บท 61: Chapter 61: Execution

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On the Sabaody Archipelago islands 1 through 29, each island's plaza was filled with Marine soldiers standing by with Transponder Snails.

During the time the Marines held the docks, the island's residents lived in constant fear.

Every day, they witnessed numerous arrests, with nearly a thousand people apprehended over the past three days.

In this tense environment, the residents were acutely aware of every Marine action, knowing it could affect their own lives.

Many gathered in the plazas, whispering among themselves as they watched the Marines with Transponder Snails.

"Have you heard? The Marines are going to deal with those who broke the five rules today. They're broadcasting it in the plazas for us to see," one person murmured.

"Deal with them? Do you think they'll kill everyone who broke the rules like the notice said?" another asked, fearfully.

"No way, right? They've arrested about a thousand people in the past few days. They can't kill them all!" someone else interjected, nervously.

"Exactly. Even if they were slaughtering a thousand pigs, you'd hear some squealing. These are people, and some are notorious pirates with bounties close to a billion. Can the Marines kill them all so easily?"

Speculations flew as the crowd debated how the Marines would handle the situation.

Meanwhile, Byakuya toyed with the Transponder Snail in his hand. The recording wasn't just Boyle's earlier confession about Doflamingo inviting Saint Estercock.

It also included Boyle's revelations about the Donquixote Family's underground activities: drug trafficking, attacks on allied nations, and enslaving allies for the slave trade.

Most significantly, it detailed Doflamingo's arms dealings with the Revolutionary Army. If the World Government learned of this, Doflamingo would face severe repercussions.

The government viewed the Revolutionary Army as a greater strategic threat than even the combined forces of the Four Emperors.

Despite being an officially recognized pirate, Doflamingo had been supplying the Revolutionary Army with weapons.

Boyle also mentioned that Doflamingo had been frequently in contact with an unspecified faction, likely engaged in secret dealings.

Boyle knew this because he had seen the family's officers on the Sabaody Archipelago with large crates of goods. He even provided possible locations for these secret transactions.

Unsure of the information's value, Boyle divulged everything he knew, figuring it was better to say too much than too little.

Most people might dismiss this information, given Doflamingo's willingness to deal with the Revolutionary Army.

But to Byakuya, it was clear that Doflamingo was dealing with the Beasts Pirates, one of the Four Emperors' crews.

Around this time, Doflamingo, through the scientist Caesar, had developed artificial Devil Fruits, which he traded with the Beasts Pirates for a significant profit.

Doflamingo's audacity was staggering—selling arms to the Revolutionary Army, angering the World Government, and selling artificial Devil Fruits to the Beasts Pirates, provoking the Marines.

He was antagonizing the very powers he relied on.

As Byakuya pondered how best to leverage this information, his thoughts raced with possibilities for maximizing its impact.

There was a knock on the office door. Smoker entered, "Lord Byakuya, the scheduled execution time has arrived. Shall we begin?"

Byakuya, with a smile on his lips, replied, "Yes, of course. It's time to show them the consequences of breaking the rules."

If not for the deterrent effect, Byakuya would have killed them all long ago.

He had been holding back for three days and was finally eager to see how much World Source Power he could gain from these events.

On the plazas of the 29 islands of Sabaody, Marines were stationed, each holding an Image Transponder Snail.

Upon receiving the signal, they simultaneously activated the snails.

A beam of light shot from the snails' shells, projecting a massive screen nearly 100 meters wide in the sky, visible to most of the island's inhabitants.

The first image on the screen shocked everyone. On a small execution platform knelt ten captives, with Marines standing ready to carry out the execution.

Below the platform, over a thousand more captives awaited their fate, filling the screen with a dense crowd.

The onlookers were incredulous. "Are the Marines going to execute all of them?" "This is too cruel!"

"Aren't they going to resist?" In reality, most who had resisted were killed on the spot, while the remaining were severely injured, and left to suffer without medical attention, making death a preferable release from their agony.

The screen then shifted to show a young, handsome Marine officer in a pristine white uniform, with a justice cape billowing behind him—a striking image.

If not for the context, no one would believe this sunny young man had led the capture of those who broke the rules.

With a radiant smile, Byakuya greeted, "Hello, residents of the island. I am Rear Admiral Byakuya, responsible for maintaining order here."

"I haven't been on Sabaody long, so many of you might not know me yet. But I assure you, after today, you will remember my face and every word I say."

"This will ensure that when you face execution, you won't wonder why."

Though Byakuya's smile was warm, his words sent chills down the spines of millions across the 29 islands.

This young rear admiral had a terrifyingly lethal aura. After his speech, Byakuya coldly ordered, "Begin the execution!"

The screen focused on the execution platform as ten Marines raised their swords and simultaneously decapitated the prisoners.

Ten heads fell, blood staining the platform. Byakuya's icy voice echoed again, "Those who break the rules will only meet death! Let's see how many heads you have to lose!"

"Next batch!" Another ten prisoners were brought to the platform. Byakuya and his Marine officers watched the proceedings with cold indifference.

The executions continued for two hours. As the executioners grew tired, their weakened arms left some prisoners half-dead, writhing in pain, adding to the gruesome scene.

