Life Return.
Tsk tsk!
After reaching this level, Lancelot clearly felt his body had directly ascended to a higher tier.
Moreover, he discovered... this Life Return not only enhanced all his physical capabilities, but it also granted him the ability to rapidly digest food and recover stamina and heal injuries.
'Incredible...'
Lancelot's eyes lit up, his heart filled with excitement. His strength had advanced yet again.
However, his brow soon furrowed slightly.
To be honest, he originally had other important matters to attend to.
But now... he looked at Kizaru with hesitation.
After all, this matter needed to be done away from prying eyes.
'Now...'
'Forget it, I can only postpone this matter for a little while longer.'
"What?"
Although Lancelot's battle with Kaido ended inconclusively due to Kizaru's arrival, the fact that Lancelot could fight Kaido to a standstill was more than enough proof of his strength.
He's definitely at the Admiral level.
Otherwise, he absolutely couldn't have fought Kaido to that extent.
Therefore, Naval Headquarters was in an uproar.
At this moment, Fleet Admiral Sengoku's eyes widened, filled with disbelief.
In his mind, even if Lancelot was strong, he was only at the Shichibukai level.
But this battle between Lancelot and Kaido made him clearly realize that he had still underestimated Lancelot.
Vice Admiral Tsuru also wore an expression of shock, though after the initial surprise, her face turned grave.
At this moment, she felt that transferring Lancelot from the Inspectorate to the Navy ranks was a decision that couldn't have been more wrong.
Initially, she thought a small fry like Lancelot would be easy to control.
At worst, he'd just be another Akainu.
But now it seemed this kid had hidden his depths too well—so well it sent chills down her spine.
Most importantly, trying to suppress him... was probably no longer possible.
With strength like that, he already stood at the pinnacle of the world.
Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with concern.
...
Whole Cake Island
"Mama, Mama..."
Charlotte Linlin also wore an expression of shock at this moment.
What was her relationship with Kaido?
They had brawled hand-to-hand, so no one understood Kaido's power better than her.
Yet now, that Rear Admiral had fought Kaido to a standstill.
It was utterly unbelievable.
After all, even an Admiral would struggle to gain any advantage against Kaido.
How could a mere Rear Admiral match him?
This was undoubtedly the most explosive news of the year, bar none...
At this moment, her approach toward Lancelot needed to change.
She turned to Charlotte Perospero beside her: "Immediately order Katakuri and the others to cease all actions against Lancelot."
Pausing briefly, she added.
"First, find Snack..."
Just then, Charlotte Smoothie entered, followed by none other than Charlotte Snack, whom Big Mom had just mentioned searching for.
"Huh?"
Perospero couldn't help but utter a sound of surprise at the sight.
Charlotte Linlin also froze momentarily, then narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze turning sharp.
She said coldly, "Explain yourself! What exactly happened with you, Broye, and Custard? Especially Broye and Custard—why did they pledge allegiance to Lancelot?"
"Do they not know this constitutes betrayal of the family???"
"And do they not understand the consequences of betraying the family?"
Upon hearing this, Charlotte Snack's heart leaped into his throat.
'Gulp...'
He subconsciously swallowed, sweat already beading on his forehead from tension.
It wasn't that Snack was particularly cowardly—rather, no one in the entire Charlotte Family feared their mother less than anyone else.
Mom was both their mother and their captain. And in either role, she held power over their lives and deaths.
"Haa..."
Charlotte Snack took a deep breath, struggling to calm himself.
Then, cautiously glancing at his mother, he slowly began to recount everything, laying all the cards on the table...
"What?"
As Snack spoke, everyone present—whether Charlotte Linlin, Perospero, or Smoothie—couldn't help but show expressions of astonishment.
Their surprise then turned to shock. Finally, they even let out involuntary exclamations.
Perospero and Smoothie exchanged looks, each seeing disbelief in the other's eyes.
Simultaneously, doubt arose in their hearts...
True, reason told them Snack would never dare lie to Mom.
But common sense told them it was absolutely impossible.
After all, no matter how you looked at it, Lancelot was a Marine.
And they were pirates...
But immediately they thought of the recent incidents caused by this Marine and his combat achievements.
First, Snack, Broye, and Custard were defeated by him, with Broye and Custard even directly joining his ranks.
Next, Jack the Drought of the Beasts Pirates, one of the Emperor's Pirate Crews like theirs, was killed by his hand.
And now... just moments ago, the newspapers reported a battle between him and Kaido that ended in a draw.
Because in the intelligence about Marine Rear Admiral Lancelot, his exact age was included.
A young man just over twenty years old, fighting evenly with Kaido, who is over fifty and already an Emperor of the Sea.
Could you believe it?
They certainly couldn't.
Even though they knew that anything published in this newspaper must be true... deep down, they still found it hard to accept.
Taking all this into account...
Lancelot was definitely not someone to be judged as an ordinary Marine.
Seeing the expressions on Big Mom, Perospero, and Smoothie's faces, Snack immediately understood what they were thinking.
He quickly added, "Mom, although Lancelot is a Marine Rear Admiral, he is not a conventional Marine."
"He hails from the Holy Land and was the Chief Inspector of the East Blue. He is directly subordinate to the Celestial Dragons of the Holy Land... So, his way of doing things can't be measured by Marine standards."
"Take his Four Seas Exchange, for example—it is officially endorsed by the Celestial Dragons. For Lancelot, his primary duty is to serve the Celestial Dragons and rake in Berries for them. His identity as a Marine comes second."
"As long as they don't provoke him directly, even pirates can be customers or clients of his Four Seas Exchange."
"If it weren't for the fact that Doflamingo's subordinates entered his territory and refused to follow his rules, there would have been no conflict between them..."
After speaking, Snack's gaze swept over Big Mom, Perospero, and Smoothie one by one, carefully observing them, afraid that these three might decide to go all out against Lancelot.
That would be disastrous!
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