One piece :Nox ( Before Dawn)

The news that the Celestial Dragons were killed swept through the Sabaody Archipelago like a hurricane. An unknown man named Augustus D. Sal shot two of them, and the recently famed Straw Hats were his accomplices.

Panic seized all of Sabaody, as pirates fled the island in a frenzy; the attack of a great general was undoubtedly a disaster for ordinary sea bandits. Even the common residents hurried to leave the island. A major war was approaching, and staying meant risking their lives.

Three individuals who had once crossed paths with Sal were also in shock. The old man Luke, having foreseen that Mr. Sal was capable of serious deeds, had already packed his things and was preparing to vanish. Drake, a Navy agent, knew Sal was responsible for the murder because he had studied his past.

"Even if I get dragged into this," he told himself, "I have no objections. Deep down, I too wish to rid the world of nuisances like the Celestial Dragons."

Jewelry Bonnie, on the other hand, had just taken a bite of meat and cursed:

"I told you that bastard was crazy! He dared to kill the Celestial Dragons and drag me into this! We're already on our way, too late to back out. Damn lunatic, just let me meet him in the New World..."

Holy Land Mary Geoise

Admiral of the Fleet Buddha Sengoku, hiding his horror behind a mask, trembled. The murder of the Celestial Dragons was the largest event in the last twenty years. The last person to dare such an act was the former Pirate King.

"The war will begin in a week," he grumbled darkly, "and we can't afford any mistakes!"

Sengoku cursed.

"How did that bastard, Garp's grandson, dare to attack the Celestial Dragons? What is going on in their family? And who is this Augustus D. Sal? How could he have dared to kill two Celestial Dragons?"

Kizaru, sitting nearby, silently sipped his tea. The lieutenant colonel who reported the incident saw his superior writhing from a headache, but still gritted his teeth and continued:

"Marshal, two Celestial Dragons are dead, and a third has been taken hostage. The Five Elders are asking you to take immediate action."

Sengoku remained silent.

"Marshal Sengoku," Kizaru suddenly stood up, "I'll head there first. The pirates are getting too bold."

"Very well," Sengoku nodded with a sigh. "Send a squad of Pacifistas to clear the Sabaody Archipelago of pirates. I don't want any issues on that island during the war with Whitebeard."

Sabaody Archipelago, auction

The announcer in purple clothing, covering a wound, dialed a number on the Den Den Mushi. Seeing a familiar gaze in the window, he spoke fearfully:

— Doflamingo, help us calm this chaos! A madman named Augustus D. Sal killed two Celestial Dragons during the auction. The pirate Straw Hat attacked the Celestial Dragons. Please help me minimize the losses. I will owe you, as you are one of the great ones...

The image on the Den Den Mushi changed to Doflamingo's sunglasses, and he laughed sinisterly:

— Sorry, buddy, human trafficking is a thing of the past. Now the times dictate their own rules. The fleet has announced the general mobilization of the Shichibukai. The Shichibukai will fight Whitebeard's pirates! This is a war that will decide the future. Ha-ha ha ha!

The laughter faded, and the Den Den Mushi turned off, leaving the announcer in despair.

Inside the auction hall, after Sal spoke Rayleigh's full name, everyone was stunned:

— The legendary Dark King Rayleigh, the second right hand of the Pirate King, is actually just an old man, — said Kidd in disbelief. — And he wants to sell himself at an auction?

Rayleigh approached the mermaid Camie and smiled:

— You shouldn't consider me something grand. On the island, they call me "Coated" Rayleigh. I'm just an old man. Don't move, girl. Mermaids yearning for freedom don't need chains.

Rayleigh activated Armament Haki "Emission," and the chains easily broke. With a wave of his hand, he threw a bomb that exploded in the corner of the room.

Having dealt with the chains, Rayleigh walked past Sal and approached Hatchan to inspect his wounds. He had many questions for Sal, but this wasn't the place for a conversation.

During this time, Franky found a key and began freeing slave after slave.

Luffy stood aside and asked Rayleigh, very intrigued:

— Old man, why did you say you wanted to see me?

Rayleigh wanted to talk to Luffy, but not in a public place.

— We'll talk about it when we leave here. If we don't leave the island, the admiral will be here very soon.

The mention of the admiral made everyone nervous. Sal said from the side:

— Let's send some of the good guys to meet the Navy. Let the slaves leave through the back door. Otherwise, the Navy will catch them again.

The three Supernova captains simultaneously approached the door. As captains, they took on the responsibility.

Sal watched as they exited through the door. Logically, the three should have crushed the fleet present in the area. After all, the opponent only had a Rear Admiral at their disposal. With such strength, they dared to capture Rayleigh? How bold!

Not to mention Rayleigh, even one group of Supernova pirates might not have been enough for them.

Suddenly, Sal felt several pairs of eyes on him and saw that Nami was asking with interest:

— Aren't you going to join the battle? After all, you were the one who came up with this plan.

Almost everyone nodded in agreement, even Robin joined in.

— And did you arrange the murder of the Celestial Dragons?

— ...

Sal just laughed and tried to brush it off:

— I meant a good guy, but I'm no good guy.

A sudden system message made his pupils contract.

[SS-level characters, Five Elders, have negative emotions towards the host, initial hostility, increase of experience 10000 x 3]

[SS-level character, Sengoku, has negative emotions towards the host, initial hostility, increase of experience 10000]

[Level up: Level 38 (2360/9000)]

When the news of the Celestial Dragons' murder first spread, the system occasionally issued messages about gaining experience. Thanks to the experience gained from the Five Elders and Sengoku, his level jumped by 8 tiers.

He was even more surprised that the Five Elders were only at the SS level. It seemed there weren't many people in the world at the SSSR level.

The level-up once again caused a qualitative change in his strength.

[Host: Augustus D. Sal]

[Age: 26]

[Level: 38 (2360/9000)]

[Strength: Medium (Colonel)]

[Physical Fitness: Medium (Colonel)]

[Agility: Medium (Colonel)]

[Fruit: None]

[Skills: Peak]

[Armament Haki: Elementary]

[Observation Haki: Medium]

[Conqueror's Haki: Peak]

[Weapon Property Change: Ace allowed him to unlock the Conqueror's Haki technique at the "Peak" level, Conqueror's Haki "Intertwine". Sal clenched his fist. He could sense that his current body could barely withstand Conqueror's Haki.

Although the backlash still caused him serious injuries, at least he was not dying on the spot. However, he wouldn't be foolish enough to use Conqueror's Haki at present. He believed that in the near future, he would be able to use all aspects of Conqueror's Haki without any side effects.