🎉🎉HST: Chapter 327/329

Chapter 327: Killing People to Kill Their Hearts

The Five Elders didn't move, and neither did Sengoku or the three admirals.

They had just witnessed Caelan slice through five terrifying mythical beasts in one stroke.

Even if no one understood how the Five Elders had survived, that didn't mean the power behind that slash was fake.

Unlike the Five Elders, they had no resurrection ability. If they were struck by that blade, they would truly die.

Looking at Caelan standing among the ruins of the execution platform, even Akainu, known for his explosive temper, didn't act rashly.

The pride he had felt after killing Whitebeard and threatening Shanks had been completely shattered by Caelan's sudden arrival.

The Five Elders exchanged glances, and each reverted to their human form, dressed once more in suits and ties.

They were about to speak for "justice," so maintaining their monstrous appearances was no longer appropriate.

"Caelan, you broke into Marineford at the very moment the Navy was executing the Pirate King's bloodline. Are you showing sympathy for pirates?"

Saint Jaygarcia Saturn looked at Caelan and spoke in a cold, sinister tone.

A battle between them and Caelan was inevitable, but they would use every trick they could to tarnish his image.

"How laughable. If I really wanted to save the Pirate King's bloodline, do you think you'd have even laid a finger on him?" Caelan sneered.

Back when Akainu had been fighting Whitebeard, he had already arrived, floating in the sky. But he had no intention of interfering with the execution.

He came here to declare war on the Navy, not to rescue Whitebeard or Ace.

"You do have the strength for it," Saint Saturn admitted, his expression grim.

Then he continued, "But you still attacked the Navy while we were executing wicked pirates. How are we to know you're not here to avenge them?"

"Oh? Are you saying I'm with the Whitebeard Pirates now?"

Caelan sneered.

With a casual swing of his sword, several slashes flew outward in different directions.

The Five Elders tensed, only to realize the attacks weren't aimed at them.

Swish!

The captured captains—Marco, Jozu, Vista—were all struck down in an instant.

The last remaining commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates followed their captain in death.

Caelan pointed his blade at the Five Elders and said flatly, "I'm not here to rescue pirates. I came to declare war on the World Government."

"Declaring war on the World Government… You really are a wicked brat."

Saint Saturn said in a deep voice.

"Is declaring war on the World Government evil?"

Caelan scoffed, waiting to see what kind of farce they would stage next.

Saint Warcury tepped forward and raised his voice so that it echoed across all of Marineford.

"We eliminated the Yonko and saved countless lives. We've ended the Pirate King's bloodline. The sinful Great Pirate Era ends today!"

"The World Government protects 338 member nations from pirates. The Navy hunts down evildoers across the seas. The world as it is today exists because of the World Government."

"Anyone who opposes the World Government is trying to plunge the world into chaos. They are enemies of justice!"

At those words, many sailors at Marineford stood tall, puffing out their chests and glaring at Caelan.

To them, the Five Elders were right. They represented justice.

And Caelan, who appeared to cause destruction, was the world's greatest evil.

"Hah, and you call yourselves righteous?" Caelan sneered. "The Celestial Dragons' killing ritual still exists, doesn't it? They choose a country, and the more people they kill, the greater the reward. A bloodstained ritual to prove their might?"

"A ritual where civilians are murdered as sacrifices. What righteous 'World Nobles' you are."

"Nonsense! The Celestial Dragons have never done such bloody things!" Saint Saturn's face changed and he immediately denied it.

He couldn't understand how Caelan knew. Logically, everyone aware of such things outside the Celestial Dragons should have died long ago.

Except for the incident in God Valley... Some had escaped, but Caelan was far too young to be among them.

"He's just making things up! He'll say anything!"

Some younger sailors shouted in outrage, refusing to believe Caelan's words.

Slaughtering an entire nation? If something so massive had happened, surely the world would've known.

But they had heard nothing of the sort. It had to be a lie.

"Enough!"

Several older vice admirals cut in, silencing the young sailors.

They had fought at God Valley over forty years ago, and they knew Caelan was telling the truth.

If the Rocks Pirates hadn't found out about God Valley and launched their attack, the World Government wouldn't have sent the Navy to intervene. Those bloody rituals would still be happening today, hidden beneath the so-called light of justice.

"..."

The younger sailors stared at the older officers in silence. Their words were caught in their throats.

A deep unease rose in their hearts.

Caelan might be telling the truth.

But they didn't want to believe it. Accepting it would mean denying everything they had believed about justice.

Caelan remained composed under their doubt.

The killing rituals of the Celestial Dragons were indeed deeply buried secrets, far beyond the understanding of ordinary people.

However, the World Government's darkness wasn't limited to just that. There were plenty of other, more public crimes.

"Whether you know the truth about the rituals or not, I'll tell you something undeniable."

