As the warships sailed through the blood-stained waters, the sea fell silent, with not a single pirate left to make a sound.
Not far ahead, on the wreckage of a massive ship that had tried to flee but was ultimately caught and destroyed by Dracule Mihawk, the swordsman stood with his Black Blade (Kokuto) poised against the throat of a burly man clad in golden armor.
The man, Krieg, knelt on both knees. A deep, ghastly wound marred his body, and the blood streaming from it had stained his once-shiny armor a dark, ominous hue.
Krieg, the self-proclaimed invincible Admiral of the Krieg Pirates, had long occupied the throne of the East Blue's pirate overlord. Ruthless, arrogant, and cunning, he had risen to power through relentless expansion and the plundering of towns and villages.
But now, Krieg's former dominance had vanished. Kneeling before Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman, his eyes were filled with despair and terror under the crushing weight of Mihawk's silent yet overwhelming presence.
"Dracule Mihawk!"
A voice broke the silence. Gin, the combat commander of the Krieg Pirates, struggled to his feet despite his injuries. Wearing a gray-and-blue striped headscarf, he glanced around at the surrounding sea, now devoid of intact pirate ships. His dark, shadowed eyes flashed with deep despair.
"As the world's greatest swordsman, surely we're not worth your time! Why attack us so suddenly?!"
Gin, known as the Devilman, was Krieg's most loyal subordinate. He carried out Krieg's orders without question, even if it meant killing defenseless civilians. But against Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman, Gin hadn't even had the chance to draw his weapons. He had been gravely injured by a single shockwave from Mihawk's slash—an attack that wasn't even aimed directly at him.
Before the world's greatest swordsman, they were nothing more than ants.
Mihawk turned his head slightly, glancing at the struggling Gin. His expression remained emotionless as he replied, "No reason is needed to end you."
With those words, Mihawk raised his Supreme Grade Blade and brought it down decisively on Krieg.
The Black Blade fell, and with it, a spray of blood rose into the air.
Thus ended the reign of Krieg, the long-time overlord of the East Blue.
At that moment, Xayuki's warship approached swiftly.
As they passed the wreckage of Krieg's flagship, the Seven Warlords of the Sea on deck cast brief glances at the scene. However, the Marine officers accompanying Xayuki did not spare it a second look. Standing tall and orderly behind their young Fleet Admiral, they gazed resolutely toward the direction of Cocoyasi Village.
Seeing this, Mihawk turned to face Xayuki, who stood at the bow of the ship, his gaze fixed ahead. Mihawk gave a slight nod of acknowledgment before swiftly finishing off Gin with a single slash. Without hesitation, he leapt onto his coffin-shaped boat and followed closely behind the warships.
Meanwhile, at Cocoyasi Village—
The sudden arrival of Smoker and Morgan, leading a Marine assault on the Arlong Pirates, had thrown the village into chaos. Startled by the intense battle, the villagers poured out of their homes like frightened rabbits and gathered in a central plaza.
"Finally, the Marines are here to take down Arlong and his crew!"
"Please, Marines, you must capture all of the Arlong Pirates!"
"Shh! Don't shout so loudly! I heard that a Marine ship was completely wiped out by Arlong's crew. If these Marines fail, Arlong will definitely come after us!"
"Hey, Genzo, do you know where these Marines came from?"
"Yeah, Genzo, you're our village sheriff. You should know, right?"
"How would I know?!"
In the crowd, a middle-aged man with a small windmill on his head and scars covering his face glanced nervously toward Arlong Park, the stronghold of the Arlong Pirates. His voice was filled with urgency.
"Now's not the time to worry about the outcome of the battle. Nami is still in Arlong Park! If she gets caught up in the fighting..."
This was Genzo, the sheriff of Cocoyasi Village. Years ago, when the Arlong Pirates invaded, he had been brutally beaten while trying to protect the single mother Bellemere and her adopted daughters, Nami and Nojiko. The scars on his face and body were permanent reminders of that day.
"Genzo! Genzo!"
Suddenly, a teenage girl with short blue hair came running into the plaza from outside the village. Pushing through the crowd, she stopped in front of Genzo, her face filled with excitement.
"The battle's over! The Arlong Pirates have been subdued by the Marines! Let's go rescue Nami!"
This was Nojiko, a resident of Cocoyasi Village. After her adoptive mother was killed by Arlong, she and her younger sister Nami had depended on each other to survive.
"Really?"
Genzo's voice trembled with disbelief. "The Arlong Pirates... have really been captured?"
"Yes!" Nojiko nodded vigorously, tears of joy streaming down her face. "I saw it with my own eyes! I even overheard two Marines saying that their Fleet Admiral is on his way to Cocoyasi Village!"
"What?!"
Genzo's eyes widened in shock. The news sent shivers down his spine. "The Fleet Admiral... is coming to Cocoyasi Village? That... that can't be true!"
"It's true, Genzo! The Marines said it themselves!"
"This is amazing!"
Genzo's emotions overflowed, and tears streamed down his face. "The Fleet Admiral himself is coming! Cocoyasi Village is saved!"
"Genzo, why are you crying?" Nojiko asked, clearly puzzled. "We need to hurry and find Nami! If we're too late, the Marines might mistake her for one of Arlong's crew and arrest her!"
But Genzo seemed not to hear Nojiko's words. Overwhelmed with emotion, he turned to face the sea, muttering under his breath, "The Fleet Admiral himself... The Fleet Admiral himself..."
Then, as if unable to contain his feelings any longer, Genzo fell to his knees, facing the ocean, and wept openly.
This wasn't mere sentimentality or theatrics.
As the sheriff of Cocoyasi Village, Genzo had spent years secretly seeking help from Marines outside the 16th Branch, even going so far as to write detailed accounts of the atrocities committed by the Arlong Pirates. He had entrusted these accounts to messengers heading to Marine Headquarters in the Grand Line, hoping for intervention.
But until now, his pleas had gone unanswered. His faith in the Marines' so-called justice had been all but extinguished.
It wasn't until he read about the appointment of a new Fleet Admiral in the newspapers that a spark of hope reignited within him.
From the reports, he learned that the new Fleet Admiral, Xayuki, had once been a vice admiral who responded to every call for help. Determined to reach out to this young leader, Genzo began planning how to send word of Cocoyasi Village's plight.
But before he could act, the Fleet Admiral himself had arrived in the East Blue—and was now on his way to Cocoyasi Village!
Even the appearance of a rear admiral or a righteous captain would have moved Genzo to tears. But the arrival of the Fleet Admiral, the highest authority in the Marines and a figure of unparalleled influence, was beyond anything he had dared to hope for.
Most importantly—
The Fleet Admiral's presence signaled that not just Cocoyasi Village, but the entire East Blue, would soon be bathed in the light of justice.
End of Chapter 104
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