Soon, under the command of their deputy officer, corpses were fished out of the sea one by one for identification.
If they were civilians, they would be piled separately, allowing surviving civilians to claim their relatives' remains.
If they were pirates, their heads would be chopped off directly, and their bodies thrown into a freshly dug pit.
Corpse after corpse gradually filled the pit. When it was full, a Navy soldier threw in a torch.
While the soldiers were busy working, thunderous sounds echoed from afar.
The Navy soldiers all looked up in confusion, searching for the direction of the noise.
Soon, a black dot appeared in the distant sky, approaching Lohmadi Island at an incredible speed.
It was Zephyr, pushing his body to the limit to get here.
Zephyr's body was now severely exhausted; his powerful thighs were torn and bleeding, droplets of blood falling into the sea from his legs.
It was hard to imagine that someone who could be considered gravely injured could still accelerate after catching sight of Lohmadi Island.
He soared through the air, tracing an arc as he rushed toward Raleigh.
"Argh!"
Zephyr no longer had any strength left to control his body and could only crash toward the ground beside his wife.
Witnessing this, Raleigh was moved by Zephyr's devotion.
A few gentle breezes rose from the ground, cushioning Zephyr's fall from the sky and delivering him safely to his wife's side.
"Frida..."
Ignoring the tearing pain surging through his body, Zephyr crawled over and held her remains tightly.
"Frida..."
This man, who had never flinched no matter how severe his injuries were in battles against pirates, only realized how fragile he was when he saw his wife's body.
Tears streamed endlessly from Zephyr's eyes like a small river.
Raleigh tactfully stepped away, leaving the space to Zephyr and his deceased wife.
There was still much to do on the island; it wasn't over just because the pirates had been dealt with.
He needed to gather the remaining islanders, help them search for missing relatives, and organize repairs to their homes to ensure their survival.
At the same time, the spoils seized from the pirates in this battle had to be accounted for, and the pirate corpses needed to be disposed of quickly.
As the sky grew dim, Raleigh finally managed to handle most of the tasks at hand.
Only then did a messenger approach.
"Vice Admiral Raleigh, Admiral Zephyr has something he wishes to say to you."
Upon hearing this, Raleigh handed over the remaining tasks to his adjutant and walked toward Zephyr's room.
Inside the room, Zephyr's figure appeared exceptionally lonely.
His son Carl was tightly clinging to his neck, fast asleep with tears at the corners of his eyes.
Clearly, after seeing his father, the poor child had cried himself to sleep again.
When Raleigh entered, Zephyr's furrowed brow relaxed slightly as his hoarse voice broke the silence.
"Raleigh, thank you for stepping in and allowing this poor child to survive."
Raleigh responded with a heavy expression, "Zephyr-sensei, this was something I should have done, both emotionally and logically."
Zephyr showed no change in expression and continued as if speaking to himself.
"Perhaps I've truly grown old. This era should be left to you young people from now on. I'll go to the headquarters' military academy as the chief instructor and properly accompany this little one as he grows up."
Raleigh's brow furrowed.
It was hard to imagine that a resilient man like Zephyr would consider retiring from the front lines after suffering such a blow.
Perhaps having already lost his wife, he couldn't bear the thought of losing a son as well.
But Raleigh couldn't agree with this decision.
"Zephyr-sensei!" Raleigh's tone turned firm, then he paused before continuing.
"Zephyr-sensei, although the pirates here have been eliminated by Enel, there are still many pirates wreaking havoc across the world. What we should do is make these pirates fear the very mention of the Navy! We must make them experience terror, make them understand suffering! This is what we should be focusing on most."
Hearing Raleigh's words, Zephyr glanced up at him briefly before quickly lowering his head again.
"You're right, Raleigh, but I don't want to think about that right now. Perhaps you young people are better suited for this task. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I'll provide you with all the support I can."
Having received this response, Raleigh could only sigh in resignation.
Although this differed from his initial expectations, Zephyr's words contained profound meaning.
Perhaps Zephyr had sensed there was more behind the pirates' attack than met the eye, making him unwilling to take further risks.
He'd rather relinquish his admiral position and choose to protect his child as an instructor at headquarters.
Furthermore, even though Zephyr wouldn't take direct action in this matter, he would undoubtedly stand by Raleigh's side in whatever he chose to do in the future.
With this understanding, Raleigh left the room, giving the father and son their space.
...
The next morning, a solemn melody echoed across Lohmadi Island.
Countless surviving citizens placed white chrysanthemums, symbolizing mourning and remembrance, before a memorial stone.
This was the people's spontaneous act following the great battle.
On the other side of the island, the Navy was also conducting a ceremony.
Numerous reporters fought back nausea as they photographed the mound of corpses piled mountain-high.
Raleigh stood before the mound of severed heads, his expression exceptionally grave.
A newspaper reporter, suppressing his discomfort, raised his microphone to ask.
"Vice Admiral Raleigh, why did you decapitate these pirates and pile their heads into this mound?"
A flicker of sorrow passed through Raleigh's eyes before he replied in a low voice.
"This pirate rampage caused massive civilian casualties, including family members of Navy personnel. The reason we decapitated them and made this mound of corpses is to make them understand the consequences of their evil deeds."
Then, another reporter raised their microphone and said, "Vice Admiral Raleigh, isn't your treatment of pirates excessively brutal and devoid of humanity?"
Upon hearing this question, a fierce glint suddenly flashed in Raleigh's eyes as he glared sharply at the reporter.
The reporter, frightened by Raleigh's gaze, dropped the microphone in shock.
Staring intently at the reporter, Raleigh spoke word by word.
"Why didn't you mention cruelty when pirates were slaughtering civilians? Why didn't you mention cruelty when pirates used women and children as playthings? For scum of the seas, they don't deserve to be called human, nor do they deserve human rights. I'll make them understand that becoming pirates was the biggest regret of their lives."
The reporter was so terrified by the killing intent emanating from Raleigh that they couldn't utter another word.
Others quickly recorded Raleigh's words and took photos of him.
In the photos, Raleigh's face was filled with murderous intent, his eyes fixed dead on the camera lens.
Behind him stood a small mountain of severed pirate heads with unseeing eyes, sending chills down the spines of anyone who saw the photo.
That same day, these reporters returned to their newspaper offices, handed their photos and notes to colleagues, then took leave to recuperate.
With the Navy's behind-the-scenes promotion, the newspapers quickly spread worldwide.
Vice Admiral Christian Raleigh once again dominated the world's newspapers, met with mixed reactions.
The public seemed somewhat fearful of this intensely murderous Raleigh, while pirates worried even more that this god of death might come for them and add their heads to the mound of corpses.
Some delinquent youths considering piracy firmly suppressed such thoughts after seeing the newspaper.
They dreamed of freely exploring the world, not encountering the god of death Raleigh after becoming pirates.
In short, Raleigh's influence continued to expand worldwide!
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