The woman wore denim overalls, a white short sleeved shirt, and brown ankle boots. Her figure was striking, curvaceous in the right places and slender where it mattered. With her graceful body and delicate facial features, she could easily be considered a rare beauty.
Unfortunately, her personality ruined much of that charm.
Her behavior was rough, her temper was clearly bad, and the heart shaped lipstick on her lips looked particularly unpleasant in Aether's opinion.
As Aether quietly observed her, the woman suddenly noticed his gaze.
She imdiately glared at him and snapped.
"What are you staring at, you bastard? Are you tired of living? Believe it or not, I will kill you."
Aether silently looked away.
He quickly concluded that dealing with a woman with this kind of personality was troubleso. Compared to her, even Charlotte Linlin seed easier to tolerate, at least when she was not suffering from one of her hunger fits.
Without responding, Aether casually chose a seat so distance away and began observing the surroundings.
Before long, he realized sothing interesting.
Quite a few Supernovas had gathered in this area.
At the far end of the street, a small commotion had ford around a group of pirates. Sitting calmly in the center was Capone Bege, casually firing a pistol at another pirate.
Bege ca from the West Blue. He was a short and stocky underworld godfather and the captain of the Fire Tank Pirates, carrying a bounty of 138 million Berries.
Nearby stood another towering figure watching the scene.
It was Urouge, known as the Mad Monk.
He was a warrior from a Sky Island and stood nearly four ters tall, built like a small giant. Despite having the lowest bounty among the Supernovas at 108 million Berries, Aether knew very well that this man would grow far stronger in the future.
Within two years, Urouge would even defeat one of Big Mom's Sweet Commanders, placing his strength well within the level of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
For so unknown reason, hostility had already ford between Urouge and Bege.
Both sides had drawn their weapons. Their crews stood ready.
If either captain gave the order, a chaotic battle involving hundreds of pirates would erupt instantly.
The tension caused people across the street to panic. Many civilians hurried away while nearby shops closed their doors. Those with sharp eyes had already recognized the two captains as Supernovas.
Aether originally planned to enjoy a quiet cup of tea while watching the fight.
However, before anything happened, soone suddenly sat beside him.
A pair of long legs landed directly on the table.
It was Jewelry Bonney.
She held a massive roasted at leg in her hand while eating loudly, completely unconcerned with her surroundings.
Her voice was equally loud.
"Hey, you. Who do you think will win?"
Aether's eyelid twitched slightly.
This woman truly had no restraint.
It was no wonder she would later challenge Marshall D. Teach after the Marineford War. That reckless decision had nearly turned her into Blackbeard's captive bride after her crew was defeated.
Aether glanced briefly at the long legs resting in front of him.
They were indeed long and pale.
One could understand why soone like Blackbeard might take interest.
He answered casually.
"I am just an ordinary person. How would I know who will win?"
Bonney snorted.
"Ordinary person? All the ordinary people already ran away. The ones still sitting here are nothing but trouble."
Aether did not deny it.
The pirates preparing to fight had already frightened away the civilians. Those remaining on the street were either pirates themselves or people confident in their own strength.
After a mont of silence, Aether finally replied.
"I think the Mad Monk will win."
Bonney stopped chewing and looked at him skeptically.
"His bounty is lower than Capone Bege's. Why do you think he is stronger?"
Aether did not continue explaining.
The truth was simple.
Urouge possessed an ability known as Karma Retribution, a technique that allowed him to convert the damage he received into a powerful counterattack.
That ability directly countered the defensive style of Bege's Castle Castle Fruit. Even if Bege transford his body into a fortress, there was no guarantee that it could withstand Urouge's retaliation.
More importantly, Bege currently lacked the overwhelming offensive power required to defeat Urouge quickly.
Before the battle could even begin, a strange sound suddenly echoed through the street.
Everyone froze.
Bonney spat out a mouthful of drink and clicked her tongue in disgust.
"What terrible luck. Running into these scum again. This is already the second ti today. Coming out this many tis in one day, are they not afraid soone will finally kill them?"
Soon, the source of the disturbance appeared.
A man dressed in a bulky outfit resembling an astronaut slowly entered the street.
He sat on the back of a slave who was being used as a living mount. Two chains hung from his hands, each connected to a female slave who had been forced to beco his wives in na.
