The outcome unfolded almost exactly as Ash had expected.
With the situation reaching this stage, every World Government agent present had already been eliminated, leaving only the Celestial Dragons alive. Vice Admiral Tsuru clearly understood that trying to hold Ash accountable on the spot would serve no purpose. Without hesitation, she contacted Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
As expected, when Sengoku learned what had happened, his mind nearly short circuited. Fortunately, the Celestial Dragons had not suffered any serious injuries.
Putting them to sleep did not count.
Sending a Navy Admiral was impossible, even if he wanted to. Besides, Ash was the "sand" that Sengoku and Tsuru had personally pushed into the position of one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. It was obvious where his usefulness lay.
Because of that, Sengoku had little choice but to help clean up the mess.
Ash did not know how Sengoku communicated with the Five Elders. However, about half an hour later, just as he was considering pulling out his tea set and asking Saff to prepare some iced tea or lemon tea, Vice Admiral Tsuru's Den Den Mushi finally rang again.
Sengoku's exhausted voice came through.
"Tsuru, please escort those three idiots to Mary Geoise. World Government personnel will be waiting at the elevator."
"Is that all?" Tsuru asked calmly.
Sengoku naturally understood what she meant and answered immediately.
"For now, yes. Tell that kid to stay far away from the Sabaody Archipelago and the Red Line for a while. The World Government is extremely displeased with this incident. He should avoid wandering around under their noses for the time being."
Vice Admiral Tsuru nodded slightly and turned to glance at Ash, who was standing nearby and openly listening to the conversation.
The message was clear.
The World Government would temporarily stop pursuing the matter, but attacking a Celestial Dragon was still a serious crime. Ash should keep his distance from their territory for a while.
In simple terms, stay out of sight.
Ash himself would not be hunted because he was a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. However, everyone else who had witnessed the incident would likely face consequences.
As for the auction house, since it operated under Donquixote Doflamingo's influence, it would avoid direct punishment for similar reasons. Even so, it would certainly have to pay a heavy price.
Witnesses such as Tesoro, who belonged to the Underworld, would face their own problems. The powerful ones would receive strict warnings to keep quiet. The weak ones would likely be eliminated without hesitation.
Pirates would be treated in the same way.
As for the merchants and nobles who had attended the auction, their fate depended entirely on whether they were smart enough to keep their mouths shut and show proper obedience.
In any case, those messy aftermath matters had nothing to do with Ash.
If those people ended up suffering, he would only feel pleased.
Right now, however, he needed to show his gratitude. After all, the old man and the old lady had just helped him deal with a serious problem.
He could not let them help him for free.
Ash laughed.
"Haha, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, do not worry. I will stay quiet for a while. Thank you for helping me this time. Consider it a favor that I owe you. If you need help in the future, I can assist once, as long as it does not violate my principles."
Through the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku's hearty laughter echoed.
"Haha, you brat…"
After the call ended, Vice Admiral Tsuru looked at Ash with a complicated expression.
Just as she had predicted, this young man had absolutely no respect or admiration for the World Government or the Celestial Dragons.
Judging from today's events, he had knocked out the Celestial Dragons without the slightest hesitation and eliminated every CP agent and guard present.
His actions were decisive and calm, showing complete control of the situation.
Ash clearly understood that those CP agents and guards had already failed in their duty to protect the Celestial Dragons. Even if they returned to Mary Geoise alive, they would likely face severe punishment.
So he killed them without mercy.
He also understood another crucial point.
The World Government might not care about the deaths of a few expendable agents. To them, such losses were trivial.
But the same logic did not apply to the Celestial Dragons.
Striking a Celestial Dragon might be interpreted by the Five Elders as an act of youthful arrogance or temporary recklessness. They could deal with it later through political pressure.
However, killing one would be a completely different matter.
That would be seen as an open declaration of war against the Celestial Dragons and the World Government.
Ash understood that distinction perfectly.
He was not blinded by anger, nor was he restrained by fear.
He was also shamelessly bold.
Looking at the young man's cheerful grin, Tsuru silently added a thought in her heart.
Do you realize how much trouble you caused us, you brat, yet you are still smiling here?
With a helpless sigh, Vice Admiral Tsuru ordered her soldiers to carry the unconscious Celestial Dragons onto her warship. As she prepared to leave, she glanced back once more.
"Hurry up and leave, brat. This old woman does not want to see you again for a while."
---
Dawn Ship, Open Sea
Morning sunlight spread across the deck of the Dawn Ship as it sailed across the calm ocean.
Youki scratched his head and looked confused.
"So that is it? Everything is over just like that?"
Ash chuckled.
"What else were you expecting?"
Youki frowned slightly.
"Everyone always says that if someone attacks a Celestial Dragon, a Navy Admiral will immediately appear to hunt them down. Is it because you are one of the Seven Warlords now that they let this go so easily?"
Ash smiled and calmly explained his reasoning.
After listening, the others slowly understood.
"So in the end," Youki muttered, "everything in the eyes of the World Government has a price. The real question is never whether something is allowed, only whether it is worth doing."
"Exactly," Ash replied.
"Take this incident as an example. If dealing with us were truly worth it, then not just the three Admirals, even the Holy Knights of the World Government might be sent to fight us."
"But if it is not worth the trouble, then they simply let it pass, just like what happened today."
Ash leaned casually against the railing.
"In the eyes of the Five Elders, maintaining balance and stability across the seas is far more important than anything else."
"If they targeted us right now, it would disrupt the balance they have spent years maintaining. That would be equivalent to damaging their own system."
"So they have no choice but to endure it for now and settle things later."
He smiled faintly.
"They do not want us causing trouble near them for a while, and we just happen to need time to grow stronger."
"With enough time, we can completely reverse the situation."
After Kirk and Youki finished sorting the spoils they had taken earlier, Kirk finally asked the question everyone was thinking about.
"That explanation makes sense. So where are we heading next?"
Hearing that, Ash glanced at the energy points he had unexpectedly gained today.
There were hundreds of them.
For a moment, he considered traveling to the East Blue to meet the little thief cat.
But the New Year was approaching soon.
Ash rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"How about this," he said slowly. "First we stop at Water Seven. After that, we sail to the Spring Queen City to restock supplies and do some shopping."
"Then we visit Gourmet Island to see Uncle Markel and Aunt Martha. Maybe they have created some new dishes."
He paused, then grinned.
"Finally, we head to Carnival Island and enjoy ourselves for a while."
Youki and Tsuki had long heard stories about Spring Queen City, famous as the greatest shopping island. They were equally curious about Gourmet Island, the homeland of the Kirk siblings, and Carnival Island, which was said to host endless celebrations.
Naturally, they agreed immediately.
Brook and Perona had little say in the matter. Kirk and Saff did not particularly mind either way.
With a single decision from Ash, their next destination was set.
The Dawn Ship cut through the waves, sailing toward Spring Queen City.