One Piece: Rising to Power as a Warlord of the Sea

"Wow, boss is so amazing! But I just can't learn it... Waaah!"

Watching Natsu take down the enemies with just a look, Kumo pouted in disappointment, frustrated at not being able to master such a technique.

Beside him, Eirin watched enviously, a spark of determination flickering in his clear eyes as he gripped his rifle even tighter.

He wanted to learn it too!

"Conqueror's Haki…"

Not far from the battlefield, a tall, dark-skinned man with two curved black mustaches, a dark blue top hat, and an open suit jacket with sword sheaths on each hip looked on in shock. This was none other than Flower Sword Vista, the Fifth Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates and a famed dual-sword master. He had held his own against Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman, who even respected Vista's skill.

Returning to the New World, Vista hadn't expected to stumble upon something this interesting. He became even more surprised when he noticed the figure being dragged behind Natsu and his crew.

"A Celestial Dragon!"

Even the Four Emperors usually avoid provoking the Celestial Dragons without reason. After all, it brings trouble, like Marine Admirals and Buster Calls—these things can easily ignite a global war. Of course, the Celestial Dragons also avoid the territories of the Four Emperors unless necessary, as they prefer to avoid any potential "accidents."

"Oh, Whitebeard's Flower Sword Vista?" Natsu, feeling Vista's gaze, turned and recognized him. The two exchanged a friendly smile.

"Hey, Natsu, that guy looks pretty strong," Enel said, also noticing the attention.

"Of course, he's a Division Commander under a Yonko. Not someone to be underestimated."

"A Yonko?! Man, I'd love to test myself against one of those guys who stand at the top of the world." Enel had become something of a battle junkie, and the thought of fighting New World powerhouses made electricity crackle across his body as his battle spirit rose.

Marine Headquarters - Marineford

In Marineford, the response to the report from the Sabaody Archipelago was a mixture of frustration and disbelief.

"The Smile Pirates attacked a Celestial Dragon? Those guys are really a handful. Don't they realize the consequences?" Fleet Admiral Sengoku grumbled, slamming his fist on the desk. He immediately ordered guards to fetch an available Admiral.

It just so happened that Admiral Akainu was currently stationed in the Celestial Dragon's holy land of Mariejois, and Aokiji had cycled off somewhere on his bike. That left Admiral Kizaru, Borsalino, who was currently off-duty and hoping to relax.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" muttered Kizaru, his eyelid twitching as he sat enjoying a cup of tea. At that moment, a Marine soldier burst into the room, breathing heavily.

"Admiral, Fleet Admiral Sengoku requests your presence!"

"What's going on?"

"It's the Sabaody Archipelago, sir. It appears a pirate crew is causing trouble, and they've injured a Celestial Dragon," the soldier replied earnestly.

"Who would dare? The current crop of pirates is really something…" Kizaru's face betrayed a look of amusement.

"According to reports, it's the Smile Pirates, Captain Monkey D. Natsu. You know him, Admiral!"

"Pfft!" Kizaru nearly choked on his tea. These guys just keep making trouble—now even the Celestial Dragons?

"Admiral?"

"Where'd he go…?" the soldier blinked, realizing Kizaru had already used his power to zip straight to Sengoku's office.

"You're up to speed. This time, we need you to capture the Smile Pirates. Ensure the safety of the Celestial Dragons, or else our Marines will lose face—again!" Sengoku's tone was grim, giving Kizaru no room for argument.

"Understood, Sengoku-san."

Seeing that Sengoku was dead serious, Kizaru sighed. Looked like another dangerous job for him. Why did it always fall to the nice guys? With a final sigh, he transformed into a beam of golden light and sped out of the window toward Sabaody. Along the way, he pondered how best to handle the Smile Pirates.

Force? That wouldn't work; he was just one man.

Reason with them? Absurd—Marines don't negotiate with pirates.

"What's a poor Admiral to do…"

By the time Kizaru departed, elite Marine units were already en route to the Sabaody Archipelago by ship. These troops included Vice Admirals Momousagi and Chaton, both contenders for the Admiral rank. Sengoku knew that only Kizaru alone might not be enough of a threat.

Sabaody Archipelago

As Natsu and his crew approached, the residents began to back away, watching in fear as the Smile Pirates, along with Akin, dragged two Celestial Dragons in tow.

"Whoosh!"

A figure streaked through the sky, landing in a flash of golden light—it was Admiral Kizaru, arriving at high speed.

"Well, well, Monkey D. Natsu. We meet again!"

"Here to save someone?"

Natsu halted, and the air grew thick with tension. Sensing the danger, civilians fled, knowing that a battle of this scale could spell doom for anyone left behind.

"Such terrifying bloodlust! My very soul trembles," Kizaru said, feigning shock, a bit too well-rehearsed in these situations.

"Cut the act. Tell Sengoku that if he wants these Celestial Dragons unharmed, he'll have to offer something of equal value in exchange," Natsu replied, jumping straight to the point.

After all, the Celestial Dragons were only worth so much to him. Two of them should fetch quite a bit of Berries.

"An exchange?"

Kizaru was relieved. As long as Natsu wasn't making unreasonable demands, the Marines could probably work with this.

"Yes, considering they're 'World Nobles'—I'd say fifty billion Berries."

"Fifty billion?!"

"That's right. Fifty billion per head."

Kizaru's eyes widened. This guy wasn't kidding—fifty billion each? He really thought the Marines were made of money.

But refusing was risky. Kizaru didn't want to see the Celestial Dragons killed, as that would complicate things for everyone involved.

"Thump, thump, thump…"

Just then, Momousagi, Chaton, and a contingent of Marine elites arrived, their weapons raised and all aimed at the Smile Pirates.

"This is your 'response'? My crew has some short tempers, you know. If anyone gets a bit too excited, there might be some… missing parts on the Celestial Dragons…"

Natsu`s voice trailed off, but the message was clear. Any rash moves could mean death for the Celestial Dragons.

"Let's not be hasty. We can talk this over, Monkey D. Natsu."

At that moment, Sengoku's stern voice came through on Momousagi's Den Den Mushi.

"All right, let's talk."

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