With Gion delivering Fleet Admiral Xayuki's orders, the Marine bases across the East Blue immediately responded.
Captain Morgan, still energized after being personally treated by the Fleet Admiral, wasted no time. He was unwilling to linger in Cocoyasi Village for even a moment longer. Leading the soldiers of the 153rd Branch, he set sail back to his jurisdiction and became the first to implement the Fleet Admiral's directive. He launched a comprehensive search of the waters under his command.
Similarly, Smoker, the highest-ranking officer in Loguetown, was no exception. Driven more by his commitment to capturing pirates than by political ambitions, he faithfully carried out the Fleet Admiral's orders. After issuing the Pirate Annihilation Order, he personally led his warship out of Cocoyasi Village.
Soon, the Marine branches throughout the East Blue followed suit, one after another issuing the Pirate Annihilation Order. Warships departed from their respective ports, sailing in grand fleets toward the open sea.
Cocoyasi Village.
After receiving a portion of the money they had paid to the Arlong Pirates as "life-buying money," the villagers gradually left Arlong Park. Inspired by Fleet Admiral Xayuki's words, "I stand with you," they walked with their heads held high, their steps brimming with newfound confidence.
Among them, Genzo felt an overwhelming surge of emotion.
It wasn't just about reclaiming the treasure and Belly stolen by the Arlong Pirates. What shook him to his core was the fact that Bellemere had truly been posthumously honored as a Marine Hero. Her home, left to Nami and Nojiko, had even been marked as a Heroic Marine Family Residence.
This designation meant that as long as Nami and Nojiko lived righteously and upheld justice, they would be under the lifelong protection of the Marines.
Taking Nami and Nojiko with him, Genzo didn't return home. Instead, he went straight to Bellemere's grave.
"Bellemere!"
As soon as he arrived, Genzo couldn't contain his emotions. With a thud, he knelt before the tombstone, tears streaming down his face.
"I've got good news for you! The Arlong Pirates have been wiped out!"
"And it's all thanks to... the extraordinary Fleet Admiral of the Marines you once served!"
"He not only came to the East Blue himself to eliminate the Arlong Pirates but also issued an order to posthumously honor you as a Marine Hero. From now on, Nami and Nojiko will receive special care from the Marines!"
Looking at the grave and the image of Bellemere engraved on the tombstone, Genzo's voice softened.
"You... can rest in peace now."
Meanwhile, Xayuki had not yet left Arlong Park. After the villagers had departed, he turned and walked over to the open-air pool that connected to the sea. Standing by the edge, he gazed out at the endless ocean.
Suddenly, the sea before him surged violently, rising rapidly.
With a thunderous roar, a massive sea cow emerged from the depths.
Before Xayuki could react, Gion and Ain, who had been silently following him, simultaneously gripped the hilts of their swords and darted in front of him, their eyes fixed on the creature with utmost vigilance.
At the same time, a head surfaced beside the enormous sea cow.
"Jinbe?"
Both Gion and Ain exclaimed in unison when they saw the figure emerging from the water.
Jinbe said nothing. Instead, he slapped the water with his hand. A surge of immense power erupted, creating a towering curtain of water that arced through the air like a sea dragon before crashing into the pool behind Xayuki.
As the water dragon fell into the pool, seven or eight soldiers, who had been sent by Morgan to search the seabed for remnants of the Arlong Pirates, coughed and sputtered as they surfaced. They quickly swam out of the pool, soaking wet, and saluted Xayuki.
"Fleet Admiral!"
"You are—"
Looking at the drenched soldiers, Xayuki blinked in confusion. "Soldiers from the 153rd Branch?"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!"
The officer leading the group lowered his head in shame. "We were ordered by Captain Morgan to search the seabed for remnants of the Arlong Pirates, but we nearly lost our lives. Fortunately, this fish-man gentleman arrived in time to save us. Otherwise, we would have—"
Xayuki was momentarily taken aback. "Remnants of the Arlong Pirates?"
"Yes, that sea cow!" The officer's eyes lit up as he pointed to the massive sea cow floating on the sea's surface. "Captain Morgan said that since the Arlong Pirates caused the Fleet Admiral to lose a beloved subordinate, not even a sea cow should be spared. Even the worms in this park should be dug up and crushed!"
Hearing this, Gion, Ain, and the other officers standing beside Xayuki couldn't help but twitch their facial muscles.
Many of them were familiar with Captain Morgan's reputation—once a passionate and hardworking young officer, he had been held back by the corruption within the Marines for years. It wasn't until he met Xayuki during the coup that he was promoted to Captain of the 153rd Branch.
Under such circumstances, it was no surprise that Morgan would offer his unwavering loyalty to Xayuki.
However, Morgan's brand of loyalty was... unique, to say the least.
In a word: absolute.
"I see."
Looking at the officer's earnest expression, Xayuki couldn't help but chuckle. "In that case, consider the sea cow your reward. Take it back to the 153rd Branch and have a feast. But you'll need to figure out how to transport it yourselves since your captain has already set out to hunt pirates."
"What?!" The soldiers' eyes widened in shock.
"Off you go~" Xayuki waved dismissively. "When you return to base, tell Morgan to record this as a commendation for you. Tell him I said so."
"Yes, sir!"
Hearing that capturing the sea cow would earn them recognition, the soldiers were overjoyed. They saluted Xayuki enthusiastically and shouted, "Loyalty!"
As the soldiers mustered all their strength to drag the sea cow toward Cocoyasi Village to enlist the villagers' help in transporting it, Xayuki turned his attention to Jinbe, who had climbed ashore and now stood before him.
"Did you find Stoke?" Xayuki asked, his brow furrowing slightly.
"I did," Jinbe replied, keeping his head lowered and bowing slightly. "But we only found Captain Stoke, his adjutant, and two soldiers... along with the wreckage of their warship."
Before Xayuki could respond, Jinbe quickly added, "Please give me a few more days, Fleet Admiral. If there are still soldiers in the depths, I will bring them all back!"
"Don't make promises lightly," Xayuki said, waving his hand. "Finding Stoke is already a great help to me. I'll give you three more days. If you can recover more fallen soldiers, all the better. If not, I won't hold it against you."
With that, Xayuki gestured for Jinbe to step aside. Taking a step forward, he gazed out at the sea once more.
To Be Continued...
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