Caelan cleared his throat and spoke in a deep, steady tone.

"That cross-sea bridge took 800 years to build. There were so many slaves on it, they could have built a kingdom."

"The Celestial Dragons impose heavy taxes on the people and rob them openly. The Navy escorts them and aids in their crimes."

"During the Reverie, that escalator the Celestial Dragons ride—pulled by hundreds of slaves. And where do those slaves come from?"

"Every year, World Government member nations must offer Heavenly Tribute so costly it ruins them. Some even sell their land to pirates just to afford it."

"These are objective facts. The whole world knows. What are you trying to cover up?"

"As for the privileges of the Celestial Dragons, they are the legacy of our ancestors," Saint Saturn declared solemnly. "As descendants of the twenty kings, they are fully entitled to enjoy the world's riches."

"If the World Government hadn't eradicated the pirates, the world would have already fallen into chaos!"

"Compared to the achievements of the World Government, the minor faults of the Celestial Dragons are insignificant."

"The World Government has eliminated countless pirates and preserved global safety. That is the greatest justice!"

Saint Saturn spoke with conviction, as if he truly believed it.

To him, it was an honor for "ants" to offer Heavenly Tribute to the Celestial Dragons.

The Marines, upon hearing this, looked slightly reassured.

They may have made mistakes in small matters, but there hadn't been any major harm, right?

From a global perspective, they were still just.

"More self-deceiving nonsense," Caelan said with a disdainful sneer. "If killing a few pirates makes one righteous, then the Yonko are just as 'just' as the Navy. The number of pirates killed by them is likely several times higher than those killed by admirals."

The title of Yonko wasn't granted through votes. It was earned through bloodshed.

When Gecko Moria was young, he fought Kaido, and his entire crew was wiped out.

Whitebeard had many affiliated pirate crews. He conquered them one by one and accepted them like a father. Those who didn't surrender? They died.

It wouldn't be surprising if those Yonko had killed more pirates than the Navy.

After all, admirals still had to obey the World Government's orders, while pirates only fought for dominance.

"You..."

Saint Saturn, whose brain was no bigger than a walnut, was completely speechless.

He couldn't admit that the Yonko were more righteous than the Navy, yet he had no rebuttal.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 328: The Real Pirate King!

"The Yonko have slaughtered countless civilians. How can they compare to the Navy?" Akainu growled coldly. "The Navy is justice. Absolute, undeniable justice!"

"Your Neo Navy is also a navy. Aren't you contradicting yourself?"

As a die-hard hawk, Akainu had spent his entire life pursuing the complete eradication of pirates.

At first, he had a somewhat favorable view of Caelan, who created the Neo Navy and aggressively hunted down pirates.

But the moment he heard Caelan compare the official Navy to pirates, he couldn't tolerate it.

"My Neo Navy is different from yours. It doesn't prop up the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and it doesn't collect Heavenly Tribute that entire nations can't afford."

"If someone truly needs protection, they can get it without a single Berry."

Everything Caelan said was true.

To receive the Neo Navy's protection, nations did pay military fees. However, these fees were calculated based on actual defense consumption and a reasonable percentage of national revenue, making them sustainable.

They could even be paid with goods or labor.

Nations that genuinely needed protection could always find a way. Those unwilling to pay could simply forgo protection.

This system had been established from the start, when Caelan founded the Illuminati and the Neo Navy.

He had many flaws, but he still acted with a shred of human decency.

"That's your business," Akainu replied coldly, understanding the point but choosing to remain silent.

"Then let's not talk about the Neo Navy. Let's talk about yours." Caelan wasn't angry, speaking instead in a calm voice. "If a country fails to pay Heavenly Tribute, it's wiped out. Even children know that. In recent years, how many countries has your Navy destroyed?"

"…"

Akainu's face twisted.

Caelan had hit the mark. He couldn't deny any of it.

He had personally seen missions where nations were crushed because they couldn't meet their tribute quotas.

O'Hara wasn't wiped out for breaking historical taboos—it was because they couldn't pay the tribute.

Aokiji, Kizaru, and Sengoku didn't speak, but their expressions turned grim.

Seeing their silence, Caelan delivered the final blow.

"If you don't pay the tribute, your country is destroyed. What kind of justice is that? Isn't it the same as pirates robbing and killing? The so-called World Government is the biggest band of pirates on the planet!"

"Roger wasn't the real Pirate King. Neither Shanks nor any other pirate crying about becoming Pirate King is."

"The true Pirate King is the World Government. It's you, parading around with slogans of justice!"

As his words fell, silence engulfed all of Marineford.

Every Marine with ideals stood motionless, Caelan's words cutting deep like blades scraping bone.

They wanted to refute him, but they couldn't.

"We… we're pirates?"

A young sailor muttered in a daze, eyes empty.

Others were no different. Their faith had collapsed.

How absurd.

