Demola, clutching his face, shakily got to his feet:
"The... Navy...?"
*Slap!*
He was sent crashing to the ground again.
Sakazuki crouched down and patted Demola's face, the sound sharp.
"What are you hesitating for?"
Demola, lying on the ground, shouted:
"Navy!"
Sakazuki stood up and kicked him.
"Get up."
Demola scrambled to his feet.
Sakazuki looked at the dissipating blood mist.
"You've been stationed in Sabaody for twenty years, haven't you?"
Demola, his face covered in blood but not daring to wipe it, lowered his head and respectfully replied:
"Twenty-four years."
Sakazuki chuckled.
"Twenty-four years..."
"What? Had enough? Want to retire?"
Demola's lowered gaze sharpened, his entire body turning cold. He trembled, unable to speak.
Sakazuki spoke, his voice low and drawn out.
"Dare to do it but not admit it?"
"The protection money collected every week, the pirate crews plundered, the human trafficking – wasn't it you?"
"Do you want me to be more specific?"
"Hmm?"
"Dividing money late at night every week? Cursing your subordinates for being idiots after dividing? Bribing everyone up and down?"
"Looting for over twenty years, have you had enough?"
*Thump—*
Demola collapsed, his body weak, his mind blank, unable to offer any explanation...
So all his actions were under the control of those above...
Sakazuki's voice was cold.
"Get up."
Demola scrambled up nervously.
"This subordinate deserves death!"
Sakazuki stared at him impassively, cold sweat pouring down Demola's forehead.
Just as Demola was about to collapse again, unable to bear it, Sakazuki let out a cold snort.
"If you wanted to die, you would have died twenty years ago."
"You wouldn't have lived this long."
"I kept you because you have ability."
"You can maintain the balance of Sabaody Archipelago."
"Confine the pirate gathering spots to the lawless zones of islands 1 to 29."
"But you tell me, what is this now?"
*Crack—*
All of Demola's ribs shattered, and he knelt on the ground, coughing up blood.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Sakazuki withdrew his fist.
"The lawless zones have already spread to the giant trees past island 50."
"Right next to the Marine base."
"What? You've had enough loot?"
"Washing your hands of it?"
"Want to take the money and live a quiet retirement?"
"Do you think..."
"It's possible?"
Sakazuki's voice, imbued with killing intent, echoed in Demola's ears.
Demola, ignoring his injuries, knelt and kowtowed repeatedly.
Blood soaked the ground in front of him. 138 reading network.
Sakazuki frowned.
"Speak."
Demola, still kneeling and trembling, said:
"Cough, cough... Your subordinate... your subordinate... had no choice."
After speaking, he cautiously looked up at Sakazuki, but upon seeing Sakazuki's cold stare, he shivered and quickly added:
"In the past few years, for some unknown reason, the number of pirates has increased dramatically."
"As this is the only entrance to the New World, more and more people are coming..."
"The prices of everything have skyrocketed, and many businesses have prospered. Over time... some government officials also set their sights on this place."
"Using their positions, they continuously engaged in various businesses."
"And those pirates are very wealthy... with more and more people, more and more shops opened."
"Gradually, the lawless zones could no longer accommodate them..."
"So they spread to the surrounding areas..."
"Those pirates are money trees. There was pressure from above, and I... I had no choice..."
"If I cut off their source of income, this subordinate... would be found dead in the streets the next day."
Sakazuki stared at Demola, then let out a soft laugh and crouched down to look at him.
"Found dead in the streets?"
*Slap!*
Demola was sent flying, crashing through a house, nearly losing consciousness.
Sakazuki walked over slowly and stepped on the struggling Demola.
"Are you joking with me?"
"A Marine Vice Admiral, and someone can just kill him?"
"Who does he think he is?"
He bent down and lifted Demola.
"I will satisfy you."
"Point out every single location for me."
"Never mind their money trees, even if I were to slaughter Sabaody today, what could they do about it?"
He tossed Demola, still in his hand, towards the Marine soldiers in the distance.
"Carry him and lead the way."
---------
At the giant tree on island 42, within a massive amusement park area.
The sudden events caused the amusement park, which was still under expansion, to temporarily close its gates.
