BANG!
Cage decisively pulled the trigger. The black bullet, coated in Haki, shot out of the barrel and streaked toward Chinjao.
Chinjao immediately felt a mortal threat. His stunned eyes, in a strange premonition, saw his own gruesome death.
"Ridiculous! How could I be killed by a punk like this?!" Chinjao shook his head fiercely and roared, "Full-Body Armament Haki!!"
Vwoom vwoom vwoom~~
In an instant, Chinjao's massive body was completely covered in Armament Haki. His thick body became a veritable iron fortress, making him look even bulkier.
But...
BOOM!
The Haki-coated bullet hit Chinjao and exploded. His Haki-covered chest was ripped open like a puddle of mud.
"Gaahhhhhh...!"
Chinjao screamed, his voice piercing the clouds. The shrill sound sent a chill down everyone's spines.
He was no longer recognizable. Chinjao's chest was completely pierced, his internal organs instantly blasted to pieces. The gaping hole, large enough to fit an adult's arm, made everyone's eyelids twitch.
His so-called Armament Haki was utterly useless.
"See... I told you. If I get serious, you're just a one-shot kill," Cage said with a dismissive smirk, looking at the large hole in Chinjao's abdomen.
"Gaahhhhhh..."
Chinjao had no time to respond to Cage. He continued to scream, blood spewing from his mouth.
"I can't believe I was killed by a mere bullet! It's not fair!!!" Chinjao's massive body collapsed to the ground, his ghost-like eyes glaring at Cage.
The veins on his legs bulged as he tried to stand up several times, but he couldn't. To be killed so ingloriously by Cage was too humiliating; he wanted to at least drag Cage down with him.
But his wishes were no match for the cruel reality. Chinjao stared blankly at his empty abdomen... No, he no longer had an abdomen; it was completely blown away by Cage's shot, leaving him unable to muster any strength.
"Rear Admiral Cage."
Ain was also in shock. Chinjao's power was known worldwide. Even though he was old now and perhaps not as strong as he was in his prime, his strength was still incredibly formidable. Marine Headquarters would agree that only a person of Admiral rank could truly defeat him.
But now, he had fallen to Cage, a rookie who had been in the Marines for less than a year.
"After you die... the Kano Country will also be destroyed by the Marines," Cage said, meeting Chinjao's murderous gaze without fear.
"..."
Chinjao said nothing, but the venom in his eyes grew threefold.
The Kano Country had officially sanctioned pirate crews. Before, the Marines were wary of Chinjao's presence, but now that he was finished, the Marines had no reservations.
Chinjao could already envision the future of the Kano Country being brutally slaughtered. He wanted to help his country get rid of this scourge, but no matter how hard he tried, his legs wouldn't stand up.
"Everyone... I'm sorry. I left you with a heinous bastard," Chinjao said, bowing his head in shame, his old face filled with sorrow and dejection.
"Heinous? For a pirate, you've got some nerve. When you were wantonly plundering others, did you ever consider you'd meet an end like this? This is all your own fault. Every pirate deserves to die. Why regret it now when you didn't think twice then? The moment you became a pirate, your fate was sealed," Cage said coldly, his eyes held a disdain aimed at the pirate for harboring such thoughts in his final moments.
"Do you know why I'm leaving your corpse behind?"
"You're a pirate of considerable wealth. Even in death, I'll wring out your value!"
Cage stared at Chinjao, continuing his cruel lecture. "Ain, hang this guy up. I want every pirate in the West Blue to see him. Let's see how many of them still dare to be pirates!"
"What kind of 'Great Pirate Era' bullshit is that? That Pirate King Roger was the source of all this chaos, inciting a bunch of young people to pursue some laughable idea of freedom. Your so-called freedom is built on the suffering of others. As long as I'm alive... as long as I have breath in my lungs, I'll kill every single pirate I see!"
Cage's eyes were red. He would never forget his hometown being destroyed, his parents dying under pirates' blades, the old, the weak, and the women and children all being killed. Whatever they could steal, they stole; whatever they couldn't, they burned down. What right did these demons have to live? To talk about some ridiculous pursuit of freedom and adventure?
"Isn't that going too far? If this gets back to Marine Headquarters, it might negatively affect Rear Admiral Cage, and even harm his future career," Ain said worriedly. Cage's ruthlessness had already made many people unhappy.
"I don't care. I didn't join the Marines for promotions or money. These things will happen if they happen."
Cage waved his hand and turned to leave.
"Oh..."
Ain sighed as she watched Cage's back. She could understand his state of mind. His parents had been killed by pirates; anyone in his shoes would hate pirates with a passion.
Half a day later, the news of Chinjao's gruesome death, and his body being hung up to be left in the sun, reached Marine Headquarters.
"Chinjao was killed by Cage!?"
The most shocked person was Garp. Even though the guy was old and not as strong as he was in his prime, his power was still incredibly immense. The only people in Marine Headquarters who could truly defeat Chinjao were of Admiral rank.
But now, he had been taken down by Cage, a rookie who had been in the Marines for less than a year.
Not only at Marine Headquarters, but the news of Chinjao's death also caused a stir in the New World. He was a well-known figure, after all, and to be killed by a fledgling Marine Rear Admiral? Who wouldn't be surprised?
"It's a good thing he defeated Chinjao, but the boy's methods are too extreme. Killing him is one thing, but hanging up his corpse to dry... it damages our Marine image," Aokiji said, frowning at the intelligence he was holding.
It was a photo of Chinjao with a large part of his abdomen missing, a rope tied around his neck, and his whole body suspended.
"Cage explained that it was to deter the wicked and make an example of him. The West Blue is too chaotic with various forces intertwined. Only such a ruthless method can have an effect the fastest," Sengoku explained.
"A deterrent is a deterrent, but the Marines should still be a force of justice," Garp also agreed with Aokiji's point of view.
"He's just a dead man. Why worry about it? We're just making the most of him."
Akainu interjected, his eyes gleaming. "Since none of you seem to like it, I'd like to bring Cage under my command."
"We can talk about that later," Sengoku said, shaking his head. Two hardcore hawkish Marines coming together could only mean a bloodbath.
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