On the podium, upon seeing Gawain's actions, Gion smiled slightly and gripped the hilt of her sword tightly with her left hand.
But at that very moment, Hody Jones, sitting in the audience, noticed Gawain and Gion's actions.
He frowned.
Did I accidentally blurt it out?
It doesn't matter anymore. We've already come this far, so what if you find out the truth!
You are now surrounded here by my entire force of 30,000 men. There is no way you can escape!
Brothers, let's all swallow the Energy Steroid! Let's take down the Celestial Dragon, kill Neptune, and then rule the Ryugu Kingdom!
Next year happens to be the quadrennial Reverie. At that time, I will lead you all to storm Mary Geoise and wipe out all the weak human nobles and Celestial Dragon.
Gawain, the Celestial Dragon Gawain, you..."
"Etc!"
Gawain suddenly extended his Teuchi Hody Jones.
Then he turned his head and looked at Gion with a puzzled expression.
Why haven't you made a move yet?
He asked, and Gion tilted her head in confusion.
"Uh, you talked to him so much before, I thought the adult was going to continue listening to him..."
"This..."
Gawain waved his hand, amused.
"He's said enough, let's get started."
"Yes!"
Gion's eyes lit up, and Gion instantly lunged forward, covering hundreds of meters in just three steps, directly rushing in front of Hody Jones.
Hody Jones's eyes widened instantly. He quickly clenched his right fist, preparing to deal with any possible attack from Gion.
But could he possibly handle the attack on Gion so easily?
Gion drew her sword in an instant when she was less than half a meter away from Hody Jones, but instead of slashing, she used the hilt of her drawn sword to slam it into Hody Jones's broad ribs!
Before Hody could even clench his fist, he was sent flying more than forty meters, knocking over countless of his own men, smashing through the paving stones, and finally crashing into the center of the crowd.
In just a moment, he was too weak to get up, but this was still far from Gion's standard, just as Hody Jones stopped.
Gion arrived first, her high heels instantly turning black as they sank deep into Hody Jones' left shoulder socket.
At the same time, Gion's knife was fully drawn, the sharp blade piercing through Hody Jones's mouth, penetrating his left cheek, and pinning his entire face to the ground.
This wasn't the end. Gion then turned the blade downwards, holding the Kompira and gently pressing it down. Her black blade slowly sliced off part of Hody Jones's face and his sharp teeth.
As she pressed down, Gion said coldly.
"If I remember correctly, Borsalino's dealing with Arlong was probably similar to how I dealt with you."
So, this is what you call a shameless sneak attack?
No, it's not that. It's that I attacked right in front of you, but you couldn't see my hand, let alone block my blade!
Arlong is the same!
As soon as she finished speaking, Gion swiftly pressed down with her left hand, then suddenly stood up and sheathed her sword.
As for the ground, Hody Jones's head was split in two!
The onlookers were so terrified they were practically frozen in place!
Only Hody Jones's subordinates, such as Daruma Zeo, could still shout something crazy at this moment.
"She... she killed Brother Hody Jones!"
"Fire! Avenge our brother!"
"Take out those hostages first, let them die with our boss!!!"
Although they shouted loudly, the thugs surrounding them who were escorting the Fish-Man and Merfolk hostages did not obey their orders.
Who is Hody Jones? He is the greatest hero in their hearts, second only to Fisher Tiger and Arlong, and the strongest person on Fish-Man Island, second only to Jinbe!
But even someone like Hody Jones is not as good as a weak human woman who serves Celestial Dragon!
And it's still far inferior!!!
This outcome brought the rioters to the brink of collapse; they could barely hold their guns!
On the podium, Jinbe first let out a long breath, and then he bowed deeply to Gawain.
"Gawain!"
He said it with utmost seriousness.
"Hody Jones is dead. Please, my lord... spare the tens of thousands of Fish-Man he manipulated."
"I want to forgive them, but... do they want to forgive me?"
In response to Jinbe's words, Gawain put his hands behind his back and coldly surveyed everything before him.
Every thug whose gaze swept over him couldn't help but tremble.
