Sabaody Archipelago, District 13.
Today, Shakky was in a rather good mood.
As the former empress of the Amazon Lily Kingdom, she had long since withdrawn from the kingdom's affairs, yet she continued to keep a watchful eye on it from the shadows. Ever since the rise of a ruthless new Fleet Admiral at Marine Headquarters, Shakky had been worried that the current empress, Boa Hancock, might face retribution.
After all, Hancock was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and judging by the temperament of this young and iron-blooded Fleet Admiral, it was obvious he wouldn't tolerate the continued existence of the Warlords, who straddled the line between pirates and Marines.
However, her worries proved unnecessary. This young Marine king didn't eliminate the Warlords entirely. Instead, he subdued them one by one, making an example of some to bring the others to heel.
What the other Warlords were plotting in the depths of their hearts was none of Shakky's concern. All she knew was that Hancock had made the wisest choice. With the protection of the man who dared to make the Holy Land sign the Marijoa Treaty, the Amazon Lily Kingdom could rest easy for years to come.
Most importantly, Shakky had just received the latest intelligence: the Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters had suddenly descended upon the East Blue, bringing with him the Warlords he had subdued.
Why the Fleet Admiral had come to the East Blue, Shakky didn't care. Whether the other Warlords had accompanied him or not was irrelevant. The fact that Xayuki had brought Hancock along indicated that her performance at Headquarters had been exemplary.
"Hm?"
Shakky suddenly turned her head toward the corner of the bar.
There, Rayleigh sat alone, staring blankly at a Vivre Card that had burned to ashes before him.
Shakky paused for a moment, then left the bar counter and walked over.
"You're not going to coat ships today?" she asked, glancing at the charred remains of the Vivre Card. "Is it because of this?"
"Hatchan is dead," Rayleigh replied solemnly, his voice tinged with sadness. He shook his head with a bitter smile. "I expected it, but it still hurts. I guess I'm really getting old."
Hearing this, Shakky fell silent.
When news of the Arlong Pirates attacking a Marine warship had reached Marine Headquarters, both Shakky and Rayleigh had anticipated that Xayuki, the newly appointed Fleet Admiral, would take action.
Setting aside Xayuki's personal temperament, no pirate force could attack the Marines at this time without consequences. For Xayuki, who had just assumed command as Fleet Admiral, such an act was tantamount to a declaration of war.
Most importantly, Xayuki had recently executed Edward Weevil, publicly humiliated the Warlords, and made them submit. He had made a grand spectacle before the entire world. Under such circumstances, even the Four Emperors of the New World would tread carefully, let alone a mere crew like the Arlong Pirates.
Indeed, even the Beasts Pirates, led by Kaido, had grown unusually quiet after one of their own, the Warlord Hana, was killed by Xayuki.
If even Kaido's crew chose to bide their time, the Arlong Pirates' decision to stir up trouble was nothing short of digging their own graves.
However, while they had anticipated Xayuki's swift response, they hadn't expected him to personally descend upon the East Blue, especially when Kaido's movements in the New World remained uncertain.
After a brief silence, Shakky tentatively asked, "Do you need to go to the East Blue? No matter what, Hatchan was your benefactor..."
Before she could finish, Rayleigh shook his head firmly. "Once he chose the life of a pirate, I believe he was prepared to face death. To have the Fleet Admiral himself come for him... he died a death worthy of his name."
East Blue, Cocoyasi Village.
In front of the gates of Arlong Park, Nojiko, with her short purple hair, stood side by side with a young girl in a dress with short orange hair. The girl, about twelve or thirteen years old, blinked her teary brown eyes as she watched the Marines inside the park count the treasure and Belly that the Arlong Pirates had plundered over the years.
This young girl was Nami, who had been rescued as an infant by the Marine soldier Bellemere during a battlefield mission. Afterward, Bellemere had settled in Cocoyasi Village with Nami and Nojiko.
"Nojiko, are the Arlong Pirates... really gone?"
After watching the Marines work for a moment, Nami turned her tear-streaked face toward Nojiko and choked out, "These Marines... they won't be like the ones before, will they?"
"They won't," Nojiko said, shaking her head. She pointed to the young figure seated on the throne that once belonged to Arlong.
