"I kind of regret working with you."

Umit held his forehead and spoke helplessly.

He really hadn't expected Tesoro to be so unreliable.

"It's not a big problem, we can still fight!"

Tesoro looked embarrassed but still tried to save face.

Katakuri and Feld were both here for Caesar, and since they had their own conflicts, they weren't truly united.

So there was still a chance to fight.

"Good evening. Such a lively gathering, how about letting me join?"

As the confrontation reached a stalemate, a deep voice echoed.

Everyone turned to see a man in a black cloak standing on the mast of Feld's ship.

Under the lights, the shoe prints on his face were clearly visible.

The leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon, had appeared.

"He's here too!"

This was a powerhouse on the level of a Yonko, though he had been defeated by Caelan during the arena battle.

But the strength he had shown then was unquestionable, an absolute Yonko-class force.

In this situation, there was no need for further argument.

With him here, no one else could hope to take Caesar Clown.

Tesoro grew furious. He hadn't expected all of them to throw away their dignity like this, each arrival more outrageous than the last.

"I don't recall having any grudge against the Revolutionary Army. Isn't it inappropriate for you to attack me?"

Tesoro gritted his teeth as he stared at Dragon.

"It's simple. You're one of those that must be eliminated."

Dragon looked at Tesoro calmly.

An underworld emperor wasn't someone he would show mercy to.

Tesoro clenched his fists, seething.

In that moment, he understood more than ever the importance of strength.

If he had Caelan's power, would Dragon dare treat him this way?

Unfortunately, he didn't.

"Then I'll be taking Caesar Clown."

Dragon leapt down from the mast, landing before Caesar and reaching to grab him.

"It seems I won't be able to bring Caesar back to Mama."

Katakuri sighed, watching Dragon's movements with regret.

The leader of the Revolutionary Army could only be dealt with by Big Mom herself. These others had no chance.

Just then, a golden laser shot toward Dragon's outstretched hand.

At the same time, a vulgar voice rang out. "If the Revolutionary Army gets the artificial Devil Fruit technology, we'll be in big trouble!"

There are still more!?

Tesoro was stunned. What kind of day was this?

First Katakuri, then Feld and Peclo, then Dragon.

He thought the dust had settled, but it kept changing.

Everyone turned toward the voice.

Two tall figures stood on the mast of Peclo's ship.

A lazy man in a white suit, and a wretched-looking man covered in gold.

Behind them, cloaks bearing the word "Justice" fluttered in the wind.

"With the two of us here, Dragon, you should give up that idea."

Kizaru smiled at his old comrade.

He hadn't expected to meet Monkey D. Dragon again so soon.

"Two admirals appearing together, that really makes it difficult for me. But I will never give up on artificial Devil Fruit technology," Dragon declared firmly.

That technology was critical for the Revolutionary Army's future.

Even if Caelan said it was beyond reach, Dragon wasn't willing to give it up.

"Then try. It's been a long time since we fought."

Aokiji jumped from Peclo's mast, landing directly on the sea.

But he didn't sink.

Cold air spread from him, and in moments, the sea within a kilometer was frozen solid.

"Let's fight!"

Dragon charged toward Aokiji without hesitation.

He knew that unless he defeated him, he had no chance of taking Caesar.

As for Kizaru?

They were like brothers, so holding back against him wasn't a problem.

Frigid air burst from Aokiji's hands, forming a giant crystal bird that flew at Dragon.

Dragon didn't flinch.

His right hand curled into claws, coated in Armament Haki, trained to crush even the strongest foes.

The claw strike met the icy bird head-on.

In an instant, the two powers collided. The shockwaves spread out like a natural disaster, making everyone feel the terrifying destructive force.

Kizaru watched leisurely, intimidating the underworld kings and Katakuri's side at the same time.

"It seems the biggest threat here is Dragon," Kizaru thought as he observed the battle.

But should they really let him take Caesar?

If he stopped him, it would be too obvious.

Would Aokiji be angry?

Kizaru felt conflicted, even guilty.

While Aokiji and Dragon clashed, everyone's eyes were locked on their fight.

"Roar!"

A dragon's roar shook the sky. A pillar of fire fell, aiming directly at Kizaru.

"Mm!?"