In front of the thugs in different corners, the New Sun Pirates' executives, such as Daruma and Zeo, were still roaring.
Daruma was particularly frenzied; seeing that his underlings wouldn't make a move, he simply charged towards the hostages himself!
Upon seeing this, Shenping 'Jinbe turned furious. He quickly got up and rushed towards Daruma's location.
In just two seconds, Jinbe rushed to Daruma's side before Daruma could make a move.
"Fish-Man Karate, Vagabond Drill!"
With Jinbe roar, Jinbe's fist, which was covered in Armament Haki, smashed Daruma into pieces!
The Fish-Man's red blood, identical to that of humans, sprayed all around, causing the thugs near Daruma to simply drop their hostages and flee in a frenzy.
After Jinbe killed Daruma with a single blow, he turned around and shouted loudly at Gawain.
"Saint Gawain, I have not held back!"
"I only ask that after you deal with Hody Jones and his cronies, you spare those ignorant people who were deceived and manipulated by them. That's... that's tens of thousands, maybe even a hundred thousand people!"
Thump!
Jinbe's massive body suddenly knelt down, his hands pressed against the ground, his eyes closed, and he shouted with all his might.
"My compatriots, what are you waiting for? Can't you hear me?!"
Hody Jones was the real murderer of Queen Otohime. There was never any conflict between humans and Fish-Man; it was all Hody Jones's ambition!
As for slaves, although we do have people who have become slaves, if you have ever been to the auction house in Sabaody, you will know that human slaves are the most numerous and mainstream items at the auction house. The number of human slaves is hundreds or thousands of times that of Fish-Man slaves!
Aside from Gawain Celestial Dragon like Lord Gawain who stand at a higher level, we humans have always been equal!
Gawain, please forgive them, considering they didn't launch a full-scale attack!
As soon as he finished speaking, Jinbe knelt there, nervously awaiting Gawain's answer.
Gawain remained silent, waiting for the Fish-Man's answer.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
Seeing Jinbe kneeling, seeing the dead Hody Jones and Daruma, and especially seeing Gawain on the platform with no expression, the thugs trembled and dropped their swords, following Jinbe's actions and nervously kneeling down before Gawain.
At that moment, kneeling seemed to be contagious; the clanging of swords and spears falling to the ground and the thud of knees hitting the ground were incessant.
About forty seconds later, only the Neptune family, Gion, and a dazed Mjosgard remained standing in Gyoncorde Plaza.
Neptune looked around, suppressing the sadness in his heart.
He then pushed aside his three sons and stood in front of the thugs who had just rebelled against him.
"Your Majesty Neptune!"
"King Neptune!"
His approach surprised the thugs nearby.
Neptune simply raised his hands and silently removed his crown.
Then, he stretched out his fish tail and prostrated himself on the ground in the manner of Merfolk, saying this.
"Saint Gawain, it's all due to my poor governance. Please forgive them, Saint Gawain."
"Father!"
Fukaboshi couldn't help but shout from the side.
"Why are you pleading for them? They're all Hody Jones's men, and Hody Jones... he's the one who killed Mother!"
"But they are also your people, and you are their prince. Whether it is me or you, we must confront the sins they have committed."
As their rulers, and as royalty, do we truly bear no responsibility whatsoever?!
Neptune roared at his eldest son, and Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, and Manboshi slunk over to Neptune's side and knelt down before Gawain.
Seeing this, Shirahoshi, who was biting her lip and silently shedding tears, moved her fishtail. She also wanted to follow her father and brothers.
On the podium, seeing Shirahoshi's actions, Gawain gently shook his head.
"Shirahoshi!"
He called out.
Upon hearing this, Shirahoshi trembled. She turned around and looked at Gawain nervously.
Only then, until everyone truly knelt at Gawain's Gawain, begging him to forgive them.
Shirahoshi was witnessing for the first time a certain terrifying aspect of her fiancé.
Seeing Shirahoshi's worried look, Gawain smiled knowingly.
If even a child like Shirahoshi is this frightened, then Fish-Man Island should be feeling enough pressure now, right?