When Badgers, Shiryu, Basque Choate, and the other Rhine Pirates appeared, all the Marines, even Admiral Aokiji, stared wide-eyed in astonishment.
It wasn't Shiryu, Badgers, and the others who surprised them so much.
It was the woman in Badgers' hands—Celestial Dragon Charulia Palace!
At this moment, Charulia Palace, a World Noble, was completely naked, her eyes rolled back in her head as she lay unconscious. Her mouth was agape, and her expression was twisted and hideous, hinting at the horrors she experienced before passing out.
"Oh, it's Aokiji," Shiryu said, looking at Aokiji with blank eyes.
In a sense, the two were considered ex-colleagues.
"You... what did you guys do to that Celestial Dragon?" Aokiji barely managed to ask, realizing the stupidity of his question. Charulia Palace was naked. What else could have happened?
"Ah? This woman? If you want her, I'll give her to you," Badgers said, tossing Charulia Palace at Aokiji like trash.
Aokiji quickly reached out to catch her, immediately turning his eyes away and removing his Marine cloak to cover her up. The other Marines around him also turned their faces away, hoping they wouldn't face repercussions from the World Government.
Aokiji stretched out his hand and felt for Charulia Palace's breath. She was alive, but barely.
"Aren't you too courageous?" Aokiji's usual lazy demeanor was replaced by a serious expression.
"Ahahahaha! It's just showing off her face. Aren't you exaggerating, Aokiji?" Badgers smirked.
Shiryu sneered, "There are countless cases of pirates playing with women every day, and you don't care about them. It's just because this woman is a Celestial Dragon that you sent an Admiral to fight. Aokiji, is this the justice of the Marines?"
Aokiji frowned deeply. After a few seconds, he shook his head, trying to calm himself down. "I'm not interested in arguing with you. My job now is to take you all down."
A chilling air emanated from Aokiji's upper body. He was about to use his powers.
"Exactly, who is stronger, your ice or my thunder?" Shiryu drew his sword, Thunderstorm, and his body crackled with electricity as the upper half of his body turned into a thunderous arc.
"Hey, Shiryu, finish this quickly. Don't make the captain anxious," Badgers reminded him.
Boom--!!!
In an instant, dazzling cyan lightning engulfed the entire area, but a massive ice wall suddenly rose to isolate and swallow the lightning.
"Thunder and Ice are fighting!?" Luffy, who was about to leave Sabaody Archipelago with Rayleigh for training, happened to pass by and was shocked.
"It's too early for you to intervene in this level of battle," Rayleigh said, rowing a small canoe. "Don't look, it's time for us to go."
At the same time, the other Straw Hat Pirates also embarked on their respective training journeys.
After about ten minutes, at District Seaport No. 44:
"Excuse me, Captain, it took a while on the road," Badgers, who returned with Shiryu and Basque Choate, scratched his head and apologized.
"Is it a draw with Aokiji?" Rhine asked.
"After all, both have the abilities of top Logia," Shiryu explained. "No, there is no restraining relationship between Ice and Thunder. It's difficult to determine a winner in a short time. After blocking him, we left early."
Rhine nodded, showing understanding. Then, remembering something, Rhine asked, "How's the taste of Celestial Dragons?"
At this question, the expressions of Shiryu, Badgers, and Basque Choate collapsed.
"Captain, that idiot Badgers pushed too hard, and Shiryu and I killed her before we even tried," Basque Choate complained.
Rhine couldn't help but laugh. After all, Badgers was nearly 4 meters tall, while Charulia Palace was less than 1.7 meters. It would be easy for such a mismatch to result in injury.
Rhine felt her current height was very suitable. Otherwise, working with Nami and the others could endanger their lives.
At this time, Basque Choate pleaded again, "Captain, after entering the New World, can we go to Happy Street first? I feel uncomfortable."
"If you really can't hold back, go to Diemei. She might be quite welcoming," Rhine said, giving no face at all. There were many things to do after entering the New World. Changing plans for such a trivial matter was out of the question.