Kizaru's body flickered into light, dodging the mountain-melting flames.

Then, a massive, majestic blue dragon descended from the sky, seizing Caesar in its claws before soaring upward.

"Haha! Since Caesar's been left behind and no one can claim him, I'll take him! If anyone wants him back, come to Wano if you dare!"

The blue dragon's arrogant voice rumbled across the sea.

"Kaido!!!"

Dragon and Aokiji froze in shock at the sudden intrusion.

Before they could react, the Azure Dragon had risen high into the sky, out of reach.

They turned toward Kizaru. Only he, with the power of the Glint-Glint Fruit, could catch Kaido.

"Me!?"

Kizaru felt depressed.

Even if he chased Kaido alone, he couldn't win.

Sending him after Kaido was just asking for a beating.

"Yasakani no Magatama, maximum output!"

Kizaru poured all his energy into a golden barrage of light, firing at the dragon.

He even shouted "maximum output" to make it clear he was giving it his all.

The lasers struck Kaido's dragon form, blackening his scales.

"Roar!"

Kaido bellowed in pain.

Even with his monstrous body, Kizaru's full-strength attack left its mark.

"Haha! Excellent! Kizaru, next time I come to Marineford, don't run away!"

Kaido roared defiantly, clutching Caesar as he flew toward Wano.

He wasn't exaggerating. In his younger days, he had stormed Marineford many times.

No matter how furious the Marines were, they had been powerless against him.

Clashing with Kizaru again would be nothing new.

"I tried my best, but it didn't matter," Kizaru said weakly, spreading his hands at Dragon and Aokiji's questioning looks.

In truth, it was better this way. With Kaido taking Caesar, he no longer had to worry about whether to let him go.

"Forget it. Kaido has Caesar, so I'll leave too," Dragon sighed, preparing to depart.

With his target gone, there was no point in continuing against Aokiji.

"Hey, it's going to be tough writing the report like this," Aokiji muttered.

Even with two admirals sent, they had failed as usual.

And worse, Kaido had taken Caesar.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku would not be pleased.

"What's so hard about it? The report will say: the two admirals stopped the Revolutionary Army's leader, but Kaido ambushed us and the mission failed. Perfectly normal," Dragon said casually.

Though enemies, he still offered advice like an old friend.

"Easy for you to say. The Five Elders are already dissatisfied with the Navy. No matter the reason, we'll still be scolded."

Kizaru sighed. The thought of those gloomy old faces made him miserable.

"Then I wish you luck."

Dragon waved and left. He also needed to return to Dressrosa to speak with Caelan-sama about what happened.

"We're leaving too."

Aokiji departed with Kizaru. They would have to figure out how to phrase things so Sengoku would be less angry.

Before leaving, Aokiji thawed the frozen sea, allowing Tesoro's and the others' ships to move freely.

"This is boring."

Feld and Peclo exchanged a look, then chose to leave.

They had expected a grand battle, but with Kaido taking Caesar, it all felt pointless.

Their efforts had amounted to nothing before the might of true monsters.

Whether it was Dragon, Kizaru, Aokiji, Kaido, or even Caelan-sama ruling Dressrosa, these top figures rendered their schemes meaningless.

So Feld and Peclo sailed away.

Katakuri and his group soon left as well, retreating through Brûlée's Mirror-Mirror Fruit.

In the end, only a wrecked submarine remained, floating on the sea, with Tesoro and Umit standing on it.

"Does no one care about my feelings?"

Tesoro looked up at the sky, his eyes full of pain.

He had spent billions of Berries, yet instead of gaining artificial Devil Fruit technology, he had only brought disaster upon himself.

7.7 billion Berries, such a massive fortune. Even for the Golden Emperor, it was painful.

Should he go to Caelan and demand the money back?

Or ask Kaido for a ransom fee?

But thinking of Caelan-sama's lack of after-sales concern, and Kaido's unreasonable nature…

Tesoro felt only despair.

He couldn't afford to offend either of them.

"If only I had Caelan's strength, I'd defeat Kaido!"

Tesoro muttered longingly, his eyes filled with yearning.

Beside him, Umit shook his head slightly, looking at him with pity.

(To be continued.)

***

For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on P/treon to read 30+ advanced chapters: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves

(Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)