Me, did I really kowtow?
"The first one is for Zephyr."
The faint voice went on calmly, "He was clearly your mentor, and a true Marine who upheld justice, yet just because he refused to wallow in the mud with the Heavenly Celestial Dragons, you actually struck at him with lethal intent, almost killing him with your own hands."
Zephyr stared blankly at this scene.
The Navy Grand Admiral who had just been boiling with killing intent and driven him into despair was now kneeling before him in such a humiliating posture, and had just knocked his head on the deck so hard even the seagulls in the sky could have heard it.
Zephyr sighed with a complicated look in his eyes, but quickly shook his head, grinned, took a cigar from his coat, lit it, and took a long, hard drag.
Bang!
Just as the cigar smoke was about to disperse, a second dull thud rang out.
Akainu's head was once again forced down onto the deck by the oppressive weight of the Supreme King, his forehead a mess of blood and torn flesh, blood splattering even farther.
"This second one is for the fallen soldiers of the Neo Navy."
Shano's gaze swept over the burning ruins around them, his voice cold. "The old days are fading, dawn is coming. They should have had a bright future, yet because of you few rabid dogs unworthy of being called human, they were buried in a sea of flames."
"Shano!"
Stirred awake by the pain, Akainu finally regained consciousness. The extreme humiliation and rage twisted his features, a beastlike growl rumbling from his throat:
"Kill you… I'll kill you! I will definitely kill you! Shano!!!"
Bang!
What answered him was an even harsher, faster third strike!
This time the force was especially heavy; Akainu's entire face was smashed against the deck, a gout of blood spraying from his mouth as several teeth shattered and flew out.
"This last one is for the me you almost strangled back then, for Robin, and for the countless civilians who died unjustly because of you."
When Akainu was once more dragged up by the invisible force, his face was already covered in blood, the bridge of his nose collapsed, his features completely distorted.
But his eyes still locked onto Shano, filled with icy hatred.
Humiliation…
Humiliation!!
Such humiliation!!!
When had he ever experienced something like this, when had he ever knelt and kowtowed before an enemy?
To a proud strong man, such a disgrace is worse than killing him… no, it's more painful than killing him a thousand, ten thousand times! Even harder to accept!
"You've kowtowed, you've apologized. Now."
Shano walked up to Akainu, slowly crouched down, and stared straight into those bloodshot eyes. "You can quietly go die now."
The oppressive pressure of the Supreme King dissipated at that moment.
Akainu suddenly felt his whole body loosen. Almost without the slightest hesitation, he let out a ferocious roar and lunged in a desperate attack!
"Go to hell, brat!!!"
The long-gathered magma erupted with a blinding red glow. This blow carried an unprecedented killing intent, pouring in every last drop of his Power, absolutely the strongest strike he had ever unleashed in his life!
"Meigo!"
This punch was as fast as lightning, and the distance between them was mere inches.
Zephyr and Aokiji didn't even have time to shout a warning before they saw the crimson magma already closing in on the tip of Shano's nose.
Szz.
A soft sound.
Shano simply raised his right hand casually and gently tapped forward with his index finger.
That slender finger pressed against Akainu's forehead, and just like that, he could no longer advance even a fraction.
The sea breeze blew past.
Time seemed to freeze in that instant.
Akainu's ferocious expression stiffened, because in terror he realized that all the Power in his body was rapidly receding, as though it had encountered some terrifying natural enemy and was being forcibly driven back inside.
Even more frightening, even his vaunted Mag-Mag Fruit Ability had completely stopped functioning at this moment!
"H-how is this possible?!"
Akainu's pupils shrank violently, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
He could clearly feel that Shano's seemingly ordinary finger was radiating a terrifying aura that made his hair stand on end.
"I told you already, didn't I."
Shano gazed at him calmly. "You can die now."
With that, his index finger bent ever so slightly.
Pop.
A light sound, like puncturing a bubble.
The next moment—
Boom!!!
Akainu's entire body suddenly exploded, turning into countless tiny points of light that scattered into the air. No blood, no scream, not even a speck of ash remained.