The shuttle landed at Dawn City's airport, where preparations had long been complete.
On an open stretch of ground outside the city, a tall gallows had been erected. Kuken and his band of pirates were all tightly bound and held beneath it. Mars Feraci, Dubrak Kunto, Kenneth, Spade, and the rest of their smuggling crew had also been tied up and brought together.
Tang Xiao climbed the platform with a solemn expression and spoke loudly into the microphone. "Today belongs to our Fourth Civilization! Because once again, we have suffered an invasion! And this time..."
He looked around at the fanatical residents and soldiers, paused for several seconds, then raised his voice in a shout. "We won!!"
"Wooo!!!" Deafening cheers erupted from below.
"And the chief culprit behind this invasion—the criminal responsible for the deaths of more than ten of our warriors—is right here!!" Tang Xiao suddenly pointed at Kuken.
The vicious pirate was now trussed up like a dumpling, with a filthy rag stuffed in his mouth, unable to utter a word. Yet his eyes remained full of savage malice. He was nearly sixty years old; pirates who reached that age had long since lost any prospects, and there was no way he would beg for mercy.
But Tang Xiao had no intention of giving him any chance to make a sound. Looking down imperiously at the prisoners, he said slowly, "Now, in the name of the Fourth Civilization, I sentence you—Iron Tooth Kuken—and the other main participants in this invasion... to death!!"
At the order, Kuken and six other pirate leaders were escorted onto the gallows by the Marines. Ropes were fastened around their necks, and they were hoisted up directly. The seven men struggled desperately in midair, their legs kicking wildly like frogs, but it was useless.