Several guards and a Cipher Pol agent followed behind him.
The mont he appeared, the atmosphere changed completely.
He was one of the Celestial Dragons, the descendants of the nineteen kings who had founded the World Governnt eight hundred years ago.
These nobles referred to themselves as the Descendants of the Creators and enjoyed absolute privilege. Anyone who dared harm them would trigger the deploynt of a Marine Admiral or CP0.
Aether's eyes narrowed slightly.
A faint glint flashed within them.
"So it is the idiot son of the Rosward Family," he murmured quietly. "I did not expect to et him so soon."
Bonney glanced at him with confusion.
This man's tone sounded strangely familiar with the Celestial Dragons.
The noble approaching them was Saint Charloss.
In the original course of events, he would beco infamous for repeatedly provoking disasters due to his arrogance. For Aether, Charloss was also an important piece in his future plans.
While the procession approached, Aether's thoughts moved quickly.
He had already begun attacking slave traders throughout the day. That interference might disrupt certain events that were supposed to occur later.
For example, if the rmaid who was ant to be captured never reached the slave auction house, the Straw Hat Pirates would have no reason to cause chaos there.
There was an old saying.
Chaos was the best ladder for climbing higher.
At the sa ti, Aether had already noticed sothing else today.
The Marine presence around the Sabaody Archipelago had noticeably decreased.
This ant the Marines were already beginning to mobilize forces in preparation for the coming war.
The war that would determine the future of the seas.
The Marineford War.
The Marines absolutely could not afford to lose that battle.
As Aether thought about this, his hand subconsciously rested on the hilt of his sword.
Bonney noticed the movent imdiately.
Her suspicion deepened.
What exactly was this man planning to do?
anwhile, Saint Charloss' procession moved slowly through the street.
Everyone along the path knelt on the ground, not daring to raise their heads.
Even the two opposing Supernovas lowered themselves reluctantly. Their expressions were full of resentnt, but neither dared provoke a Celestial Dragon directly.
If they had not already been confronting each other, they would have left long before Charloss arrived.
Saint Charloss looked around with obvious contempt.
To him, the strength of these people ant nothing.
In his eyes, they were all insects.
When his gaze reached Aether and Bonney's table, he paused.
Bonney had already transford herself into a small child sitting on the ground.
Aether, however, remained seated calmly, looking straight at him.
Saint Charloss' expression imdiately twisted in anger.
He raised his pistol and fired.
A commoner who dared et his eyes deserved death.
Aether calmly leaned his body to the side, dodging the bullet.
A cold killing intent briefly surged within him.
For a mont, a thought appeared in his mind.
If he was going to attack eventually, why not kill this Celestial Dragon right now?
After a brief pause, he suppressed the impulse.
The timing was not right.
Saint Charloss prepared to fire a second shot.
At that exact mont, Bonney, still in the form of a child, suddenly tackled Aether to the ground.
A packet of ketchup burst across his chest.
She imdiately began crying loudly.
"Big brother, do not die. What will I do if you die? What will Bonney do from now on?"
Her acting was extrely convincing.
Aether stared up at the sky with a helpless expression, silently enduring the ketchup covering his clothes.
Saint Charloss looked at his pistol, then at the exaggerated mourning scene.
For a mont he seed uncertain whether he had actually killed the man.
Eventually he lost interest.
A re commoner was not worth his attention.
He tugged on the chains in his hands, forcing his slave mount and the two enslaved won to continue forward.
After the Celestial Dragon disappeared completely, the street slowly returned to normal.
The crowd dispersed.
Bonney suddenly grabbed Aether by the collar and shouted angrily.
"Are you trying to get us killed, you idiot? Do you know what happens if soone attacks a Celestial Dragon? An Admiral will be sent imdiately."
"I know," Aether replied calmly. "So what?"
Bonney's anger rose instantly.
The killing intent he released earlier had genuinely frightened her.
This man had seriously considered killing a Celestial Dragon.
Without hesitation, she grabbed his arm and activated her Devil Fruit ability, intending to teach him a lesson.
A mont passed.
Nothing happened.
Aether slowly raised the arm she was holding.
He looked at her calmly.
"Miss," he said casually, "do you like ?"
"Otherwise, why are you still holding my hand?"
Bonney's eyes widened in shock.
"That is impossible," she said. "Why are you unaffected by my ability?"
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