"Arlong is dead?!"
Nami and Nojiko looked at Arlong's gruesome corpse, and with mixed emotions of joy and sorrow, they embraced and cried.
Their mother's murderer was finally dead.
Arlong, who had enslaved Cocoyashi Village for six years, was dead just like that.
"Hehe, His Majesty Jack, Arlong's head is worth 20 million Berries. I wonder..."
Eric rubbed his hands, his eyes full of a craving for Berries.
This was the highest bounty for a 'Great Pirate' in the East Blue.
It would take Eric a long time to earn 20 million Berries.
If it weren't for Eric's apprehension about the Fishman race's threat to warships, and his fear of Arlong, a Fishman, posing a threat to him as a Devil Fruit user...
He, a Bounty Hunter who also enjoyed destroying pirate ships, would have long ago found a way to hunt down this 'strongest pirate' of the East Blue.
Of course, Eric still preferred to bully new pirate crews.
After all, soft persimmons were easier to squeeze.
"You cannot take what I do not give..."
As this expansion war neared its end, and the mercenary mission was about to conclude, Jake's attitude towards Eric instantly underwent a huge change.
"Your Majesty..."
Eric was startled by Jake's gaze, his heart jumped, and a sense of unease welled up in his mind.
"This Arlong is a close friend and relative of the Shichibukai, Jinbe the Knight of the Sea. If you kill him, it won't be easy for you to get by in these seas from now on."
"I would like to invite Mr. Eric to join the Goa Kingdom's Royal Guard. Do you have any interest?"
"After joining the Royal Guard, not only will you receive the protection of the Goa Kingdom, but Arlong's bounty will also be given to you."
At the final stop of the Four Nations Conquest War in the East Blue, Jake finally revealed his 'fox's tail'.
He immediately began to use both the carrot and the stick on Eric.
If Eric still didn't understand after that, then Jake could only adjust his flexible moral bottom line and take action against Eric, who had been a diligent mercenary.
Jango and these pirate slaves were examples for Eric.
"What?"
"Arlong is the Shichibukai's brother?"
Eric's face was covered in cold sweat. As a Bounty Hunter based in the Upside-down Mountain sea area, he knew the terror of the Shichibukai, a group of legitimate pirate plunderers.
Even if Jinbe the Knight of the Sea killed him, the World Government wouldn't intervene on Jinbe's behalf.
Even Nami and Nojiko, hearing that Arlong had such 'backing' and 'connections', couldn't help but feel incredibly worried about the future of Cocoyashi Village.
"No wonder Arlong could connect with Captain Nezumi. So that's how it is!"
Eric was a little afraid. He seemed to have been tricked by Jake. He had wanted to settle the mercenary fee and then stay far away from Jake.
But he had still fallen into the trap.
"How about it?"
Jake asked again, his tone indifferent.
"Your Majesty has excellent methods, I am convinced."
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Eric's face fluctuated between cloudy and clear. After a long period of contemplation, he gave a bitter smile, knelt on one knee before Jake, and reluctantly accepted his fate.
From now on, he could only rely on the prestige of the Goa Kingdom's Allied Kingdoms to avoid retaliation from the Shichibukai Jinbe the Knight of the Sea.
"Welcome to the Goa Empire! Eric."
Jake shook the slave collar in his hand and chuckled softly.
This fellow really wouldn't shed tears until he saw the coffin.
He should behave well and work hard from now on.
"It is my honor to serve Your Majesty."
Eric's mouth twitched slightly. This King was truly domineering.
However, the name Goa Empire sounded good. Was the Goa Kingdom about to achieve promotion?
"Van Augur, how about joining my Royal Guard and becoming the captain of the sniper unit?"
Jake invited Van Augur again.
"As you command, my King."
Van Augur had no other small actions and directly accepted Jake's invitation, because he knew he couldn't resist.
"This golden sniper rifle, I'll give it to you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Van Augur directly took the golden sniper rifle bestowed by Jake and slung it over his back.
He was also very satisfied with the performance and power of this golden sniper rifle, which was no less than 'Thousand Lands'.
Seeing Van Augur receive Jake's reward, Eric remembered his own reward. He immediately used a Wind Blade to cut off Arlong's head.
This 20 million Berries, he wouldn't refuse it for nothing.
He wanted to buy a luxurious residence in High Town, the most beautiful kingdom in the East Blue, and enjoy life.
Perhaps he could even become a high-ranking general of the Goa Empire in the future.
As Eric and Van Augur joined the Royal Guard, other mercenaries and Bounty Hunters also requested to join Jake's command.
They were very optimistic about the Goa Empire's development potential.
Thus, all these Bounty Hunters, hired with money, became the strength of the Goa Empire.
Jake also made Eric the captain of a special unit under the Royal Guard, temporarily leading these Bounty Hunters.
---
"Next, clear out these Fishmen!"
Jake prepared to release all the Fishmen and slaughter them all.
Don't tell him that there are kind Fishmen among them.
Since these Fishmen enjoyed the profits of enslaving over twenty villages.
Then there were no innocent Fishmen.
Those who enjoy the benefits are guilty.
"Your Majesty, one Fishman is worth 1 million Berries."
Eric again showed his greedy expression.
He remembered that the Arlong Pirates still had two wanted criminals: Kuroobi with a bounty of 9 million Berries, and Chu with a bounty of 5.5 million Berries.
"Am I short on this money?!"
"This King does not do such unethical things as human trafficking!"
"We are still in the midst of war!"
Jake didn't have that much time to individually judge these Fishmen and distinguish their good from evil.
Killing them now in this Four Nations Conquest War would settle everything, saving him trouble.
Otherwise, he would have to argue with the World Government, the Marine, Fishman Island, and Jinbe the Knight of the Sea.
"..., Yes!"
Eric reluctantly closed his mouth.
This King kept saying that these Fishmen were related to the Shichibukai Jinbe the Knight of the Sea.
Yet, he turned around and wanted to kill them all without exception.
Did His Majesty Jack truly fear Jinbe the Knight of the Sea?
Nami and Nojiko, hearing Jake decide the lives of these Fishmen in just a few sentences, couldn't help but look at Jake with fear.
"Everyone, listen to my command, this is war, kill!"
Jake waved his hand, and all the Royal Guard soldiers raised their weapons. Even Eric and Van Augur were ready.
"Fire!"
At Jake's command, all the soldiers fired in the direction Jake indicated.
Eric's dense Wind Blades and Van Augur's sniper bullets poured out.
Batch after batch of Fishmen appeared in the dense gunfire.
"Ah!"
Continuous screams rang out.
Aside from the dozen or so Fishmen previously sniped by Van Augur and the three Fishmen killed by the sisters Nami and Nojiko.
The remaining eighty or ninety Fishmen were all engulfed in the gunfire.
Even Hachi didn't escape.
He went to hell with the cadres Kuroobi and Chu, to accompany Arlong.
If Silvers Rayleigh dared to stand up for Hachi, Jake would wait for him in the East Blue!
Anyway, Jake had already killed Sabo's biological parents.
He didn't care about having one more pirate enemy.
Now he was an Allied Kingdoms King.
If Rayleigh dared to show his face, Jake would directly apply to the World Government to take down Shakky and Rayleigh of the Sabaody Archipelago.
As the gunfire subsided, a pile of Fishman corpses was left on the ground.
Nami and Nojiko covered each other's eyes, not daring to look at the cruel scene.