The residents shouted and cheered. Perhaps before witnessing the rescued Fish-Men and Merfolk, this respect stemmed from their support for King Neptune's actions, from their acknowledgment of the Navy's many efforts.
Several Merfolk staggered through the outer crowd, their voices trembling as they called out to their rescued friends and relatives.
"Tess? Is that you? Tess!"
"Lillian!"
Even though she had been saved from that hellhole by the Navy, the Merfolk named Tess still trembled uncontrollably. She stared in a daze at the friends and family she had thought she would never see again in this lifetime, tears streaming down her face.
A few Merfolk embraced her tightly.
"It's okay now, dear, it's okay. Everything will be fine."
Residents whose loved ones had been taken rushed frantically through the crowd, searching for their sons and daughters.
"Liam! My son!" An old Fish-Man, whose beard and hair had already turned white, wept tears of joy. He kissed his only son's forehead.
"You don't know how painful it was in the days you weren't here. Every day, everything in my eyes lost its meaning."
"Dad!" A young Fish-Man, his body covered in scars, grasped his elderly father's hands tightly, refusing to let go.
From the high platform, Neptune silently observed the somewhat chaotic scene. He waved his hand to stop the Sea King Army squad leader, who had been about to step in to maintain order.
Looking at the residents embracing each other below, the Sea God's eyes welled with tears as he murmured softly,
"This is good… this is good."
Sakazuki and the Marines stood quietly, watching the scene of families being reunited. Fish-Men, Merfolk, and Humans—before kinship and friendship, there was no distinction.
A few rescued Fish-Men, along with their families, supported each other as they approached Sakazuki. With a thud, they knelt before their saviors.
"Thank you! Thank you, esteemed Marines." The reunited residents wept uncontrollably.
Their actions set an example for the others. The old Fish-Man, reunited with his son, wept bitterly and knelt before several young Humans around his son's age.
"Lord Marines!"
"No, no, please get up." The Marine soldiers waved their hands repeatedly, a little unaccustomed to the situation. Although they were filled with pride, it was their first time seeing Fish-Men bow to them with such gratitude.
As more and more residents of Fish-Man Island knelt down, even those who hadn't lost any loved ones were moved by the atmosphere, sincerely kneeling in the direction of the Human Marines.
Holding the visual Den Den Mushi, Onigumo faithfully recorded this shocking scene—
An entire plaza, nearly ten thousand residents, bowing in unison to the Marines in gratitude.
The highest-ranking commander of this Human Marine force showed no trace of arrogance. He simply pressed down on the brim of his cap and spoke the thoughts of every Marine present.
"Please rise. This is our duty."
Unnoticed, Neptune had already silently descended from the high platform. The kneeling crowd parted to create a wide passage between him and the Marines.
Facing the victorious Marines, the ruler of Fish-Man Island raised his left hand, gripping his trident, while his right hand clenched into a fist and lightly tapped his chest.
"My friends, this honor is rightfully yours."
Sakazuki and Neptune walked side by side. Behind them, the Marines and Sea King Army soldiers formed two orderly ranks, their military presence solemn and imposing.
The civilians in the plaza slowly stood up, their eyes filled with gratitude and admiration as they watched the two commanders ascend the steps.
Sakazuki gestured behind him, signaling for them to bring forward the human traffickers and Macro. The Vice Admiral patiently waited until the tightly bound Macro and the slave traders carried up by the soldiers were in position. Only then did he speak loudly,
"Today, yet another massive criminal organization has been taken down. The Navy has destroyed seven human trafficking and pirate hideouts, rescuing over two thousand civilians."
"Everyone here should already know who these two kneeling on the platform are."
Sakazuki signaled Onigumo to adjust the Den Den Mushi's angle, giving the criminals a close-up shot.
"Macro, you damned scum!" A Merfolk woman, personally captured by the Swallower Eel Fish-Man, spoke hatefully. She gritted her silver teeth and pointed at the Fish-Man.
"It's him! He's the one who kept helping the traffickers capture us!"
"That's right! This bastard used his identity as a Fish-Man to lower our guard, then kidnapped us!"
"Die, you bastard!" The young Fish-Man covered in scars, his eyes bloodshot, shouted angrily. These wounds on his body had been inflicted by Macro to set an example for other slaves in the warehouse.
"What's going on?" Those unaware of the situation murmured among themselves.
Sakazuki pointed at the Fish-Man who was kneeling in complete despair on the platform.
"Macro, born in Fish-Man District, participated in this major human trafficking case, abducting his own kind and assisting Human pirates in covering up the truth."
Why do people hate traitors more than invaders?
Invaders destroy the body, take lives, and ruin homes.
But scum like this, who grew up in their homeland, eating its food, drinking its water, receiving its education and resources—yet, in the end, they worship the enemy, betray their own people, and smear their own nation.
Some even stood on the enemy's side and began persecuting their own compatriots! For the sake of personal gain, they did not hesitate to flatter the enemy, and they could act more ruthlessly, more viciously, and more inhumanely than the invaders themselves.
Why do people hate traitors even more than foreign invaders? Because invaders may destroy your body, but traitors deeply wound your heart and soul!
"Kill him!" an enraged Fishman civilian roared. "Who knows how many compatriots have been betrayed and abducted by scum like him!"
"Makuro! You are nothing but filth!"
The crowd was furious.
With bloodshot eyes, they locked their gaze onto the Fishman traitor, who was already trembling in terror. They gritted their teeth, their hatred burning, as if they wanted to tear the flesh from the bones of this so-called "compatriot."
Sakazuki looked on at this scene and continued speaking: "And this human is a venomous snake hiding in the shadows. On the surface, he runs a company, but in secret, he traffics people, smuggles weapons, and sells drugs."
"The law does not favor one race over another. Today! Right here and now! In the name of justice, I will use his blood as a foundation for the stability and peace of Fishman Island!"
The tall, imposing admiral solemnly pressed one foot against the back of the human trafficker.
"Onigumo! Lend me your sword!"
Sakazuki drew a Marine saber from the waist of the Rear Admiral who had been holding the Den Den Mushi the entire time.
With one swift stroke, clean and precise, the human trafficker—already on the brink of death—did not even have time to react before his large, bloated head rolled off the execution platform.
Blood gushed from his severed neck, soaring into the air and staining the side of Sakazuki's white coat. The stark contrast between the pristine coat and the eerie crimson created a chilling yet striking image.
With this beheading, he severed the chains of distrust between Fishman Island and the Marines.
The crowd erupted! They shouted, they roared, they howled. They awaited Sakazuki to swing his blade once more.
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
Makuro collapsed to the ground, the stench of urine spreading. His face was ashen, and the headless corpse of his former ally was still warm, blood pooling and soaking into his pants.
The moray eel Fishman cried out in despair: "Marine-sama, please show the mercy of justice! Have pity on me! I was blinded by money! Please forgive me just this once! Just this once! Alright? Alright?"
The blade swung once more—
But it only sliced through the ropes binding Makuro.
"Marine... sir?"
The crowd was stunned. Makuro was stunned. Even Neptune and Onigumo were stunned. They could not understand what Sakazuki was doing.
The nearly three-meter-tall Magma-Magma Fruit user grabbed Makuro by the throat with one hand and lifted him up.
"Forgiving you is up to the people below. My job is to send you to them."
The Marine Vice Admiral swung his arm and flung the despised Fishman high into the air—
"Now, he is yours!"
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couldnt post anything yesterday i had to deal with some persnal stuff