Heroic Spirit Template in One Piece

Caelan sprinted across the sea like an arrow loosed from a bow, charging straight toward the flagship of the Buster Call fleet.

Akainu and Garp chased from behind, but they couldn't catch up.

Borsalino was fast enough, but he didn't dare get too close to Caelan. He pretended to be exhausted and maintained a position only slightly ahead of Akainu.

The next moment, Caelan landed on the flagship where Gion and Tokikakke were stationed, under the shocked stares of tens of thousands of elite Marines.

The moment he boarded, he was met with hundreds of black gun barrels aimed at him and the wary eyes of Gion and Tokikakke.

Caelan was in a great mood. Since this Buster Call was under Gion's command, he could now abduct her in broad daylight.

"Long time no see, Gion, Tokikakke-aniki!"

Thinking about the Gion he was about to take, Caelan grinned and greeted them cheerfully.

"Who's your brother?!"

Tokikakke replied with disgust.

If someone was trying to steal his goddess, there was no brotherhood left to speak of.

"Caelan?! Are you the one fighting Admiral Akainu and the others?"

Gion asked in shock.

She had departed from Marineford in a rush and hadn't yet heard of the chaos Caelan had caused—destroying CP9 and attacking the Celestial Dragons.

"That's right. I just took out a CP9 team a few days ago and captured two Celestial Dragons. I didn't expect them to send so many people after me. It's just too much."

Caelan said, looking sincerely aggrieved.

"…?"

Gion and Tokikakke looked completely bewildered, unable to make sense of the situation.

As soon as the report about Caelan reached Sengoku, they were deployed with the Buster Call. They hadn't even been briefed on what Caelan had done.

"You know, those two Celestial Dragons were of such high status, I didn't even dare to lay a hand on them."

"Thankfully, it was the two of you who killed them with your cannon fire."

Caelan looked at them earnestly and offered sincere thanks.

Though confused, Gion and Tokikakke quickly pieced together the story.

Caelan had destroyed CP9, taken the Celestial Dragons hostage, and was being hunted by Akainu and the others.

And their Buster Call had just killed those same Celestial Dragons!

Two of them!

"You mean… we killed two Celestial Dragons with our bombardment?!"

Tokikakke's already-wrinkled face twisted in horror, his voice cracking in disbelief.

Gion's face also went pale with shock.

"Yes, exactly."

"If you don't believe me, ask them."

Caelan nodded and pointed toward Akainu, Garp, and Borsalino, who had just arrived.

The three Admirals surrounded Caelan but didn't attack, wary of his destructive power.

"Vice Admiral Garp, did our shells really kill the Celestial Dragons?"

Gion looked at Garp, hoping he'd deny it.

"As much as I'd like to say no… you did kill two Celestial Dragons."

Garp sighed heavily, his tone helpless.

Why were Gion and Tokikakke the ones to show up?

Not only were they candidate Admirals, they were also his friends.

Now, thanks to this, their futures were basically ruined.

"Ah?!"

Gion and Tokikakke both staggered, feeling like a massive burden had fallen out of the sky onto them.

Even if it had been unintentional, killing two Celestial Dragons would never be taken lightly.

They could only hope the incident would be handled quietly within the government, or the consequences would be dire.

"Don't be too upset. You've done a good thing for the people."

"And don't worry—News Bird already captured the whole incident. The world will remember your sacrifice."

Caelan looked at the flock of News Birds circling in the sky and consoled the devastated Gion and Tokikakke.

"What?! They got it on camera?!"

Both Gion and Tokikakke were stunned.

They had just been thinking about internal damage control. Now it was already broadcast to the entire world. What a nightmare.

News that they had killed two Celestial Dragons was now global. The Five Elders would absolutely demand severe punishment, given the Celestial Dragons' so-called supreme status.

"My condolences."

Akainu stood quietly to the side, suddenly not feeling the pain from his injuries anymore.

His own subordinates were untouched, while two of the dovish faction had landed themselves in serious trouble.

From a political standpoint, Akainu had come out ahead, even in defeat.

Morally, it was disgraceful, but Akainu found some comfort in it.

"Gion, Tokikakke-aniki, I'm afraid you won't be able to stay in the Navy much longer."

Caelan shook his head with feigned regret.

"This is all your fault!"

Tokikakke clenched his teeth, practically shaking with fury.

All of this happened because of Caelan.

Gion also gritted her teeth, glaring at Caelan with frustration.

"It's all my fault."

Caelan admitted it calmly, his tone very sincere.

"???"

Everyone was left with question marks over their heads, wondering what Caelan was planning next.

"Gion, to make up for my mistake… I'll take you and flee together!"

Caelan looked at Gion with complete seriousness.

"You wish!"

Tokikakke spat, furious.

Taking Gion and disappearing across the sea… if anyone was going to live that fantasy, it should've been him.

Caelan simply smiled.

Before anyone could react, he moved like lightning and scooped Gion up by the waist.

"Ah!"

Gion cried out in surprise, instinctively trying to struggle. But Caelan's grip was like iron, making resistance impossible.

In the next instant, Caelan stomped down on the warship's deck.

Boom!

The entire ship tilted 60 degrees from the force. Thousands of Marines stumbled, unable to keep their footing.

Before anyone could regain balance, Caelan, holding Gion in his arms, dashed across the sea as if it were flat ground.

Garp, Akainu, and Borsalino immediately gave chase, starting a new pursuit.

Tokikakke tried to follow but couldn't keep up. The gap between them grew with every step.

"Tokikakke-aniki, you stay with the Navy for now. I'll take good care of Gion!"

Caelan shouted, his voice echoing across the sea.

He then unleashed over a dozen Haki-infused slashes, kicking up massive waves and blocking off the chasing Admirals.

Before long, Akainu and the others returned to the Buster Call flagship with grim expressions.

"No!"

Tokikakke screamed, his eyes bulging in despair.

His goddess had been stolen by Caelan right in front of him, and he was powerless to stop it.

Caelan's parting words echoed in his mind like a cruel taunt.

When the Buster Call had just begun, Gion had still looked at him with cold indifference, even as he offered her roses again and again.

Now, just hours later, she had been snatched away and vanished into the distance.

He had confessed nearly a hundred times. The woman he had pursued with all his heart was gone. The next time he saw her, she might already be pregnant.

"It hurts… it hurts so much!"

"Gion, why did you leave me?!"

"How am I supposed to live without you?!"

Tokikakke fell to his knees on the deck, tears streaming down his face, arms stretched hopelessly toward the sky.

"Well… let's focus on the Celestial Dragons."

Garp patted Tokikakke on the shoulder and turned to leave.

"Ahhh!"

Tokikakke screamed even louder.

Gion was gone, and now he was the one left behind to shoulder the blame.

"AHHH! AHHH! AHHHHH!"

Tokikakke raised his head and howled at the sky, venting his grief and despair.

This day's pain would take a lifetime to heal.

(To be continued.)

***

For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on P/treon to read 30+ advanced chapters: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves

(Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)