Three days later, a piece of news shook the entire world.
From the New World, to the Grand Line, to the East Blue and West Blue—every region capable of receiving news was rocked by the latest development.
"Dragon Knight Ye Chen Appears at Sabaody Archipelago, Publicly Bombs No.76 Auction House."
No.76 Auction House was operated directly under the Celestial Dragons, and it was their largest one. Ye Chen bombing it wasn't just theft anymore—it was blatant provocation.
Robbing Celestial Gold had already been shocking, but people could still accept that. Destroying No.76 Auction House, however, was nothing short of slapping the Celestial Dragons—and by extension, the World Government—right in the face.
If the first headline showcased Ye Chen's sheer audacity, the second headline left everyone utterly speechless.
"Admiral Kizaru Injured in Battle Against Ye Chen at Sabaody Archipelago. New World's Great Pirate Kaido Appears, but is Repelled."
With this report, many of those previously eager to hunt Ye Chen fell silent.
Kizaru represented the highest combat power of Marine Headquarters. Kaido was one of the most powerful pirates in the New World.
Both appeared—yet neither could stop Ye Chen. Instead, they were injured and repelled.
Clearly, Ye Chen's strength was no longer something ordinary pirates could dream of challenging.
Many pirates who had previously declared loudly that they'd hunt Ye Chen down vanished overnight, going into hiding, terrified Ye Chen would find them and wipe them out instead.
Joking aside, they might be strong, but they were nowhere near the level of Kizaru or Kaido. If even Kizaru was injured, what hope did they have?
Following the two explosive headlines, the World Government issued an unprecedented declaration:
"Worldwide manhunt for Dragon Knight Ye Chen."
This stunned many. The World Government rarely made such public declarations—normally, it was Marine Headquarters who spoke on their behalf.
But everyone knew: Ye Chen's repeated slaps to the Celestial Dragons left them no choice. If they didn't respond with full force, others would follow Ye Chen's lead.
And if that happened, the safety of both Celestial Gold and the Celestial Dragons themselves would be at risk.
Marine Headquarters — Fleet Admiral's Office
The room was filled with the top brass: Sengoku, Garp, the three Admirals, Zephyr, and other senior officers.
"Kizaru, you fought Ye Chen. How strong is he?" Sengoku asked.
Kizaru's usual lazy demeanor was gone; he answered with a serious face: "Very strong."
"Kizaru, Fleet Admiral Sengoku is asking about Ye Chen himself, not his dragon," Akainu interrupted.
Sengoku nodded. "Akainu's right—I meant Ye Chen personally."
Kizaru gave a wry smile. "I am talking about Ye Chen. If he knew how to use Armament Haki, I might not be able to defeat him."
The room fell into stunned silence.
An Admiral, one of Marine Headquarters' strongest, was admitting he couldn't beat a teenager?
"This… this can't be real, Kizaru," Tsuru blurted out, disbelief on her face.
"If not for his lack of Haki, I truly wouldn't have had the advantage," Kizaru said, recalling Ye Chen's blinding Draw a sword and Slash. It had nearly taken his life.
"If that's the case," Sengoku rubbed his temples, "then Ye Chen alone already has Admiral-level power. Add his dragon on top of that… we need to reassess the threat."
Just earlier, the Celestial Dragons had sent down strict orders: capture Ye Chen within one month. Dead or alive—it didn't matter. But the problem was, Ye Chen's strength was now a serious obstacle.
And the dragon, Slifer the Sky Dragon, was another headache. It could fly. Even if they sent an Admiral, if Ye Chen chose to flee, there was nothing they could do.
"Since he hasn't yet mastered Armament Haki, we still have the edge. I recommend sending two Admirals to hunt him down now," Akainu said harshly, rising from his seat.
"That dragon can hurt us," Kizaru suddenly said.
Akainu froze, his expression twisting. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"You didn't let me finish," Kizaru said flatly, casting a glance at him.
"You…" Akainu gritted his teeth, then sat back down, snorting coldly.
"I'll go," said a voice unexpectedly. It was Garp, casually munching on a doughnut. "It's been a while since I've gotten some exercise."
"Are you serious, Garp?" Sengoku asked, surprised.
Garp grinned. "Of course I'm serious, Sengoku."
"Fine," Sengoku nodded heavily. "Garp will lead the hunt for Ye Chen. Raise his bounty to 500 million Beli."
Ye Chen had no idea that Garp had personally volunteered to hunt him down.
But even if he did, he wouldn't care.
He had already offended Kaido—what was one more monster like Garp?
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。