The Navy, which always claimed to be the embodiment of justice, was now being accused of being the real pirates.

What was worse, they had no way to argue back.

Countless Marines stared blankly at Caelan, then turned to their highest superiors—Sengoku, the Five Elders, the three admirals.

They hoped someone, anyone, could step forward and refute Caelan's accusations. That someone would restore the Navy and World Government to their pedestal of justice.

But no one could.

Not the Five Elders, whose brains weren't much bigger than walnuts.

Not even the wise Sengoku, known for his strategic brilliance, could say a word.

At that moment, even he began to question everything.

As Fleet Admiral, Sengoku had always believed in justice. But deep down, his view aligned with Caelan's.

The Navy's current "justice" could no longer be called justice.

That was why Sengoku had always hoped to change the Navy from within by climbing to the top.

He had made some progress. Aokiji and the doves within the Navy were shaped by his ideals. If more admirals over time followed this path, change was inevitable.

But now it was too late.

The Navy had been branded as the Pirate King by Caelan. Its banner of justice was no longer believable.

If they couldn't refute it, the Navy's foundation would crumble.

Yet Sengoku couldn't argue back. The World Government had done terrible things, and everyone knew it.

Any attempt to explain it away would sound hollow in the face of undeniable truths and real suffering.

Sengoku knew that sweet words could close mouths, but not hearts.

So while his heart roared with turmoil, all he could do was remain silent.

"We're the Pirate Kings? That's oddly fitting."

Aokiji gave a bitter laugh in his heart.

From another angle, Caelan wasn't wrong.

The World Government controlled the vast majority of the world's wealth and had the strongest military force.

Nations unable to pay the Heavenly Tribute were either wiped out or reduced to slavery.

They imposed crushing taxes, and countries around the world could do nothing but bear it.

The Yonko only ruled a section of the New World.

Meanwhile, the World Government controlled the Four Blues, the Red Line, and half the Grand Line.

They had more power than the Yonko, more territory, and Celestial Dragons with personalities worse than pirates. Their means of domination were even more brutal.

And what? You say there are good Celestial Dragons?

Not all pirates are bad, either.

So really, it matched even more.

The World Government could easily be equated with the concept of the Pirate King.

They used the same bandit logic, only with greater power than the Yonko combined.

If that's not the true Pirate King, what is?

At the same time, people across the world were in an uproar over Caelan's words.

"The World Government… is the Pirate King?"

At first, the people were confused, subconsciously rejecting the idea.

"Are you serious? The World Government is the World Government. How can it be pirates?"

"Exactly. The World Government hunts pirates, and they have Marines stationed everywhere."

These were the impressions the World Government had embedded into their minds for centuries.

After 800 years of rule, the World Government had shaped society's beliefs.

People were long used to the Celestial Dragons being cruel tyrants overhead, and long used to giving up their Heavenly Tribute.

So, naturally, they denied it.

But Caelan's words echoed again and again in their minds. The comparison between pirates and the World Government became clearer.

Pirates rob wealth. The World Government demands tribute.

Pirates kill when they don't get what they want. The World Government destroys entire nations if tribute isn't paid.

Pirates steal women. The World Government lets Celestial Dragons enslave them.

Pirates torture people. The World Government enables Celestial Dragons to do the same to their slaves.

It was the same thing. No difference at all.

"The World Government… really is a pirate!"

"Now that you mention it, they really are exactly the same!"

People all over the world cried out in shock.

As long as they weren't fools, they were starting to understand.

As for those still denying it, they were either ignorant, corrupt, or loyal lackeys of the Celestial Dragons—mindless pets serving tyranny.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to paladar blade for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 329: The Battle Ahead

At this moment, the Five Elders' faces were twisted with rage as they stared at Caelan.

They never imagined that Caelan would be so eloquent, boldly calling the World Government pirates and worse, they had no way to refute it.

They had planned to paint Caelan as an enemy of justice, but instead, the World Government had been exposed as the greatest villain in the world.

Looking at the disheartened navy gathered in the plaza, the Five Elders' expressions twitched.

They could already imagine the global uproar and the countless people across the world ready to rise against the World Government.

Unfortunately, it was too late to cut the feed from the video-transmitting Den Den Mushi. The truth had already been exposed.

Now, their only option was to defeat Caelan in battle and reassert the World Government's authority.

"Caelan, you dared to come to Marine Headquarters alone. Today is the day you die!" Saint Jaygarcia Saturn shouted angrily, eyes locked on the calm and composed Caelan.

"What, you don't want to argue about justice and evil anymore?" Caelan asked with a hint of amusement.

They had lost the debate, so they were skipping past it altogether. These five old men truly were nothing but clowns.

"We don't have time to waste talking to you. Right and wrong can be decided by strength alone!" Saint Nusjuro drew his Kitetsu and spoke in a deep voice.

