As expected, the Straw Hats were enjoying the amusement park, laughing and having fun, unaware of the drama brewing elsewhere on the archipelago. A much darker tension loomed over Sabaody, ready to erupt.
In a remote area, Urouge, the mad monk, advanced after a warning from one of his companions. He watched a crowd kneel, forming a corridor for a man crawling on all fours, chained, dragging his body with difficulty under the weight of a World Noble. "A Celestial Dragon, huh..." Urouge muttered, recognizing the individual. "Crossing the illegal area so casually... Just kneel and wait for it to pass," he added, his deep voice resonating in the heavy air.
This noble, Saint Charlos, with snot on his nose and dressed in the ostentatious garb of the Celestial Dragons, cursed loudly. Perched on his slave, he grumbled, "Sharlia and my dear father have abandoned me! Where have they gone?"
"We know where they are going, no need to worry," replied a guard in black attire, one of the usual protectors of the nobles.
"You fool!" Charlos yelled, kicking his slave. "You are slower than a tortoise! Riding on a waste like you is unbearable!"
Suddenly, two medics carrying a stretcher crossed his path. Charlos called out to them, forcing them to stop. "Hey, you there! What are you doing, vermin?" he shouted, tossing his ice cream on the ground.
One of the medics, trembling, apologized, "We are transporting a seriously injured person to the hospital, it's very close..."
Charlos seemed to understand... before kicking the injured person brutally. Worse still, he seized the nurse, proclaiming her his "wife" - in reality, his slave - and shot her husband who dared to protest. No empathy, no remorse: for him, those who were not from Mariejois were nothing.
"Another one daring to defy me?" Charlos irritated, after shooting the husband. "It was bound to happen. He sealed his fate," Urouge murmured, observing from a distance, his iron beam on his shoulder, a bitter smile on his lips.
In the kneeling crowd, a staggering figure appeared, a bottle of sake in hand, indifferent to the tension. Roronoa Zoro, the right-hand man of the Straw Hats, advanced, completely unaware of the danger. "Who is he?" whispered a spectator. "Captain Apoo, he's the pirate hunter from East Blue, Roronoa Zoro!" replied a member of a Supernova crew.
"Why is he crossing through there?" another wondered, under the annoyed gaze of Capone Bege. Jewelry Bonney, witnessing the scene, slapped her forehead. "What an idiot..." she muttered, seeking a solution.
Zoro stopped in front of Charlos, who stared at him in disbelief. "Do you want to ask me for directions or something?" Zoro said, impassively, to the stunned onlookers. Without hesitation, Charlos fired two shots. Zoro dodged them with ease, a predatory smile on his face, drawing his swords, ready to fight.
"Hey, seriously?!" exclaimed Apoo, amazed. Suddenly, Bonney leaped, using her Devil Fruit to transform into a little girl. She pretended to cry, begging Zoro not to move. Surprised, Charlos thought he had done nothing and continued on his way, indifferent.
"Are you completely stupid or what?! Do you know what you were about to do?!" scolded Bonney, furious, while Zoro complained about tomato sauce stains on his clothes, looking for the "kid" who had stopped him. From afar, some Supernovas thanked Bonney for her intervention, others smiled, impressed by the audacity of the Straw Hats' swordsman. But the tension did not dissipate.
A thunderous voice broke the silence, making the air tremble. "You kneel before that scum and not before me?" exclaimed an imposing figure of 3.10 meters, attracting all eyes. "I won't repeat myself."
The crowd, terrified, knelt again. Bonney, still scolding Zoro, froze, a nervous smile on her face. "Ryumen Sukuna..." she murmured, her voice trembling.
Before Sukuna stood Saint Charlos, red with anger. "What?" he exclaimed. "Who do you think you are?" He pointed his gun at Sukuna, his finger trembling on the trigger. But before he could shoot, one of his guards hastily intervened.
"S-Saint Charlos, there's no need to get angry! Your father must surely be waiting for you," the guard stammered, sweat beading on his forehead.
"That's right," Charlos acquiesced, reluctantly lowering his weapon. "Father must be waiting for me."
The guards collectively breathed a sigh of relief, relieved to have averted a disaster. The one who had intervened turned to Sukuna, trying to calm the situation. "P-please forgive us," he stammered, bowing his head.
"Say," Sukuna spoke, his deep and steady voice resonating like a funeral bell.
"Y-yes?" the guard hurriedly replied, feeling a cold sweat run down his back.
"Who gave you permission to speak?" Sukuna asked, loud enough for everyone to hear. A amused, almost sinister smile lit up his face.
The guard's eyes widened in terror, but it was too late. In an instant, his head detached from his body, rolling on the ground in a chilling silence. Then, his body exploded into pieces of flesh, some splattering Charlos, who screamed in horror.
"I thought I made myself clear," Sukuna said in a cold voice, releasing a wave of his murderous intent that froze the assembly. "Kneel."
Terrified, Saint Charlos and his guards collapsed to their knees, trembling with every fiber of their being, unable to resist Sukuna's overwhelming pressure. The already prostrated crowd held their breath, not daring to even raise their eyes.
"Good!" Sukuna declared, nodding with a satisfied smile. He advanced slowly, passing by Charlos and his guards. Then, he leaned slightly and whispered, in a blood-chilling voice, "You'd better be careful who you disrespect. There won't be a second time."
As he walked away, Sukuna suddenly stopped. "Ahhh," he said, as if he had just remembered something. He turned slightly, his piercing gaze fixed on Charlos and his guards. "By the way, you better not contact the Marines. Otherwise, I will make sure this island becomes your grave," he added, a amused yet terrifying smile on his lips. "Is that clear?"
"Y-yes... yes," one of the guards stammered, his voice broken by fear, while Charlos, still kneeling, hiccupped without daring to reply. Sukuna nodded, satisfied, and resumed his path, his imposing figure disappearing in the distance, leaving behind a scene of chaos and terror.
The crowd remained frozen, the silence only broken by muffled sobs from some spectators. The Supernovas, witnesses of the incident, exchanged looks, their reactions oscillating between shock and fascination.
"That man... He humiliated a Celestial Dragon as if it were an insect," Urouge murmured, tightening his iron beam, a mix of admiration and caution in his voice.
"What a monster..." Capone Bege muttered, lighting a cigar with a trembling hand. "Bending a World Noble without even lifting a finger... It will attract the attention of the admirals. And now, he threatens to level the island if the Marines get involved?"
Apoo, a nervous smile on his face, exclaimed, "This guy is completely crazy! I love it! But now, we're in serious trouble!"
Jewelry Bonney, still in shock, let out a sigh.
Hawkins, consulting his cards, frowned. "The probabilities have just shifted. If Sukuna stays on this archipelago, our chances of survival drop to 1%. And if he carries out his threat, they drop to zero."
Zoro, still standing nearby, shrugged, indifferent to the gravity of the situation. "Why is everyone kneeling before this guy? He seems like a real pain."
Bonney glared at him, exasperated. "Are you serious?! He is the proudest and most arrogant pirate in the infinite sea! He lives for his own pleasure and even terrifies the pirates of the New World. You really know nothing? Ryumen Sukuna, nicknamed The Demon with Two Faces. His bounty is: 1,350,050,000 berries."
Sukuna advanced calmly, an enigmatic smile on his lips, his hands clasped under his kimono. Then, his eyes opened, revealing a mischievous gleam. "I wonder if the rumors about Dark King Rayleigh are true," he thought.