"See that Marine officer? He's the Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters! I heard from Genzo that the Fleet Admiral has issued a Pirate Annihilation Order. All Marine branches in the East Blue will begin hunting down every pirate immediately!"
As she spoke, Nojiko's voice grew thick with emotion. "If only this man had become Fleet Admiral sooner, Bellemere wouldn't have..."
Before she could finish, Tashigi suddenly approached them in a hurry.
"Nojiko, Nami—"
"Come with me. The Fleet Admiral wants to see you!"
Without waiting for a response, Tashigi grabbed their hands and led them back toward the park.
At the same time, Ain, standing beside Xayuki, handed him a report. Her expression was serious as she spoke.
"Fleet Admiral, the treasure plundered from Cocoyasi Village by the Arlong Pirates has been fully accounted for. Additionally, the archives of the 16th Branch have just confirmed that there was indeed a Marine soldier named Bellemere stationed there. She participated in a mission to eliminate pirates within the Oykot Kingdom, which falls under the 16th Branch's jurisdiction. During the mission, she discovered two children. When one of them fell gravely ill, she left the Marines to seek medical treatment for them."
"According to Bellemere's commanding officer, she was a brave soldier despite being a woman."
"After leaving the Marines, Bellemere lost contact with the 16th Branch. When the Arlong Pirates began their oppressive rule over the nearby villages, she sent a letter to the branch pleading for help. Unfortunately, the branch's commander at the time, Captain Nezumi, had already colluded with Arlong. In the end, Bellemere was killed by Arlong's gun."
"According to the villagers and Genzo, the Arlong Pirates imposed a tax on the villagers: ten thousand Belly per adult and five thousand per child each month. Bellemere managed to scrape together ten thousand Belly, enough to save herself, but she chose to give the chance to live to her two adopted daughters."
Ain paused, her eyes reddening as she looked up at Xayuki.
"Fleet Admiral, Bellemere never disgraced her identity as a Marine. She bravely fought against Arlong, though her strength was limited. Even so, she didn't beg for her life. Instead, she faced Arlong's gun with dignity and met her end with pride."
"According to some villagers, during her fight with Arlong, Bellemere proudly declared that she was once a soldier!"
"Therefore, I believe Bellemere should be posthumously honored as a Marine Hero!"
As Ain finished speaking, Genzo, who had been standing silently nearby, could no longer hold back his emotions. His shoulders trembled as tears streamed down his face.
To him, the Marines' timely arrival to eliminate the Arlong Pirates was already an unexpected blessing.
But never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that Bellemere, who had left the Marines years ago to raise two war orphans, would once again be recognized by the Marine leadership. And now, she was being proposed as a Marine Hero.
"Nojiko, Nami—"
"Thank the Fleet Admiral!"
Genzo, overwhelmed with emotion, pulled the two girls forward and knelt before Xayuki. His voice trembled as he shouted, "Fleet Admiral, on behalf of Bellemere... thank you!"
At that moment, more voices of gratitude erupted.
Looking toward the source, Xayuki saw all the villagers kneeling outside the gates of Arlong Park, tears streaming down their faces as they clutched the money the Marines had returned to them.
"Thank you, Fleet Admiral!"
"Long live the Fleet Admiral!"
"You're our savior, Fleet Admiral!"
The unexpected display left the Marines stunned. Unsure of what to do, they all looked to Xayuki for guidance.
Xayuki hadn't anticipated this either. After a brief moment of surprise, he frowned slightly, then stood up and spoke in a deep voice.
"What are you doing?"
His words silenced the crowd.
But despite his question, none of the villagers, including Genzo, stood up. Instead, they seemed even more fearful under Xayuki's imposing presence.
Seeing this, Xayuki stepped forward and placed a hand on Genzo's shoulder. His sharp gaze swept across the crowd as he spoke.
"From this day forward, if any evil force, noble, king, or even a Celestial Dragon demands that you bow and kneel..."
"Do not submit. Do not grovel for survival. Instead, stand tall, like Bellemere did, and let them know the pride of the oppressed!"
"In the past, I lacked the authority to change the world. But from now on, I stand with you!"
"Remember my words!"
Xayuki's voice grew louder, each word resonating like a drumbeat.
"Stand up!"
"All of you, stand up!"
To Be Continued...
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