Chapter 297: The Tacit Understanding Between the Four Emperors and the Navy

Before Saint Saint Saiwen transmigrated, he had read no shortage of outrageous unofficial histories about Shanks and the Fruit of Face.

Just how buggy is the Fruit of Face?

Whether you are human or ghost, god or beast, even the Great Sea must grant it face.

If one yields and grants face, the Fruit of Face will bestow certain rewards; if one stubbornly refuses to grant face, one will suffer varying degrees of punishment, with the severe cases even losing their lives.

Examples of this are so numerous they could fill a book.

Sig, the Pirate King, stubbornly refused to grant face and was immediately swallowed whole by the King of the Near Seas, leaving not a bone behind.

During the Summit War, Akainu granted face and halted the fighting; two years later, his career soared and he happily became Fleet Admiral.

Kuzan refused to grant face and chased down Law's submarine; two years later, he not only had his leg broken by Akainu but also lost his position as an Admiral.

Truly a miserable fate.

Overall, the Navy granted face; after the Summit War ended, they ceased their pursuit of the Whitebeard Pirates, and two years later became even stronger.

Now look at the pirates—

Whitebeard refused to grant face and resolutely launched the Summit War, only to die in battle, bringing the curtain down on a legendary generation.

Marco refused to grant face and rejected the recruitment offer; the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates were ground into the dirt by Blackbeard, nearly facing total annihilation.

Though Blackbeard and Red Hair harbored deep grudges, Blackbeard pragmatically granted face; in just two years, his power exploded, securing his position as one of the Four Emperors.

Buggy also granted face by handing the Straw Hat to Law, instantly maximizing his luck and becoming one of the Four Emperors.

Truly a winner in life.

The Warlords Doflamingo and Moria refused to grant face and insisted on fighting, resulting in one suffering more than the other.

Not only did they lose their Warlord status; Doflamingo ended up in prison becoming the King of Newspapers, while Moria lost his companions once again.

Conclusion: In the One Piece world, granting face to the Fruit of Face user is equivalent to directly activating a cheat code.

Driven by mischievous whims, as Saint Saint Saiwen and Kuma arrived at New Marineford, he immediately blurted out.

"Everyone, grant me some face."

The moment the words fell, whether the Four Emperors or the Fleet Admiral and the three Admirals, everyone stopped fighting and quickly increased their distance.

Even the arrogant Somsa sheathed his rapier and silently moved to stand beside Sengoku.

It was because Somsa feared that the doctor he had previously tortured was truly a member of the Morning Star Group.

If that were truly the case, perhaps only the side of Fleet Admiral Sengoku would be safe...

Saint Saint Saint Saiwen would surely spare him, wouldn't he?

"Thank you," Saint Saint Saiwen said, clasping his hands in gratitude.

"Before we arrived, the Five Elders promised that the previous negotiations between the Four Emperors and the Navy remain valid; why don't the four elders sit down and have a proper chat?"

"Hmph." Kaido let out a cold snort.

"You are a Celestial Dragon now; I don't have the fortune to sit and chat with you."

"Let's go, this is so boring."

The gains from this journey were enough to make Kaido happy for over half a year; rather than staying to face potential risks, it was better to quit while ahead.

After all, Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen was already a Celestial Dragon; who knows if he would side with the Navy.

What if he did?!

Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen chose to intervene, what would be done then?

Kaido was confident he could handle the Fleet Admiral and the three Admirals, but he had zero confidence in defeating Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen; previously, he hadn't even been able to break the opponent's defense.

Charlotte Lingling moved in step with Kaido.

"Saint Saint Saint Saiwen, there is no need for a chat; we only hope the Navy will not go back on its word again."

True to an old-generation pirate, even before leaving, Lingling did not forget to mock the Navy relentlessly.

Just as Kaido and Lingling prepared to leave, Whitebeard spoke up to interrupt the two.

"What's the rush? There's a good show to watch."

In fact, Saint Saint Saiwen had already spotted this doctor; the reason he hadn't acted was that he was considering just how much of a rage fit to unleash.

Should he directly execute Somsa and try to absorb the Devil Power, or should he extort the Shepherd family behind Somsa?

Now reminded by Whitebeard, he could only feign surprise and look at the doctor standing alongside Blackbeard.

