Now, four figures dominated the deck in front of the trio—or rather, six, counting those beneath them.
Two wore glass headgear. One was a bloated man with thick lips and a long, dripping nose. The other was a woman, her face veiled even through the translucent glass. Still, it was easy to tell she was delicate, a rare trait among Celestial Dragons.
Each sat atop a trembling subordinate, both already frothing at the mouth from fear and unconscious. Behind the Celestial Dragons, two Marines stood, clad in uniforms that marked them as Vice Admirals.
"Those must be the Celestial Dragons Rolan mentioned," Zoro muttered, his finger pointing at the headgear. Even a glance at them filled him with disgust.
"Yes, that seems right," Lina nodded from the side.
Thin beads of sweat appeared on the temples of the two Vice Admirals. As Marines from Marineford, they knew Conqueror's Haki well, yet even they were astonished. Few in the Grand Line, let alone the Four Seas, could wield such power. Who were these people?
"Why aren't you three commoners kneeling before us?" the male Celestial Dragon demanded, pointing at Rolan.
Zoro's hand went to his sword hilt, a flicker of anger in his eyes.
The male Celestial Dragon ordered a Marine, "Capture those three commoners immediately!"
Turning to the other Marine, he continued, "And you, bring up a slave from below. I want to vent my anger."
The female Celestial Dragon, trying to reason, said, "Williams Nii-san, this is the lower World!"
The male ignored her, muttering, "Throw the pregnant slaves down the Red Line. The ones I brought this time will keep me entertained for a while."
Zoro's jaw tightened. He could no longer remain passive. He opened his handguard, letting the sunlight glint off the blade with a cold gleam.
"Saint Williams, Lady Izarolan, return to your cabin immediately! These three are enemies!" one Marine shouted in warning.
"Shut up! Marine, capture them for me," Williams barked, glaring at the fainted slave beneath him before kicking him disdainfully. "I want that woman. The men can be our mounts!"
Lina's eyes burned with fury. She had heard Rolan's stories about the Celestial Dragons' cruelty, but now seeing it firsthand, she wanted nothing more than to incinerate them all.
Williams pulled a pistol.
[Bang]
The bullet hurtled toward Rolan's forehead, but he calmly extended a hand. The projectile halted midair, as if colliding with an invisible barrier.
"Electromagnetic Cannon!"
The bullet rocketed back at the Celestial Dragon with unimaginable speed.
"Iron Body!"
One of the yellow-haired Vice Admirals jumped in front of the Celestial Dragon, shielding him just in time.
"Oh, how protective. A loyal lackey of the Celestial Dragons. Too bad you chose the wrong defense," Rolan commented lightly, sending the bullet through the Marine's Iron Body, leaving a gaping hole. The Marine collapsed, gasping his last breaths.
"Hey! Didn't we agree to leave a few for us to practice on?" Lina complained.
"What about the slaves? They're below," Rolan said, pointing down.
Lina transformed into a ball of flame and darted toward the cabin. A Marine tried to stop her, but Zoro intercepted. "I'll handle your opponent. Let me see if my strength has improved."
The Celestial Dragons' eyes widened in fear.
"Electromagnetic Gravity!"
Rolan extended his hand, and Williams' body hurtled uncontrollably toward him. A flick of his finger shattered the headgear and gripped Williams' thick neck. The man struggled, his body wobbling like a piece of raw meat, but could not break free.
"How dare you touch a great World Noble?" Izarolan screamed, her serene expression replaced by rage.
"I attacked only because you are Celestial Dragons," Rolan said casually, scratching his ear.
"Are you insane? We are the supreme descendants of the creators. Aren't you afraid of an Admiral?" Izarolan shrieked.
"Annoying. Also, I don't give a fuck about an Admiral?" Rolan extended his other hand, gripping her neck as well.
"You will regret this! An Admiral will come soon!" Izarolan struggled.
"You're too naive."
With a swift motion, Rolan snapped Williams' neck. Izarolan froze, pale, realizing there were truly people in this World who dared defy Celestial Dragons. Meeting Rolan's disgusted gaze, she knew escape was impossible and spat, "If you attack us, just wait for death!"
Rolan's eyes betrayed no emotion as he regarded the lifeless Celestial Dragons. Their atrocities were beyond redemption, and even death a hundred times over would not atone.
[Ding. Congratulations to the host for completing the selection: Reward obtained: Supreme Grade Swords 'Ryugu', Devil Fruit Side Effect Removal Card *1, Logia-type Cloud-Cloud Fruit, 200 million Berries.]
Rolan glanced at the luxurious equipment, feeling a twinge of embarrassment. Now is not the time to think about these things. Better hurry and leave.
Zoro had already gained the upper hand in battle.
"Zoro, finish quickly. An Admiral might arrive later."
It wasn't fear of an Admiral; But better to be safe than sorry.
Zoro's movements became faster. The remaining Marine struggled to defend, shouting, "Pirate, your location has been exposed! Photos sent to Marineford!"
Annoyed, Rolan slapped his forehead and walked to the Celestial Dragons' cabin, rifling through the bodies. Two small Den Den Mushi were tucked away, eyes wide open.
Of course, they'd be recording this.
He smirked. "I should've expected that. World Nobles always have defenses."
Seeing Zoro dominate the remaining Marine, Rolan nodded. "I'll leave this to you. I'll check the cabin for anything useful."
With that, he vanished inside.
_____
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