At Ain's command, eight soldiers immediately stepped forward, dragging four fish-man pirates to the front.
The four executioners raised their rifles, aiming at the restrained pirates, and without hesitation, pulled the triggers.
Just like during the execution of pirates at the Sabaody Archipelago, the process was precise and ruthless—two shots to the chest, one to the head.
With the deafening sound of gunfire, the four pirates collapsed almost simultaneously. Their lifeless bodies were quickly dragged away by the eight soldiers who had escorted them.
Immediately after, another four fish-man pirates were brought forward.
The straightforward and brutal execution method shattered the composure of the remaining fish-man pirates. They began to struggle frantically, desperately trying to grasp at any chance of survival.
But at this point, no amount of effort could free them from the Marines' grasp.
Even setting aside the strength of the soldiers restraining them, with the Fleet Admiral himself present, the morale of the Marines was at an all-time high. Even the branch soldiers, some of whom were on their first mission, were displaying unprecedented resolve and strength.
After all, they had witnessed their Fleet Admiral Xayuki personally tear off a piece of his coat to bandage Captain Morgan's wounds. While the villagers of Cocoyasi Village might not understand the significance of this act, the Marines knew all too well.
For them, being personally tended to by the Fleet Admiral was the highest honor imaginable.
The villagers, however, paid no attention to these details.
Their focus was entirely on the execution. As one Arlong Pirate after another was dragged out and executed with two shots to the chest and one to the head, the previously silent crowd began to stir. Quiet sobs of relief and joy could be heard.
The execution of the Arlong Pirates meant that they no longer had to live in constant fear. It meant they no longer had to scrape together "life-buying money" every month just to survive.
Even Genzo, who had been standing at attention with his right hand raised in salute, couldn't hold back his tears.
If the executions weren't still ongoing, he would have rushed to the grave of the woman who had sacrificed herself to protect her two adopted daughters. He would have told her everything he was witnessing today.
Soon, only Arlong, Hatchan (Hachi), Kuroobi, and Chew remained of the Arlong Pirates.
Watching their comrades being executed one by one, the four had long since abandoned any hope of survival. Their faces were blank, their expressions lifeless, as they stared at the bloodied and battered Arlong.
When the executioners approached, Hatchan, Kuroobi, and Chew suddenly snapped out of their stupor, struggling wildly.
Kuroobi, in particular, thrashed about and shouted at Arlong, "Boss Arlong, think of something! Are you just going to watch us all get killed?! When you led us away from the Grand Line to the East Blue, you promised to build an Arlong Empire here! I... I don't want to die!"
"Mm! Mm! Mm!"
Arlong, his mouth mangled and unable to speak clearly, glared fiercely. Summoning all his strength, he broke free of his restraints just enough to take a step forward before collapsing to his knees at Xayuki's feet.
"I... I was wrong!" Arlong stammered, his voice garbled but loud. "Fleet Admiral Xayuki... I take full responsibility! Please, spare Hatchan and the others! I'll take all the blame!"
As he spoke, Arlong prepared to bow his head to the ground in submission.
But before his forehead could touch the ground, Morgan stepped forward and yanked him back.
Even so, Arlong continued to beg desperately, slamming his head against the ground repeatedly.
"Wrong?"
Xayuki adjusted his collar slightly, his expression cold and emotionless. "If everyone who committed heinous crimes could escape punishment by kneeling and begging for forgiveness, what would we need the Marines for?"
He paused, leaning forward slightly to look down at Arlong, who was still kowtowing. His voice was devoid of any emotion.
"You're not apologizing because you know you were wrong. You're apologizing because you know you're about to die."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Before Xayuki's words had even fully settled, three gunshots rang out.
Hatchan collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud. Though the executioners had followed the same protocol—two shots to the chest, one to the head—one of the soldiers, worried about Hatchan's rumored resilience as a fish-man, muttered, "Octopuses are tough," before emptying the rest of his magazine into the body.
Seeing this, even Smoker, a hardened Marine, couldn't help but turn his head away, unwilling to watch further.
Tashigi, on the other hand, stood frozen in place, her expression blank as she stared at Xayuki, who sat calmly on the chair.
Tashigi had followed Smoker to the East Blue from Loguetown, but her career had started at Marine Headquarters. She had even participated in the officer training program there, where she had come to know Xayuki during his time as a vice admiral.
In her memory, Xayuki was a kind, righteous, and approachable leader, well-loved and respected by both her peers and senior officers.
He had even personally cared for her during her training, gifting her a Skillful Grade Sword, Kashu, upon her graduation.
At the time, she had been so ecstatic that she nearly threw herself at him, as she was a known sword enthusiast with a passion for collecting blades.
But now, the man she once admired as gentle and caring had transformed into someone so decisive and ruthless. It was a stark contrast that left her heart reeling.
Finally, with the last three gunshots, Arlong met his end, paying the ultimate price for his crimes. His lifeless body was dragged away like a discarded fish and thrown into a large pit in the courtyard.
As Arlong's body was removed, Nojiko, who had been standing beside Genzo, could no longer hold back. She rushed forward, shouting toward Xayuki, "Marine officer, I—"
"Stop!"
Before she could finish, Morgan stepped in to block her path. "Young lady, the Fleet Admiral has no time to deal with you right now!"
"Please, calm down!" Genzo hurried over, shouting as he ran. "This child is an orphan of war! Her mother... their mother was once a Marine! I beg you, show mercy!"
Xayuki raised his hand, signaling Morgan to step aside. He gestured for Genzo and Nojiko to approach.
"Come here."
"Fleet Admiral..."
Genzo, under the watchful eyes of the Marines and officers, approached cautiously. The overwhelming presence of Xayuki and the other Headquarters officers was so intimidating that he didn't dare lift his head.
"I'm sorry," Genzo stammered. "It's my failure to discipline her properly. Please forgive her for offending you."
Xayuki ignored Genzo, instead activating his Observation Haki to scan the entirety of Arlong Park.
Looking at Nojiko, he spoke gently, "Nojiko, the person you're looking for is on the top floor of the building behind me. I believe she needs you now."
"Really?"
Hearing this, Nojiko didn't even have time to thank him before turning and running toward the building.
As Nojiko disappeared into the hall, Xayuki turned to the Headquarters officers standing nearby.
"Gion."
"Sir!"
Gion stepped forward immediately.
Xayuki rose from his seat, speaking slowly.
"I will be conducting a one-week Eastern Tour of the East Blue."
"Send my orders to Marine Headquarters and all branch bases."
"Tell them that when my tour ends, I want a list of all Headquarters and branch personnel who have contributed to Justice over the past decade. Whether they are currently serving or have left the Marines, anyone who has made significant contributions must be rewarded and recognized."
"For those who have fallen, whether officers or soldiers, they will be posthumously honored as Marine Heroes. Their families will be designated as Heroic Marine Families, protected by the Marines for generations."
"Anyone who harms a Heroic Marine Family will be treated as a pirate."
"That's the first order."
"For the second..."
Xayuki's tone grew colder.
"Immediately issue a Pirate Annihilation Order to all branches in the East Blue. Conduct a carpet search and hunt down every pirate."
"During this time, I don't want to hear any reports about the process. I only want pirates dead."
To Be Continued...
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