The villagers of Cocoyasi Village stood in silent awe as several massive Marine warships approached Arlong Park. The once noisy crowd immediately quieted down when they saw all the soldiers in the courtyard stand at attention, saluting toward the incoming fleet.
Some villagers, imitating the Marines, also raised their hands in salute toward the approaching ships.
Even Genzo and Nojiko, who had been anxiously searching for Nami, stopped in their tracks and stood behind Tashigi, their gazes fixed on the warships docking at the shore.
As the leading warship came to a halt, an overwhelming sense of pressure swept over the park like a tidal wave, causing everyone present to tense up instinctively.
On the deck, Fleet Admiral Xayuki, draped in his admiral's coat, scanned the entirety of Arlong Park from his elevated position. His sharp gaze finally rested on Arlong, who was pinned under Morgan's foot.
"Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters!"
Under the immense pressure emanating from the fleet admiral, Genzo, who had endured years of oppression under the Arlong Pirates, straightened his back and stood tall. His eyes glimmered with a light that had been extinguished ever since Arlong's arrival in the village.
Even though Arlong and his crew were now bound and subdued, Genzo had not dared to let his guard down completely. The collusion between Captain Nezumi and the Arlong Pirates had left a deep scar in his heart.
But this time was different. The Fleet Admiral himself had come. A man of such stature would never conspire with pirates.
Xayuki cast only a brief glance at the scene before leaping from the deck and walking into Arlong Park.
"Attention!"
As soon as Xayuki stepped into the park, Morgan took a deep breath and shouted with fervent excitement, "Salute the Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters, Lord Xayuki!"
"Loyalty!"
The soldiers from the 153rd Branch and the Loguetown Base stepped forward in unison, shouting the slogan that had been buried in their hearts for so long.
The sudden display of devotion left Smoker momentarily stunned.
He could understand the enthusiasm of the 153rd Branch soldiers, as Morgan was a captain personally appointed by Xayuki. But why were the soldiers from Loguetown joining in?
When Smoker had assumed command of Loguetown, Xayuki hadn't even initiated his coup yet. Could it be that the Loguetown Base had already been infiltrated by Xayuki before the coup?
The realization sent a cold sweat down Smoker's back. He was relieved that he had chosen to remain neutral when he received the call from Commander-in-Chief Kong during the coup. Had he shown even the slightest sign of resistance, the Loguetown soldiers might have torn him apart.
Even with his Smoke-Smoke Fruit powers, he might have escaped, but he would have been hunted as a fugitive by the entire world.
Xayuki continued walking without pause, raising his hand in a brief salute before stopping in front of Morgan.
Noticing Morgan's unbandaged wounds, Xayuki frowned slightly. Without hesitation, he tore a strip from his coat and began dressing Morgan's injuries with a serious expression.
"Fleet Admiral!"
Seeing the young leader personally tending to his wounds, Morgan's eyes reddened with emotion. The fierce captain who had fought valiantly against Arlong now found his voice trembling with a hint of sobs.
After finishing the bandages, Xayuki patted Morgan on the shoulder and turned to face the soldiers standing at attention. He nodded slightly and said, "Well done. You are the heroes of my Marines."
After a brief pause, Xayuki raised his voice. "Brothers, you've worked hard!"
Hearing this, all the soldiers took a step forward, shouting passionately in unison, "For Justice!"
"Good! Now—"
Xayuki swung his admiral's coat dramatically and strode toward the throne that had once belonged to Arlong. Standing before it, he issued a crisp command: "Bring forth the Arlong Pirates!"
At his order, the Marines rushed forward, dragging the bound members of the Arlong Pirates to kneel before Xayuki in a single line.
"Still daring to move?"
When Arlong, who had just been forced to kneel, raised his head slightly, the two officers escorting him immediately struck him on the head with the butts of their rifles.
However, instead of losing consciousness, Arlong seemed unfazed. He glared at Xayuki with his sharp, saw-like nose dripping blood and laughed maniacally.