"You're in such a hurry to die? Have you already forgotten what it felt like to be cut in half?" Caelan narrowed his eyes, voice turning cold.

He had planned to keep baiting these five fools a little longer to further enshroud the Neo Navy in the veil of justice.

"Of course we haven't forgotten. But we came out unscathed from your blow!"

The Five Elders laughed in unison as their bodies swelled and transformed into terrifying phantom beasts and demons.

Five monstrous creatures towering tens of meters high appeared, radiating a suffocating black aura over the entire Marine Headquarters.

Beneath the five demonic beasts, black and red energy flowed through a mysterious magic formation.

With this magic circle, they possessed the power of infinite resurrection.

No matter how powerful Caelan was, how could he possibly kill an immortal demon?

They viewed humans as mere insects, believing they had already transcended to the realm of undying demons.

This was the source of their confidence. With five immortal generals, who in the world could possibly defeat them?

"Caelan, just because you're called the God Slayer, do you think you can really kill gods?" the Bull Demon roared, his voice shaking the air like a war drum. "We are immortal demons! What makes you think you can destroy us?"

"That's amusing. This is the first time I've heard someone say that to me."

Caelan chuckled softly as his lips curled into a smile.

He was usually the one making declarations like this, but now the roles were reversed.

However, so-called immortality in this world was meaningless in the face of true treasures.

Caelan shifted Shusui to his left hand and extended his right arm into the air.

As golden light particles surged around him, he grasped the Sun God Spear, wreathed in blazing golden-red flames.

This was not the Spear of the End gifted by Indra, the God of Thunder, but the [Immortal Blade] bestowed by Mara, the Axe-Wielding Master. In Karna's hands, this took the form of the radiant Sun Spear.

"It's finally here! That spear!"

The Five Elders' pupils contracted as they stared at Caelan, who now wielded both sword and spear.

Ever since the battle in the East Blue, they had closely monitored him, eager to learn more about the weapon.

But since then, Caelan had never drawn it again, as though no one had been worthy of facing it.

Now, the golden divine spear they had feared for so long had finally reappeared.

"What? Afraid already?" Caelan twirled the spear casually before pointing it directly at them. "I'll grant you a swift death."

"Don't be ridiculous! We are immortal. Why would we be afraid?" Saturn bellowed, full of confidence. "This is your grave. Today we prove the World Government's absolute supremacy!"

The phantom beasts formed by the Five Elders tensed, ready to charge. A suffocating, heavy pressure spread across all of Marineford.

Tens of thousands of Marines stood in tense silence, raising their rifles and preparing to open fire on Caelan.

They had seen the Five Elders regenerate without injury.

They believed the Five Elders would win. After all, they still had the three admirals and Sengoku on their side.

Caelan, who had humiliated the navy so thoroughly, would surely die here in Marineford.

Some radical officers and those who benefitted from the World Government's corruption looked at Caelan with bloodthirsty hatred.

This man who had shattered the image of the navy would pay with his life.

Once he died, the so-called Neo Navy would collapse into chaos—no longer a threat.

And even the stunned Marines whose ideals had crumbled waited for the coming battle in silence.

However, just as the confrontation was about to explode, a pink-haired Marine suddenly broke from the ranks.

"It's Vice Admiral Garp's disciple, Coby!"

"Why did he rush out?"

"Is he planning to fight Caelan head-on? That's suicide, but his courage is admirable."

"No matter what, this takes more guts than we have."

"I used to resent him, thinking he rose quickly because of Garp's backing. But I was wrong. He deserves his place."

Coby's sudden charge stunned the previously silent ranks of Marines.

No one knew what he intended to do. Many assumed he was preparing to fight, just like his teacher Garp would have.

It was reckless, but brave enough to earn their respect.

Coby stood in front of the formation, tens of thousands of eyes watching him.

His legs trembled, and tears streamed down his face as he shouted, "Stop fighting! End this meaningless war!"

"Today, an entire Yonko crew was annihilated. Tens of thousands of Marines have died. That's enough. No more fighting!"

"Look at the wounded around us. They don't want to fight anymore!"

During Whitebeard's assault on Marineford, Coby had barely held his ground in the chaos.

He had watched pirates cut down his fellow Marines, helpless to stop it.

When the Whitebeard Pirates were finally crushed, he had felt relief, thinking it was all over.

But then Shanks came. Then Caelan.

Each more terrifying than the last.

Seeing Caelan's godlike, demonic presence had left him unable to stand.

Now, with war about to erupt again, he knew someone had to speak for those who were scared and wounded.

Someone had to give voice to the countless Marines who didn't want this fight.

He wanted to be that voice.

He wanted...

To surrender.

Coby raised his head and shouted with all his strength, "Comrades, Marines, speak with me! The World Government and the God Slayer must stop fighting! Form an alliance and rule the world together!"

(To be continued.)