Demora clutched his face and trembled as he tried to get up. "Ma... Marine...?"
Smack!
He was slammed back into the ground.
Sakazuki squatted down and lightly patted his cheek, the sound echoing sharply. "What are you hesitating for?"
Demora lay sprawled on the ground and shouted, "Marine!"
Sakazuki stood up and kicked him once. "Get up."
He scrambled to his feet, standing stiffly at attention.
The admiral's gaze drifted toward the slowly fading blood mist. "You've been stationed in Sabaody for twenty years, haven't you?"
Blood covered Demora's face, but he didn't dare wipe it. He bowed his head respectfully. "Twenty-four years."
A faint snort escaped Sakazuki. "Twenty-four years... What's the matter? Made enough and ready to retire?"
Demora's pupils shrank. A chill spread through his body, and he shook uncontrollably, too afraid to speak.
"You dare act but won't admit it?" Sakazuki said indifferently. "The weekly protection fees, raiding pirate crews, human trafficking, none of that was you? Need me to be more specific? Hmm? Late-night money splitting? Calling your men idiots afterwards? Greasing palms up and down the chain? You've been at it for over twenty years. Had enough?"
Thud.
Demora's strength drained away. He collapsed to the ground, his mind blank. It turned out everything he'd done was already under their watch.
"Get up," Sakazuki ordered in a cold voice.
Demora forced himself up. "I deserve death!"
Sakazuki stared at him expressionlessly, watching as sweat streamed down the man's face. When Demora looked ready to collapse again, he spoke in a low, calm tone.
"If you were meant to die, it would've been twenty years ago. You're alive because you're useful. Because you can maintain Sabaody's balance—keeping the pirates' territory limited to the lawless zones from Grove 1 to 29. But now tell me... what is this?"
Crack!
Demora's ribs shattered under the blow. He fell to one knee, coughing up blood. "Cough... cough..."
Sakazuki drew his fist back. "The lawless zones have spread past Grove 50. They're neighbors with the marine base now. What is this? You've had enough and decided to look away? Hoping to enjoy a peaceful retirement with your money?"
He leaned in close, voice heavy with killing intent. "Do you really think that's possible?"
Demora trembled and began kowtowing frantically, blood soaking the ground beneath him.
"Speak," Sakazuki commanded, frowning.
Demora shook and stammered, "Cough... I... I had no choice..."
He raised his head slightly but froze when he saw Sakazuki's cold expression. He quickly hurried on.
"These past few years, for some reason, the number of pirates has exploded. This is the only gateway to the New World, and more people keep coming. Prices for everything skyrocketed, merchants got rich, and soon... government officials started taking interest. They used their authority to open all sorts of businesses. Pirates have money. Lots of it. The more that came, the more shops opened. Eventually, the lawless zones couldn't hold them all. They spread outward. Those pirates are money trees. The higher-ups pressured me, and I... I couldn't stop it. If I cut their profits, I'd be dead on the streets the next day!"
Sakazuki looked at him and let out a quiet chuckle, then crouched down to meet his eyes.
"Dead on the streets?"
Smack!
Demora's body flew backward, crashing through a building. He barely stayed conscious.
Sakazuki walked up and stepped on his chest. "Are you joking with me? A Marine Vice Admiral, killed just like that? Who do they think they are?"
He bent down, grabbed Demora by the collar, and lifted him effortlessly. "Fine then. You'll point out every single one of them for me. Forget their money trees. Even if I have to burn Sabaody to the ground today, I'll see what they can do about it."
He threw Demora toward the group of waiting marines. "Carry him. He'll lead the way."
* * *
At Grove 42, inside a large amusement park still under expansion, sudden chaos forced the place to close its gates.
The owner tried to calm everyone down, assuring them he had powerful connections. Since Sakazuki and Bullet had started their purge from Grove 30 toward Grove 1, the nervous crowd waited. When nothing happened, they began to relax and resumed playing.
Whoosh!
A piercing sound tore through the air. People looked around in panic.
"Look!" someone screamed, pointing upward. "What is that?!"
A massive magma fist crashed down from the sky.
Boom!
The management building exploded into rubble and flame.
Outside, the sound of synchronized footsteps followed. Squads of marines rushed in, rifles in hand, surrounding the area.
Sakazuki walked in at a slow pace and gestured with his hand. A number of soldiers carrying Demora on a stretcher approached.
"Start identifying," he ordered. "Don't even spare the dogs."
Gunfire broke out in a steady rhythm soon after. Some tried to fight back, others called for help, and many dropped dead where they stood.
Within minutes, the park's entire management staff was executed, and every bit of wealth was confiscated.
When the soldiers returned, Sakazuki glanced at the terrified crowd. "Civilians to the left. Pirates to the right."
A faint wave of his Conqueror's Haki pressed against their minds, clouding their thoughts. People moved subconsciously, obeying. Some pirates tried sneaking to the left, pretending to be civilians.
Five minutes later, the sorting was complete. Sakazuki withdrew his Haki and tapped his finger. Several heads burst open among the civilians, followed by a wave of screams.
He ignored them and turned toward the pirates on the right.
"Great Eruption."
Boom!
Only molten rock remained.
"Next."
* * *
Grove 47, a specialty goods market.
The area was surrounded by soldiers. The shop owner, dressed in a black suit, wiped sweat from his forehead. "Admiral Akainu, sir. I'm—"
Boom!
* * *
Grove 54.
Boom!
* * *
Grove 56.
Boom!
…
…
…
On and on, the destruction continued. Each time Sakazuki drew back his fist, another building vanished. Nobody kept count anymore.
"Anything left?" he asked at last.
Demora shook his head blankly. "No... nothing..." He had nothing left to hide, nor the courage to try.
The entire commercial district of Sabaody lay in ruins, the air thick with heat and the smell of burning.
Sakazuki nodded. "Go back and take care of it. If you don't want to die, prove your worth. If I ever find the lawless zones next to the marine base again, you won't live. Neither will your lovers and sons on those three islands."
Demora froze, his body cold as ice. "Understood."
"Good," Sakazuki continued. "Next, gather every record you can on the higher-ups. I don't care how; get everything. Family, children, illegitimate offspring, everything. Deliver it to me. If you die, they all die with you."
Demora took a deep breath. "Yes, sir." His tone was firm. He had no choice. Better others die than him.
By dusk, the world-shaking 'Sabaody Massacre' came to an end. Sakazuki's brutal methods once again stunned the world. Photos spread everywhere by the News Coo.
Reports later stated that cleaning up the bodies alone took two months.
* * *
At Grove 30, Sakazuki placed his hand on the wall of magma and began retracting his power. The molten barrier surrounding the island slowly receded.
Bullet stood at his side, looking at the endless corpses behind them. "You might've gone a bit too far this time, Admiral. You sure we can handle the fallout with so many officials involved?"
Sakazuki's tone was calm. "They'll swallow it. Who dares threaten a Marine Vice Admiral to kill him on the streets? What a joke. This purge was overdue anyway. And with this... our research budget is secured for years."
Right after he finished speaking, a golden light pierced through the retreating magma and condensed before them.
Borsalino appeared, letting out a lazy sigh. "Oh~ finally opened up~ I was wondering how to get in~"
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