The owner of the amusement park reassured everyone, confidently stating they had powerful backing.
As Sakazuki and Barrett began their cleanup from island 30 towards island 1, those who were initially terrified, after waiting for a while with no incident,
Slowly relaxed and resumed their activities.
*Whoosh—*
A sharp whistling sound pierced the air, startling everyone into searching for its source.
Suddenly, someone pointed to the sky in terror.
"Look!"
"What is that!!"
A giant magma fist descended from the sky, smashing towards them...
*Boom!!!!*
The management hall not far behind was directly hit,
Turning into a ruin engulfed in flames...
Then, the sound of orderly running echoed from outside.
Squads of Marine soldiers, armed with guns, ran in and surrounded the entire amusement park.
Sakazuki walked in slowly and waved his hand.
Several soldiers carried the stretcher with Demola on it forward.
Sakazuki's indifferent voice rang out.
"Come, point them out one by one."
"Don't let even a dog go."
Before long, the continuous sound of gunfire erupted.
Some resisted, some made phone calls, some died on the spot...
In just a moment, all the management staff of the vast amusement park were shot dead, and all their wealth was plundered.
The soldiers returned to report. Sakazuki looked at the crowd of tourists gathered together.
"Civilians stand on the left, pirates on the right."
At the same time, a wisp of Conqueror's Haki emanated from him, pressing down on their nerves.
It caused their minds to go blank, and they instinctively followed orders to separate... Some cunning pirates also crept to the left.
Five minutes later, all the people had been divided into groups.
Sakazuki withdrew his Haki, and his finger moved.
Several figures in the civilian section had their heads blown off, and screams erupted.
Sakazuki ignored them and looked at the pirate section on the right.
"Great Eruption—"
*Boom!*
Only a large expanse of magma remained on the ground...
"Next."
---------
At the giant tree on island 47, in a specialty goods area.
Countless soldiers surrounded the place. The store owner, dressed in a black suit, wiped his sweat.
"Admiral Sakazuki, hello."
"I am..."
*Boom!*
----------
Island 47, giant tree...
*Boom!*
----------
Island 56, giant tree...
*Boom!*
----------
.........
.........
.........
As Sakazuki retracted his fist, it was impossible to tell how many buildings had been destroyed...
"Anything else?"
Demola's mind was blank, and he shook his head. There was nothing left... completely gone...
Without any concealment, nor daring to conceal anything.
Almost all commerce on Sabaody was now paralyzed.
Sakazuki had destroyed most of it with magma. The ground scorched by the magma still emitted a strange aroma...
Sakazuki nodded.
"Go back and recuperate. If you don't want to die, then prove your worth."
"If I find the lawless zones next to the Marine base again, you won't live either."
"Including your mistresses and children on three islands."
Demola's entire body turned cold as he responded. Sakazuki continued:
"Go back and collect all the information on those high-ranking government officials."
"No matter how you do it, the more the better. Including their families, children, illegitimate children, everything."
"Hand it over to me."
"If you die, their entire families will pay the price."
Demola took a deep breath.
"Yes!"
His tone was unusually firm.
There was no choice... he was already on the brink of death. It was better for others to die than himself.
As evening approached.
This world-shocking 'Sabaody Bloodbath' incident came to an end.
Sakazuki's brutality and iron-fisted rule once again shocked the world. Countless photographs were sent flying in all directions by news birds.
According to later statistics from various sources, it took two full months just to clear the corpses...
----------
At the giant tree on island 30.
Sakazuki placed his hand on the magma barrier and retracted his ability.
The magma barrier enclosing the island visibly shrank...
Barrett stood nearby, looking at the endless corpses behind him.
"It seems like you went a bit too big this time, Admiral Sakazuki."
"Involving so many officials, will it be alright?"
Sakazuki spoke, his voice low and drawn out.
"Once their teeth are broken, they'll have to swallow it."
"Anyone can threaten a Marine Vice Admiral, talk about ending up dead in the streets."
"What a joke..."
Besides, it was time for a purge... This purge would provide several years of research funding...
At this moment.
A golden light passed through the slowly retracting magma barrier and coalesced beside Sakazuki.
Borsalino appeared and let out a long sigh.
"Oh~"
"Finally opened~"
"I was wondering how to get in."