this incompetence, you spineless fools!" Bickley shouted, his voice echoing with authority and contempt.
Vice Admirals Aramaki, Onigumo, and others, hearing this, frowned in disbelief. Who was this man, daring to speak so brazenly to the World Government?
"Hey, you! Watch your tongue! Do you even know who you're speaking to, arrogant fool?" Onigumo growled. Stripped of freedom under Ashveil's control, he could only restrain his fury.
One by one, the other Vice Admirals scowled. This audacious individual challenged their authority openly, and even seasoned Marines felt a sting of humiliation.
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