New executioners were quickly brought in to prevent further mishaps. After all 1,123 rule-breakers were executed, Byakuya appeared on screen once more.

"I hope this execution serves as a sufficient warning. If not, the next heads to roll will be yours!"

As soon as Byakuya's words ended, the screen abruptly went dark, and all the Marines stationed in the plazas withdrew, leaving behind a stunned crowd.

Those who had watched the entire live broadcast felt a chill run down their necks, instinctively touching their throats to make sure their heads were still attached.

The terrifying scenes lingered in their minds.

"This... this is... too horrifying," someone stammered.

"Over a thousand people, just like that... all dead," another murmured.

"Can we still stay on Sabaody Archipelago?" one person questioned.

"If you leave Sabaody Archipelago, where else can you go?" was the retort.

Located at the gateway to the New World, the Sabaody Archipelago is a vital stop for pirates who survive their journeys.

This prime location ensures a constant flow of new arrivals, regardless of the dangers. This is why Byakuya felt confident in implementing his iron-fisted policy—no matter how many were killed, there would always be more to replace them.

One reluctant individual noted, "So, we have to follow those five rules from now on?"

"If you think your neck is strong enough, you can try breaking them," another replied.

"That Marine Rear Admiral Byakuya, he seems extremely lethal. Provoking him likely means death." These words silenced the crowd.

After a long pause, someone finally said, "We just have to wait until other forces express their dissatisfaction, and when Byakuya can't withstand the pressure, things might improve."

But no one knew how long this waiting would take. Following the execution, Byakuya was inwardly delighted.

This single event had earned him over 6,000 points of World Source Power, plus an additional 1,000 points from the capture process.

Altogether, nearly 7,000 points—a rare and bountiful harvest. Additionally, he had gained nearly 3 billion Berries, solving the base's financial problems.

Opportunities like this were rare. If it hadn't been for the incident with the Celestial Dragons and the subsequent port lockdown, these people would have fled long before Byakuya could catch them.

This situation also underscored the benefits of Byakuya joining the Marines.

Not only could he gain World Source Power by rising in rank, but he could also leverage the Marines' power to his advantage.

The day after the execution, Byakuya handed over a recording containing information provided by Boyle to Reikyu and Aokiji.

"This is intel from the boss of Doflamingo's auction house. Take a look," he said.

The recording was filled with accusations and evidence of Doflamingo's various crimes. Boyle had divulged everything he knew in hopes of sparing his own life.

Unfortunately for him, he knew too much, and Byakuya couldn't let him live.

If Boyle had inadvertently revealed that Doflamingo had invited Estercock Saint to target Byakuya, it would have drawn significant attention from Reikyu.

To avoid any potential complications, Byakuya had to 'dispose' of Boyle. Being cautious was essential.

When Reikyu and Aokiji learned that Doflamingo was involved with both the Revolutionary Army and the Beasts Pirates, their expressions changed dramatically.

Reikyu questioned, "Byakuya, are you sure this recording is genuine?"

The implications were enormous, so much so that Reikyu couldn't determine the next steps.

If the recording was authentic, it needed to be reported, and measures against Doflamingo would be mandatory.

In response to Reikyu's skepticism, Byakuya calmly stated, "I don't know if it's genuine. I just happened to obtain it while capturing people."

"Moreover, whether this recording is genuine or not has little to do with me," Byakuya continued.

"If you want to verify its authenticity, why don't you investigate it yourselves? After all, isn't that exactly what your CP organization excels at?"

Upon hearing this, Aokiji's mood significantly calmed down, and he was no longer as agitated as before.

Although Byakuya's tone was harsh, his words made sense. Most of Doflamingo's actions were related to the World Government.

The only matter involving the Marines was Doflamingo's dealings with the Beasts Pirates.

However, since Doflamingo was recognized as a Shichibukai by the World Government, even the Marines had no jurisdiction over him.

Thus, this matter had little to do with the Marines. Reikyu didn't dwell on Byakuya's tone.

Compared to this minor issue, he was more concerned with reporting these events promptly to the higher-ups and letting them decide how to handle the situation.

Given Doflamingo's audacity, it wasn't entirely impossible that Palace Mapelseciel had indeed been kidnapped by his men.

After confirming Doflamingo as the target, the Marines quickly withdrew their troops from Sabaody Archipelago's port.

The week-long lockdown had put considerable pressure on the Marines.

If it weren't for the involvement of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government's support for the lockdown, various factions would have caused an uproar long ago.

In addition to sending out Akainu and Kizaru, Sengoku even dispatched the veteran Garp to the New World to monitor the Four Emperors' pirate crews, fearing they might seize the opportunity to cause trouble.

Fortunately, the lockdown was short-lived. Otherwise, Sengoku might have even pulled Zephyr out of the training camp to station him at a Marine base in the New World.

Meanwhile, the lawless zones of the Sabaody Archipelago had undergone a complete transformation.

Under Byakuya's five rules, no one dared to openly break the law. Everyone adhered strictly to the regulations, fearing the wrath of the Marines.

Marine soldiers patrolling the streets now carried themselves with straight backs and an air of confidence, a stark contrast to their previously timid demeanor.

This change was entirely due to Byakuya's influence.

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