Of course, Rhine was not worried since she already had Nami.
"Morgans, how did the photo shoot go?" Rhine asked Morgans with a smile.
Just minutes before Shiryu returned, Morgans had slipped back. He looked half excited, half embarrassed.
"My friend, I am very troubled by the big news you sent me."
Two Celestial Dragons were killed, one Celestial Dragon was killed by... what the hell.
This is undoubtedly super big news. But... can the government allow me to publish it?
If it gets out, the Celestial Dragons will be completely disgraced after maintaining their noble face for 800 years!
"Morgans, I'm sure you're not that timid. Let's do this: if the World Government dares to trouble you, let them come to me," Rhine said, patting Morgans on the shoulder and smiling.
In the original story, the Five Elders also threatened Morgans not to release the news about Nika. Morgans stood his ground, showing he wasn't afraid of the World Government.
"Okay, but the photos are quite graphic, and I'll have to choose which ones to post," Morgans shrugged. Although he was the president of the World Economic News Agency, he still needed to consider the impact. If the photos were too explicit, they wouldn't be suitable for all audiences.
Rhine nodded in agreement. Initially, Rhine planned to broadcast the Summit War battle situation, but decided against it to avoid risking the story's publication.
Morgans didn't return to his headquarters in the New World. Instead, he asked Rhine to send his subordinates to escort him to a branch office in the first half of the Grand Line to catch up on the manuscript.
Rhine promptly dispatched Lafitte and Shiryu to escort Morgans. That night, Morgans received a death threat from the World Government, demanding the publication of the deaths of Saint Rosward and Saint Charlos but forbidding the reporting of Charulia Palace's capture.
Morgans refused. As Rhine expected, this bird was truly brave.
In the early morning, news birds flew out from newspaper offices worldwide, scattering newspapers on passing islands for free.
The last time the Celestial Dragons faced such disgrace was when Fisher Tiger burned Mariejois 13 years ago. However, this time, the impact might be even greater. The Celestial Dragons were toyed with by pirates, a much more shocking event than being killed.
"Cheat, lie, huh? God, the Celestial Dragons were..."
"Good guy, the Rhine Pirates are too bold, aren't they?"
"Hahahaha! What kind of nobles are they, just being played with like commoners!"
"I suddenly want to join the Rhine Pirates. The opportunity to play with Celestial Dragons isn't for everyone!"
"Hahaha! As if someone like you would even be considered!"
"Although this Celestial Dragon woman doesn't look great, she has the status bonus of a Celestial Dragon. I really want to play with her."
"Great job, Rhine Pirates! Stomping on the face of the World Government and spitting on it."
Less than a month after the Summit War ended, the public's attention was diverted, mainly because this news was shocking. Fisher Tiger never went this far.
Regardless of their allegiance, everyone felt a sense of unprecedented satisfaction after reading the report. It was impossible for a normal person to have a good impression of the Celestial Dragons.
So many pirates and even many people began to worship Rhine as a hero. Rhine was too strong!
"These guys... have a lot of guts."
Far away in Baldigo, the base camp of the Revolutionary Army, Koala was shocked as she read the report, taking a picture of the chariot that was slightly inferior to Hancock and Nami but still had at least E-level combat power.
Although Rhine killed their leader, the Revolutionary Army didn't have much affection for the World Government either.
"Wouldn't it be easier to defeat the World Government if we had the power they have?" Koala thought.
Meanwhile, in the New World, the Whitebeard Pirates, Red Hair Pirates, and other big pirate forces learned about the news through the World News report.
"These guys don't know the meaning of fear at all," Marco sighed.
"Cut!" Ace said in displeasure. Although he hated Rhine, Ace had to admit that Rhine did something he didn't dare to do.
At this moment, two huge scars intersected on Ace's chest in an "X" shape, exactly like Luffy's two years later started to hurt. It was the wound Akainu left during the Summit War.
Boom!
In the room of the Five Elders, a precious tea set was smashed to the ground. the five conference fruit ability users were ashen-faced, showing how annoyed they were.