“Hmm?”

  “What’s that... an owl?”

  Two days ter, atop the Red Li Mary Geoise—the sacred nd of the Wover—a massive owl fpped its wings and approached, carrying a figure on its back. Its presence immediately caught the attention of the stationed Marines and CPO agents, who raised their ons and stood on high alert.

  “Rex, I’m here as a representative of the Fallen Angel Pirates to iate,” said an ordinary-looking man as he jumped down from the owl, smiling.

  “What!?”

  “Damn pirates...”

  “iations? Hant!”

  The Marines, CPO agents, and guards in the sacred nd all reacted with arm. They gred at the man with hostility and immediately reported the situation.

  Soon, the Five Elders, after receiving the report, authorized the CPO to hahe iations. They would monitor the entire process.

  Inside an opulent ference hall, the CPO officer leading the talks sat across from the member of the Fallen Angel Pirates.

  “Speak. What are the demands of your Fallen Angel Pirates to release the abducted World Nobles?” the officer asked.

  Behind him stood two masked and sharply dressed senior CPO agents, their postures radiating vigince.

  “It’s simple,” the pirate said with a grin. “For each Celestial Dragon, we demand three Devil Fruits, plus two billion berries in ransom...”

  “And we’ll only accept gold—not your printed paper currency.”

  “What!?”

  “Ridiculous! This is ht extortion!”

  One of the CPO agents turned pale, his expression torted with disbelief.

  The demands were eous. Even if they emptied the Wover’s treasury, they couldn’t gather that many Devil Fruits.

  And while two billion berries might seem modest pared to the value of a Celestial Dragon, when multiplied aore than 200 captives, the sum became astronomical.

  Moreover, the demand fold instead of paper currency was a clear attempt to hoard reserves for creating their own curren the Totto Land Kingdom.

  Meanwhile, in the Chamber of Authority, the Five Elders listened in on the iations through a Den Den Mushi, their expressions dark and grim.

  With over 200 Celestial Dragons abducted, this matter was far too critical to leave entirely in the hands of the CPO.

  “Well, if you think about it...” Ba the iation hall, the pirate representative smiled, his tone unging as he retorted, “Aren’t we already robbing you?”

  “You...”

  Several CPO agents gred at him, their faces dark with aheir fists ched in frustration.

  The pirate’s arrogance was infuriating, his demeanor one of plete fidence.

  “Such demands are utterly uable,” the lead CPO officer said coldly, rejeg the terms ht. “Even if we emptied the Wover’s coffers, we couldn’t e up with that many Devil Fruits.

  “At most, we offer one billion berries per Celestial Dragon. As for Devil Fruits, that’s out of the question. The number your Fallen Angel Pirates have already extorted is more than enough!”

  “One billion berries? Is that all the so-called World Nobles are worth?”

  Seeing this, the Fallen Angel Pirates member shrugged nontly. “If the Wover refuses to show siy, don’t bme us for taking... drastic measures.”

  He locked eyes with the CPO officer in front of him, his tone full of amusement. “I imagine even if we sold you off at a bck market au, you'd fetch more than a billion berries, wouldn’t you?”

  His grin turned sinister. “Especially sidering hoeople on these seas harbor hatred for the Celestial Dragons.”

  At this, his voice dropped, carrying a chilling uone. “I’m certain there would be no she of wealthy buyers eager to bid oial Dragon nobles. Most might not dare to act against them openly, fearing the Wover’s wrath... but an anonymous au? Where we do the dirty work for them? That’s aory entirely.”

  “Bang!”

  “You bastard! Are you threatening the Wover?”

  The CPO officer smmed his fist oable, his eyes bzing with fury. He gred daggers at the pirate, grinding his teeth as he growled, “The might of the Wover is beyond the prehension of filthy pirates like you! Don’t think you er us with cheap tricks ay schemes!

  “If you truly provoke us to the brink, ohe powers above decide those Celestial Dragons are expendable, it will mark the end of the Fallen Angel Pirates!”

  The CPO officer’s words dripped with venom, but his unease alpable. He khe lengths to which these pirates would go.

  If they spread rumors promising to execute Celestial Dragons in exge for bouhe seas' downtrodden masses, long tormented by these so-called nobles, might jump at the ce to tribute.

  Even kings, resentful of paying the Heavenly Tribute that draiheir coffers, might secretly fund such as.

  “Damn it...”

  “These wless bastards!”

  “They have no reverence for the ‘gods’!”

  Through the Den Den Mushi, the Five Elders listeo the pirate’s bold threats. Their faces were stormy with rage.

  The audacity of this btant provocation was infuriating.

  It wasn’t merely the fate of 200 captured Celestial Dragons at stake.

  If wot out that the Fallen Angel Pirates were auing off the lives of World he sacred image of the “Celestial Dragons”—carefully cultivated over turies—would crumble.

  The fear and reverence for the Wover and its nobles would evaporate.

  The seas would desd into chaos as tless emboldened rogues and revolutionaries emerged to challeheir authority.

  “We know very well the depths of the Wover’s strength,” the pirate retorted with a casual smile. “And yes, we know you could destroy the Totto Land Kingdom in an instant.

  “But don’t think for a sed that we haven’t prepared for that eventuality.”

  He g his watch before looking out the window, shrouded in clouds and mist.

  Still smiling, he pointed outside. “ht. El-sama also asked me to deliver a... gift. I hope you’ll find it acceptable.”

  “What?”

  “A gift?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  The CPO officer’s expression twisted in fusion, but a sinking feeling began to grow in his gut.

  In the Chamber of Authority, the Five Elders exged uneasy gnces.

  “A gift?” they muttered to themselves, dreading what it might entail.

  “Five Elders!”

  Their fears were realized moments ter as a servant rushed into the chamber, pached across his face.

  He k and shouted, “A massive boulder is hurtling toward the Holy Land at incredible speed!”

  “A massive boulder?”

  “It’s just a rock. Why are you so panicked?”

  The Elders frowned, irritation g their voices as they reprimahe servant.

  The servant trembled. “No, my lords, it’s not just any rock! Acc to the CP report, the boulder’s estimated diameter exceeds ten kilometers! If it nds, it could pletely crush the entire Pangaea Castle!”

  “What!?”

  “A diameter of ten kilometers!?”

  The Five Elders sprang to their feet, their faces pale with shock.

  This could only be the “gift” the pirate representative had mentioned.

  As realization dawheir expressions darkened with both fury and disbelief.

  “That damned Fallen Angel El...”

  “He dares throw something like this at us? Is he trying to threaten the Wover?”

  “That i Lunarian brat!”

  Bleam