The Great Voyage: The Props Master on the Straw Hat Ship

They could very well imprison the residents of the hometown that Kizaru just mentioned as theirs.

Link had no doubt that the World Government and the Navy would do such a thing.

The choice is entirely in your hands.

Kizaru said leisurely, "If you can safely send the Celestial Dragons back, then none of what I just said will happen."

"The Navy and the World Government's target will still only be you."

"I dare to vouch for this with my status as a Marine Admiral!"

"As for your idea of ​​using the Celestial Dragons as leverage to force the Navy and the World Government to reach your agreement... I advise you to give up that idea!" With that, Kizaru revealed his final demand to Link.

This was a combination of firmness and softness, a threat interspersed with some appeasement...

"I suppose only a strategist like Sengoku could have come up with this idea?"

The thought of a tiger flashed through Link's mind.

His gaze was fixed on Kizaru: "Taking back the Celestial Dragons isn't as simple as just talking about it."

"Ok?"

Kizaru raised an eyebrow. "What, are you going to fight the World Government and the Celestial Dragons to the bitter end?"

"Of course not. I'd rather not have Celestial Dragons on our ship; they'd just waste food and make our ship dirty."

Link shook his head. "Returning it isn't impossible, but when and how to return it is entirely up to us." "I've said..."

Kizaru's tone trailed off slightly once more: "You have no room for bargaining..."

"I wonder if Admiral Kizaru has ever heard of the punishment of 'lingchi'?"

Link suddenly interrupted him.

292. Let them become a laughing stock of the whole world! What a terrifying idea! Demons and devils in human skin!!

"Lingchi?"

Kizaru muttered the word.

"Yes, it's a very cruel punishment. First, the criminal is tied up and hung up, then..."

Link stretched out his hand and gestured with the chemical knife: "Cut the flesh off the prisoner's body piece by piece!!"

"Depending on the severity of the crime committed, it is generally eight cuts: first the head and face, then the hands and feet, then the chest and abdomen, and finally the head."

His tone gradually turned cold. "But more often than not, there are many more cuts than eight, such as twenty-four, thirty-six, seventy-two, and one hundred and twenty cuts."

"And executioners skilled in these slow slicing methods can precisely cut 120 times into a prisoner's body without killing him."

"The prisoners would suffer immense pain, howling in agony for three days and three nights, until they bled to death and could no longer howl, before dying a miserable death in unbearable agony..."

Link's tone was melodious and varied, and by the end, it sounded like a bone-chilling gale from hell, sending chills down one's spine.

"Admiral Kizaru," Link said, a devilish smile curving his lips, "what do you think would happen if such punishment were inflicted on a Celestial Dragon and broadcast live to the world?!"

Kizaru remained silent.

He was quite shocked when he first heard about this horrific punishment.

It is worth noting that when the practice of "death by a thousand cuts" was introduced to Ouzhou in modern times, it greatly shocked the entire Ouzhou and provided countless artists with a great deal of inspiration.

In the world of One Piece, such horrific punishments have probably never existed before.

Even the death penalty for the Pirate King Roger was nothing more than having his chest pierced by a sharp knife.

If such punishment were applied to Celestial Dragons, and broadcast live to the entire world as Link suggested, then…

"I think that even using such punishment on scum like the Celestial Dragons is a bit too cheap."

He gave a rather sinister smile. "There's also a punishment called dismemberment by five horses."

"It's like putting ropes around a person's limbs and neck, and then attaching the other end to five horses. This will startle the horses and make them gallop wildly in five different directions. That way, the person will... bang!"

Link exaggeratedly gestured to Kizaru, and then he clearly saw Kizaru's eye twitch slightly.

Then he went even further, saying, "There are also things like [dismemberment into eight pieces], [filling with mercury], [being buried alive and skinned alive]... If you want to hear about them, I can tell you about them one by one."

Kizaru: "--"

"These all sound like terrifying punishments!"

Kizaru looked at Link. "But can you really broadcast it live to the whole world?"

"Moreover, even if they could, the World Government might not recognize those people, but they are Celestial Dragons."

His words also clearly indicated the bottom line of the World Government and Navy's attitude on this matter:

That means these three Celestial Dragons are all people we can give up.

Given the Celestial Dragons' extremely reckless and self-destructive nature, there are even oddities like Donquixote Homingo, Doflamingo's father, who left the Celestial Dragon race.

Then there's Don Quixote Musgard, who went so far as to dive down to Fishman Island to hunt down his fishman slaves, only to have his ship capsized by a sea king and all his guards die.

He was fortunate enough to survive and was saved by Queen Otohime.

It's clear that the Celestial Dragons are a bunch of restless scum who keep courting death, resulting in a significant number of deaths every year.

Just like Musgard, if he were to die in a shipwreck, he could simply announce that all the Celestial Dragons perished in a shipwreck.

"You heard about my Rumble-Rumble Fruit power from Aokiji, didn't you?"

In response, Link asked an unrelated question.

“That’s right,” Kizaru nodded gently.

"Then you must know that besides the power of the Devil Fruit, I also possess many other tools, right?"

"Yes, I've heard Aokiji mention that as well."

Kizaru continued, "The title of 'Tool Master' is quite prestigious on the high seas."

"Since you know that I have so many props..."