"Zehahaha!" Fleet Admiral!"
"You..."
"You can't kill me!"
As he spoke, Arlong struggled violently against his restraints, roaring, "My boss is Jinbe, a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Before Xayuki could respond, Morgan snatched a rifle from a nearby soldier and emptied the magazine into Arlong's legs.
Not stopping there, Morgan raised his axe and brought it down on Arlong's jagged nose, severing it cleanly.
"What kind of status do you think you have, daring to shout at the Fleet Admiral?" Morgan growled, his voice filled with killing intent. "You're courting death!"
"Arghhh—!"
Arlong let out a blood-curdling scream as the pain overwhelmed him.
"Still screaming?"
Morgan smashed the axe's blunt side into Arlong's mouth, silencing him completely.
Xayuki watched the scene coldly, his expression devoid of any emotion as blood poured from Arlong's mouth.
Standing beside Xayuki, Gion (Momousagi) and Ain, along with a group of vice admirals, silently observed the kneeling pirates.
In the past, they might have intervened, as their mission had always been to capture pirates and leave their fate to the Judicial Department.
But those days were over. They now served under a young, iron-blooded fleet admiral, and they had to adapt to his methods.
Most importantly, this wasn't just about the Arlong Pirates. The death of Captain Stoke, a man of special significance, had warranted Xayuki's personal intervention.
At that moment, a figure leapt from the deck of the lead warship and landed respectfully beside Xayuki. It was none other than Jinbe, the Knight of the Sea.
"Boss Jinbe?!"
"Boss, save us!"
The officers of the Arlong Pirates—Hatchan, Kuroobi, and the others—raised their heads in excitement, their eyes lighting up with hope.
Even Arlong, despite his mangled mouth, looked toward Jinbe as if grasping at a lifeline.
But before they could utter another word, the Marines beside them silenced them with swift blows from their rifle butts.
"Fleet Admiral."
Jinbe ignored the pleas of the Arlong Pirates and knelt before Xayuki.
"The Arlong Pirates have committed heinous crimes," Jinbe said solemnly. "As their former captain, I am willing to bear the blame alongside them."
Hearing this, the hope in the eyes of the Arlong Pirates was extinguished, replaced by sheer terror.
"Jinbe, think carefully before you act on loyalty now," Xayuki said calmly. "Are you sure you can bear the consequences of this blame?"
Jinbe's face turned pale. Though Xayuki hadn't spelled it out, the implication was clear: if Jinbe took responsibility, it wouldn't just end with him. His Sun Pirates and all of Fish-Man Island would face the consequences as well.
Without waiting for Jinbe's response, Xayuki's tone shifted. "I only have one question."
He glanced briefly at the battered Arlong before turning his sharp gaze to the officers of the Arlong Pirates.
"Where did you ambush the Marine warship?"
"Whoever tells me first..."
"I know! I know!"
One of the fish-man pirates raised his head and blurted out, "Kuroobi has a map drawn by a little girl from Cocoyasi Village! We used it to ambush the ship. Kuroobi stopped the ship, and Hatchan created a whirlpool to drag it to the seabed!"
Xayuki nodded and turned back to Jinbe.
"Arlong was only able to continue his atrocities because of your former status as a Warlord. However, the Arlong Pirates are their own entity, and you are you. Considering your recent performance at Headquarters, I'll give you a chance to atone. Take this map and the fish-man who confessed, and retrieve the bodies of Stoke and the fallen soldiers. If you succeed, I won't hold all fish-men accountable."
"Yes, sir!" Jinbe replied without hesitation.
"Fleet Admiral, what should we do with these pirates?" Ain stepped forward, her gaze fixed on the kneeling Arlong Pirates.
Xayuki said nothing, merely waving his hand.
"I understand."
Ain unsheathed her sword, her voice icy.
"Prepare for execution!"
To Be Continued...
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
Explore More Amazing Fanfiction on My Patreon!
Unlock 30+ Advance Chapters and Enjoy Exclusive Stories Early!
��patreon.com/GoldenLong