【Stop staring and quickly play dead.】

After the voice exploded in his mind, the doctor quickly used his Surgery Fruit ability to skillfully turn his face deathly pale while vomiting fresh blood.

"Captain, I never thought... before dying... I could still see you... it's... truly... good..."

With those words, the doctor's head slumped to the side, and he went still.

Blackbeard blinked his eyes, not yet having time to open his mouth to explain, when he suddenly found his breathing becoming difficult.

Several thick black-red lightning bolts shot straight from around Saint Saint Saiwen into the sky, even cleaving the heavens apart.

The raging Conqueror's Haki instantly covered the entire Marineford headquarters; even the mighty Four Emperors and the three Navy Admirals lost their Observation Haki perception in that instant.

"Who did this?"

Blackbeard really wanted to open his mouth and tell Saint Saint Saiwen: It was Somsa who did it, but he terrifiedly discovered he couldn't move.

He couldn't move a single part of his entire body.

Blackbeard finally saw clearly just how outrageously strong the little Bai Mao he had regarded as an enemy truly was.

Cannot win, simply cannot win.

Almost simultaneously, both the Four Emperors and the Navy side very tacitly turned their gaze toward Somsa.

The Four Emperors and the World Government are naturally on opposite sides; they would only wish for the upcoming drama to be even more spectacular.

Sengoku and the three Admirals were furious at Somsa's brain-dead behavior, which had caused half of New Marineford to be destroyed by the aftermath of the battle.

If Saint Saint Saint Saiwen had not come to stop the conflict, the Navy would probably have had to change headquarters again.

Of course, the most important point is—

Somaz cannot die at the Marine Headquarters, nor at the hands of the Four Emperors, but if the one who strikes is Saint Saint Saint Saiwen, then there is no problem.

Seeing this situation, Somaz felt as if he were naked in an ice cellar, shivering all over from the cold, with only a wave of wet heat rising from his crotch.

Somaz peed himself from fear.

"St... Saint Saint Saint Saiwen, I didn't know he... he was your man... it was an order from Satan."

Seeing that Saint Saint Saiwen had already drawn his sword, Somaz's brain frantically ordered his body: Run! But his legs were like they had been poured with lead, unable to move.

"Sengoku~ Save me."

At this moment, Somaz could only hope that the World Noble's slave Marines would not ignore his beheading.

Sengoku immediately closed his eyes and collapsed to the ground.

Seeing this, Aokiji hurried forward, picked up Sengoku, and left, leaving Somaz to make his final struggle.

"Wait! Saint Saint Saint Saiwen, do you remember? I ate with you!"

"The last time at the Holy Land..."

Given the Marines' very unpragmatic behavior, the Wu Xiang Yi Dao that Saint Saint Saiwen unleashed was extremely restrained; not a single ripple of aftermath spread out, but instead all of it poured down upon Somaz.

The terrifying radiance of that blade strike was as if a god had descended to the mortal world, so dazzling that no one could look directly at it.

Facing the radiance, Somaz evaporated on the spot, leaving only a wisp of pitch-black demonic power, which the black mist swirling around Saint Saint Saiwen's fingertips drew entirely into his body.

When the faint light finally scattered, there was no trace of Somaz's presence left.

Saint Saint Saiwen's previous guess had been correct.

If one wishes to advance the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan Type, Satan Form to a higher stage, the God Knights and the Five Elders are the second-best nourishment.

The best nourishment is undoubtedly Imu.

"Jehahahaha!" Shiki's golden hair danced wildly: "Wonderful, truly wonderful."

"The show is over; let us go."

After the Four Emperors departed with Blackbeard and the island above the new Marineford, Kizaru's tightly strung heart finally relaxed.

"Thanks, Saint Saint Saint Saiwen."

"We are all one side; why thank me?"

Hearing these words, Kizaru's heart suddenly raced; he quickly stole a glance at Akainu, then suddenly realized: Saint Saint Saint Saiwen is a World Noble, and in a certain sense, he is indeed one of the Marines' own.

He had just thought that Saint Saint Saiwen had misspoken, nearly causing him to expose his identity.

Saint Saint Saiwen picked up the unconscious doctor and looked at Kizaru, whose face had fallen, and Akainu, whose expression was blank.

"See you later, everyone."