Link chuckled, "Then you can try to gamble and see if I have any artifacts that everyone will know are Celestial Dragons' tools?"

"No matter how much you try to cover it up or deny it, I can still use my tools to make the world, and this ocean, clearly aware that those who suffer punishment are the Celestial Dragons."

Link shook his hand.

"If you don't believe me, we can try it. Let's test the Celestial Dragons' sacred and inviolable rule, which the World Government established 800 years ago. Anyway... it's not me who will suffer."

At this point, he suddenly remembered something and clapped his hands in realization.

"Oh right, I remember there was a father and daughter among the Celestial Dragons we captured."

"You know, if I throw that father and daughter into the pigsty, and then spray them and the pigs in the sty with an aphrodisiac..."

Link, mimicking Kizaru's earlier tone, drew out his question, "What interesting things do you think will happen?"

Kizaru: "..."

He suddenly felt that the Link in front of him was a demon or devil in human skin!

"That really is a terrifying idea."

Kizaru remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly.

"I feel quite honored to be called terrifying by Admiral Kizaru."

Link smiled, his eyes gradually becoming more profound:

"So, if anything really happens to my comrades, their hometowns, or their relatives and friends, I guarantee that I will absolutely utterly destroy the Celestial Dragons' prestige!!"

"I will make the whole world witness the ugliest and most despicable form of the Celestial Dragons, making them the laughingstock of the world!!"

"Furthermore, I refuse to believe that the Celestial Dragons won't leave the Holy Land of Mary Geoise!"

Link's tone gradually calmed as he said, "As a Logia-type Pika Pika no Mi (Glint-Glint Fruit) user, I think you understand best what an enemy with extremely high mobility truly means."

"If anything happens to my comrades or their loved ones, as long as a Celestial Dragon comes out of Mary Geoise."

"I promise……"

Link stared directly into Kizaru's eyes and said, word by word, "If one comes out, I'll tie one up; if two come out, I'll tie both up!!"

"Then, broadcast them live to the whole world, and if necessary, go all out!!"

"For example, what do you think about making the Celestial Dragons kneel down and call the slaves they despise the most 'father' and 'grandfather'?!"

Link stroked his chin, "Actually, I think we can play it even more..."

"alright!!"

Kizaru finally couldn't listen anymore.

"I will report everything you've said to the Marshal and the World Government!"

He couldn't help but interrupt, "So, you're saying the Celestial Dragons will be returned unharmed?"

"Returning them is a certainty, as for whether they'll be intact?"

Link shrugged. "Who knows?"

"For example, if they speak rudely to us, I might accidentally slap them a few times in anger, maybe even knock out their teeth!!" Kizaru: "..."

He felt he hadn't been this speechless in a long time.

Although he doesn't talk much in general, it's rare for him to be speechless like this.

"I will convey all your words..."

Kizaru could only emphasize one last time: "Don't try to use the Celestial Dragons to achieve some unrealistic ideas, otherwise it will be a lose-lose situation for both sides."

"After all, the World Government has eight hundred years of history, and the power and means it can use are far beyond your imagination!"

Well, the main problem is that if they cause big trouble, then these naval admirals will have to run errands to solve it.

It's so troublesome! Can't we just let him sit in the office, drink tea, and wait to get off work in peace?!

I naturally understand this.

Inside Pangel Castle in that ancient city, there still lives an old lady named Yi who dances among the flowers and butterflies. Hmm, I don't know if she's a woman or not.

As for the Celestial Dragons wanting to use Luffy and his crew's hometown and family as a threat?

The Celestial Dragons are capable of doing such a thing.

However, within the Navy, the doves, led by Aokiji and Garp, will definitely express fierce opposition.

Moreover, Dragon founded the Revolutionary Army, an extremely rebellious act, and initially neither the Navy nor the World Government could do anything about it.

It is clear that with the navy acting as a barrier, even if the foolish Celestial Dragons wanted to do this, it would be very difficult to push through.

But that doesn't mean they won't do it.

Therefore, unless things reach a point where both sides are at odds, even the World Government would need to think twice before doing such a thing.

What Kizaru just said was most likely a threat.

However, if pushed too far, they might actually do it for real.

Both sides had their own concerns, but at least Link let the other side know that they were not to be trifled with.

Presumably, if the World Government and Sengoku aren't fools, they'll naturally know what to do.

Thus, after this simple yet extremely memorable encounter with Kizaru, the two naturally decided to part ways, as they could no longer fight.

"I never expected that I would meet the legendary 'prop master'. Not only did I not experience the power of your so-called props, but I also felt another terrifying side of you."

In his final moments before leaving, Kizaru gave Link a deep look and left behind some rather intriguing words.

"Is that so? But the feeling you left me with, Admiral Kizaru, was quite pleasant, like a gentle breeze."

Link spoke casually, using those indifferent words.

Kizaru: "??? Let's go!"

His entire body instantly transformed into a dazzling golden light, and he vanished from the commercial street in the blink of an eye.

They came and went in a hurry, and the tense atmosphere and the initial tension dissipated in an instant.

After all, for Kizaru, being able to talk without lifting a finger is the best option.

[Thank you so much to '1370..' and 'Flying Pigeon' for their generous donations!! And thank you to 'Dark Philosopher' and '15200.." for their contributions too!!]

293 Golden Lion!! [The Strongest Ruler]!! People, after all, grow old?